Chapter 07
The moment it happened, Nina immediately remembered “Scenario No. 3.”
If the Duchess is ever going to poison Adrian… this would be the perfect opportunity.
That was why she had insisted on accompanying him.
I imagined I’d do something dramatic—knock the poisoned tea away and shout, “It’s poisoned!”
Instead…
She had unconsciously drunk it herself.
Though, realistically, there had been no other way for them to leave that place.
“Nina… Nina… you’re still alive, aren’t you? Please… don’t leave me.”
Through the haze, she heard his voice.
She struggled to answer.
It wasn’t Adrian’s usual voice.
All of his composure was gone.
It was nothing but desperate pleading.
Adrian was terrified.
Terrified of the cold, limp Nina in his arms.
If she died like this…
If she left him behind…
He was tall and broad-shouldered.
But he was still only sixteen years old.
He pushed onward through the endless snow.
When his exhausted horse finally collapsed, he abandoned it without hesitation.
For the first time in his life…
He prayed for night to come.
Everywhere he looked was blinding white snow.
There were no shadows.
No darkness.
The sunlight reflected endlessly across the frozen plain until the world became nothing but light.
Only when the sun finally began to set…
Only when long shadows stretched across the snow…
Did Adrian leap into the darkness.
It was his first time entering the darkness himself.
He had never done it before.
But there was no other choice.
“Darkness that needs neither roads nor light…
Lead me to a place of safety.”
As he ran through the darkness, he thought only of one destination.
The Black Knight Order.
If there was anywhere in this world that was truly on his side…
It was there.
The instant Adrian burst out of the darkness, Jin, who had been tending the campfire, stared at him in disbelief.
“Commander?!”
“Kirill! Where’s Kirill?!”
The Order’s physician, Kirill, immediately stood.
“What happened—”
Then she caught sight of Nina.
“Oh…”
Adrian practically shoved Nina into her arms.
“Nina… Nina drank poison. Nina…”
Kirill laid Nina gently on the ground.
“Poison? Let me examine her first.”
She sounded so calm that Adrian almost wondered if she failed to grasp the seriousness of the situation.
“She coughed up blood… she stopped breathing… she’s freezing…”
Vice Commander Louis gripped Adrian firmly by the shoulder.
No one had ever seen Adrian like this.
The man who was always calm…
Always smiling…
Was now rambling incoherently.
“She’ll be all right.”
Louis tried to reassure him.
“But more importantly… did you really cover an entire day’s journey overnight?”
Adrian silently nodded.
After examining Nina from head to toe, Kirill suddenly burst into laughter.
“What is it?”
Louis asked.
Kirill shook her head with an amused smile.
“I’m over forty years old, yet this is the first time I’ve ever seen something like this.”
“I’m not sure whether to call it impressive…
“…or unbelievable.”
“Hurry.”
Adrian’s voice came out almost as a demand.
Kirill merely shrugged.
Now in her mid-forties, she wore her long white wavy hair tied tightly behind her head.
If someone asked who had watched over the Black Knight Order the longest…
Everyone would point to Kirill.
“She deliberately lowered her body temperature.”
“So the poison spread more slowly.”
“She even slowed her heartbeat.”
“It’s almost like a hibernating animal.”
“I never imagined a human could do something like this.”
“I don’t know exactly what poison she drank…”
“But let’s start with intravenous fluids.”
Kirill looked around the camp.
“We should move somewhere safe before beginning treatment.”
“Once her body starts functioning normally again…”
“The pain will be unbearable.”
The group immediately packed up camp.
They hurried to the nearest village before beginning the detoxification.
The moment Kirill started the treatment…
The spirits withdrew.
And at the same time…
The poison began spreading through Nina’s body.
She twisted violently.
Blood poured from her mouth.
Her fingernails clawed desperately at the floor.
It was a horrifying night for Nina.
A horrifying night for everyone.
Most of all…
For Adrian.
Once Nina’s condition stabilized somewhat, they continued their journey back to the Violet Forest, where the Black Knight Order was stationed.
The inside of her mouth…
Her throat…
Her stomach…
Everything had been burned raw by the poison.
Her skin still carried the yellow tint of jaundice.
Recovery was slow and painful.
But…
She survived.
Two months later, she was completely healthy again.
Even Kirill couldn’t hide her amazement.
That night, everyone raised their glasses to celebrate Nina’s recovery.
Long after the festivities ended…
Adrian quietly came to her room.
“Young Master?”
Still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Nina mumbled drowsily.
The room was dark.
Adrian stood silently in the doorway.
“Why?”
His voice was cold.
Nina immediately sat upright.
She couldn’t clearly make out his face in the darkness.
Not that the darkness was entirely to blame.
The poison had permanently damaged her eyesight.
Not night blindness…
But definitely worse than before.
Now I understand why Adrian died so young.
That poison really was terrifying.
“What do you mean?”
“The tea.”
His answer was short.
Nina blinked.
“Are you angry?”
“Angry?”
His voice sounded almost incredulous.
“You’re asking if I’m angry?”
“Me?”
“I’m angry?”
The final question came out flat.
Without emotion.
As though he were simply reading words from a page.
Slowly…
Adrian walked toward her.
Or perhaps…
Not as slowly as she first thought.
He stopped directly in front of her.
The faint light illuminated his face.
It looked as cold as carved marble.
“Why would I be angry?”
“My loyal subordinate drank poison in my place.”
“Shouldn’t I be praising her instead?”
“I ought to celebrate myself for finding such a devoted subordinate.”
“So…”
“You are angry.”
“Don’t say it like that.”
Adrian seized both of her shoulders.
“Don’t talk as if…”
“As if I’ll only react over something so insignificant.”
“As if…”
“This means nothing to you.”
“Adrian.”
Nina quietly called his name.
He didn’t answer.
His grip remained painfully tight.
“I knew the tea was poisoned.”
She said softly.
“I couldn’t possibly miss it.”
“It smelled like blood.”
“Then why?!”
Adrian shouted.
“But…”
“You were about to drink it.”
Adrian looked as though someone had struck him.
The strength left his hands.
Nina jumped to her feet.
“You knew from the moment the tea was served.”
“Didn’t you?”
“That’s why you refused to let me taste it first.”
Adrian unconsciously took a step backward.
Nina folded her arms.
“Don’t treat me like an idiot, Adrian.”
“I never have.”
He looked down at her, pale-faced.
How could I ever think that about you, Nina?
How could I…?
“I don’t know why you intended to drink it.”
“But from now on…”
“If you decide to drink poison…”
“I’ll drink it instead.”
“If you plan to take a sword…”
“I’ll take the blow instead.”
“Nina!”
Backed into a corner, Adrian practically shouted.
Nina only tilted her head.
“Why?”
“What’s wrong?”
Adrian ran a hand through his hair.
He swallowed hard.
He searched for the right words.
In the end…
There were none.
As though exposing every ugly part of himself, he finally spoke.
“Nina…”
“If I drink poison…”
“If I allow myself to be stabbed…”
“It’s because I’ve already calculated the outcome.”
His eyes met hers.
Speaking those words clearly pained him.
So Nina answered for him.
“I know.”
“You probably intended to drink the poison because it was the easiest way to escape that place.”
“Besides…”
“You’ve already built up some resistance to poison.”
He had probably hoped the Duchess would lower her guard afterward as well.
Adrian’s eyes widened.
Nina smiled.
“What?”
“I like you, Adrian.”
“But that doesn’t mean I’m blind.”
“I know perfectly well you’re not some innocent little lamb.”
…Didn’t you think I was stupid?
She narrowed her eyes.
Adrian hurriedly waved his hands.
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
He was simply…
Surprised.
Surprised that even after knowing exactly what kind of person he truly was…
Nina had never changed.
He had secretly wondered if her affection came only from pity.
Pity for the unfortunate eldest son of the Duke.
How shallow that thought seemed now.
Nina cut him off.
“Even so…”
“Don’t keep hurting yourself.”
“What if you die young someday?”
“…Then what about you?”
Adrian asked quietly.
“What about you, Nina?”
And if you’re gone…
What will become of me?
The rest of the sentence died in his throat.
Nina slowly raised both hands in surrender.
“I’ll be careful too.”
Suspicion immediately filled Adrian’s face.
Nina laughed.
“I mean it.”
“Though…”
“I suppose that’s about the best promise a member of the Black Knight Order can make while living in a forest full of Bellaks.”
She held out one hand.
Adrian reached out and clasped it.
“It’s a promise.”
Nina smiled.
Adrian let out a long sigh.
“…All right.”
“Please.”
