Chapter 64 …..
“Sudden”:
The carriage was stopped in a suitable spot nearby, and leaving behind a knight, only Eileen, Chloe, and Sir Lutz headed toward the lake. The servants who were supposed to attend to them had already been sent to the villa, so it was quiet with few people around.
Eileen couldn’t take her eyes off the lake, which was too vast to see all at once. The sunlight reflected on the water’s surface, making it glitter beautifully.
“Pretty, isn’t it?”
At Chloe’s question, Eileen could only nod, unable to tear her gaze away from the lake. Now she understood why Chloe had been talking so much about it.
While Eileen admired the lake, Lutz laid out a mat and secured it so it wouldn’t blow away, and Chloe, looking delighted, went over to sit. She gestured for Eileen to come, her expression radiating pure joy.
When Eileen sat beside Chloe, Sir Lutz placed the last basket between them and stepped back.
Eileen watched Sir Lutz standing with his hands behind his back. As Chloe’s guard and secretly also responsible for Eileen’s protection, Lutz was performing his duties with measured efficiency.
Knowing that he was protecting her under the name Iroyan, Eileen realized that no detail of Lutz’s actions went unnoticed. The distance that allowed him to reach out at any moment and the perfect concealment of Iroyan’s true name from Chloe—everything about him made her admire him more and more.
“I brought a special tea for a day like this.”
Chloe opened the bag she had brought herself and took out a glass bottle. As Eileen turned to look, Chloe smiled confidently, holding it so the bottle was clearly visible.
“It’s the famous Camellia harvested from River Mountain. I also added dried Jesia, so the taste and aroma are guaranteed.”
“I like the Camellia and Jesia combination too.”
It was a tea leaf blend Eileen had enjoyed during her stay at the Duke’s household. Camellia blended with Jesia herb had a deep aroma and a subtly sweet aftertaste. Since River Mountain was notoriously rugged, harvesting it there made the tea very expensive.
Chloe began pouring hot water to brew the tea, but Lutz, who had quietly approached, took over. He brewed it himself, poured it into cups, and placed it carefully on a small tray to avoid spills.
When Eileen picked up the cup, Chloe gave her an expectant look. Eileen smiled awkwardly and sipped. The warm cup, slightly cooled, carried the aroma as it flowed into her mouth.
“It’s really rich.”
Despite the short brewing time, it had a more intense flavor and fragrance than previous teas. Chloe had every right to boast.
“Hmm?”
When Eileen took another sip, a strange feeling made her react aloud. Both Chloe and Lutz noticed her reaction immediately.
“Why?”
Eileen glanced around. It wasn’t the usual scent of water she had noticed before—it was something else. Though subtle, it felt as if the smell had touched her skin.
“No, it’s just that I sensed a smell.”
“Ah, it’s from the basket next to me. We brought freshly baked bread, so the aroma keeps rising.”
When Eileen turned to look, Sir Lutz opened the basket and took out various dishes, stepping back as he did. As the smell disappeared, Eileen tilted her head in curiosity.
“Just looking at the lake is lovely, and so is dipping your feet in it.”
Chloe, unable to resist while watching the breeze ripple across the lake, stood up.
“I’ll just dip my feet in for a bit.”
Chloe smiled brightly as she stood barefoot, shoes in hand. Her excitement was so pure that Eileen laughed along. Being with Chloe made her heart unwind without her realizing it.
“Miss, you mustn’t go too deep.”
Lutz called out to Chloe, reminding her that he was responsible for Eileen as well.
“Don’t worry. Have I only come here once or twice?”
“Still, please be careful.”
“Sir Lutz worries too much…”
“Miss!”
Despite the water only reaching her knees, Chloe moved excitedly. Trying to splash Lutz as a playful gesture, she suddenly fell into the water.
“Chloe!”
Eileen jumped up as Lutz ran to rescue her. Chloe, unconscious in his arms, prompted Eileen to rush to her side.
Checking under her nose and lifting her eyelids, Eileen said to Lutz:
“There’s no time. We need to get her to a doctor immediately.”
“Prepare the carriage.”
At Eileen’s command, Lutz shouted, and the knights who had stopped at a distance hurried to the carriage. Eileen grabbed Lutz’s arm.
“The carriage will be too slow. Take a horse, a horse!”
Chloe’s breathing had become so shallow that it could stop at any moment. Lutz nodded gravely.
“Mother…”
“Does that matter right now? Go, I’ll follow slowly.”
“Understood.”
Lutz mounted a horse, holding Chloe, and rode off toward the villa. Watching them, Eileen’s worry surged so strongly that she couldn’t focus on anything else.
As she hoped Lutz would reach quickly, Eileen looked toward the carriage and realized:
“The carriage… where did it go?”
The carriage had been there when Lutz had taken a horse, but now it seemed to have vanished completely.
Eileen approached the spot where the carriage had been but saw nothing—no carriage, no knights. She would have to walk to the villa if no one arrived, but she didn’t even know where it was, so she decided to wait.
Then something happened.
A shiver ran through Eileen, making her wrap her arms around herself. Her body trembled.
‘Why is my body like this?’
Maybe it was the long exposure to the wind from the lake, but she couldn’t define the sensation clearly. Her hands trembled, her lips quivered, and the strength drained from her legs.
Biting her lips to stop the trembling, she realized her body wouldn’t obey her. Just moments ago, she had been fine, yet now she felt both cold from the wind and heat from within simultaneously. She couldn’t understand why.
“The smell…”
Eileen looked up. The air had changed. Among the scents she had noticed earlier, a new, distinct smell lingered. She didn’t recognize it immediately but soon realized.
“These are pheromones.”
She murmured, stunned. Feeling pheromones was proof that she had awakened.
‘Why now…?’
She still had time before the full awakening, but now, sensing the pheromones from her own body, Eileen panicked. Without a cycle stabilizer, she bent her fingers as if scratching her arm. The stinging sensation turned into a sort of pleasure, making her head spin.
Eileen looked around at the empty surroundings.
“Done perfectly to the very end.”
At Elder Allan’s patient smile, the man kneeling lifted his head. His body was covered with bruises, one eye swollen shut, but it was clear that he was Zeck, expelled from the Duke’s household.
“I followed all your instructions. Will you now fulfill your promise?”
Zeck had been expelled for stealing ingredients for a stimulant. Worse, Hays had found him and beaten him mercilessly, leaving him defenseless.
Though he had acted for his only friend’s sake, he had lost that friend. His wounds from Hays hadn’t even healed, and his father’s trade company was ruined overnight. He had been cast out from the life he had always known.
Desperate, Zeck sought Elder Allan’s help, fulfilling the conditions he had been given.
“Miss Chloe went to the lake, and I used the last of the stimulant, mixing it with dried leaves. I even manipulated the knights, so there’s no carriage at the lake. Even if the Duchess is gasping for breath, she won’t reach a doctor easily.”
Zeck paused, then hurriedly added:
“Even if she survives by chance, we can frame her for attempting to kill Miss Chloe. She won’t escape.”
“Yes. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
Allan smiled with satisfaction, restraining his urge to seize the Duchess’s neck immediately. Rather than acting recklessly, he waited for the perfect moment to strike, and the attack had been flawless.
Zeck gave a servile smile, sensing Allan’s approval.
“Then you’ll restore my father’s company?”
“Of course.”
Allan took a small pouch from his chest. Zeck’s eyes widened in anticipation as the pouch opened, revealing a small dagger.
As Zeck tried to evade, Allan was faster, grabbing Zeck’s hair and pressing the dagger to his neck.
“But if you survive, it’s not perfect, is it?”
Allan’s smile was cruel.
