Chapter 53
How could that be the first thing you say to a lover who’s endured so much?
‘That’s just… too cruel!’
Shuruel had been desperate to return to the North as soon as possible. The memory of her face, filled with longing for her waiting lover, only fueled my anger. She had missed him so deeply—and yet he dared to greet her like this?
I bit down hard on my lip, glaring at her, suppressing the fury I couldn’t quite voice.
“You think staring holes into her will change anything?”
Khalid’s voice broke in beside me. I hadn’t even noticed him approach. Embarrassed by my rudeness, I lowered my eyes.
“I wasn’t glaring.”
“Then maybe tuck in that pout first.”
Gulp. I immediately pulled my lips inward. Still stung by injustice, I turned my eyes on Khalid—and met his gaze directly.
He looked at me steadily, then said, “Not everyone can be as honest as you. Sometimes you have to endure pain so intense it feels like your heart might burst. There are times when you can’t even shed a single tear, even when the moment feels colder than a northern winter wind.”
“…”
“Especially for those who stand above others.”
Though his low voice seemed to defend the Grand Duke, it also sounded as if he were speaking to himself.
“Your Highness… have you ever…?”
“Hmm… I’ve forgotten.”
He said he’d forgotten—but then why did he wear that expression?
The bitterness etched across his face faded just as quickly, replaced by a blank mask once more.
After hearing his words, I couldn’t bring myself to hate the Grand Duke anymore. She had come running to her lover faster than anyone else possibly could, and she’d done it by choosing the quickest and best method available to her, despite her position.
“Shuruel.”
“Hh… ugh.”
Still dazed, Shuruel shook her head as if trying to regain her senses. Even with her collar gripped tightly, she blinked with no sign of pain.
Light slowly returned to her previously vacant eyes. Then the Grand Duke spoke again.
“Don’t make me wait any longer.”
It was said calmly, almost quietly—but it landed like a weight crashing down, so heavy it made my heart sink.
“…Is… is it really you, Geller?”
Her cracked, dry voice immediately recognized the person gripping her by the collar.
Only then did I notice—the black leather-gloved hand gripping her trembled visibly. At Shuruel’s words, the imposing presence of the Grand Duke crumbled in an instant.
Thud—
“Urk.”
As his clenched hand loosened, Shuruel collapsed onto the bed like a puppet with its strings cut, staring up at him with hazy eyes.
Duke Klaus collapsed too, as though he’d just let go of a taut rope he’d been barely holding together.
“…Yes. That’s enough.”
“Is it really you… Geller?”
“Yes.”
Shuruel blinked several times, as though in disbelief. Her gaze never once strayed from Klaus. To her, only he existed in that moment.
And then—trembling lips curling upward—she smiled and said,
“Forgive me, Geller. I don’t really understand everything… but I’m so glad this moment isn’t just a dream.”
It was as if she had been waiting all her life for this very moment.
Though he stood tall on his two feet, to my eyes, Duke Klaus looked as though he were collapsing into tears on the floor. No tears fell, but his quiet words carried the weight of thousands.
“You came back to me alive, and for that alone… I’ll forgive everything.”
Somehow… I wanted to cry in their place.
I wanted to ask everything—whether she was injured, what they did to her in that place. My heart was overflowing with questions.
But I didn’t want to intrude on the reunion of lovers after such a long time. I quietly stepped out of the room, leaving the two of them alone.
To my surprise, Khalid followed me without a word. I hadn’t really meant to walk with him, but with him right behind me, I ended up trailing alongside him all the way to the backyard. Or rather, I just missed the right moment to go back inside… and was curious about the aftermath of the dog-fighting ring incident.
The courtyard bore traces of hurried cleanup—gray walls, swaying lanterns, and a single worn bench resting silently beneath the dim light.
Compared to the lush gardens of Rajan’s estate, this backyard was plain—too small to even call it a courtyard—but it was perfect for breathing in the cool dawn air. Naturally, I sat on the bench and turned to Khalid.
“Is everything settled?”
“For the most part.”
“That man from before…”
“If you mean Seru Rozes, he’s in custody. I plan to interrogate him at dawn. There’s something I need to confirm.”
Surprisingly, Khalid was willing to answer my questions without resistance.
“By now, news of Maersen must’ve reached Livié Arphin too.”
“Most likely.”
“Are you… okay?”
“With what?”
“…Sorry?”
Unlike before, Khalid didn’t answer directly. Instead, he replied with a question of his own.
“What exactly is it I’m supposed to be okay about?”
“Well… it’s about confronting the Saintess. With the operation falling apart like this, she won’t take it lying down. She’ll retaliate. Maybe something worse. I mean…”
“You mean that’s the thing that will hurt me the most.”
He finished my sentence before I could. His eyes pinned me again—strange, unreadable.
The first light of dawn slowly lit up his golden hair. His red eyes, overlayed by the growing light, felt like they might consume me whole.
“You first met her at the ball, didn’t you?”
“Ah…”
“You seem to know quite a lot. Same with Shuruel.”
“Well, that’s…”
“I didn’t even know about the relationship between Duke Klaus and Shuruel. But you? You said the Grand Duke would support us if Shuruel was involved. You were confident. No one could’ve made that guess without knowing. So you knew. And you told something that important to someone you barely knew—just because they once helped you? Please. Not even a dog would believe that.”
“I… I mean, that is…”
“You act like someone who’s known them for a long time.”
Each word pierced like a thorn, sharp and deep. His eyes—no longer warm—felt like they were digging into my very soul. My whole body tensed, and I bit down hard on my lower lip.
‘He’s… doubting me.’
He might think I’m one of Livié Arphin’s spies. It would make sense from his perspective. My actions could seem suspicious. That woman is the type to corner her enemies with elaborate tricks and bask in their despair. For her, sacrificing a bit to gain much is nothing.
So here I was—still under suspicion, all because of that psychopath woman.
‘Pretending to know about Shuruel and the Grand Duke was… too reckless.’
If I had known Khalid and the Grand Duke were close, I wouldn’t have acted so boldly.
‘He would’ve asked for support from the North regardless—even without me saying anything.’
Maybe the force wouldn’t have been quite as large, but enough to raid Maersen.
But I didn’t know that. All I knew was that we had to act quickly to save Shuruel. We couldn’t waste another moment. We needed the Grand Duke’s support, and using Shuruel’s name was the fastest way to get it. I believed that.
Now it felt like I’d walked straight into a trap.
I’d been so desperate, I hadn’t even thought to read Khalid’s true intentions.
But now… what was I supposed to do?
Should I just tell him, “I’m the Livié Arphin you once loved”?
Would he even believe me?
No—of course not. I hadn’t earned that level of trust. He was already doubting me just for knowing about the Grand Duke’s relationship. There was no way he’d believe something so unbelievable.
My head throbbed with anxiety as I searched for the right words. Cold sweat soaked my back.
At last, Khalid broke the silence.
“I can’t deny that your help was crucial in all this. Even if—by chance—you had another motive for helping us… I won’t ask.”
“Huh? R-Really? You won’t… ask me?”
“If I did…”
“…?”
“Would you even answer?”
He really was an expert at leaving people speechless.
