Chapter : 55
To her, Raiden was not simply someone to pour affection into.
Without him, she would not exist—he was someone of absolute value.
Anna whispered in a tight, choked voice.
“Thank you… for coming back to me.”
“……”
Raiden stared at her for a moment, then the corners of his lips slowly lifted.
He pulled Anna tightly into his arms and pressed her head against his chest.
Anna buried her face against him and swallowed her tears.
People who saw the two suddenly stop and cling to each other on the dance floor let out gentle laughter.
Lewis’s judgment had been right—though it was a situation ripe for teasing or jeers, the banquet was filled with dignified guests, so the response was mild.
When the music ended, the two slowly stepped apart.
Raiden whispered to Anna, who looked up at him with moist eyes.
“Shall we take a break?”
“Yes.”
Glad to hear it, Anna nodded immediately.
They crossed the hall and stepped out onto the balcony, closing the door behind them.
A cool breeze lifted her hair.
She gripped the railing and leaned out, gulping in the cold night air.
A wonderful sense of release washed over her.
Raiden stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the glass door, watching her quietly.
Anna turned and walked toward him with a bright smile.
At that moment, a dark figure dropped from the balcony above, landing lightly on the railing Anna had been holding.
“!”
Raiden bolted toward Anna.
She turned her head.
A figure dressed entirely in black came lunging at them.
A dagger flashed in his hand.
A blade!
Without thinking, Anna flung her arms wide, stepping in front of Raiden.
Startled, Raiden seized her and shoved her behind him.
The attacker hesitated, apparently not intending to kill Anna.
But Raiden was not someone who missed an opening.
Crash!
With a loud thud, Raiden tackled the intruder and brought him down.
He pinned the attacker, elbow grinding into his throat and legs locking him fast.
At that moment the glass door burst open and knights rushed in.
They assessed the situation instantly and bound the intruder.
Only then did Raiden step back to catch his breath.
“Anna.”
His eyes blazing, Raiden strode toward her where she stood frozen in the corner.
He grabbed her slender shoulders and shook her roughly.
“What were you thinking?!”
Anna shrank back, terrified.
“I—I didn’t think—”
“You jumped in front of a knife! Are you out of your mind?!”
At his continued scolding, Anna bit her lip.
Large, bead-like tears began to spill down her cheeks.
“But… the knife… the blade…”
“…Ah.”
Raiden let out a belated sound of realization.
She remembered my fear of blades?
He stared at her with a strange look, then spoke deliberately gruffly.
“That silly phobia faded long ago. Even as a trainee Holy Knight, it wasn’t that serious…”
“……”
But Anna’s face crumpled even further, and she burst into sobs.
It seemed she had grasped how desperate his situation must have been back then—forced to take up a blade just to survive.
Raiden sighed softly and turned away.
“Let’s go back.”
“……”
Anna followed without a word.
The Earl and Countess of Grace, flustered outside the balcony, rushed over to comfort her.
Raiden exchanged a look with the earl—today’s incident would be ‘settled later.’
Neither Raiden nor Anna spoke during the carriage ride back to Marquis Marcus’s estate.
Once in her room, she washed up under Lucy’s nagging and went straight to bed.
After confirming she was asleep, Raiden left the inner chambers, tugging open his collar, and strode to Lewis’s office.
He slammed the door open. Lewis, still working late into the night, jumped.
“What on earth?”
“We were attacked at the Grace estate.”
Raiden crossed the room and dropped into an armchair.
He stretched his long legs out, braced his elbows on the armrests, and propped his chin on his hand—eyes sharpened like a predator closing in on prey.
“Attacked?!”
Lewis’s eyes nearly popped out.
But only for a moment—then they gleamed slyly.
“You’ll have plenty to say to the Earl of Grace, I imagine…”
Raiden shot him a glare.
“…You seem pleased.”
Lewis quickly wiped the expression off his face.
“Don’t slander me. How could I be happy about an attack? I’m not that shameless.”
“Save it. Find something else to distract her.”
Raiden scrubbed a hand over his face, brows furrowed.
The image of Anna crying herself to sleep kept surfacing, irritating him.
“Distraction?”
“She was terrified today. She needs cheering up.”
Lewis thought a moment, then snapped his fingers.
“Ah! Then let’s go to the races.”
“The races?”
Lewis snatched a paper from the cluttered desk and held it under Raiden’s nose—a race schedule.
“’Doctor Forest,’ the stallion the marquis spent a fortune on, debuts. It’s a daytime race on the third day—perfect to attend together.”
“…Must we?”
Raiden sighed deeply and closed his eyes again.
“People are already whispering about how the horse owner never shows up. You’ve missed two days already.”
“……”
Lewis glanced sideways at Raiden.
Judging from the faint crease between his brows, he was irritated.
Understandable—he’d have to dress up, mingle with nobles, and socialize.
“But she’ll like it. I hear she lived a very quiet life…”
That made Raiden’s eyes open.
He murmured hazily, as though remembering something.
“…She does like animals.”
“Then it’s settled!”
Lewis clapped twice.
The jockey, hired at great expense for his loud voice and showmanship, had already been grumbling about the absent owner.
With the soon-to-be married couple attending, the stands would be noisy, and gossip about their wedding would spread like wildfire.
Perfect.
Lewis rubbed his palms together—then glanced at Raiden.
If only he’d look at the lady with melting eyes, the rumors would explode…
His face scrunched.
Raiden was solid as iron now—long past hesitation.
Lewis had witnessed firsthand, back west, how terrifying Raiden became once he made up his mind.
Still… melting eyes might be a bit much.
People don’t magically behave unlike themselves.
Lewis removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
“When you go—hm? Be affectionate. Take her arm. Walk around. Let everyone see. You know how this works, yes?”
“Stop nagging.”
Raiden finally snapped.
Lewis glared at him in secret—fine, lose your temper. Just don’t mess up tomorrow.
As if reading his mind, Raiden stood.
“I’ll handle it. You just prepare the papers.”
“That, at least, is my job.”
“Good.”
Raiden left without a backward glance.
Lewis crushed a sheet of paper in frustration—then quickly smoothed it out again.
“The racecourse?”
At dinner, Anna’s face lit up at the unexpected news.
“I want to go! I really want to go!”
She clasped her hands, eyes shining.
She had always wanted to see a race, but John forbade it—too many rowdy noble youths, he said—so she never once had the chance.
The depression from yesterday seemed to lift away.
Anna stole a glance at Raiden.
His handsome profile made her heart skip—but she pushed it down and thought clearly.
So he felt bad for yelling at me…
Knowing he arranged this event for her sake filled her with joy.
She fidgeted with her hair, murmuring,
“Oh no, do I even have anything suitable to wear? And I don’t even have a decent fascinator…”
The butler, Harman, who stood attending them, spoke calmly.
“A dressmaker will arrive tomorrow morning with gowns and accessories in the marchioness’s size, as measured previously.”
“Oh, thank goodness.”
Anna smiled gratefully. Harman bowed politely.
Raiden glanced their way, then set down his silverware with a soft clatter.
Both turned toward him briefly, then resumed talking.
“The marquisate owns three horses. Tomorrow’s racer, Doctor Forest, is among the leading contenders.”
“Wow.”
Anna’s eyes grew dreamy—imagining seeing a horse up close.
She was so excited she barely remembered how dinner ended before going to bed.
The next day, Anna dressed in the outfit from the atelier.
“You’re beautiful, my lady.”
In a white dress trimmed with navy, hair elegantly swept up beneath a deep navy spiral fascinator, she looked breathtaking.
Raiden, unusually sharp in a perfectly tailored suit, stared for a moment—then silently offered his arm.
Face flushed, Anna slipped her hand through his, and together they climbed into the carriage bound for the racecourse.
