Chapter : 63
A wave of darkness engulfed her, and it felt as if the ground beneath her had collapsed. Despair threatened to swallow her like a black monster from the apocalypse. In that moment, utterly abandoned and left alone in the darkness, she suddenly heard a commotion outside the door. Anna whipped her head around. The Marquis, sensing something ominous, half rose from his chair.
Chaotic footsteps and screams drew closer, and then with a loud bang, the door shook violently. It was as if someone had rammed it with their body.
“Menson!”
The Marquis leapt to his feet, shouting. Anna snapped out of her shock and ran to the wall opposite him, where the fireplace was, pressing her back against it.
“Did he come to rescue me?”
But in the worst-case scenario, it could be another kidnapper. Anna gritted her teeth and grabbed the fire poker that lay beside the fireplace, holding it tightly.
“I won’t go quietly.”
Amid the resounding banging on the door, the Marquis’s eyes fixed on her.
“!”
Anna froze involuntarily. The Marquis scanned her coldly, clicked his tongue, and turned away. Then he touched a spot on the wall, on one of the bookshelves.
Suddenly, the bookshelf pivoted, revealing a dark hidden passage.
Without looking back, the Marquis entered. As soon as he disappeared, the bookshelf swung back, blocking the passage. At that moment, the door fell off its hinges with a splintering crash.
“Miss!”
“Your Ladyship!”
The people who poured into the parlor were the knights of Marcus Castle.
“Ah…”
The fire poker slipped from Anna’s hands. Her legs gave way, and she crumpled to the floor with a soft thud.
“There she is!”
A knight who spotted her shouted. Someone approached, checked her condition, and suddenly lifted her into their arms. Anna was carried out like a child and placed in the waiting carriage outside. No sooner had the doors closed than the coachman cracked the whip, and the carriage began to move.
Anna parted the curtain with trembling hands and looked outside. Once she confirmed they had left Lily Street behind, she finally let go of the fragile grip on her consciousness and collapsed.
“…a sedative…”
“Miss…”
“Never…to the west…”
Anna’s fingertips twitched. Snippets of conversation reached her ears, but she couldn’t fully comprehend them. The voices faded, and she sank back into the sea of unconsciousness.
How much time had passed?
“Miss, are you awake?”
Lucy’s cautious voice reached her. Anna struggled to lift her heavy eyelids. Her blurred vision slowly sharpened, and she blinked a few times before finding the strength to speak.
“Lucy… are your legs okay?”
Lucy’s face twisted. She pursed her lips before finally bursting into tears.
“Is now really the time to ask that? Waaah!”
“Lucy… you’re noisy.”
Exhausted, Anna closed her eyes again. Silla pushed Lucy aside and brought a glass of water.
“Miss, please have some water.”
“Ah…”
With Silla’s support, Anna slowly lifted herself up. Lucy, still sniffling and tearful, quickly placed a cushion behind Anna’s back.
The first sip of water made Anna realize just how parched she was. She drained the glass in one gulp, and Silla brought more. After taking a deep breath, Anna sipped slowly, surveying her surroundings.
“…”
It was the room she had stayed in at Marcus Castle. As relief washed over her, she noticed Louis standing in the doorway, his dark under-eye circles making him look almost menacing.
“Assistant Louis…”
Anna whispered hoarsely, and he twitched at the corners of his eyes. Frowning deeply, he stared at her silently, then let out a sigh.
He walked over to her with deliberate steps, stopped, and impatiently pushed his hair back.
“Did you really have to leave at that time?”
“…What did you say?”
Anna, intending to thank him for rescuing her, was taken aback by his sharp tone. Louis waved his hand, and Silla tried to pull Lucy away from the room. Lucy resisted angrily, but when Anna nodded to indicate she was fine, she reluctantly left.
With the door closed and only the two of them remaining, Louis abandoned even the last trace of courtesy.
“No matter how thoughtless one might be, you should know how busy and overworked the people of this castle are! How could you act so recklessly?!”
“…”
His scolding made Anna feel as though her throat had been blocked.
‘My… fault? All of this… happened because of me?’
Memories of Lily Street flashed before her eyes. Darkness pressed in, and her heart raced fearfully fast, as if her entire body had become her heartbeat. She gasped, clutching her chest tightly.
Even noticing the severity of her reaction, Louis continued his harsh words.
“The Marquis traveled all the way to the western lands, enduring hunger and sleepless nights, performing relief work, and all you do is cause this disaster just to check a dress? Do you even have any sense?!”
“I-I…”
Her eyes burned, and her hands trembled. She couldn’t form words, only letting tears fall. Louis wiped his face with one hand and let out a heavy sigh, like a whip lashing at her.
In a subdued voice, he continued:
“You missed the Marquis Nomen, and his subordinate Menson has been eliminated. That means there is no link to tie down Marquis Nomen.”
“…”
Silently sobbing, Anna listened to every word. Realizing its meaning made her heart tighten again.
‘If Marquis Nomen escaped safely…’
It meant that this could happen again at any time.
“Ugh… huff!”
The snake-like gaze that had scanned her body, the hooked hands that had grabbed her hair, the yellow-toothed smile of Marquis Nomen…
Her vision darkened again. Gasping for air in torment, Anna collapsed.
“Hah… really, everything…”
Louis sneered at her unconscious form, turning sharply and stomping out the door in anger.
Bang!
Time passed, and it was finally the day of the wedding of Allianna Everklain and Raiden Marcus.
Marcus Castle was bustling with visitors from the morning. Louis and the butler were busy preparing the castle and chapel for the ceremony, arranging the food, and guiding guests.
With many staff deployed to the western lands, and more than half on guard duty, only a few servants remained to attend to Anna. Essentially, Silla and Lucy were the only ones serving her. Yet Anna felt no disappointment.
“…Miss, you are truly beautiful.”
Lucy murmured, choked with emotion as she gazed at Anna in the mirror. Wearing her mother’s dress, Anna looked like an angel descended from the heavens. Her glossy blond hair, pure blue eyes, and the mournful elegance of the dress accentuated her slender, feminine figure. She was breathtaking.
Yet, unlike a bride on the happiest day of her life, her face was pale and stiff.
“…Where is Raiden?”
Anna straightened her back, holding her veil, moving only her lips.
“…”
Lucy pressed her lips together, her heart heavy. In the past few days, she had tracked down Louis for answers but had received none. Moreover, Anna could sense from the assistant’s gaze that he viewed her as an unwelcome presence—irritated, bothersome, and inconvenient.
Though he, like the castle staff, might have been reluctant to serve his master, this blatant reaction shocked even resolute Lucy. She couldn’t bring herself to answer, so Anna closed her eyes silently.
“…”
Cheers and applause drifted in from outside. The clowns Louis had summoned were entertaining the guests until the ceremony began.
The attendees marveled at the spectacle and scenery. Being invited to the union of the newly powerful Marcus and the mysterious Everklain was one of the greatest honors among the capital’s nobility. Everyone was elated, yet no one knew the groom was absent.
“No news yet?”
Anna’s voice was faint. Lucy felt tears rising and couldn’t speak. Silla quietly answered:
“Assistant Louis said not to worry, and to come to the chapel when ready.”
“…”
Lucy clenched her skirt and glared at Silla. Yet Silla remained unfazed.
“…Raiden is really on his way, right?”
Her voice was fragile, like a bud in a storm. Silla furrowed her brow, then quickly composed herself.
“Yes, that’s what I understand. He should arrive soon.”
Her tone was calm and reassuring. Lucy slowly relaxed her tense body, trusting Silla’s knowledge far exceeded her own.
She let out a small laugh.
‘What are you going to do if I don’t believe you?’
Everyone in the capital already knew about the marriage. The Marquis was simply delayed due to unavoidable circumstances. There was no turning back now.
‘Still… he wouldn’t pretend to care about the lady, would he?’
Though he seemed stern and unsmiling, Lucy could clearly see his affection for his master in fleeting glances.
She trusted her instincts, which were rarely wrong when it came to judging people.
