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Chapter 08
“Actually, about the note you received that day… it wasn’t meant for Your Grace.”
At that instant, Kartan’s gaze turned icy. He tilted his head as if he’d heard a foreign language and asked,
“What do you mean by that?”
Was it just her imagination, or did his words sound as though he were spitting them out? Startled by the sudden chill in his tone, Lillian flinched. Still, this wasn’t something she could back out of now.
“The truth is, I—”
Kartan didn’t let her finish. In a sharp, mocking voice, he cut in,
“What, are you saying that you were planning to confess to some other man all along?”
“…!”
Hearing Kartan say exactly what she’d been about to say made Lillian recoil.
“Y-yes.”
“And who would that be?”
“My—”
At his piercing question, Lillian almost blurted out Jeffrey’s name without thinking, but she shook her head at the last moment.
“I can’t tell you who it was, but it definitely wasn’t a note meant for Your Grace. I’m truly sorry.”
She bowed her head deeply and offered a sincere apology. Kartan suddenly curled his lips into a smile.
“So that’s how it is.”
There was no anger at all in his low, subdued voice. That only made Lillian more afraid. Trembling, she lifted her head—and met his blue eyes head-on.
“So you confessed to me, then felt embarrassed and decided to pretend it never happened? If you’re making up this ridiculous story for that reason, I can understand.”
“No, that’s not it…!”
How on earth did he arrive at that conclusion? Did this shock him that badly?
Taken aback by his unexpected reaction, Lillian could only stare at Kartan in stunned silence. He gave a short, incredulous laugh.
“You are a woman, after all. It’s only natural your pride would be hurt. Then we’ll say publicly that I was the one who pursued you first.”
He was clearly misunderstanding everything—or else he truly had lost his mind.
Lillian shook her head vigorously.
“No, really! It’s all true!”
“All right. That’s enough. You may go.”
But simple denial wasn’t enough to persuade Kartan, who had already reached his own conclusion. Frustrated, Lillian clenched her fists and shouted,
“The person I was actually going to confess to wasn’t Your Grace, but a—!”
Bang!
That was when it happened. A deafening crash rang out, as if something had collapsed, followed by a woman’s scream.
“G-get out of the way! Quickly!”
She turned at someone’s shout and saw something barreling toward them at terrifying speed.
‘Wh-what…?’
She froze, unable even to register what was happening. Only when it was almost upon her did she realize it was a horse pulling a carriage, charging straight at her.
‘Am I… going to die like this…?’
Her mind screamed at her to move, but her body refused to respond. All she could do was squeeze her eyes shut.
“Lillian…!”
Someone called her name urgently. At the same moment, strong arms wrapped around her waist and yanked her hard. She was pulled straight into someone’s chest. As another arm shielded her head, a wave of relief washed over her. It was warm and solid, carrying a familiar scent of grass. It was Duke Kartan.
Thud.
The sound of the rampaging horse crashing into something reached her ears as if from far away. She felt no pain—only a strange ringing that filled her head until it spun.
When she finally came to, she tried to push herself up.
“Ugh.”
A short groan sounded above her head, followed by a low voice breathing heavily.
“Are you all right?”
It was the first time she had ever thought Kartan’s voice sounded gentle. Her chest thudded painfully, as if something heavy were pressing down on it. Kartan, having finally released her from his arms, looked her over carefully and asked again,
“Are you hurt?”
His voice was as curt as ever, but his eyes were filled with genuine concern. Lillian felt utterly confused as she looked at him.
‘Did he just… save me? Why?’
She couldn’t understand it. The Kartan she knew wasn’t that kind of man. The words of thanks stuck in her throat, and her lips only moved soundlessly. Then her gaze drifted to his back—more precisely, to the shattered remains of the carriage embedded there.
“Ah…!”
She nearly screamed but clapped a hand over her mouth. His coat was already soaked through with blood.
‘Wh-what do I do…? Should I call a doctor…? How do I even do that?’
Her mind went completely blank in the face of the crisis. As she stood there helplessly, Kartan grimaced and pulled the wooden fragment out of his back.
“Y-Your Grace, no…!”
She knew nothing about medicine, but she knew pulling it out recklessly could be dangerous. Her attempt to stop him was useless.
“It’s nothing. I’ll see a doctor once we get back.”
He straightened up stoically and told the coachman to return to the ducal residence. Only then did Lillian support him, helping him climb into the carriage safely.
“Hah…”
Kartan was incredibly heavy. Taller than Lillian by at least a head, he was difficult to support—like trying to carry a boulder the size of a house. She wiped the sweat from her brow without thinking, then froze.
Her hands were covered in blood. The realization made her fingers start to tremble uncontrollably. Seeing this, Kartan spoke casually,
“Looks like we won’t be seeing the opera.”
Whether he was trying to reassure her or was genuinely disappointed, he seemed convinced that he was fine.
‘His eyes… they’re starting to lose focus…’
Anyone struck by a horse should have died on the spot. The fact that he was still alive was a miracle in itself. Afraid he might lose consciousness, Lillian kept talking.
“Your Grace, who’s performing at the opera tonight?”
“Not sure… I don’t know that much.”
“Do you usually like going to the opera?”
“…No.”
“Then why did you suggest going?”
“…”
Kartan didn’t answer. Alarmed, Lillian shook him.
“Your Grace!”
At her call, Kartan muttered belatedly,
“It’s cold… a little.”
His body was cold. Seeing his lips turning blue, Lillian looked down and realized her own clothes were now stained red with his blood. The inside of the carriage was drenched with it.
‘At this rate, His Grace will die from blood loss…!’
She cried out desperately,
“How much longer until we arrive?”
“The road’s a bit blocked! Hyah! Since we’re turning back, it’ll take at least another thirty minutes! How is His Grace?”
Despair washed over her at the coachman’s words. Thirty minutes was too long. Even if they arrived in time, there was no guarantee a doctor would be waiting.
‘What should I do? Should I use my power?’
If she used her healing ability, her secret would be exposed. But she couldn’t just let someone die because of her. She bit her lip and looked down at Kartan. By now, he couldn’t even open his eyes.
‘First, I have to save him.’
If the duke died like this, she would be haunted by guilt for the rest of her life. Fortunately, they were inside the carriage—no one could see them, and Kartan was unconscious from blood loss.
‘It’ll be all right.’
She hurriedly drew the curtains shut, making sure they were tightly closed. Then she checked his condition again. Even when she waved her hand before his face, he didn’t react.
“Whew…”
Taking a deep breath, Lillian finally closed her eyes.
