🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 66
“Milady, shall we get down and walk for a bit?”
“Suddenly?”
Lillian was simply bewildered. Not minding her reaction, Jeffrey stretched and smiled brightly.
“I’ve been in the carriage all day, so I feel stuffy. It’s fine if we take a short break, right?”
They had a long way to go. It was already taking much longer because they had detoured, so they couldn’t afford to dawdle here.
“But…”
“There aren’t any houses around anymore anyway. I heard it’s nothing but trees until the port comes into view, so there’s no risk of being seen.”
“Ah… okay…”
Maybe she was feeling gloomy too from being cooped up in the carriage all day.
Yeah, forget what’s already happened and just think about what’s ahead.
“Alright. I think I want to walk a bit too.”
Soon, Lillian stepped down from the carriage and took a deep breath. She filled her lungs with so much fresh air that they almost ached, and her mood improved considerably.
“Goodness, I didn’t know a place like this existed.”
“Indeed.”
Murmuring in quiet admiration, Jeffrey couldn’t take his eyes off Lillian. Her gaze was already sparkling with life.
“If I’d known milady would like it this much, I would have brought you here much sooner.”
She had never seen a place like this before. In every direction, there were nets spread out in a tangled mass.
Is there a river nearby? The Baron said earlier there weren’t any houses around.
When she went closer to take a better look, they didn’t seem like carefully woven nets, but rather like loosely unraveled skeins of thread.
Curious, she lightly flicked one with her index finger. It swayed at once and fluttered in the wind.
“Look at this. Isn’t it fascinating?”
The texture against her fingertips felt soft yet elastic. She kept reaching out and fiddling with it for quite a while when an unexpected reply came from him.
“Hm? What do you mean?”
Only then did Lillian look at Jeffrey. He was glancing around repeatedly.
Don’t tell me… the Baron can’t see this?
Lillian gathered the strands before her more deliberately and held them out toward him.
“These, right here. Don’t they look just like emerald jewels, the way they reflect the light?”
Jeffrey soon peered at Lillian’s empty hands with an awkward expression.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I can’t see anything at all…”
“Ah…!”
Only then was Lillian certain. If so, then what in the world were these things that only she could see?
Could they be spirits that live in the forest?
As soon as she let go, the threads naturally returned to their original shape. It was like watching a single living organism.
“Wow…”
The moment she exclaimed, a thin strand separated from a thicker one and slowly drifted toward her. Then, as if teasing her, it began to tickle Lillian.
“Pfft.”
She burst into laughter without meaning to. In that instant, the strand finally stuck lightly to the center of Lillian’s palm.
At that moment, something mysterious happened.
A refreshing energy, as if filled with the verdant vitality of the forest, began to spread through her body. Then, just as a chill brushed through her, it quietly settled.
This feeling… it’s unfamiliar, yet familiar.
Lillian felt strength welling up inside her, like she had swallowed a blue pill. When she finally opened the eyes she hadn’t realized she’d closed, she noticed countless tiny protrusions attached to her body.
What kind of place is this? Some sort of healing forest?
She wanted to try using her power right away, but she held herself back.
Right. I’ll try it after I’m more certain.
Then her eyes met Jeffrey’s, who had been standing beside her. Embarrassed, Lillian gave an awkward smile.
“Shall we get going now?”
“What did you just do?”
“Pardon?”
To Lillian’s question in return, Jeffrey said something unexpected.
“Your body just sparkled a moment ago. Is that the emerald light you were talking about earlier?”
“……!”
At that moment, Lillian was startled. The emerald light was something that appeared whenever she used her power. That meant it was safe for her to use it.
“Ah, haha. I’m not sure what you mean… Let’s hurry. We’ve stayed here too long.”
Flustered, she laughed awkwardly and quickened her pace. Jeffrey, who had been standing as if nailed in place until then, finally opened his mouth.
“By any chance… was it milady who saved our Alice? That thought suddenly came to me. And the more I think about it, the pieces fit together perfectly. Strangely so.”
Lillian froze on the spot.
How am I supposed to get out of this?
“Th-that can’t be. I don’t know anything about medical knowledge. You know that, right?”
“……”
He simply stared at Lillian without replying. Then he nodded and added quietly,
“Now that I think about it, that’s true.”
Soon, he patted Lillian lightly on the shoulder as she stood there.
“We really should get going now. We need to get out of the forest before sunset.”
“Yes.”
Phew. Lillian let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
I’m glad I didn’t get caught.
Meanwhile, the time Jeffrey spent with Lillian felt like a dream. How ecstatic he had been when he received her confession-filled note. He had dreamed every day of the day they would return to the capital.
Milady chose me in the end. That’s what matters. The rest of those old, stale feelings will sort themselves out eventually.
A smile kept lingering at the corners of his mouth, as if he owned the whole world.
Of course, it was extremely suspicious that the Grand Duke had remained so quiet until now.
There’s been no tailing, no ambush. I secured passage on the ship long ago. As soon as we leave Deli Island, the ship will depart the Empire. Then even the Grand Duke won’t be able to do anything.
Before him, it seemed as though only a rosy future stretched out.
But… what if the Grand Duke is lying in wait on Deli Island for us?
The Grand Duke might not know their final destination, but it would be easy enough to guess that they were heading to Deli Island to rescue Dr. Celi.
I should send milady ahead as soon as we reach the port and go alone.
Just then, Lillian, who had been staring out the window all day, turned her head and looked at Jeffrey. Her eyes were now firm and resolute.
“Baron, I have something to tell you.”
In that instant, Jeffrey was seized by a bad premonition.
“After Dr. Celi leaves, I think I’ll return to the Grand Duke’s residence.”
And that premonition became reality.
“What are you saying? You barely escaped from there, and now you want to go back?”
“Yes.”
“But why…!”
“There’s something I couldn’t tell you before, Baron. I don’t have much time left now.”
“What do you mean… Are you saying you’re going to die?”
He couldn’t understand a word Lillian was saying. Whatever spell the Grand Duke might have used on her, he had to stop her from going back no matter what.
“If you had never left in the first place, that would be one thing. But if you go back now, you’ll suffer even worse mistreatment.”
“Even so, I want to spend the time I have left beside the person I love. Of course, that person will never forgive me.”
“Milady…”
By then, the carriage had finally reached Hwiara Port. Jeffrey changed the subject, trying to hide his reddening eyes.
“Come to think of it, I heard there’s a cake shop here at Hwiara Port that’s quite good. I’ll get down and buy some, so please wait here.”
“……”
Jeffrey jumped down from the carriage before Lillian could stop him. The truth was, he felt it too. Not once had she smiled at him while looking at him since the moment they’d been together.
He wandered aimlessly around the port, trying to calm his unsettled heart. After some time, Jeffrey finally made up his mind.
Right. I’ll let milady spend her last moments the way she wants. That’s the only thing I can do for the milady who saved Alice. I’ll go back and tell her.
Just as he returned to the carriage after finishing his wandering, the coachman who should have been guarding it was nowhere to be seen. A dreadful thought flashed through his mind.
He threw the cake he had bought onto the ground and ran over, yanking the carriage door open. Instead of Lillian, who should have been inside, he saw the coachman collapsed on the floor.
“Hey, get a hold of yourself!”
But the coachman had already stopped breathing. Jeffrey clenched his fist. There was only one person he knew who would do something this vile.
“It must be the doing of Grand Duke Kartan!”
