TGDLBF 34

Chapter 34

The Return

Time passed slowly.

Occasionally, the sound of the wind rustled, and faint chirping of insects could be heard. The darkness deepened endlessly, with moonlight gently piercing through it.

I still gripped the dagger stained with Götwal blood tightly in my right hand. Even as I wiped the blood from my hands, I alternated my grip to never let it go.

As the moon rose higher beyond the tall window, the sound of hooves came from outside, followed by human voices.

‘Had the eagle brought back the Duke?’

My heart started pounding on its own. It felt like we might really see the light at the end of the tunnel now, no, it wasn’t just a feeling. There was an actual light.

A glowing orb floated in the air, casting radiant light. Standing beside it was Duke Kaizen Arcades, and beside him was the great eagle we hadn’t seen earlier.

It had a white head and belly with golden feathers on its back—a magnificent and regal creature.

“Jake! Ludia!”

A familiar voice called our names. It filled me with overwhelming emotion and hope.

‘We’re going to live.’

The Duke, dressed in cream-colored clothing, seemed far more imposing and composed than when I last saw him.

I stood up, overcome with emotion, but beside me came a thump. Jake, who had stood up at the same time, had collapsed back down, his legs giving out.

‘Hey! You can’t collapse like that now. Pull yourself together and report!’

“Are you hurt?”

The Duke quickly rushed over, grabbing my shoulder with one hand and Jake’s with the other.

Jake still looked dazed, like he couldn’t believe this was real.

I had no choice but to step forward.

“Duke, we are unharmed. The kidnappers tried to harm us, but with the eagle’s help, we escaped. There was a battle with the Götwals afterward, but the threat has been neutralized.”

“You fought Götwals?”

The Duke’s eyes widened in shock at the mention of Götwals. He looked between me and Jake.

“Yes. The blood on our clothes belongs to the Götwals, and there are no longer any hostile presences. We’re not injured, but Jake seems to have been a little shaken.”

“I… I see. That’s a relief. You’re safe, and that’s all that matters.”

The Duke stepped closer and pulled both Jake and me into his arms.

I stood there dazed, briefly nestled in his embrace.

There was a faint smell of alcohol, but also a pleasant scent from his clothes. Being held by a grown man like that was a little awkward, yet warm and comforting.

Of course, he probably wouldn’t embrace Jake alone, so he hugged us both—but still, I felt accepted as part of the Arcades family, and that made me happy.

“You’ve got a lot of Götwal blood on you.”

The Duke stepped back and muttered with concern.

Sticky green slime, Götwal blood, was splattered all over my yellow dress. Without light, I hadn’t noticed the color, but now that I saw it, it was disgusting. I wanted to change clothes immediately.

“What matters is you’re safe. Let’s go home now.”

His gentle yet commanding voice resonated in my chest.

Others might feel differently, but to me, the Duke had always been someone I could trust. And that trust had given me another chance at life.

Once the Duke stood up, I finally had the presence of mind to look around, and was shocked by what I saw.

The knights were forcing the man who had helped us to kneel on the ground. They must have mistaken him for one of the kidnappers.

‘Didn’t I just say there were no hostile presences? Why does no one understand anything I say?’

Since Jake was still too stunned, I stepped forward again.

“That man is not a bad person. He helped us when the Götwals appeared.”

The Duke looked at Jake, as if to confirm my words.

“It’s true. He saved us from the Götwals. If it weren’t for him, we would’ve died.”

Though Jake’s face was pale, he explained calmly. His voice trembled slightly, but he was slowly regaining his composure.

After hearing the explanation, Kaizen turned to the knights holding Samit and gave an order,

“Treat him with respect!”

The knights immediately released Samit. He dusted off his hands casually, showing no sign of displeasure. Then he picked up his sword, which had been leaning nearby, and checked himself.

Seeing the dried Götwal blood, he clicked his tongue in disgust. The nearby knights also frowned and stepped back.

Though it was night, the light from the magic device revealed a gruesome scene.

A foul stench wafted from the Götwal corpses piled near the back door.

The Duke held me in his arms, and Jake was carried by Lucas.

Normally, the Duke should’ve carried his own son, but since I was younger and a girl, he held me instead.

As he stepped out of the ruined house, the Duke gave a brief command.

“First Battalion, go with Rael and capture them. The rest will return with us.”

‘Can the eagle really find them in this darkness?’

I gazed at the majestic eagle slicing through the night with admiration.

With eyes pecked and legs crushed, those men wouldn’t have gotten far. They dared to mess with Arcades, if they were caught, they wouldn’t live.

***

“Young Miss! Sniffle!”

“Young Miss, thank goodness you’re safe!”

Maybe because I was younger than Jake, I felt like I was receiving more of a welcome.

It made sense that Casey and Lisa would cry… but even the maids from the kitchen and laundry were here, weeping?

No, actually, even the knights looked like they were about to cry.

Rikael alone stared at me expressionlessly.

Even after his fiancée was kidnapped and returned safely, he didn’t seem particularly happy.

“Casey, stop crying.”

“Sniffle… If something had happened to you, I—waaah!”

Casey broke down crying again.

Lisa held back her emotions and only wiped her tears occasionally, but Casey was sobbing openly.

I guess we’d grown attached to each other.

“What’s there to cry about? I came back without a scratch. So stop fussing. I hate it when people make a fuss.”

“Young Miss—waaaaah!”

Now Casey was bawling like a baby.

Did she not hear me say I hated fussing?

“Seriously, who’s the baby here? I just want to eat some meat.”

Right. This was the dining room.

Jake and I were surrounded by knights and household staff, as if they were watching monkeys in a zoo.

This all started when I returned to the manor and said I was hungry.

After a quick bath and change of clothes, I came to the dining room to find the table piled high with food.

I had barely started, just a bit of stew and a couple bites of meat… but the maids, already teary-eyed, began outright sobbing, and I could barely eat anymore.

Even the chef and kitchen staff had come to see me, and now the dining room was packed. I couldn’t believe I’d become this famous in the manor.

In fact, most of these people didn’t even know me personally.

But the most awkward part was where I was sitting: on the Duke’s lap.

Honestly, it started back in the carriage. He had Jake sit across from him and pulled me onto his lap.

When I asked if I was heavy, he chuckled and said, “Not at all.”

Back then, I figured he did it because Jake was heavier.

But now, even during dinner, I was still sitting on his lap.

Why was he being like this?

And not just that…

Cherto was slicing the meat, and the Duke himself was feeding it to me with a fork.

Seriously, why was he doing this?

“My dear, weren’t you scared?”

I’d heard this question a hundred times by now, it was starting to get tiring.

“I told you, I wasn’t scared. Jake was so brave, so I was fine too.”

“Jake was brave?”

“Yes. Jake told the kidnappers that even if he died, they had to let me go.”

The Duke’s lips curved gently, moved by his son’s courage.

Jake, chewing on a piece of meat, turned red with embarrassment.

“Ludia was braver. She said she’d lived long enough, and told them to kill her first…”

Jake trailed off, tilting his head in confusion. At the same time, the room fell completely silent.