IGBD 74

chapter 74

At the mention of poison, Nunuki flinched and looked at Sereret. She didn’t know who Sophia was, but she instantly remembered the poison she had made for Lydia.

“The craftsmanship behind that poison was quite impressive. I happen to need some myself—could you make it for me?”

Sereret’s elegant smile and commanding tone completely overpowered Nunuki’s confidence.

Yuan, watching the exchange, found Sereret’s manner unexpectedly fascinating. It amused him to see that she knew how to handle people in this way.

Nunuki clutched her skirt tightly, realizing this duchess was not someone ordinary. She forced a soft, pleasant smile as if to compose herself.

“You must be mistaken, my lady. I don’t make poisons. Oh dear, I could never create something so dreadful.”

She waved her hands defensively, but sweat ran down her back, and her breathing grew uneven.

“A maid in the ducal mansion took poison and ended her life. I heard you were the one who made it….”

Sereret trailed off as she studied Nunuki’s face.

“No, that’s not true. Absolutely not. You’ve been misinformed.”

“Is that so? It seems I made a mistake, then.”

At Nunuki’s firm denial, Sereret reached into her bag and paid for the medicine. When she rose from her seat, Yuan immediately followed.

When he looked at her as if to ask “Was that enough?”, Sereret gave a small nod. If Nunuki and Lydia were exchanging medicine, today’s visit would surely reach Lydia’s ears. That alone would suffice.

Once they left Nunuki’s apothecary, Sereret and Yuan boarded the carriage. Sereret gazed out the window at the wide fields in thought, while Yuan quietly watched her.

After a long silence, Yuan asked,

“Did we gain anything from this visit?”

Sereret turned her eyes from the window to him. Gain something…? Her gaze dropped to the bottle of love potion in Yuan’s hand.

She snatched the bottle from him and replied,

“I suppose this.”

It was useless to her, really—something Lydia had ordered just to irritate her. Sereret had no need for it whatsoever.

She opened the carriage window, intending to toss it out, but Yuan caught her wrist.

“You’re going to throw it away?”

“It’s of no use.”

“It’s a love potion.”

“So what?”

At Yuan’s teasing smile, Sereret narrowed her eyes.

“It seems a shame to waste it,” Yuan said, taking the bottle from her hand.

“Then you can keep it, Your Grace. I have no use for it.”

Sereret smiled faintly at him.

“Why not use it together?” he murmured, leaning back with a seductive grin.

His relaxed posture and the way he twirled the little vial made Sereret tense up. She coughed and straightened her back, almost nodding before catching herself.

“That’s enough. Give it back. I’ll throw it away.”

She reached for the vial, but Yuan quickly switched it to his other hand to keep it from her.

Just then, the horse neighed sharply—“Hiiing!”—and the carriage jolted violently. Yuan lost his grip on the vial, and Sereret stumbled forward.

“Kyaa!”

With a scream, Sereret grabbed Yuan’s arm.

He moved instantly, wrapping her in his arms to shield her. Even as the carriage rocked, Yuan braced himself to keep her safe, holding her close with protective strength.

Moments later, the shaking stopped. Yuan gently stroked Sereret’s hair as she caught her breath.

“Are you all right?”

She could only nod, too dazed to speak. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest.

The carriage had stopped moving, but one side had collapsed. Yuan shifted her aside to open the door—only for the coachman to open it first, his face pale with panic.

“Are you both unharmed?”

“What happened?”

“One of the wheels came off and shattered. It’s my fault, Your Grace—I failed to inspect the carriage properly.”

The coachman’s voice trembled as he lowered his head in shame.

Yuan nodded slightly and helped Sereret out of the tilted carriage. Once outside, he looked her over.

“You’re not hurt anywhere?”

He examined her perhaps more carefully than necessary. Embarrassed by the coachman’s presence, Sereret gently pushed Yuan away.

“I’m fine.”

“I’m so sorry. I should have checked the wheels….”

The coachman’s face was stricken with guilt. Feeling sorry for the man, Sereret looked to Yuan and said softly,

“I’m really fine—no one’s hurt.”

Her eyes silently pleaded with him not to scold the coachman.

Yuan understood her immediately and gave a small nod. So kind, he thought with a quiet click of his tongue. Then he asked the coachman about the horses. Since the carriage was broken, they might have to ride instead.

The coachman went to check and found one of the horses collapsed, unable to continue.

Riding was out of the question. That left only one option—walking.

“There’s a stagecoach stop just over that hill,” the coachman said cautiously, pointing ahead. “Shall I escort you there first, Your Grace? I’ll go down to the village to fetch help.”

Before Yuan could reply, Sereret spoke from behind him.

“Let’s do that, Your Grace. Let’s walk.”

He turned at her voice. She had already caught up, smiling as she pointed to the hill.

Realizing she wanted to ease the coachman’s worry, Yuan’s lips curved slightly. Maybe I should just kidnap her right now, he thought wryly.

“Very well.”

It actually sounded like a pleasant idea—to walk alone with her across the quiet, open hill.

Yuan reached for her hand. She looked up at him and smiled shyly, and his throat went dry.

He didn’t need a love potion. Her smile alone could drive a man half-mad. Yuan laced his fingers through hers.

Sereret wrinkled her nose slightly but didn’t pull away. Together, they began climbing the hill.

“Is walking uncomfortable?”

“The shoes are comfortable, so I’m fine.”

Sereret walked briskly. The lush green meadow reminded her of Moshelie, where endless fields turned the world bright green every summer.

Feeling as though she were back there, her mood lifted. The air was warm, the sky clear, the scent of grass fresh and clean.

Soon, she began to hum softly. Hearing her light humming, Yuan smiled.

“Yuan, doesn’t this feel like a picnic?” she asked, swinging their joined hands playfully.

Her joy was infectious—Yuan’s eyes reflected it too, and for a moment it really did feel like a picnic.

Then, suddenly, rain began to fall from the clear blue sky. Sereret frowned up at it in surprise. The sky was still bright, yet raindrops poured down.

“Sereret.”

Yuan pointed to a large zelkova tree atop the hill. It was the only shelter in sight.

They ran hand in hand toward it. The grass bent under the rain and wind, and Sereret’s white skirts fluttered like waves.

Laughing freely, she ran beside him. The sudden rain cooled her flushed skin—it had been years since she’d run through the rain like this.

Her laughter made Yuan smile as well. That sound made him feel unexplainably happy.

Under the tree, Sereret caught her breath, beaming. Her hair and clothes were soaked through, but she couldn’t stop laughing.

How long had it been since she’d laughed like this? The refreshing rain washed away every trace of her past unhappiness—like a nightmare fading upon waking.

“I’m drenched,” she said, still smiling, looking up at him.

Yuan’s eyes traveled over her rain-soaked dress, where the wet fabric clung faintly to her skin. Flushing, he slipped off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

Their eyes met. For a long moment, neither looked away. The pounding rain faded into the distance; time itself seemed to slow.

Gradually, they leaned closer—and their lips met. Their breath and emotions intertwined in that tender kiss.

With her eyes closed, Sereret felt like the innocent girl who had once loved Yuan from afar. For this moment, being by his side was enough to make her happy.

It was a summer day when the whole green world shimmered under the rain.

* * *

Lydia sighed deeply as she poked at her salad drizzled with lemon dressing. She had no appetite, and after setting her fork down, she called out to the maid standing nearby.

“Anita.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Anita hurried over.

“Sit down.”

Lydia gestured to the chair opposite her.

Anita quickly obeyed, nervous under Lydia’s sharp gaze.

“Yuan and Sereret visited Nunuki’s apothecary,” Lydia said.

“…What?” Anita blinked in confusion.

Earlier, Nunuki had come to see Lydia—a rare occurrence in itself. Now Anita realized why: she had come to report the visit from the duke and duchess.

“They asked her to make the same poison the maid used to kill herself.”

Lydia had heard everything from Nunuki—what they bought, what they talked about.

The news made Lydia uneasy. Sereret hadn’t gone alone; Yuan had gone with her. Which meant he, too, must be suspicious about that maid’s death.

She couldn’t let Yuan find out the truth. She couldn’t bear for him to think she was a bad person.

“I’ll have to separate them,” Lydia muttered grimly. “So they won’t have time to worry about such things.”