Chapter 118
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Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 118
A black carriage tore through the air, kicking up clouds of dust as it raced forward with fierce intensity.
Fortunately, there were no people nearby, so no one was startled by its terrifying speed.
The carriage, hurtling forward with tremendous momentum, came to a precise halt directly before Grace.
The door burst open, and Lucas rushed out urgently.
"Grace!"
Lucas pulled Grace into his arms with a deathly pale face.
His strong arms and shoulders held her completely immobile.
I could feel his chest, pressed against mine, heaving erratically with each ragged breath.
"Are you... are you unharmed? You're not injured anywhere?"
His firm arms trembled as they held me, as if their grip alone were insufficient, tightening with desperate force.
Yet even in his urgency, he was considerate enough not to crush the breath from me.
Still, I was enveloped entirely, as though wrapped in an enormous, heavy leather cloak, unable to move even slightly.
"Lucas."
Grace held him close, soothing his panic.
"Thank goodness... thank goodness."
Lucas whispered my name repeatedly in a hoarse voice.
His chest, which had swollen with relief, gradually began to settle.
"You were quite frightened, weren't you? I'm truly fine."
Barely.
Just barely... I felt his arms trembling as they held me.
Lucas buried his face in my hair, breathing in my living, vibrant scent.
Then he pressed his lips against the delicate veins pulsing along my slender neck for a long moment.
"I thought... my mind had shattered."
"Me?"
"No, my mind. I never believed that saying about your thoughts turning white, but I just experienced it firsthand."
He finally composed himself and pulled back to look at Grace.
He managed a faint smile, but his face remained ashen as parchment.
"Promise me... that you won't get hurt when I'm not with you. Unless you want to watch me lose my mind."
"I don't get hurt because I want to. But... I'll be more careful from now on."
"What if you simply never left my side, not for a single moment? In this state, I don't think I can let you wander alone."
"Please, compose yourself."
"How can I compose myself when I cannot?"
He murmured, grumbling yet barely reassured, kissing my eyelids, cheeks, and lips without pause.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and reciprocated, but as the kiss deepened, I quickly pushed him away.
"We're still... outside..."
Lucas looked at me as if questioning why that mattered.
Perhaps it was the relief—his eyes seemed slightly unfocused.
Dangerously so, in fact.
"Lucas Black."
Grace called his name again, her voice soothing and gentle.
Only then did Lucas exhale a reluctant sigh and step back.
Though his firm hands still lingered around Grace's waist.
Suddenly, Lucas's gaze shifted past Grace toward the closed doors of the Mansion behind her.
A cold, piercing chill flickered across his narrowed eyes.
"...Grace, please wait inside my carriage. I need to step inside for a moment."
She, having grasped his intent, quickly stopped him.
"Don't."
"...What?"
"It wasn't his fault. It was an accident."
"An accident... do you truly believe it was an accident?"
Grace answered with conviction.
"Yes, I truly believe it was an accident."
Lucas's teeth ground together, the tendons in his firmly set jaw becoming visible.
"I don't. That bastard deserves to be crushed right now...!"
"Lucas. Don't you trust my words?"
Grace spoke with greater firmness. Her grip on him tightened.
Sensing the gravity in her demeanor, Lucas fixed his gaze directly upon Grace's eyes.
His brow furrowed with tension.
His expression twisted as if his heart were troubled, or perhaps tormented, and he rubbed his brow with his thumb.
After a shallow breath, his expression softened.
"...Very well. In any case, I'm grateful you're unharmed."
Only then did Grace smile at Lucas.
As if to soothe his weary heart, she grasped his hand firmly and led him forward.
"You look like you need to be dragged straight to the Mansion, but I'm sorry—we need to make one stop first. We're running out of time."
"Where...?"
"The Orphanage."
* * *
Even after the accident, I couldn't return home immediately.
His Highness had regained consciousness, and his previously unstable condition showed signs of improvement.
Should I say we had weathered the crisis well?
Though I couldn't guarantee anything, the physicians all agreed there was no risk of his passing within six months.
That alone was a relief.
If Hiss did his job properly, the news would break tomorrow.
Once that happened, everything would become public knowledge.
I had to complete my preparations before then.
"Goodness! Teacher, what brings you here today? I thought you wouldn't be able to visit for a while."
As the carriage carrying Grace Oellin and Lucas Black arrived, the Orphanage bustled with activity as the staff prepared dinner.
Kelly, the Orphanage Director, was the first to emerge, walking briskly to welcome Grace Oellin's sudden arrival.
"Look! It's Teacher! Grace Oellin!"
"Wow!"
The children helping with meal preparations inside came scurrying out behind Kelly, then stopped short.
It was because of the enormous dark-haired man escorting her.
'S-so scary!'
Lucas Black's complexion, which had remained vivid even after sleepless nights, had grown haggard and drawn upon hearing of Grace Oellin's accident.
On the day of the wedding, he had been impeccably groomed, smiling warmly throughout the entire day.
The children couldn't reconcile that Lucas Black with the one standing before them now.
A man already imposing and broad-shouldered now appeared gaunt and stern—to the young eyes of the children, he looked like nothing more than a terrifying villain.
And why did his clothes have to be so black?
"...W-who is this person?"
"I don't know. Is he Teacher's guard?"
"Wow, he looks incredibly strong. No one could ever hurt our teacher!"
"Hey, don't make eye contact with him. You'll wet yourself at night! Look over here!"
When Lucas Black reflexively turned his gaze toward the whispering children, they squealed and scattered in unison.
As the children rushed behind the walls with a thunderous clatter, Kelly laughed sheepishly.
"My goodness, why are they making such a fuss?"
"It seems we've startled both the children and you, Director. This is my husband, General Lucas Black. You met him once before, didn't you?"
"A pleasure to meet you, General. I am Lucas Black. I apologize for arriving so suddenly and imposing upon you."
"Not at all, General! We are simply honored that you would visit this humble place. Please, come inside."
It was a modest two-story Mansion.
The old Mansion, with barely ten rooms in total, was decorated throughout with small handcrafted items made by the children.
The Director's Office was the smallest room in the Mansion.
The larger rooms had all been given over to the children's bedrooms, study rooms, and playrooms, so she used the smallest space.
A room so small that only a two-person table, three chairs, and Kelly's work desk could fit inside.
Grace Oellin hesitated before asking Lucas Black.
"This space might feel rather cramped for you. If you don't mind, would you wait outside? Our conversation won't take long."
Lucas Black glanced around the Director's Office and nodded.
"Let's talk comfortably out here. If I go in there, it might actually make things awkward."
"I'm terribly sorry—the space inside isn't quite spacious enough for everyone."
Kelly looked at the two of them with an apologetic expression.
"Not at all. It's simply because of my build. Please, speak freely."
Lucas Black excused himself first with a measured smile and gesture, as precise as if drawn by a ruler.
Kelly, watching his retreating figure, spoke with a smile.
"He's quite impressive, isn't he? Not nearly as frightening as the rumors suggest. He's truly a worthy match for our teacher."
"I'm delighted to hear you say so."
I felt oddly pleased, even though the praise wasn't directed at me.
Knowing that Lucas Black was waiting outside and that the children's evening time was approaching, I got straight to the point as soon as I sat down.
"I apologize for the sudden visit. There's something urgent I needed to discuss."
My expression, uncharacteristically tense, made Kelly mirror the same gravity as she faced me.
"I believe the time has come."
Taking a deep breath, I gave Kelly a brief explanation of recent events and shared my plan with her.
Shock flickered across Kelly's face, her eyes growing intense before they glistened with tears as she grasped my hands.
"Yes, if I can help, I must do whatever it takes. Teacher. I must. Absolutely...."
"Thank you. Time is running short, so I've been gathering as many witnesses as possible."
"I've been keeping a journal every day, so let me search through it for anything that might be helpful."
Kelly offered her support with unwavering resolve.
She pulled me into a tight embrace and patted my shoulder reassuringly.
"...You're amazing. Truly amazing, our teacher."
I stood up with an embarrassed smile.
In that moment, the envelope of documents I'd been holding slipped from my grasp and fell.
"Oh, I'm so sorry."
Kelly quickly picked up the scattered papers.
Then she paused, her gaze lingering on a name written on one of the documents.
"The Director?"
"Ah, yes. And actually, I had something I wanted to tell you too...."
"Something you wanted to tell me?"
"It's just that a few days ago at our Orphanage...."
Kelly's words hadn't even finished.
"Waaaaaah!"
The piercing cry of an infant—something I never expected to hear from within the Orphanage—rang out sharply.
"...!"
I turned to Kelly in startled surprise.
Kelly nodded with a smile.
"...A baby has arrived."
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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