Chapter 28
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Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 28
"What will you do now, sir?"
Haem and Lucas had gathered in the spacious second-floor Reception Room.
It was the place with the finest view of the Estate's Garden, the very spot where Grace had waited before dinner began, gazing at the sunset.
Haem stood beside the sleek black horse that stood on the Terrace, looking out over the Garden.
The magnificent dark stallion gazed quietly at the woman strolling through the Garden with eyes the color of a deep ocean.
Of course, that woman was Grace.
A small but sturdy woman leisurely walking through the verdant Garden, holding the parasol that Julie had thoughtfully brought along.
Those blue eyes never left her.
"...Excuse me, sir?"
Haem stood rigidly, watching the black horse that remained perfectly still, and attempted to urge him forward, though he knew there would be no response.
As Haem glanced at him, he quietly rubbed his shin, which had been kicked moments before.
Had that hind leg truly lashed out with full force, Haem would surely have perished on the spot, but fortunately, the blow had been remarkably gentle—truly gentle—leaving only a vivid bruise.
It was fortunate the bone hadn't broken.
'Ah, I must have been momentarily mad back then.'
...No matter how impulsive the moment, striking the sir's rear end was unforgivable.
He could still vividly feel that sharp, stinging sensation in his palm, causing his body to tremble.
Had Grace not embraced the horse's head and assured him everything was fine, his leg would certainly have been broken.
'Phew.'
As Haem exhaled in relief, he suddenly realized this was not the time to feel relieved.
The crucial matter wasn't that his bones hadn't broken from that powerful kick—it was transforming those hind legs back into human feet!
While Haem was this anxious, Lucas appeared perfectly composed.
Or rather, truthfully, it was impossible to read his expression.
Then again... who could read a horse's expression?
He wasn't even a horse expert.
'Ugh. I have no idea.'
Surely the sir would think of something, especially with Miss Grace now involved.
"For now, well, we've told her that the young lady was injured and that it was our family's fault, so we're taking responsibility by keeping her with us, but honestly, I'm not sure how long we can maintain this deception."
"..."
"We've convinced the young lady that this is related to family secrets and that the mark on her arm might have some effect on her, so she should stay with us... but if you continue to remain out of sight, she'll grow suspicious."
Haem finished his report and glanced at him.
A beautiful and dignified black beast.
The black fur was as soft as satin, and the muscles were as strong as those of a well-trained warrior.
'How can something so raw and primal be so elegant?'
Haem marveled inwardly.
Through the curse of the Black Family, he had become utterly captivated by the creature known as a horse.
Fast, strong, free yet virtuous—there was no other animal that was rough without being savage.
Even the lion, king of beasts, or the wolf, or the eagle, possessed neither this elegance nor this strength simultaneously.
Could such a perfect beast exist in this world?
Even though Lucas had transformed into a beast, Haem found nothing frightening or unsettling about his appearance.
If anything, it only made him seem more wondrous and overwhelming.
In truth, Haem had seen Lucas in his human form fewer than five times throughout his entire life.
This curse—or rather, this blessing masquerading as a curse—that had been passed down to the firstborn sons of the Black Family for generations began a staggering 752 years ago, when Zeronium itself was founded.
What was truly astonishing was that the Black Family was not the only house afflicted with this type of curse.
Even more astonishing was that the Royal Family was among them.
And the fact that only an extremely select few knew this secret, and that it had been guarded for over 750 years, was equally remarkable.
'Who would believe it anyway? That the founding legend of Zeronium was actually true.'
Haem's gaze drifted toward Grace, who had settled onto a bench in the Garden and begun reading a book.
'...Come to think of it, now that she knows this secret, it seems the young lady is bound to marry His Excellency.'
Of course, a political marriage had already been arranged, but did she realize it was now virtually inevitable?
The moment the Royal Family learned she knew the secret, the marriage between the two would be expedited.
She would have to swear before the King that she would carry this secret to her grave.
By inscribing her name upon the magical artifact passed down through the Royal Family.
Once a name was inscribed there, the oath-taker could not speak of anything related to the curse with anyone unconnected to it.
The magic of the Seal of Silence would freeze their lips shut.
Yet occasionally, there were those foolish enough to defy even that power and speak of it anyway.
When that happened, a truly terrifying curse descended upon them.
'They lose their voice and sight, if I recall correctly.'
It was a rather gruesome curse—eyes burning away, tongue severed raw.
'That's how several families ended up forced into lifelong marriages.'
This was why 'affection' was so crucial in marriages within the Black Family.
If a marriage lacked love and trust, the firstborn sons of the Black Family would not reveal the family's secrets to their spouses.
Though rare, such cases had occurred.
Because Lucas had shown virtually no interest in women until now, Haem had harbored a quiet concern that he might become one of those uncommon cases.
But that worry was completely shattered the moment Grace appeared.
'It seemed like the young lady was the one who started it, but when exactly did His Excellency fall so hard?'
Was this what first love felt like?
He'd barely seen her a few times, yet he was completely smitten.
Then again, he was the type to become utterly absorbed in whatever captured his attention, so perhaps love simply began that way for him.
"...But surely, no matter what, you'd need to be in human form to actually proceed with anything, wouldn't you?"
Unable to restrain himself any longer, Haem's grumbling words caused Lucas's blue eyes, which had been fixed on Grace, to glance sideways at him.
Seizing the opportunity to hold his gaze, Haem pressed on.
"What if a curse attaches itself to the young lady's arm like this? Without a cure, what will you do going forward? Are you planning to continue living as a horse? Hmm?"
Snort.
Lucas pawed at the ground irritably.
Yet Haem could not silence his running mouth.
"And what about the wedding with that innocent Grace? If His Majesty finds out, there will be chaos. This entire nation will be turned upside down. Or perhaps we should run a headline: 'Lucas Black, Duke, Suddenly Missing!' Shall we try that?"
Huff.
Lucas turned his head and gazed once more at Grace in the Garden.
Whether I watched for ten minutes or an hour, I never grew weary of the sight.
It was then that Haem managed to touch a nerve with Lucas.
"If your fiancée disappears, can the engagement truly continue? It would certainly be broken, wouldn't it? Yes, it would. Oh! And if Miss Grace were to marry someone else in the meantime, that would cause quite the scandal, wouldn't it? Don't you think? It seems Marquess Oellin is desperately trying to sell off that young lady to various suitors under the guise of marriage."
A murderous glint flickered across Lucas's blue eyes.
Pfffft—
At the rough, ragged breathing that erupted—so different from before—Haem's mouth snapped shut and he stumbled backward.
"P-please, calm yourself! That's why we need to come up with a plan, a plan right away!"
Tap. Tap—
Lucas approached slowly, his gaze fixed on Haem.
As the massive black horse drew closer, overwhelming in its presence, Haem's throat grew parched and dry.
Gulp.
Just as Lucas drew near with that terrifying gaze, Haem swallowed hard and suddenly cried out.
"D-don't hit me!"
Ahhh—!
Haem shrieked and quickly wrapped his arms around his head, crouching down.
But whether fortunately or unfortunately, he felt none of the pain or suffering he had braced himself for.
He only sensed a presence sweeping past him.
'What... what is this? He's not hitting me?'
Cautiously lifting his head while still crouched, Haem saw Lucas pointing with a nod of his chin toward a portrait hanging above the fireplace, past where he sat.
As Haem examined the figure in the portrait, he sprang to his feet and spoke.
"The Duchess?"
It was Selena Black—Lucas's mother and the former Duchess.
Lucas gave a rough nod and returned to the Terrace.
In the warm afternoon sun, the gentle breeze felt sweet.
"She said not to call unless it was urgent... Ah! But this certainly qualifies as urgent, doesn't it? Understood! I'll contact the Duchess right away!"
Haem, now animated, quickly left the room.
Lucas let out a dismissive huff, shook his head indifferently, and turned his gaze back to search for Grace.
Even if he sent word now, it would take his mother considerable time to reach the Capital.
Travel itself could be managed using the family's emergency gate, but the messenger bird would need several days to deliver the letter to her.
'So, what shall I do with the time remaining?'
Lucas gazed at Grace, who sat on a bench.
She sat perfectly still, her eyes fixed on the book spread across her lap.
'She seems to enjoy reading.'
He was pleasantly contemplating whether he should open the Study for her when—
"...!"
Grace's head suddenly tilted to the side.
Just as he flinched, thinking she might fall, her head drooped downward once more.
'Surely... she's not dozing off?'
Pfft!
Lucas found himself laughing without realizing it.
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