Chapter 39
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Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 39
Julie spoke carefully as she wound the bandage.
"It's hard to explain, but there seems to be some secret hidden within the Estate. It feels like people are concealing something, you know?"
Julie possessed excellent instincts.
Her greatest strength was her keen eye for detail.
She noticed immediately if someone had their hair trimmed even slightly, and could recall the face of someone she'd glimpsed only in passing.
Because I knew this about her, I trusted Julie's words.
"They're hiding something?"
"Yes, well, I can't quite pinpoint exactly what it is yet... but the atmosphere feels pleasant enough, and yet I can't shake the feeling that something is being concealed. I'll investigate further and report back to you."
"Understood. Thank you, Julie."
I gazed quietly at the bandage Julie had wrapped so meticulously before speaking again.
"But Julie, if you ever sense anything dangerous, don't ask questions or try to uncover it."
"Yes?"
"When nobles hide something, it's synonymous with danger. Don't rush to discover it—simply observe from a distance. There's nothing I wish to know so badly that I'd put you in harm's way."
"But—"
"No buts. Don't throw yourself into danger. I'm asking you."
Speaking with stern resolve, I wrapped my arms around Julie's shoulders.
"Don't get hurt, Julie. You're precious and important to me—far more than you care for me, in fact."
"Miss...."
I met Julie's eyes as I spoke.
"We're comrades, aren't we?"
At the word "comrades" that I offered, Julie's eyes glistened with tears as she smiled brightly.
"Elia mustn't be left out either. You promised us, Miss. We follow only you and trust in you."
On the day Elia's leg was broken, I crept to her side through the night as she suffered in agony.
'I stole this from Father's Study. Elia. They said it's a very expensive painkiller. We can't let anyone find out, so take it quickly now.'
Who would have thought that the young lady I'd believed to be timid would have the audacity to ransack the Study.
Even now, the memory sends shivers down my spine.
Fortunately, through some scheme the young lady devised, all the blame fell upon Norman.
'Royal connections? No, I didn't take those, Father!'
'Those? Those? Then you took something else? Your sticky fingers are absolutely shameful!'
Though Marquess Oellin was merciful to his eldest son, he would not tolerate anyone touching his possessions.
It was in the Marquess's Study that Norman received his first beating.
Elia, Julie, and I hid away and listened to every sound of it.
The young Grace, gripping the hand of Elia whose slender ankle was wrapped in bandages, spoke.
'Now we're comrades. Julie and Elia, and I—we're all in the same boat. I'll save all of you from this wretched hovel. I swear it, we'll escape this place.'
Elia and Julie, bound by contracts of servitude no different from slavery, could not escape the Estate of their own accord.
Yet when the young lady—more fragile and pitiful than they—promised to lead them out, the black knot of despair that had been rotting their hearts crumbled away.
And what filled that void in its place was affection for the young lady.
'Yes, Miss. We shall serve you until that day comes.'
And so the three women became allies.
The young lady had grown remarkably in the time since, and now she spoke of still honoring that promise.
* * *
Left alone, Grace Oellin unfolded the note that Julie had pressed into her hand as she departed.
[Norman told me. You have an account?
How dare you keep a secret purse behind your father's back.
Repay it the moment you return.
You are my daughter, and what you possess belongs in my keeping.
Is this how you repay the kindness of being raised?
Since Norman's medical expenses appear substantial, I shall add them to your debt.
Return to the Estate unless you cannot walk.]
Not a single line inquired after Grace's own wellbeing.
Yet his demands for money were endless and elaborate.
I had anticipated this.
I had already heard that Father had visited Thomson Bank.
He had insisted they open an account under Grace Oellin's name, persisting all day before finally departing.
Truly, when it came to money, Father's sincerity knew no bounds.
"I foresaw this, so I divided the accounts."
The moment I received the note from Elia, I sent Julie—registered as my proxy with the bank—to act on my behalf.
I left only a pittance in the account Father had discovered, transferring the remainder to another account.
I despised parting with even that small sum, but Father would pursue me relentlessly unless I gave him something.
It was painful, but I resolved to think of it as payment for the lesson learned.
The important thing was to hide valuables even more thoroughly next time.
That was what I had learned from this ordeal.
I tore the note to shreds and settled by the window.
Though the day had long since faded into a dark night, the moon and stars shone brightly, dispelling the darkness.
The meadow that stretched before me, framed by starlight, possessed its own peculiar beauty.
'The urgency in his tone suggests he will send someone soon.'
Then my peaceful days at the Black Family Estate would come to an end.
"...What do I do about this?"
I lifted my arm, where the mark had transferred.
A faint pattern glimmered in the moonlight.
That mark was undoubtedly something the Black Family held in the highest regard.
Since that day, Lucas Black had vanished, claiming he would bring me answers.
Of course, for reasons I couldn't fathom, I heard his voice nearly every day.
'...Now that I think about it, we barely spoke today.'
When I was hiding in the grass field to escape Lucky earlier, I had heard his voice.
Though I had pretended not to hear and refused to answer.
At this rate, I would soon have to return home.
Given my father's impatient temperament, he might very well come to retrieve her within three days.
Money was at stake, after all.
'If matters proceed as they are, the Marquess will find himself in quite a predicament as well. Yet it seems he hasn't discovered a solution either.'
My thoughts grew tangled.
I found myself wishing I could see him again soon, given how matters had unfolded.
Then perhaps this ambiguous ache in my heart would finally become clear.
'Should I... call for him?'
Grace Oellin, who had been deliberating for a moment, shook her head.
No matter how urgently my heart yearned, the hour had grown far too late.
To remain silent all day and then suddenly speak as darkness fell seemed rather peculiar.
"...Yet perhaps it would be better to speak sooner rather than later."
As I murmured these words aloud without thinking.
Neigh!
The familiar whinny of a horse reached my ears.
"What?"
Startled, I looked down to find Lucky standing there.
* * *
How many years had it been since he'd taken this form?
Lucas Black could only stop after running until his breath came in ragged gasps.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart, swollen to its limits, thundered as though it might burst from his chest.
It was a speed and strength no human body could achieve.
Taut sinews rippled across muscles engorged with power.
This was precisely the sensation he craved.
The surging heat, the exhilarating rush threatening to consume him—how long had it been since he'd felt such intensity?
The tangled confusion that had plagued his mind all day long finally cleared away.
Savoring the exquisite burn, he leisurely made his way toward the Estate.
'Taking this form isn't entirely without merit.'
The sensation of becoming a beast was far more refreshing and invigorating than he'd anticipated.
Though that didn't mean this transformation itself was a blessing.
A curse.
This was a curse.
An ancient one, passed down through countless ages.
The kingdom's secret, borne equally by the Seven Noble Houses that upheld this realm.
[You who have defiled my land. You shall be strong yet weak, and weak yet strong.]
A single line from the founding chronicle.
Few knew it was a witch's curse.
Only the seven knights who had invaded the witch's domain to establish their kingdom, and the handful of loyal retainers who served them, possessed this knowledge.
And that knowledge had been passed down in secrecy for centuries, reaching the present day.
The unfortunate truth is that the "witches" and "sorcerers" who were once commonplace in those days have vanished without a trace.
There exists no one capable of breaking the curse.
That curse has persisted for centuries, passed down through generations.
So what stance would the descendants who inherited this curse take?
Most simply resigned themselves or adapted to it.
Occasionally, some would resist or refuse, but ultimately, they had no choice but to accept it.
It was as natural a part of themselves as having blue eyes or red eyes.
Lucas Black adapted to it just as readily.
Since his father had already accepted it naturally, adaptation came with remarkable ease.
Yet there was one thing that troubled me....
"...Still, wouldn't it be better to tell her sooner rather than later?"
Lost in thought as I walked, I lifted my head at the sound of a voice.
'Hm? Why am I here?'
I caught sight of Grace Oellin's face visible through the window above.
She rested her chin on the terrace railing, gazing out toward some distant point.
The sight of her was so welcome that I let out a joyful sound without thinking.
Neigh!
...A horse's whinny.
Yes, I had made a horse's sound.
"Huh?"
Grace Oellin glanced down, recognized me, and broke into a radiant smile.
At the sight of that smile, my mind went blank.
'...Well, I suppose I don't mind.'
The grudging thoughts I'd harbored about her not saying a word vanished entirely.
In the end, I shamefully responded to her with a loud whinny of my own.
Neigh!
She was delighted to see me.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org