Chapter 80
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Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 80
"Tsk."
Crunch.
"So the work's become entertaining?"
Munch.
A cafeteria situated at a comfortable distance from Lutein Hospital.
Hiess Cerviente, who had monopolized the shaded second-floor balcony, muttered to himself while popping white corn snacks from a large glass bowl into his mouth.
These salty and savory treats were ones he always indulged in during his leisure time.
They were imported from Coreano, a land far removed from this country, and they suited Hiess's palate perfectly.
"Those two women are colliding right there."
Hiess watched the two women who had just bumped into each other in front of the hospital through his opera binoculars.
Ulias, who had been attending to his snacks, offered him a properly cooled green tea.
"If you consume too much salt, it will strain your liver. Please hydrate yourself."
Hiess drank the green tea in one gulp, letting her routine nagging pass through one ear and out the other.
Having learned that Grace was going out today, Hiess had prepared another event in front of the hospital.
If one passed through the alley running beside the well-maintained Central Plaza, the Slums would appear.
Management was difficult due to the exclusive and violent residents.
Consequently, the alley was extremely filthy, with garbage piled high.
And there were things that made their homes in such places.
Vicious and filthy creatures, at that.
"I was curious about how that woman would react when a commotion breaks out. What should I do?"
Should I stir up trouble as planned and observe Grace Oellin's reaction, or...?
"That woman definitely has something about her. The problem is, she doesn't even know it herself. I want to be the first to uncover it, but..."
There were suspicions.
But it was too early to jump to conclusions.
Above all, that annoying black horse made it difficult to move recklessly.
The reason he was watching from such a distance now was entirely due to the security personnel Lucas Black had stationed throughout the city.
"There, there too... And there, and there as well. That crazy horse. How did he manage to station guards across the entire Capital? How could he have known when that woman would appear?"
Well, he was from a household with nothing but money, so if he set his mind to it, he could employ more than half the Capital's population as his own personnel.
Because of this, Hiess couldn't approach Grace as he pleased.
If he approached her overtly, that black horse would counter him even more overtly.
"Watching like this is entertaining enough, but... I can't just keep watching forever either."
He never imagined that crazy horse would move up the wedding this dramatically.
Once Grace Oellin entered his Estate, approaching her would become incomparably more difficult than it was now.
So before that happens, I have no choice but to either become close to her or find some other means.
It would be nice to get closer, but that crazy horse's bastard wouldn't stand for it.
What to do.
"Ah right, what are the old men saying?"
Hiess was the family head, but behind him were even more troublesome entities.
They called themselves "The Shadows"—the elderly men of the Serviente Family who sought to manipulate the family's very foundation.
"As always, they said danger must be eliminated."
"In other words, they want her dead."
Hiess Cerviente chuckled softly to himself, repeating the words.
This was precisely why those scheming old men lurking in the shadows were better left alone.
They spun their wheels endlessly without grasping reality.
Killing was easy to say, but could they truly dispose of the woman destined to become the wife of the Black Horse so effortlessly?
Even a serpent could not easily invade the lands of the Horse.
Moreover, an inviolable rule existed among the Seven Great Families.
They could check and balance one another, but none dared to cross that line.
"Well, if trouble arises, it falls on my shoulders, not theirs."
And they would simply hatch a new egg.
After all, a "Family Head" was nothing but a disposable tool to them.
Hiess Cerviente habitually rolled two stones between his fingers—stones affixed to the bracelet adorning his wrist.
Grace Oellin.
Merely observing her was entertaining.
Beneath the surface, like a whirlpool, she appeared serene and tranquil, yet she stirred ripples that no one could perceive.
Whether those ripples would spread far and wide or be swallowed by the depths remained unknown.
'Still... that woman seems destined to cause some kind of upheaval.'
She would surely influence not only this nation but also the Seven Great Families, who had steadfastly guarded their hidden power.
Click, click.
The grey stone moving between Hiess's fingers had grown smooth as a jewel from countless touches.
Sunlight poured through the swaying curtains.
Upon the stone bathed in that light, a cursed marking gleamed.
It was similar to the marking inscribed upon Grace's wrist.
That was the moment.
"Oh."
Hiess Cerviente, who had been observing Grace, suddenly rose from his seat.
A pitiful pink-haired woman had pushed Grace to the ground.
"Shall I go check on her?"
"No. You stay here, Ulias."
Hiess Cerviente threw on his coat carelessly as he spoke.
"This is something I must handle myself."
This was his moment to act.
* * *
It happened in an instant.
Pushed by Carol's force as she wrenched her hand away, I staggered backward and nearly fell.
The world spun, and I tumbled to the ground before I could catch myself.
What was remarkable was that Rüfel, appearing from nowhere, threw himself beneath me and caught me before I hit the floor.
"Are you all right?"
"Ah... yes. I'm fine. Thank you, Rüfel."
Julie, who was holding the baby, hadn't been able to catch me in time.
Furious that Carol had pushed me, Julie rounded on her sharply.
"Excuse me! If you didn't like it, you could have simply said so instead of pushing someone!"
"I... I... I didn't..."
The ashen-faced woman trembled violently.
As I rose to my feet, I grasped Julie's shoulder reassuringly.
The baby, who had barely calmed down, began crying again.
The gazes of passersby converged upon us.
"I... I didn't mean... it wasn't like that..."
Tears welled in Carol's eyes.
The baby's cries, the murmur of onlookers' stares, and the face of the moon-like beautiful woman looking at me with concern—all of it pressed down upon Carol at once.
A sharp ringing echoed in Carol's ears.
Her body trembled uncontrollably before she collapsed as if crumbling.
"...!"
Startled, I rushed toward Carol.
The woman had lost consciousness.
I urgently commanded Rüfel.
"Rüfel, go fetch Notia. Quickly!"
The murmur of voices grew louder.
Through it all, a voice calling out the woman's name cut through.
"Carol!"
Torres, who had been watching from a distance, rushed toward Carol with a deathly pale face.
He was seized by belated regret—he should have accompanied her instead of letting her go alone.
For the past few days, Norman had been searching for Carol again, and her physical condition had deteriorated terribly.
He had only managed to bring her to the hospital today, whimpering and in distress.
Of all times, Miss Grace had to visit the hospital on this very day.
He had confirmed she'd gone to the Orphanage before coming to the hospital.
The moment he saw Grace, Torres had no choice but to hold his breath.
Carol's existence was a secret.
And bringing Carol to the hospital in secret was also a secret.
"Grace? Oh, goodness. What's happened?"
Notia, summoned by Rüfel, examined Carol's condition.
Fortunately, it was merely a fainting spell, but when Notia glimpsed the red and purple bruises beneath the hood, her expression hardened.
Notia clenched her teeth and pulled the hood up properly.
She quickly concealed the woman's face as well.
"We can't stay here like this."
The stares of passersby were piercing.
There was no way to treat her here, nor could I bring her inside the hospital.
Notia's Hospital still had almost no beds prepared, and she had rushed out in the middle of her consultations.
"We need to move to a different location."
"I-I'll bring the carriage—!"
Torres turned hastily to fetch a carriage. Rüfel spoke first.
"Our carriage is already prepared, so shall we move there?"
"That won't do! I'll handle it myself."
Torres hurriedly grabbed Rüfel's arm.
Grace studied Torres's face intently.
The face seemed familiar—she had seen him this morning as well.
"...Aren't you Norman's coachman?"
Torres, startled, turned his head away from Grace.
But it was already too late to hide.
His hands trembled as he clenched his fists tightly.
"It seems you're right. I'm not sure what's happening, but... it would be best to return to our Estate."
Torres's head snapped up in alarm.
That absolutely could not happen.
Under no circumstances could Carol be brought into the Oellin Estate.
If that happened, both she and I would be as good as dead.
"No, please, Miss! I beg you, please... I'll handle this myself. I know this person!"
Torres pleaded, but neither Notia nor Grace could trust him.
The woman had fainted before she could even recognize him, so there was no way to confirm whether they truly knew each other.
And even if they did know each other, something felt off.
The bruises visible beneath the hood—I couldn't shake the thought that this man might have been the one who caused them.
Grace narrowed her eyes as she glared at Norman's coachman.
There were far too many suspicious details.
Wah, wah—
"Forgive me, but..."
A baby's cries grew louder, and the murmuring crowd around them swelled.
"Might I be of assistance?"
A gentle voice parted the crowd and approached Grace and Torres.
"As it happens, I have an empty residence nearby..."
A man with distinctive white hair and crimson eyes took Grace's hand and kissed it in greeting.
His eyes curved with a disarming smile, yet something about him was far from ordinary.
"It has been quite some time, Lady Oellin."
It was Hiess Cerviente.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org