Chapter 82
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Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 82
We merely exchanged glances and smiled, yet inexplicably, goosebumps erupted across my entire body.
Julie nearly found herself smiling along with him without thinking, but the baby squirming in her arms snapped her back to reality just in time.
'Good heavens, I almost fell under his spell.'
Like someone caught in a wrongdoing, Julie quickly turned her head away.
But immediately realizing it was impolite, she flustered and jerked her head back up.
Hiess merely shrugged with an air of indifference.
"It works, though... hmm."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing, just talking to myself. I was momentarily confused whether my beauty has faded or not."
At his brazen remark, Julie's face flushed crimson once more.
Grace only then caught the subtle awkwardness hanging in the air.
'Poor Julie's face is going to burst.'
The man's crimson eyes certainly possessed an enchanting quality.
And why were his skin and hair so pristinely white?
He was a man of such exquisite beauty that aesthetes would worship him.
Above all, this man seemed acutely aware of his own charm.
That was rather peculiar... and unfamiliar.
'I felt it before too, but he seems to have quite a unique personality.'
Put kindly, his confidence was exceptional; put otherwise, it was somewhat...
'...narcissistic.'
Grace swallowed the crude language she'd learned from the Orphanage children and bit her lip.
When she glanced at the man, he smiled gently and winked.
'Oh my.'
She'd never encountered a man like Lucas Black before, but this was her first time with someone like this either.
Startled, Grace let out a small gasp and quickly turned her head away as if she'd seen nothing.
In any case, there was another suspicious person besides this man.
Grace turned to Torres with a question.
"Are you truly acquainted with this woman?"
"Y-yes, Miss. We are."
"May I ask how you know each other? As far as I know, you're unmarried, aren't you?"
"Unmarried... yes, that's correct."
"Then what is your relationship with this woman? Could she be your younger sister...?"
"Ah, no. She's not my younger sister."
Grace pressed Torres with a gentle voice.
"Then?"
"...That is..."
Torres bit his lip and hung his head low. His mind felt like it was about to explode.
Originally, the existence of Carolian Adeia should have remained strictly confidential.
She had to remain a person who did not exist in the Capital.
That was Norman's command.
Which is why he had isolated her in a desolate place where no one lived, and ensured she could go nowhere without his permission.
Torres had defied his command and brought her out.
They had to go to a hospital where confidentiality was guaranteed, and despite knowing that Grace Oellin frequented the Lutein National Medical Center, he had no choice but to come here.
'...If we're discovered, we'll die.'
Both he and Carolian Adeia.
And perhaps even that poor baby.
'But... if things continue like this, won't Carolian Adeia and the baby die anyway?'
The reason Norman had concealed Carolian Adeia's existence was obvious without asking.
For easy disposal.
And that disposal would fall to him.
'I can't. Absolutely not.'
For merely two hundred thousand grans, he had surrendered his identity papers and five years of his life to House of Marquess Oellin.
That money had gone to his elderly mother in the Countryside and his younger sister.
The money was one thing, but the moment he stepped out of line, he had no idea what Norman would do to him.
The same applied to his elderly mother and sister in the Countryside.
"Is it difficult to answer?"
Grace Oellin pressed him once more.
Torres clenched his teeth and balled his fists.
If he told Miss Grace Oellin about all of this... could something change?
In that instant, the image of Grace Oellin being struck down by Norman flashed before Torres's eyes.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
'Nothing would change.'
Grace Oellin was far too fragile.
How terrible a person Norman Oellin was.
He was the sort who would harm even his own sister to protect himself.
No matter how much she... became a Duke's wife.
'What do I do?'
It was as Torres's mind churned fiercely, concealing the tremor within him.
Crash!
A thunderous sound of something shattering echoed from downstairs.
* * *
Lucas Black kicked the firmly shut door open cleanly with his foot.
"Hmm."
The massive, thick door offered no resistance to his single kick and swung wide open, revealing what lay within.
"...Your Grace, no matter the circumstances, kicking doors is hardly dignified...."
"I'll compensate you."
"No, no, it's not about the money, sir."
"If it's not about money, then I haven't the faintest idea what the problem is. Besides, this place reeks of a snake's den."
Passing through the first-floor Cafeteria and second-floor Terrace, we arrived at the third floor where a door stood directly before us.
Lucas Black strode ahead, leaving Haem and his guards in his wake.
There were no sentries, but the thick door remained firmly sealed.
Before Haem could even press the doorbell, Lucas's boot was already in motion.
With one hand casually thrust into his pocket, he simply kicked with a single foot—a light tap—yet the door shattered open with a resounding crack.
'Well then....'
A man whose backward kick was unmatched in the world could hardly fail to open a door. And wasn't his specialized ability precisely that—raw strength?
Opening a mere door was as effortless for him as blowing his nose.
"What is the meaning of this?"
A guard immediately rushed out to block Lucas's path.
Though merely a guard, he was a mercenary specially employed by Ulias, one specialized in martial arts.
Even if he was a foreigner unfamiliar with this nation's politics, he wasn't entirely ignorant.
He recognized the man in the black suit walking forward with such casual composure, hand in pocket.
"G-Good heavens, Your Grace the Duke—what brings you here?"
"Well, my future wife was apparently dragged to this place. I grew impatient."
Lucas Black replied in a languid, leisurely tone, yet the lethal aura surrounding him showed no sign of diminishing.
He smiled gently, yet somehow the atmosphere only grew more menacing.
His impression was so formidable that his smile often seemed more terrifying than reassuring—and this was precisely such a moment.
The guard, observing Lucas and the few men following behind him, found himself unable to distinguish whether he faced a duke of the realm or the final boss of the underworld.
Simply standing before him, his legs trembled.
"Please, if you would just wait a moment...."
The guard glanced back nervously while attempting to block their passage.
One could not treat a man of power carelessly, and alone, he was no match.
Fortunately, other guards quickly emerged to confront them, yet the momentum remained firmly against them.
"You would do well to stand aside. My patience is not particularly long."
Lucas Black glanced down at the watch on his wrist.
Having made such a deliberately loud entrance, it was about time she appeared.
"...Your Grace?"
Fortunately, at precisely the right moment, a soft voice cut through the tense standoff between the men.
"Grace."
The taut, lethal atmosphere surrounding Lucas Black melted away in an instant.
He withdrew his hand from his pocket and approached her.
"W-what brings you here, sir?"
Grace, startled, approached Lucas and grasped the hand he extended toward her.
In that instant, he seized her hand and pulled her directly into his embrace.
Then, with swift motion, he lifted her as one might hoist a child, hoisting her up as he spoke.
"And what, pray tell, brings you into this treacherous viper's nest?"
Solid, muscular arms enfolded her.
Held so tightly, Grace found herself gripping his shoulders.
"Ah, yes? A viper's nest? But this is... the Estate of Hiess Cerviente..."
"Precisely. That snake—whether Hiess or Gix or whatever he calls himself."
He chuckled softly, brushing away a strand of hair clinging to Grace's cheek.
Grace was astonished by the strength with which Lucas held her aloft with a single hand, but she was equally bewildered by the possessive gleam in his eyes.
"Your language is rather crude for someone so brutishly strong, you unrefined stallion."
Hiess Cerviente, leaning against the corridor wall, glared at Lucas with a deadpan murmur.
Before Grace, he wore an ever-present merchant's smile; before Lucas, his expression turned fierce as though preparing for battle.
"A strong, robust stallion is far superior to a frail snake brimming with sinister schemes."
"A horse with a broken leg becomes worthless for life."
"And a snake without its head ceases to exist, does it not? Perhaps this occasion presents an opportunity to verify such matters."
...From their exchange, it was clear they knew each other.
Though their rapport appeared decidedly poor.
Grace hesitated, then tapped Lucas's shoulder lightly and spoke softly.
"Please put me down now."
"How did you come to be here, Grace? Were you perhaps abducted?"
"Abducted? No. Someone collapsed nearby, and this gentleman happened to be passing by in his carriage."
"I see. He just happened to be passing by in his carriage..."
Lucas's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Hiess Cerviente shrugged with an innocent expression.
Yet hidden from Grace's view, his lips formed the words: "What of it?"
Beneath his innocent smile and flowing white hair, the crimson pupils within his eyes contracted vertically before returning to normal.
'That bastard.'
Lucas, still cradling Grace, lowered his free hand and raised a single long, elegant finger in a threatening gesture.
Blood vessels reddened across the raised finger.
Even a single finger could prove menacing when it belonged to Lucas Black.
Outwardly, both wore bright smiles, yet their silent confrontation was fierce.
The problem was how utterly childish it all seemed, given their status, age, and circumstances.
Haem and Ulias, who had been observing the entire spectacle, released simultaneous sighs.
The two exchanged a wordless glance of understanding before speaking in unison.
"Now that we've found Grace, shall we return, sir?"
"Hiess, you've been away far too long. It's time to return to the branch."
They each took their place beside their respective master.
At that moment, a scream erupted from the room Grace had emerged from.
It was Julie's voice.
Before Grace could startle and rush forward, someone else had already bolted ahead.
"Julie!"
It was Haem.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org