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42.
Rebecca broke into a radiant smile.
Grace hesitated, searching ‌for hidden meaning in that smile, ‌‌‌‌but ultimately found none.
In Grace's estimation, Rebecca's capabilities were severely limited—sneaking over a wall was the extent of her talents.
"Well then, if there's nothing else, I have duties to attend to and must take my leave."
Grace brushed past Rebecca, her keyring jingling with each step. ‌
Rebecca watched the bundle of keys—those that unlocked every room in the Estate—for a moment before opening her own door.
The instant she peered inside, Rebecca's breath caught and her eyes widened ‌‌‌‌in shock.
Furniture lay scattered everywhere, and feathers from a torn pillow drifted through the air in all directions.
Rebecca quickly shut the door.
Then ‌‌came Kanna's sinister voice.
"How dare you soil this place with your filthy body. I'll kill you."
"Wait, please! Ugh. What kind of strength is this...?"
Kanna had ‌‌‌pinned a man to the floor, her blade pressed against his muscular throat.
The sword appeared to be his own—his empty scabbard hung ‌‌‌at his waist.
He thrashed desperately to shake her off, his golden eyes glaring fiercely as he growled.
But each time, Kanna's knee pressing against his chest bore down with even greater force.
"Good heavens! Julian! Kanna!"
At Rebecca's cry, Kanna faltered for just an instant—enough for Julian to swiftly push her aside and scramble to his feet.
He quickly moved to Rebecca's side.
"Is that woman perhaps not a maid, but a guard knight?"
The cool touch of the blade still lingered on his neck, so Julian rubbed his throat. ‌‌‌
"Do ‌‌you know this ‌‌‌person?"
Kanna spoke while still gripping her sword, as if she would slit his throat the moment Rebecca ‌‌‌said ‌‌otherwise.
Julian met her gaze with equal sharpness, showing no intention of backing ‌‌down.
Caught between the palpable ‌‌tension radiating from them both, Rebecca pressed her forehead and sighed.
"Let me introduce you properly. Kanna, this is Julian, Duke of Johannes."
At the ‌‌word "Duke," Kanna's eyes widened and she lowered her blade.
Yet hostility still lingered in her gaze.
"Julian, this is Kanna—the girl I mentioned before. Remember? I thought she was just a maid, but seeing her today, she'd be more than capable of serving as a guard knight."
Even after learning each other's identities, they continued to exchange fierce, antagonistic glares.
Rebecca sighed deeply once more and pulled both their hands together.
"Now, shake hands. 'Pleased to meet you'—that sort of thing. You're in this together, so there's no harm in getting along."
They reluctantly clasped hands and shook them.
Kanna and Julian withdrew their hands as if burned, their expressions twisted with disgust.
Kanna rubbed her hand on her clothes while speaking.
"Is this man truly the ‍Duke ‌‌‌of Johannes? Not an impostor?"
As Kanna looked him over with a mocking sneer, Julian bristled and shouted.
"An impostor?! Watch your tongue!"
"Otherwise, why would you visit a lady's room ‌‌at this ungodly hour without invitation? Though I must admit, you have impressive skills—breaching such formidable security."
"Both of you, be quiet, ‌please!"
As the two voices grew increasingly heated, Rebecca trembled with anxiety that the noise might leak outside.
Rebecca's eyes sharpened as she fixed them on the pair.
Julian, who had been gauging Rebecca's reaction, swallowed his rebuttal to Kanna and clamped his ‌‌mouth shut.
He ‌‌glanced sideways at Kanna before lowering his voice and whispering to Rebecca.
"There's something urgent I need to discuss with you ‌‌‌alone...."
"That won't do."
This woman Kanna evidently possessed ‌‌sharp ears.
Julian let out an exasperated sound.
With a stubborn expression, Kanna ‌‌wedged herself between Julian and Rebecca.
Rebecca ‌‌‌smiled and spoke to Kanna.
"Kanna, it's all right. This man isn't dangerous."
"But...."
"Nothing ‌‌‌‌you're worried about will happen. You trust me, don't you?"
Rebecca soothed Kanna's hand as she spoke.
At the question of trust, Kanna found herself unable to voice further objections. How could she possibly say she distrusted Rebecca?
Though doubt still lingered in Kanna's expression, she reluctantly nodded her head.
Julian ‌looked down at Kanna with triumphant satisfaction.
"Understood. But if anything happens, please call out at once. I'll come running."
"Thank you, Kanna."
Kanna gave Julian's shoulder a firm pat and left the room.
As the tension ‌‌‌dissolved, Rebecca exhaled ‌‌‌‌a sigh and collapsed onto the bed. Then she glanced sideways at Julian for a moment.
"Really, don't just show up without warning like this."
"I'm sorry. It was rather urgent."
Feeling as though he'd defeated a rival, Julian grinned widely despite Rebecca's complaint.
"What is it?"
"The Demon's Claw. I obtained it." ‌‌
Rebecca's eyes widened in astonishment.
Without thinking, she reached her hand toward Julian's head.
"Well done...."
But she quickly caught herself and withdrew her hand.
A ‌‌subtle disappointment flickered in Julian's eyes.
"Ahem. Thank you. When can you bring it?"
"Now."
Julian gestured toward the vanity.
On the vanity sat a potted plant beneath a glass dome, within which the Demon's Claw was planted.
"You'll need to harvest the leaves by today."
"This color... the leaf shape too. It's definitely the Demon's Claw!"
Rebecca examined the Demon's Claw from every angle, bouncing on her feet with joy.
At the sight, Julian rose from his seat.
"Is that ‌‌all?"
"Hm?"
"I went through such trouble to obtain it. Surely my gratitude deserves more than mere words?"
"What... do you want?"
Rebecca watched the thick column of his throat flinch before her eyes. ‌‌
Each time that unmistakably masculine throat moved, she found herself swallowing involuntarily.
"What we left unfinished last time..."
Julian took Rebecca's hand. Her delicate fingers were gently enclosed within his large palm.
Her hand was so soft it made him want to caress it endlessly.
Julian brought her hand to his face.
"Wait, just a moment!"
Rebecca pushed him away, seized by a dizzying imagination that flashed through her mind.
"We're not even married yet. And I understand you're in your prime, but this is dangerous. You need to exercise restraint—"
"What are you talking about?"
Julian didn't budge an inch despite her push, immovable as stone. Instead, he drew closer while still holding her hand.
Julian brought his head to rest against her hand.
"Pet my head."
"I... what?"
Rebecca stared at him blankly, ‌‌‌‌as though she'd been struck hard on the head ‌with a hammer.
What on earth was this thoughtless Duke saying?
"This won't do. Your face is completely red—what exactly were you ‌imagining?"
At the sight of Rebecca's bewildered expression, Julian laughed mischievously.
Her face transformed into the color of a plum ripened scarlet under summer sun.
"What, what kind of imagination are you talking about!"
"You were ‌‌‌imagining something indecent, weren't ‌‌‌‌‌you? That's why you're reacting so intensely."
"Indecent imagination..."
Rebecca couldn't continue. Julian had closed his eyes and rubbed his head against her hand.
His black hair slipped softly between her fingers.
"Not once has anyone ever stroked my head like this."
"..." ‌‌‌
"And no one has ever thanked me with such an earnest voice."
Julian released her hand. His eyes were drowsy and relaxed.
Rebecca gazed at him in ‌‌confusion, then sniffed near his chest.
"I don't smell alcohol... surely you're not ‌‌drunk again?"
"Does it seem that way?"
Julian's eyes curved into crescents.
His pupils had been gleaming amber-bright all this while.
"Unfortunately, I'm perfectly sober. I've waited so long—I thought I'd earned at least this much."
"Waited so long for what?"
Julian averted his gaze instead of answering.
He tapped the glass dome containing the demon's claw with ‌‌‌‌a light, rhythmic ‌‌sound.
"You said consuming this would cause considerable pain."
Rebecca regarded Julian for a moment before letting out a dry laugh.
"It will. And I'll become hideous—when the blisters rupture, there will be a ‌foul stench. I'll look so repugnant that ‌‌‌‌everyone will want to avoid me."
Even as Rebecca foretold her own suffering, she displayed no emotional disturbance.
She spoke with the calm acceptance of one fulfilling an inescapable duty.
"Are you not afraid?"
Julian ‌‌asked, observing Rebecca standing composed before the approaching tempest.
Yet it was he who asked the question with frightened eyes.
"I am not afraid."
Rebecca clenched her fist tightly.
Her clear eyes held the same ‌‌‌‌resolute strength as her rigid knuckles.
Rebecca slowly raised her head and met Julian's gaze directly.
"I swore I would not run ‌‌‌‌again. Before me lies only ruin ‌‌‌unless it is vengeance. So what could possibly make me hesitate?"
Having finished speaking, Rebecca abruptly thrust her hand into the glass dome and seized the demon's claw.
"If ‌‌‌you touch it bare-handed like that—!"
Before Julian could stop her, Rebecca laughed sharply and crammed the leaf into her mouth. The sound of raw leaves being crushed ‌‌echoed ‌‌loudly.
Gulp—
Rebecca chewed the leaf for a long moment before swallowing.
Julian wordlessly handed her a glass of water.
As Rebecca accepted it, a crimson rash was already rising on her hand.
"Ah, it's more bitter than I expected."
After draining the glass, Rebecca grimaced.
But soon her ‌‌brow smoothed, and her expression returned to its usual serene composure.
"Now there won't be any unfortunate incidents of me rolling around in bed with Zeppelin when he returns."
Zeppelin would arrive in roughly a fortnight, but the poisoning symptoms would take somewhat longer to manifest after consuming the leaf.
Since Rebecca wanted to display her ‌‌‌hideous visage to Zeppelin the moment he arrived, Julian's timing in bringing the demon's claw had been perfectly ‌‌‌opportune.
"Would you like a cup of tea? No one in the Estate would visit my room at this hour, ‌‌‌and with Kanna standing guard, we should be safe for a while."
Rebecca approached the trolley arranged on one side.
In the lamplight, the chain hanging beneath her ‌‌wrist glinted.
Seeing this, Julian clenched his teeth bitterly.
"No, I just remembered something I need to do."
"Even so, just for a moment—"
Meow.
When Rebecca turned, holding the teapot, Julian had vanished.
Only Leo ‌‌remained, wagging his tail and sitting in a posture like toasted bread.
He appeared displeased, as if summoned abruptly once again.
Rebecca, with an expression of resignation, stroked Leo from head to tail.
Leo's expression softened immediately.
He rubbed his face against ‌‌her hand, then licked the rash-covered skin of her palm.
The Runaway Countess Returns
E-book Publication

January 12, 2022
Author

Gin Bam ‌Ha Neul
Publisher

Desert Fox
Published by

Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submission Inquiries

naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog

blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter

@wjt_fennecfox

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