Chapter 139
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140.
Ten years had passed since I was dragged to this place. By now, even my parents' voices had grown hazy in my memory.
At first, Zeppelin simply confined people in one location.
But as the number of hostages multiplied, the cost of managing them became astronomical.
So Zeppelin constructed a massive Sugarcane Farm on the Island and began using the hostages as cheap labor.
Through this, he accumulated considerable capital. With that money, Zeppelin built a grand Hot Spring Resort on the Island where the hostages were held.
When the Resort first opened, Charlotte harbored a fragile hope.
The Resort would surely be teeming with wealthy nobles, and if I could just catch one and plead my case, I could expose this place's true nature.
Between the Sugarcane Farm and the tourist destination lay a vast Jungle, like a boundary line.
Charlotte attempted to escape through it to reach the Resort.
But guards were hidden throughout the Jungle, and each of her escape attempts ended in failure.
"Alright, let's call it a day!"
At Teddy's shout, groans echoed from all directions.
Everyone rubbed their weary backs and stepped onto the dusk that had already settled upon the ground.
Just as when they arrived at the farm, the hostages lined up in single file and returned home under the guards' watchful eyes.
But could that place truly be called home?
This location, converted from a Lava Cave, was nothing more than a colossal prison created by nature itself.
As the guards opened the massive stone door, cold, damp moisture flowed out as if welcoming them.
Once everyone had entered the Cave, the guards closed the stone door again.
The sound of stone scraping against the ground echoed with a sickening resonance.
Boom—
The heavy door sealed completely shut. Only torches illuminated the path through the darkness.
"It seems you've been out again today."
As Charlotte turned toward her Room, she lifted her head at the gentle voice.
Upon discovering the voice's owner, Charlotte's eyes widened.
"Inoten!"
Inoten, with his forehead fully exposed, bore an owl's eye tattooed directly in the center of his brow.
It was a tattoo far larger than those of the Kadir Faith followers in this place.
"I am grateful that you exert yourself so tirelessly for others each time."
"Why would you thank me, Inoten? I only moved about because staying in the Cave made me feel suffocated."
"That is true. Since you stepped in on behalf of my daughter who had caught a cold, it is I who should offer my gratitude."
Harisha extended a tray holding stew and bread toward Charlotte as she spoke.
"You seem hungry, so I've prepared some food. Thanks to you taking on the work in her stead, my daughter's health has recovered considerably."
"Then I'm relieved. Harisha's stew is always welcome!"
Charlotte quickly picked up the bowl of stew from the tray and began satisfying her hungry stomach.
As the warm vegetable stew entered her empty belly, the fatigue of the day seemed to fade away.
Charlotte swiftly stuffed bread into her mouth as well, then placed the empty bowl on the tray with a soft clink.
"It's delicious as always. If I ever leave this place, I could open a Boutique under your name."
"I wish that were possible. If we ever leave this place...."
A shadow fell across Harisha's face. She, who had always remained the brightest among them, had grown noticeably melancholic of late.
Charlotte asked with concern.
"Are you still unable to sleep, worrying about your son?"
"It's been months since we last heard from him. He's always been diligent about sending letters, even if he didn't care much for the family...."
Harisha's expression darkened.
Charlotte embraced her warmly and spoke.
"Don't worry. Something must have kept him busy, that's all. Besides, I've heard the Count trusts your son greatly. So he'll surely be safe."
"I suppose you're right. I should have more faith."
Harisha offered a bittersweet smile.
"Then I'll return to my quarters so you can rest properly."
The moment Harisha turned to leave, a faint tremor resonated through the entire Cave.
Though the tremor was weak enough that no one stumbled, the earthquake persisted for several minutes before subsiding.
Inoten, who had been touching the Cave wall, spoke gently.
"It seems the embers beneath the earth are awakening from their slumber."
"Is that not a grave matter?"
"Perhaps. But surely that too is the will of God."
Charlotte stared blankly at Inoten's benevolent smile.
The Island they inhabited was a dormant volcanic Island.
Though the adjacent Islands were active volcanoes, there had been no eruptions here for several centuries.
Yet recently, small earthquakes had begun occurring in succession.
Even Charlotte, who rarely worried about such matters, found herself growing anxious.
If the volcano were to erupt, the hostages within the Cave would be as good as dead.
I could not die without ever holding my parents' hands again.
As concern settled into Charlotte's eyes, Inoten smiled even more gently and spoke.
"However, humans are fragile creatures, too weak to endure God's grand designs. In that regard, what if we held a prayer service after dinner? Let us all strengthen our resolve together."
At Inoten's words, Harisha's face brightened at once.
"Yes, understood! I shall inform everyone to prepare."
"Then please move the flame to the Chapel."
Inoten held his palm upward and exhaled sharply upon it.
Immediately, a blue flame rose and hovered above his hand.
He lowered the flame onto the tray Harisha was holding.
The flame flickered with such breathtaking beauty that one could only stare in wonder.
It was a sight that never ceased to amaze.
When Charlotte first saw Inoten conjure fire, she thought he was performing a trick.
So she had scrutinized his every movement, examining this and that, but found nothing suspicious.
He truly was a man who could create fire.
Yet whenever he exhaled flames like this, Inoten invariably suffered from coughing fits.
Charlotte's gaze immediately shifted toward Inoten.
"Cough...."
As expected, he was leaning against the wall, coughing.
"Are you alright?"
When Charlotte tried to help him up, Inoten waved his hand away.
"It's fine. My health has improved considerably lately. Look—I'm barely coughing anymore."
"What could this portend?"
Harisha gazed up at Inoten with hopeful eyes.
"How could a mere mortal divine the future? Our only duty is to wait upon his will and endure—endure with patience."
'Such pleasant words...'
Charlotte couldn't fully agree with him, so she merely forced a smile.
If she simply waited, she'd be trapped on this Island for the rest of her life.
If luck turned against her, a volcanic eruption could kill her ignominiously.
'I have to do something.'
There was still considerable time before the Kadir Faith ceremony would be prepared.
Charlotte wasn't particularly devout, but on unsettling days like today, she often attended the services.
Originally, worship hadn't been permitted in this place.
But as time passed, the guards no longer interfered with what happened inside the Cave, so long as it caused no major disturbance.
Apart from being freer than the hostages, the guards were equally trapped here.
Perhaps they even pitied the hostages somewhat.
Regardless of the reason, thanks to them, I felt as though I could breathe freely within the Cave.
After exchanging brief greetings with Harisha and Inoten, Charlotte entered her Room.
It could hardly be called a Room—just a curtain for a door, with a desk and a single bed.
Even this was better than what others had.
Charlotte lit a candle and continued the letter she'd left unfinished the previous night.
She couldn't know whether this letter truly reached her parents, or whether their replies were genuinely from them.
But she felt she had to do something to survive.
Hoping someone would notice, Charlotte gripped her pen with renewed determination.
* * *
"Where do you think you're going?"
When Rebecca carefully stepped out of her Room into the Corridor, a sharp voice cut through the air.
Rebecca flinched and turned around.
Julian, holding a tray with breakfast, was glaring at her robe with displeasure.
"Well, I just wanted to take a short walk..."
"Rebecca."
Seeing Julian's stern expression, Rebecca sighed.
"Fine, fine. I'll just go back inside."
She grumbled as she returned to her Room.
Rebecca had heard that Zeppelin was coming to the Casino today. She wanted to know why he kept frequenting that place.
But Julian, who usually let her do almost anything, was adamantly opposed this time.
Because of their quarrel, he'd even turned his back to me and slept separately last night.
Today was no different.
Julian followed Rebecca and launched into a barrage of complaints.
"You promised not to see that man Zeppelin for a while. Did you forget what happened at the banquet?"
"This time, I won't meet them in person. I'm simply going to gather intelligence."
Seeing that Rebecca had no intention of backing down, Julian silently lifted the silver dome cover.
Golden-brown toast spread with fresh butter, a soft-boiled fried egg and sausage, and a cup of freshly squeezed milk were arranged appetizingly on the plate.
Cherry tomatoes and roasted asparagus decorated the surroundings with neat precision, delighting even the eyes.
With her appetite suddenly returning, Rebecca found herself quietly reaching for the fork without thinking.
The breakfast Julian prepared for her every morning was her favorite meal.
He always checked whether she properly ate all five meals a day, including snacks.
And on days when she didn't eat properly, he would grow furious and even spoon-feed her.
It was like a mother bird tending to her chick's meals.
Today, his attitude remained unchanged.
Julian placed the tray on his lap and picked up a butter knife, spreading apple jam across the toast with practiced strokes.
Ever since Rebecca mentioned she loved apple jam, it had always appeared on the table here.
Without Julian even having to instruct them, the servants had prepared large quantities of apple jam on their own.
Rebecca took a bite of the crispy toast.
"Mmm..."
An involuntary murmur of appreciation escaped as the butter's rich flavor melted across her tongue.
She found herself wondering what secret technique could transform such simple toast into something worthy of serving at the Imperial Palace's finest banquets.
Julian's expression, which had been contentedly watching Rebecca's constantly moving mouth, gradually grew darker.
The runaway Countess had returned.
E-book publication.
January 12, 2022
Author.
Long Night Sky
Publisher.
Desert Fox
Published by.
Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submission contact.
naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog.
blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter.
@wjt_fennecfox
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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