When a woman who looked like an angry hen came striding toward her, Louisa casually handed her cocktail—elegantly held just a second ago—to a passing server.
“Yes, Alicia?”
“Miss Vanderbilt, it warms my heart to see you enjoying the party so thoroughly.”
Alicia shot Louisa a sharp glare. She was certain Cordelia hadn’t invited this woman. No doubt about it. But knowing the Vanderbilt family’s reputation, Louisa had probably weaseled her way in as part of someone else’s entourage.
So why does she look so relaxed?
“You said you’d help, and yet here you are, doing absolutely nothing and just enjoying your drink?”
“What’s the point in making a scene, Alicia? If I get caught by Lucas, we’ll both go down.”
“But at this rate—!”
“Don’t worry.”
As Alicia fretted over whether her husband might fall completely out of Richard’s favor, Luisa slowly waved her feather fan with a languid air.
“Tonight, our dear Countess is going to get hurt—quite badly…”
***
After Cordelia stepped away, Roderick took a sip of his drink and let out a whistle of admiration.
“Wow, what a stunning woman.”
Lucas raised one brow with a sly smile. It was a good thing he’d told her to head to the lounge earlier.
“Thank you for the compliment on my wife’s beauty. I hear it so often, it’s a daily concern.”
“Haha! I heard it’s been over a year since your marriage. Still feels like a honeymoon, huh? Must be nice.”
“Yes… the honeymoon phase.”
Lucas echoed back, a bitter smile tugging at his lips as memories of the now ruined ‘good times’ flashed through his mind. Nevertheless, he couldn’t quite laugh the way he wanted to — perhaps because the image of that woman’s retreating figure lingered too vividly in his mind, like broken wings.
Shaking off the image, Lucas turned to matters far more pressing.
“Now then, Roderick. You and I both know exactly why we’re here.”
“Hm.”
“So let’s get to it. You tell me what you can authorize—and I’ll see if I’ve got something worth trading for it.”
This man had the power to appoint the operator of the military’s crude oil reserves. Roderick had now come to understand just how bold and relentless the illegitimate heir to the Duquesne family truly was.
“Lucas, the truth is… there’s something I’ve been very eager to get my hands on. If you could help me secure it…”
Lucas let out a quiet chuckle. So, this wasn’t something that could be settled with a few bottles of fine wine.
“I’ve, well… long had a fascination with the old castles of the Old Continent.”
“Ah.”
“If I could get my hands on one, just one, it’d be perfect for tourism—or even as a private villa. But…”
“But noble families in the Old Continent don’t exactly sell good properties to those without a title, do they?”
“Exactly.”
Roderick’s face twisted with frustration. He had plenty of money. However, centuries of tradition and noble pride could not be overcome by money alone — a fact that infuriated him.
“I mean, they’re already in total ruin, yet all they care about is appearances.”
“Indeed.”
“But you, Lucas… through your wife, you’ve got ties to the Hadrian Empire, don’t you?”
“…”
“So just take a look—just one decent estate. Who knows? Eisner might become the next big thing.”
Lucas didn’t reply. Instead, he raised his glass and gave a slight smile. The golden liquor, scented with maple, shimmered like a promise of success. Roderick grinned back at him, his expression full of greedy satisfaction.
Things that had once seemed noble and unattainable crumbled like this.
***
Although it was called a ‘rest area’, the lakeside pavilion where the party was being held looked like a charming two-storey cottage. Since the introductions had only just finished and the festivities were still in their early stages, hardly anyone had wandered over yet.
Besides, dancing until you dropped was all the rage in the New World these days. At this rate, it would be at least another hour or two before anyone else arrived.
‘These people and their obsession with dancing—it’s honestly exhausting.’
To be honest, Cordelia had never enjoyed parties that lasted until the early hours of the morning. Even as a young debutante, she would rather relax at her estate than spend hours dancing with strangers in the capital.
Just then, Chiara entered, carrying a basin of steaming water.
“My lady, I’ve brought the water and towels.”
“Thank you, Chiara.”
Two weeks later, the girl that Cordelia had brought back from Hell’s Realm had begun to put on weight. Whereas her face had once been so gaunt that she looked about twelve, she now looked closer to her actual age of fifteen. As Cordelia had suspected from their first meeting, Chiara was quick-witted and had settled in well at the estate.
‘She only lost her job because factory owners didn’t want to pay decent wages. If not for that, she would’ve done just fine.’
Having experienced harsh conditions before, Chiara found the hazing from the other maids at the estate easy to deal with. Despite going behind Lucas’s back to find someone to help Cordelia, she was endearing in her efforts.
“You’ve done well too, Chiara. Why don’t you take a short rest here?”
“M-Me? You mean… me, my lady?”
“Yes. Parties like this go on all night, so it’s better to rest while you can.”
After all, the maids were expected to continue working even after these overnight events. They could take a day off, sure—but it wouldn’t undo a completely disrupted night of sleep.
“But, my lady… are you heading out now? If you’re going back to the party—”
“No, just stepping out to see the lake from the courtyard. I’ll be back soon.”
In any case, the guards stationed throughout the area would prevent anyone unauthorised from approaching. Wearing this uncomfortable gown, even a short stroll felt like a burden.
Above all, she didn’t want to appear weak in front of such a young maid – no sighs or signs of exhaustion. Still, her mood had been sinking ever since she arrived at the party.
“Lucas really is someone who has it all… A beautiful and talented woman as his bride, and still in their honeymoon phase.”
It seemed that Roderick’s words had bothered Cordelia more than she had realised.
Without saying a word, she lightly scratched her arm through the sleeve of her gown. Beneath the soft silk, the bruises Lucas had left her throbbed faintly.
He had only ever seen her as a trophy. Now that she had finally accepted that, fulfilling her duties in the bedroom no longer hurt her emotionally.
But why did the marks he had left on her skin sometimes sting like fresh burns?
Even if she left him, would the scars ever truly fade? Would all the memories of their so-called ‘good times’ turn out to be lies one day?
Cordelia forced a smile as she watched the wind rustle the bushes around her. Alone in the stillness of nature, the weight on her chest felt just a little lighter.
Then, from within the foliage, she spotted something: tiny lights, smaller than her fingernail, moving slowly and in a winding pattern through the air.
“Oh… Fireflies. Even here.”
Around this time back home, the same scene would unfold—soft lights floating through the dark.
Cordelia wandered after the fireflies, dazed, until she felt the grass turn softer underfoot—moister, like muddy earth—and only then did she think to turn back.
But the moment she did, her steps froze. A cold fear—like an ice pick being driven down her spine—gripped her.
Why… why did it sound like a horse crying out in the darkness?
She only needed to walk a little farther to see the rest house. Just beyond that, the grand banquet hall still glowed with golden light and the faint strains of cheerful music.
It wasn’t far at all. There was no reason to be afraid. If she called out, any servant nearby would surely come.
And yet, her teeth clattered uncontrollably, and her limbs refused to move.
‘What… what is going on? Why would I hear a horse at a party?’
Ever since she joined the Duquesne family, horses had never been brought near the estate in public. Ever since she told them that she disliked horses, they had made sure to keep them away.
Of course, she had never explained why. She had just got married and couldn’t afford to give people fuel for rumours. Nevertheless, there were plenty of socially acceptable reasons to be wary of large animals.
“Lucas, I… I’m actually frightened of large beasts. I’d rather not attend any of the hunting gatherings. Would that be alright?”
“…Hmm. Alright, my lady.”
“Also, the sound of horses crying out—I can’t bear it.”
“Don’t worry.”
At the time, Lucas had worn a puzzled look, but he agreed without much fuss. So then—why?
‘Move. Just move.’
She could call out for Chiara. Or, even better, she could just run back inside the rest home. That would be enough.
Cordelia forced herself to pull herself together. Her body, frozen with panic, slowly began to turn.
But before she could take a single step, a horrible, animalistic shriek ripped through the air.
The scream of a beast. One that was not supposed to be there.