Chapter 2 – Part 4

They crossed a green field and came to the indoor shooting range at the edge of the forest, which had given them such an odd feeling in the first place.

As Marcus took the keys from the guard, Liese stared uneasily at the forest and the path that led to it. A strange sense of familiarity in a place she’d never been before made her feel uneasy.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

An irritated voice touched the back of her head. Liese turned to see Marcus standing in the doorway. She felt like an idiot for cowering.

The shooting range was a tall building, perhaps three stories high. The ceiling was completely open to the sky, letting in sunlight and giving the place a sense of openness that was almost as good as the outdoors.

Still, Liese was as tense as if she’d been taken to solitary confinement.

‘What does he want with me?’

Marcus opened the largest wardrobe Liese had ever seen in her life, displaying a collection of firearms arranged like decorations, showcasing the glory of a noble gunsmith family that had been honing their craft for generations.

He couldn’t understand what was going through the man’s head as he pulled out a firearm that resembled Liese’s pistol.

‘I hope he will just enjoy his leisure activities without me…….’

As Liese watched him with a bewildered expression, Marcus skillfully emptied the pistol’s magazine and loaded it with bullets.

His hand, with veins showing through, clicked as he pulled the slide back. Marcus handled the deadly weapon like a toy, yet his face remained remarkably calm.

Feeling uneasy, Liese shifted her gaze. Unintentionally, her eyes fell on one side of the wall, where several human models were arranged at regular intervals.

With targets drawn on the abdomen, they seemed to be the objects Liese would aim at.

“Stand there.”

Marcus pointed to a white line drawn on the floor with his chin. Liese obediently followed. As he approached, he extended his arm and handed her the pistol.

She winced at the unfamiliar metal against her palm. Or maybe it was the coolness of his body that enveloped her hand without warning.

“Look ahead.”

‘An instructor that even demons would cry for’.

Her hand trembled in the grip of her pistol, afraid of the nickname Eric had told her. She hoped he wouldn’t do it to her.

“Don’t shake your hand so awkwardly.”

“Yes.”

“Keep your eyes on the front without sneaking glances.”

“Yes.”

“Straighten your back, relax your shoulders. Don’t put your index finger on the trigger yet.”

“Then, where should I place this finger?”

Instead of answering, Marcus moved her finger. Lowering her shoulders and correcting her sloppy posture, she suppressed the spreading sandalwood scent in the air. Her head felt dizzy.

“Lower your shoulders more.”

The same instruction was repeated. Even though she understood, Liese couldn’t relax her tense body due to anxiety.

“What are you doing? Are your ears clogged?”

“No. I’m sorry.”

She didn’t initially know why she should be scolded and cursed, but she apologized anyway. Still feeling unjust, Liese added quietly.

“I understand your instructions, but I don’t know why my shoulders keep rising.”

“It’s your body; why can’t you control it?”

“…….”

“You can’t do anything with your body, can you?”

His voice rang in her ears like a tongue-lashing. Liese had to fight the urge to punch him in the face.

“I don’t have a lot of experience, but that’s not necessarily true.”

“Is there anything you can do?”

“Ballroom dancing and piano, which I wasn’t too bad at when I was younger. It’s been a while since I’ve done either… so I’m not sure I’m any good at them now.”

“Well, that’s a pretty poor assessment until I’ve seen it for myself.”

Liese wanted to punch him in the face, which would probably never happen, and she was surprised to find so much rebellion brewing inside her.

“If it’s been so long since your tutor left, it must have been a while since your family’s finances have been in trouble.”

“…Yes.”

Liese reluctantly admitted. Although she had only come to Bachmann roughly a month ago, having been expelled with all of their property confiscated, the Brennan family had always been in bad shape. Ever since Liese’s parents met their fate in an accident, to be exact.

For some reason, Marcus didn’t inquire further. It was the best of all possible worlds.

Suddenly, Liese realized that the Duke, standing beside her, was studying her face. The fluttering eyelashes, the slightly parted lips, the curve of her jaw, down to her gently curving neck.

His gaze lingered unusually long on the nape of her neck, exposed beneath her hair, which was tied back in a single braid. His breath was so close to hers that Liese tensed.

“You smell like wet grass.” Marcus muttered in a composed tone. Liese almost hiccupped.

“It was the same before. Do you have a hobby of lying in the grass or something?”

She wanted to retort, questioning who would have such a hobby when not even an excited dog was on a walk. Liese held back, realizing the need for her excellent patience, and shook her head slightly.

“No, Your Grace.”

“Then why do you reek of grass all over your body?”

Marcus persistently pointed out her scent. The desire to know the reason came through strongly. Liese blinked and thought for a moment.

Had she always smelled like this? She had never paid attention to her own scent.

She bent down subtly, sniffing herself. Only then could she perceive the faint smell of apple blossoms and crushed grass emanating from her body. The scent made her earlobes blush subtly.

His gaze, which had been scanning her neck, now focused intently on the round tip of her ear with increased intensity. Liese could no longer control her breathing.

“Answer me.”

“Well…”

Liese didn’t want to divulge the details of her home life to the man standing next to her, but she couldn’t afford to lie, so she answered quietly.

“I was picking flowers in the orchard before coming here.”

“Doing what?”

“I manage a small orchard, and it’s in full bloom, so it’s been a lot of work, and even though I took a bath, I still smell like grass.”

A brief, uncomfortable silence passed. With both arms aiming steadily, Marcus, who seemed to enjoy the awkwardness, chuckled.

“Taking care of the orchard and working under me.”

“…”

“You are busier than I thought.”

Liese silently swallowed her saliva while giving Marcus a sidelong glance.

“Look ahead.”

“Yes.”

“Put more strength into your left arm. Support the gun barrel with the palm of your hand to prevent it from shaking due to recoil. Stand straight.”

Nervous, Liese couldn’t fully follow his instructions. Marcus reached behind her, grabbing her left forearm and pulling it down. It was uncomfortable, and her heart raced without respite.

“Try shooting.”

“Are you already letting me shoot?”

Preparations weren’t perfect yet. Firing with a sloppy posture would only result in embarrassment without hitting anything.

“Do you want to sleep here for a night and then shoot?”

Suppressing the urge to snap back at the Duke’s sarcasm, Liese responded calmly, “I’ll do it now.”

“If you hit even one shot, I’ll let you leave immediately.”

With this new condition, Liese’s eyes sparkled as she aimed at the target. Marcus, witnessing her posture becoming as stiff as that of a freshly enlisted soldier, chuckled.

Liese took a deep breath. Her focus heightened, and, with a sense of concentration she hadn’t felt before, she aimed directly at the target. After holding her breath, she pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The loud gunshot echoed. Liese blinks, breathing shallowly. The smoke from the muzzle slowly dissipated into the air.

Contrary to her expectations, there was no trace of an impact on the human model. She couldn’t even find the mark left by the bullet she had fired.

“You missed.”

Marcus calmly remarked.

“Keep firing until you run out of bullets.”

Liese, with a few seconds between each shot, attempted rapid fire. Deafening gunshots echoed within the shooting range. Despite her shaky stance at times, she persevered, applying force to her feet and firing.

Soon, the clicking sound of an empty magazine indicated that the bullets had run out. Liese, her eyes filled with anticipation, examined the target.

The result was the same. The target remained untouched, without a single bullet mark. The first attempt at rapid firing ended in a resounding failure.

“As expected, your skills are pathetic.”

Marcus sneered and took the pistol away.

“Or maybe you intentionally missed because you didn’t want to leave this place.”

Liese stared blankly at her empty hands, then looked up at the man standing beside her. The faint frown embedded in her fine eyebrows was the first sign of discomfort she had shown.

Marcus, preparing to reload the pistol, laughed as if finding her expression amusing.

“You look like you want to slap me.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

“If you have something to say, say it. Even if it’s an offensive accusation, I’ll forgive you for once.”

It was a tone that implied great generosity. Gripping her lower lip so tightly that it tasted like blood, Liese bit back her retort. Marcus didn’t stop there.

It took all her willpower to get the question out of her mouth. But now that the Duke had laid the groundwork, she couldn’t help but ask.

“Since you’ve given me the opportunity, I dare to ask.”

Marcus studied Liese closely. His ashen blue eyes made her uncomfortable, but she didn’t break their entangled gaze.

“Is the Duke, by any chance, angry with me?”