Chapter 2 – Part 5

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

“Why would you think so?”

“I’m sure you don’t want to insult me for no reason. So, I don’t think there’s any way to explain it other than that you’re taking out your anger over what happened last time.”

Liese paused, catching her breath. Marcus raised an eyebrow, as if to say continue.

“I’m sure you believe me when I tell you that what happened that day at the lake was an accident, but if you’re still upset about my spying on you, please tell me. I’ll apologize again, from the bottom of my heart.”

“You’re being funny.”

“…….”

“In a fit of rage, in a fit of pique, you must think you’re so special that you can make me feel that way.”

Liese’s heart fluttered at the way he poked at her weaknesses. Marcus didn’t stop there.

“Because if there’s one thing I should feel for you, it’s not resentment.”

Liese narrowed her eyes at the unintelligible words.

“What’s that….”

“You saw the woods by the shooting range, right?”

“Yes …….”

“In the center of that forest is a lake that connects to the Melir River. It’s a place I’m particularly fond of, and it’s been in the Balthasar family for over 800 years.”

Marcus, who spoke in a dulcet tone as if he were reading a letter, opened the pistol’s chamber. An empty magazine fell to the floor, pulled by gravity. A sharp metallic sound pierced her ears.

“This means that any outsider who sets foot in here without permission is a trespasser.”

Liese swallowed dryly, feeling a wave of anxiety wash over her. With a deft gesture, Marcus flicked the slide open and chambered a live round. It took him only a blink of an eye to raise the pistol and point it at the target.

Bang! Bang! BANG!

Liese’s shoulders jerked back as if she’d been hit by a thunderbolt. Marcus fired again and again without breaking his expression. Liese’s eyes widened, and she brought her hands to her chest, as if she were his target.

The gut-wrenching bursts of gunfire ceased. As he lowered his grip on the pistol, there was a calm silence after the storm. Liese turned her gaze to the target the Duke had aimed at.

A patchwork of bullet holes lay in the center of the bull’s-eye. Every single one of them.

“How do you think I should feel about a woman trespassing on my property with a firearm?”

The blood drained from Liese’s face. The woods that had given her such a strange sense of security were not her secret place, much less a place where she could walk around with the gun her grandfather had given her.

Liese realized this wasn’t going to end with a charge; she’d already committed an offense that deserved a sentence.

“Should I just be unhappy?”

Marcus asked, bending down to meet her eye level.

“Or should I get angry enough to grab you by the hair and hand you over to the government official right away?”

Liese struck a blow with a pale face.

“Your Grace, I’m truly… truly sorry.”

“Since you were carrying a firearm, the punishment will be more severe, and imprisonment is unavoidable.”

“It was my mistake. I sincerely beg for your forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”

“I hope you’re not just going to run your mouth. If you can’t use your body, try using your little brain.”

“I’m not going to make excuses and say it was a mistake born out of ignorance. Please don’t report me. If there’s anything I can do to make amends…”

“Make amends? Are you saying you’ll pay the settlement I will demand?”

Liese was stunned, unable to answer. Her wooden lips didn’t move, and her legs were so wobbly that she felt like she was going to collapse at any moment.

How could she afford to pay the settlement when even her grandfather’s old wheelchair couldn’t be replaced?

Marcus clutched Liese’s chin in frustration.

“Now that you’ve sold your pride and gotten yourself an apron, what are you going to sell me this time?”

“I… I…”

The rhythmic beats of a thumping heart were clearly conveyed to the man standing beside her. His large hand, gripping her chin, gently caressed Liese’s lips as if urging her.

“If there’s something I can do, anything…”

“You should, shouldn’t you?”

Marcus, who had spoken so kindly, smiled in satisfaction. He removed his hand from Liese’s face and skillfully reloaded the pistol. The gun, with a fresh magazine in it, was held out in front of her again.

“If you don’t want to be thrown into prison, abandoning your weak family, do what you can do, Lieselotte.”

Liese looked up at the Duke with frightened eyes, but eventually accepted the gun. Much to his amusement, Marcus smiled as harmlessly as he had ever smiled before.

“I’m enjoying this time very much.”

His firm arm wrapped around Liese’s lower back, guiding her posture. The scent of sandalwood enveloped her as warmth pressed against her, leaving no room for gaps. His voice, as smooth as it was chilling, tickled her ear.

“You’re even willing to give me money. You’re endlessly fascinating.”

The low laughter scratching out from his throat froze her entire body. Dishevelled breath escaped through Liese’s messed-up lips.

“Do your best for me, who is doing something irrational because of you.”

His body, hard as armor, his musky cologne, and his low laugh crushed her, burrowed in, and slowly consumed her.

A cruel, vicious man. It was clear that would be her only assessment of the Duke for all eternity.

***

The reddish sunset seeped through the lush grassy field of the orchard. It was getting late, but the beads of sweat on Liese’s brow didn’t diminish.

It was a sign that summer was approaching, or maybe it was because she was too engrossed in the task of picking flowers. Despite her neck and shoulders gradually stiffening, Liese did not descend from the ladder all afternoon.

“Whew…”

Although it was a hot and strenuous task, it was a wise choice. It was fortunate that she could press down various distracting thoughts and worries with the weight of responsibility. Even if it was only for a short while.

Snip, the cut apple blossoms fell to the ground, swaying. Liese wiped the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand and looked down at the flowers scattered on the grass.

On the tips of the white petals, apple blossoms with a hint of pale pink were piled up. Although they rolled on the ground, the cluster of flowers remained fragrant and beautiful. However, since they were cut from the branches, they would wither and fade in a day or two.

Lise looked at the soon-to-be lifeless flowers with sadness and resumed her shears with a grim face. It was an unavoidable task if she was to see the fruit without regret.

“Lady Lieselotte.”

Liese turned around at the sudden voice. Her nanny, Mrs. Joanna, who had gone down to the central square to buy ingredients, was standing there, looking a little reminiscent.

“We have a visitor.”

“A guest?”

Liese shook her head and put down her scissors. There were no guests to come, so why would…. Memories of being beaten up at the ducal residence flashed through her mind, sending goosebumps up her skin.

But it was not Duke Balthasar who appeared behind Mrs. Joanna.

“Hello?”

A young man who seemed to be around her age greeted her cheerfully. With bright orange hair, he gave off a very lively impression.

“I saw your ad in the employment agency and thought you were looking for laborers to work in the orchard.”

“Ah…”

“Do I need to have an interview first?”

Startled, Liese quickly descended from the ladder. Approaching the man, she extended her hand.

“Welcome. Actually, no one has visited until now. It’s okay for us to talk before making a contract.”

Liese shifted her gaze to Mrs. Joanna.

“Can you prepare some tea in the dining room?”

“I’ll do that.”

The maid briskly walked away.

The cheerful-looking man looked at Liese with a slightly bewildered expression. Then, as their eyes met, he suddenly regained his composure and adjusted his collar.

“I should have contacted you in advance. Looking at the address, I thought it wouldn’t be far from the square, so I came right away on a carriage.”

“It’s good that you’re proactive. Nice to meet you. I’m Lieselotte Brennan.”

Liese offered her hand for a handshake. With a slightly reddened nose, he shook Rize’s hand cautiously.

“Ian Fergus. Nice to meet you. I was so surprised because you look so different from what I imagined.”

When Liese tilted her head, Ian extended both hands as if to apologize.

“I imagined a cozy grandfather cultivating an orchard as a hobby. Considering it’s a small orchard and you’re looking for only one worker, I came up with my own imagination. I never thought it would be someone as pretty as…”

Ian blushed and quickly changed his words.

“I mean, I didn’t expect a kind lady like you to welcome me. And doing manual labor yourself is very impressive.”