Chapter 8.4

“Ugh!”

“No, this can’t be…!”

As Charlier gripped her chin and tried to pour the drug into her mouth, Lyla turned her head sharply, causing him to drop the vial. Charlier quickly caught it before its contents spilled.

“Aren’t you afraid of Lord Kadis?!”

Seizing the moment, Lyla shouted at the men.

“What? Lord Kadis… You mean the Duke?”

“Is she… connected to Duke Wolfgallion? Huh?”

“What’s your relationship with him? You’re not his woman, are you?”

At the mention of Kadis’s name, the men hesitated.

“She’s just a maid from the Ducal Residence. She might’ve been favored a bit, but she ran away after falling out with him. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Mmph…!”

Charlier clamped his hand over Lyla’s mouth and answered calmly.

“Are you sure? Let go of her so we can hear more.”

“Yeah. If we get tangled up with the Duke, we’re screwed.”

The men, visibly nervous, pressed Charlier for answers. Charlier sighed deeply before glaring coldly at Lyla.

“Am I wrong, Miss Lyla? Didn’t you run away because you didn’t want to be with the Duke? You didn’t care about the feelings of those you left behind, did you? That’s the kind of selfish person you are.”

Charlier’s words struck Lyla at her core.

She hadn’t run away because she hated Kadis.

She had chosen this path for his happiness.

Or so she believed.

Now, she wasn’t even sure if her decision had been the right one. For what, or for whom, had she left the Ducal Residence?

This… This wasn’t the future she had hoped for.

“Think about it. What kind of woman rejects a Duke’s proposal and runs away? And would such a woman really be pursued by the Duke?”

Charlier turned to the men, his words calculated.

Convinced by his reasoning, the men’s expressions changed.

“If you’re that worried, I’ll accompany you until she’s sold. Does that work?”

Charlier’s compromise brought a smile to the men’s faces.

“Fine. Just give her the drug already.”

“Yeah, no more delays.”

Having won them over, Charlier grabbed Lyla’s chin firmly.

“This seems to be the end for you, Miss Lyla.”

“Ugh…!”

A twisted smile spread across Charlier’s face.

“Think of it positively. Becoming a mindless fool might be a better life. It’s a chance to forget everything that tormented you.”

No.

She didn’t want to forget Kadis. If it came to that, she’d rather—

Bang!

At that moment, the door burst open as if struck by a cannonball, crashing to the ground.

“Who’s there?!”

All three turned their gaze toward the source of the sound.

Through the rising smoke, a massive figure emerged.

Backlit by the light streaming in from outside, the man resembled a beast.

Blood-red eyes that seemed to freeze the air.

Silver-white hair that even darkness couldn’t touch.

The greatsword in his hand gleamed like a predator’s claw.

Lyla stared at the overwhelming figure, utterly captivated.

Kadis Wolfgallion.

Her one and only lord.

“D-Duke! W-We have nothing to do with this!”

The man, who immediately recognized Kadis’s identity, shouted as though he was about to throw himself to the ground. However, realizing it was futile, he began wildly swinging the torch in his hand.

“D-Don’t come any closer!”

Kadis easily swatted the torch away with his thick arm. The man, startled by Kadis’s reckless advance using his own body as a shield, froze in place.

Thud!

Kadis’s fist landed squarely on the man’s solar plexus.

“Guh! Ugh…!”

The man coughed up a mouthful of blood as his shattered ribs punctured his organs. Staggering, he collapsed to the ground.

“Aaaah!”

The other man, who had been watching in horror, screamed and bolted toward the back door.

Kadis swiftly turned and hurled his greatsword at him. The massive blade flew like an arrow, embedding itself in the man’s back.

“Gah!”

The man fell to his knees, collapsing forward. However, the sword that pierced through his back propped him up like a stake, preventing him from falling completely. The man stared at his impaled body before losing consciousness.

“You…”

Having effortlessly dealt with the two men, Kadis turned toward Charlier. Snapping back to his senses, Charlier quickly shouted.

“O-Oh! Your Grace! Thank you for saving me! I was trying to help Lyle, but I ended up getting caught too!”

“That’s a lie—mmph!”

When Lyla tried to refute him, Charlier hastily clamped a hand over her mouth.

Seeing this, Kadis’s eyes glinted with deadly intent. The scar across his throat turned a fiery red and swelled as if it might burst.

“Haha. It seems Lyle is too agitated to grasp the situation—ugh!”

Thud!

Charlier’s body was sent flying in an instant.

Kadis adjusted his foot after kicking Charlier. Despite his towering height of over 190 cm, his movements were unbelievably fast. The human eye could barely follow him.

“Didn’t I tell you to keep your filthy hands off Lyle?”

Kadis spoke, his voice a beat behind his actions.

“I said Lyle’s mine.”

He bared his teeth and growled like a beast. Even Lyla felt a chill run down her spine at his menacing demeanor.

Suddenly, she was reminded of Kadis’s childhood, when he had killed bandits.

While everyone praised the young duke for his bravery, behind that image was a boy who had endured terrifying moments alone.

‘Did I think everyone would be happier if I disappeared? No… I knew Kadis wouldn’t be.’

Even now, Kadis was fighting a lonely battle.

Because of her cowardice.

If Charlier had given her the drug sooner, turning her into a mindless fool before Kadis found her… How much pain would Kadis have endured? The professor’s words about her inability to consider the feelings of those left behind weren’t wrong.

Her misguided choices had hurt Kadis once again.

She loved him so deeply, cherished him so much—so why did she keep causing him pain?

“Hic… Lord K-Kadis…”

Tears streamed down Lyla’s face.

Hearing her sobs, Kadis quickly knelt beside her.

“Hold on. I’ll free you.”

“…Okay.”

He gently helped Lyla sit up and tore apart the ropes binding her with his bare hands. She had been tied up for so long that her hands had gone numb. As blood began to circulate again, Lyla rubbed her wrists, which were marked with rope burns.

When she cautiously looked up, Kadis was silently watching her.

“….”

“….”

Even though she wouldn’t have minded if he scolded or resented her, Kadis simply stared at her, his gaze filled with unfathomable sorrow. Without shedding a single tear, he seemed to be crying.

Lyla felt it—he was crying.

“Lord Kadis, I—”

Before she could finish, Kadis pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Quiet.”

Her face was pressed against his chest.

Kadis stroked her shoulders and arms. His touch carried no ulterior motives.

It was as though he was trying to confirm that the Lyla in his arms was truly alive.

“Ha… You really are something.”

Finally, Kadis let out a sigh of relief. After holding her tightly once more, he gently pushed her back.

“Lord Kadis—”

“That’s enough. If you want to explain, do it when we get back.”

Kadis helped Lyla to her feet. He seemed eager to leave as soon as possible. Understanding his urgency, Lyla quickly stood and brushed the dust off her clothes.

Then it happened.

“Hyahhh!”

Charlier, who they thought had fainted, let out a strange scream and charged at them. Kadis’s massive frame immediately moved to shield Lyla.

But Charlier suddenly stopped in his tracks and hurled something with all his might.

Lyla realized what it was— the vial of the drug meant for her.

“No, Lord Kadis—!”

Lyla shouted urgently, but Kadis was faster. With beast-like reflexes, he swatted the flying object away with his arm.

Crash!

Unfortunately, the vial shattered against his wrist guard, spilling its contents. The drug splashed across Kadis’s face.

“Lord Kadis!”

“Damn it, what kind of trick is this bastard pulling?!”

Kadis shook his dripping hair violently and wiped his face with his hand. After spitting out the liquid that had entered his mouth, he growled.

“Die!”

Thud!

His fist slammed into Charlier’s face.

“Open your eyes, you bastard.”

“Ugh… Guh…”

Kadis climbed on top of the fallen Charlier and grabbed him by the collar.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

His relentless punches sent blood splattering in all directions.

Kadis had once said he’d break anyone who touched what was his, as though filleting a fish. Now, faced with such a situation, he had lost all restraint, resorting to brute force.

“Lord Kadis…”

Lyla, stunned by the scene, finally ran to his side. She clung to his raised arm.

Only then did Kadis stop.

“What is it, Lyle? Don’t get in my way.”

Kadis growled, his voice strained.

“I’m not stopping you! Lord Kadis, are you okay?! That was a potion the professor threw at you!”

“Huh? Don’t worry about it. It barely got on me.”

Kadis replied dismissively, his gaze returning to Charlier’s battered face.

He needed to vent his anger before he could calm down.

“It was the drug meant for me! He said it would turn me into a mindless fool!”

“What? For you…?”

For the first time, Kadis’s indifferent tone gave way to shock.

He slowly stood, lingering for a moment before unleashing his fury. He began stomping on Charlier’s abdomen, his rage exploding.

“You filthy bastard!”

“Please, Lord Kadis! Calm down!”

“How dare you try to drug her?! You won’t die an easy death!”

“Lord Kadis! Lord Kadis!”

Lyla finally managed to pull him away.

Charlier, still unconscious, coughed violently, blood and saliva spilling from his mouth.

“Huff… Huff…”

Kadis’s face was still filled with rage. But seeing Lyla’s pale and frightened expression, he forced himself to calm down.

“Are you really okay?”

Lyla moved her hands from his arm to his face, her worry overriding her usual hesitance. She didn’t even realize how naturally she was touching him.

“Yeah.”

Kadis, staring blankly at her, gave a half-hearted reply.

‘Thank goodness. It seems the small amount that splashed on him didn’t take effect.’

Relieved, Lyla let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She didn’t notice Kadis’s reddened ears.

“I’m fine, so worry about yourself. Are you okay?”

Kadis reached out to touch her cheek but paused when he noticed the blood on his gloves. He wiped them on his clothes, but realizing it was futile, he removed the gloves entirely.

“Well? Are you okay?”

Kadis gently touched Lyla’s cheek and asked softly. Lyla leaned slightly into the large hand that cupped her cheek. Kadis’s hand was so warm, it almost brought tears to her eyes.

Kadis, too, felt his chest tighten at the sensation of Lyla’s presence, alive and tangible within his grasp.

“Yes. I’m fine.” 

Lyla replied, forcing a small smile as she answered.

“I’m really fine, Lord Kadis.”

Like a child seeking comfort, Lyla kept rubbing her cheek against Kadis’s palm. It was as if she wanted to feel his warmth for just a little longer.