Chapter 9 (Part 7)

Soon, the stew began to bubble, filling the forest with a savory aroma. The fish, too, had been grilled to a golden perfection. Smoke from the fire dispersed in all directions.  

“Master, I believe everything is ready.”  

“It seems so.” 

Therese replied.  

She ladled the stew into individual bowls, and Roshan distributed them.  

“Madame, please eat plenty.”  

When Therese sat down, the Duke used his bare hands to debone the hot fish and placed it on her plate. Looking down at the steaming plate, she wore a slightly troubled expression.  

“The fish must’ve been very hot.”  

“My hands are calloused; I didn’t feel a thing.”  

The Duke’s boast elicited a faint smile from Therese.  

“Your Grace, please eat plenty as well.”  

As she placed the fish he had prepared into her stew and took a bite, Therese was overwhelmed by an indescribable feeling.  

‘It feels… different.’  

Despite the chaotic day, cooking and sharing a meal together felt refreshing and precious.  

Then she noticed that the Duke wasn’t eating much. His face seemed burdened with thoughts.  

‘I haven’t been able to care for my only sibling at all.’  

His voice carried deep regret as he spoke those words.  

‘They must’ve been close once.’  

Though Therese had never had siblings, she understood how important family was.  

‘Because I have a father who’s dear to me.’  

If her father hadn’t been weak-hearted, he wouldn’t have endured those five years of silent suffering before his death.  

‘Therese, I’m so proud that you’re the Duchess of Richard.’  

Her father had always hoped that his once-lonely daughter would find happiness with her new family. Therese, too, wanted to meet his expectations.  

Family was irreplaceable.  

Across from her, Gabriel’s face also looked gloomy. He probably hadn’t wanted to come to the hunting tournament, and after everything that had happened, he couldn’t possibly be in a good mood.  

‘I hope His Grace and the young lord won’t leave room for more regrets.’  

Therese wanted to do something for both of them.  

‘But what should I do?’  

After a brief moment of thought, she spoke.  

“Gabriel, we seem to be running low on firewood to keep the fire going through the night. Could I ask you to gather some?”  

“Of course.”  

Gabriel rose without complaint, almost as if to protest how uncomfortable he felt in this situation.  

The Duke silently watched his brother disappear into the forest. Therese tilted her head and whispered to him.  

“Your Grace, what if another snake appears in the forest?”  

“…”  

Jeremy swallowed hard at her words.  

It was entirely possible.  

Moreover, his brother wasn’t in the best of health. And her earlier words lingered in his mind.  

‘Opportunities don’t come often.’  

He couldn’t delay apologizing to his brother any longer.  

“Then I’ll go as well.”  

Half-rising, he bent toward Therese, as if to kiss her forehead. Her face flushed immediately.  

“…Your Grace.”  

Therese’s trembling voice betrayed her awareness of Victor, who cleared his throat nearby.  

But the Duke didn’t stop. Lowering his head, he reached out and brushed through her silver hair. In his hand, he found a small piece of narcissus petal.  

Clutching it tightly, he met her gaze with intensity.  

“I’ll be back soon, so don’t go anywhere.”  

His voice carried as much heat as the roaring campfire.  

***

Once the Duke disappeared into the forest after Gabriel, Therese sat still for a long time, as if she had turned to stone.  

…I’ll be back, so don’t go anywhere.  

It was a simple farewell, but for Therese, it meant so much more.  

‘He loves me.’  

Nothing would change, yet her heart kept racing at the Duke’s confession.  

Even if he loved her, the past wouldn’t change. Nor would their story likely have a happy ending.  

‘I’m dying.’  

Even if the poison was neutralized, the life drained from her body while taking suppressants couldn’t be restored. Simply put, she and Jeremy Richard could never lead an ordinary life.  

It took her a long time to sort through her tangled emotions.  

When she finally lifted her head, she saw Roshan and Victor. She brushed her face with her hand and spoke.  

“I must’ve looked pathetic.”  

“Master, please don’t say that.”  

Roshan offered her a cup of freshly brewed tea, bowing politely.  

“Thank you.”  

Therese accepted the wooden teacup and fiddled with its handle. Roshan lowered his voice.  

“It seems someone here is targeting the Duke.”  

“Yes. He has many enemies.”  

But this incident wasn’t so simple. Few people would dare send someone into the Emperor’s private estate.  

“…Could it be?”  

“We must prepare for the worst.”  

Seeing Roshan’s serious expression, Therese set down the teacup she had been holding.  

“You’re right. It was strange that no one in the capital knew about the monsters running rampant.”  

Only one person in the Empire could control the press and news in such a way.  

‘Emperor Felipe Morciani.’  

She still couldn’t believe the Emperor was behind this incident.  

‘Is it greed again?’  

Recalling the sinister glint in the Emperor’s gray eyes sent chills down her spine.  

As a child, Therese rarely had the chance to talk with her father. Baron Demori often traveled to expand his business.  

But when they did talk, he often said things that were difficult for a child to understand.  

‘My dear, greed begets even greater greed.’  

Those who had wealth sought more, and those intoxicated by power could never escape its grasp.  

This was exactly such a case.  

The Emperor stood at the pinnacle of the Empire.  

‘On the day the Duke was attacked by the monsters, the Emperor’s knights weren’t targeting the monsters but the Night Wolf.’  

If the goal was to protect the Empire, they should’ve focused on eliminating the monsters rather than the bothersome Night Wolf.  

As the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, Therese felt a chilling fear.  

“Roshan, perhaps we’ve taken on something far too big.”  

If the Emperor was behind the missing people and the strange monster appearances, this wasn’t something a guild could handle.  

‘We could be branded as traitors.’  

Feeling overwhelmed, Therese trailed off. Beside her, Roshan knelt without hesitation.

“Master, I will stay by your side until the end, so please don’t worry about anything.”  

Roshan’s red eyes shone with a determination that seemed ready to defy even death, illuminating the dark forest.  

The Richard brothers, who had ventured into the forest, remained silent for a long time. Gabriel quietly gathered firewood while Jeremy simply followed behind him.  

Watching his brother’s back, which never turned toward him, Jeremy opened his mouth as if to speak but hesitated. He had so much to say but didn’t know how to begin.  

He had spent his life wielding a sword on the battlefield and was utterly unskilled in matters like this.  

‘…Gabriel.’  

When he heard of his brother’s death, he had been on the battlefield and couldn’t even be there for his final moments. Just like with their father, there was nothing Jeremy could do.  

‘I couldn’t even cry back then.’  

He should have protected Gabriel in their father’s stead, but he hadn’t. He didn’t deserve to grieve.  

So now, he had to muster up the courage. Clearing his throat repeatedly, Jeremy finally managed to speak.  

“Gabriel, I’d like to talk.”  

“Well, isn’t this a surprise? The esteemed Duke Richard is asking me for a conversation.”  

Gabriel’s voice dripped with sarcasm, his back still turned to his brother.  

“I’ve neglected you all this time.”  

“If that’s what you want to say, spare me. I don’t want to hear it.”  

“G-Gabriel.”  

When Jeremy tried to reach out to his still-cold brother, Gabriel shot him a sharp glare.  

“If this is about earlier, don’t worry about it. I didn’t do it for you.”  

It was a lie.  

Gabriel had claimed it was for their father, but deep down, he had always missed his brother.  

Despite their mother’s blatant favoritism, Gabriel had endured because of his brother’s presence.  

Jeremy had made wooden swords for Gabriel, played ball with him despite his reluctance, and even helped him learn the imperial language by reading books to him when he struggled with literacy.  

After losing their father, Gabriel had no one to rely on but his brother. Yet Jeremy Richard had abandoned him without a word. The betrayal cut deeply, especially because Gabriel had leaned on him so much.  

“Gabriel! Stop!”  

“…!”  

Lost in thought while walking aimlessly, Gabriel suddenly realized he was standing at the edge of a steep cliff.  

“Don’t move a single step! I’ll save you!”  

Clutching the firewood tightly, Gabriel panicked, unsure of what to do, while Jeremy grew equally tense.  

“…”  

Despair flickered in Gabriel’s eyes at his brother’s shout.  

After enduring so much, was I really going to die so meaninglessly?  

Though he had felt lonely and despondent after their father’s death, he had never wanted to die.  

And then, as he felt the ground beneath one foot crumble, he dropped the bundle of firewood he had been holding. The wood tumbled down with a loud clatter, making him realize just how high up he was.  

Losing his balance, Gabriel’s body swayed. Flailing his arms in desperation, he shouted a name.  

“…Brother!”  

It was a name he had always wanted to call but never could.