Chapter 9 (Part 10)

Roquek had just regained consciousness and stood up straight. Smirking wickedly, he looked at Cardin.

“How did you find this place? I didn’t think you would lower yourself to come to such a filthy location, Your Grace.”

Cardin drew the dagger from his waist. Without a word, he walked toward Roquek. Unbothered, Roquek sneered and spoke.

“I just tried to kill your wife. Her neck felt pretty good in my hands.”

Cardin’s brow furrowed for a moment before his sword sliced directly toward Roquek’s neck. Crimson blood splattered everywhere. Roquek’s eyes widened as he fumbled on the ground. Cardin crouched down beside him.

“Roquek, I told you—I’m not like my father.”

With that, he pressed his polished shoe down on Roquek’s hand.

“Ugh!”

As blood flowed, Roquek gasped in pain. Cardin brought the dagger lightly to Roquek’s neck and spoke.

“You should have disappeared when you had the chance.”

Though his tone was calm, his actions were merciless.

“Why did you have to cross the line?”

As his cold voice resonated, Roquek collapsed unconscious, blood pooling around him. Cardin casually wiped the blood off his sword with a handkerchief and discarded it.

Just as he turned around, his eyes met hers. Perhaps it was because she had witnessed such raw brutality, or perhaps because she had seen a side of Cardin she had never known before, but she instinctively stepped back.

Cardin gestured to the knights and Damon beside him. They quickly moved away from her, dragging Roquek’s lifeless body with them. Once Roquek was taken away, only Cardin and she were left in the stable. He took a step toward her, and she instinctively retreated.

Seeing this, Cardin sighed softly.

“Brienne.”

She tried to step back further but stumbled over something and lost her balance. In that brief moment, Cardin skillfully caught her, pulling her into his arms. His firm arms naturally wrapped around her waist, and his thigh brushed against hers. She couldn’t even look at his face; all she could do was exhale shakily.

“Were you very frightened?”

It was definitely Cardin’s voice, and she could feel his warmth, yet it felt as though she were with someone else. She tried to step back, but Cardin held her waist tightly and pulled her closer.

“That man tried to kill you.”

He wasn’t wrong. If not for Cardin, she might already be dead—while carrying his child.  

Tears began to spill from her eyes, quickly tracing over the tracks of her earlier tears. She suddenly recalled what Hernes had once said.

‘And he went there to kill for you.’  

‘Since that day, it seems Cardin has lived with death constantly by his side.’

It was probably meant to scare her, but strangely, those words lingered in her mind. Besides, Cardin wasn’t just the head of the Messerode family; he was also the commander responsible for its private soldiers and knights.  

It was natural for him to kill people, especially someone who had tried to kill her.

“I must have been really scared.”

She finally managed to speak. At that moment, she felt his faint breath, and then he lifted her into his arms. There wasn’t even time to be surprised. Holding her, he strode into the carriage.

Even inside the carriage, Cardin didn’t let go of her. He held her close, his arm wrapped around her back. She didn’t make any particular move either. Leaning against his chest, she could only catch the faint scent of him.  

There was no smell of blood. She had clearly seen blood on his hands.

“Brienne.”

His low voice snapped her out of her daze. As she slowly lifted her head, he gently kissed her forehead. His face was calm and composed.

“Was that your first time seeing someone die?”  

“Yes, it was.”

As she subtly avoided his gaze, Cardin pulled her into a tight embrace. Resting his face against her shoulder, he murmured.

“Well, you’re the kind of person who would help an ant find its way back home.”

There was something oddly teasing about his tone. A sudden wave of irritation welled up inside her.

“Well, even so, I….”

She couldn’t finish her sentence. Cardin’s lips lightly brushed against her neck. The strange sensation made her inhale sharply.

“Sorry for not getting here sooner.”  

“It’s fine.”

As she finally managed to speak, Cardin sighed and tightened his embrace.

“It’s not fine for me. I let this happen to you.”

Cardin held her waist even closer and said softly:

“Has it been hard being by my side?”  

“…….”  

“I’m sorry, Brienne.”

His voice trembled. Her chaotic emotions strangely began to settle. Cardin was crying.

“But you’ll still stay by my side, won’t you?”  

“…….”  

“Hmm?”

Her heart quivered, and she couldn’t find the words to respond immediately. Cardin slowly pulled back to look at her. His tear-streaked eyes appeared unusually pitiful.

She nodded. The brutal side of him she had seen in the stable, and the tearful man before her now, both seemed genuine.  

More than anything, his weariness and pain from dealing with his father mirrored her own.

At that moment, Cardin’s lips met hers. The slow contact was both soft and rough. He cupped her cheek with his hand and kissed her deeply. Their breaths mingled as a wave of heat rose between them.

Cardin gave her only brief moments to breathe as he pressed his lips deeper against hers. It was as if he couldn’t control his desire. She instinctively grabbed his shoulders as she was pushed against him.

His tongue lingered in her mouth several times before his lips finally pulled away. His heavy breaths fanned over her lips.

Cardin lowered his gaze slightly. His expression was dark, as if staring into a bottomless abyss. She watched him, almost entranced, as his low voice broke the silence.

“Brienne.”

As she continued to watch, Cardin slowly began to speak.

“Those photos in the newspaper—they weren’t ordered by my father.”

She wasn’t too surprised, having already heard as much from Hernes. What surprised her was that he was bringing it up again himself.  

As she listened quietly, Cardin slowly fixed his gaze on her.

“I orchestrated everything to take control of the bank from my father.”  

“…….”  

“As I got older, I hated living under his orders and thought I had to escape somehow.”

Even though she had already heard this from Hernes, hearing it again stirred her emotions. She bit her lip as she looked at him, and he smiled faintly.

“I staged all the photos, but I made sure everyone involved was compensated. It was all a setup to blackmail my father.”  

“…….”  

“My father used to lock me in the basement storage regularly.”

“So the part where it looked like you were beating the servants was fake, but being locked in the basement was real?”  

Cardin looked at her and slowly nodded.

“Yes.”  

“You wanted to escape from your father that badly?”  

“I even wanted to abandon the Messerode family completely. I was sick of the bloodline that started with him.”

As she stared at him blankly without responding, he smirked.

“You’ve already heard, haven’t you? From my mother.”

Her eyes widened instinctively.

“How did you know?”  

“You seemed to be avoiding me, so I looked into it.”

She stared at him in a daze as Cardin smiled softly.

“I guess I wanted to be comforted by you, even though I’ve done terrible things.”  

“Cardin.”

The words she barely managed to say trembled. Cardin smiled gently and rested his forehead against her shoulder.

“I like you, Brienne.”

His low, resonant words tickled her ears. He continued speaking.

“Even if you don’t understand me, I still like you.”  

“…….”  

“I like you so much it’s driving me crazy.”

His unexpected confession made her heart pound. It felt as though she had glimpsed a deeply hidden part of him.

“Do you still feel uncomfortable around me?”

It was an unexpected question. She hadn’t thought about it in those terms.

“I’ve never felt uncomfortable around you.”

Cardin slowly lifted his head. His calm yet intense gaze landed on her face.

“Then?”

“Because of the circumstances around us, I saw you differently. Your mother said such things, and I also misunderstood some things about you.”

Cardin took her hand. His grip, though gentle, felt unusually firm.

“And now?”

He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to the back of it. His gaze, however, lingered intently on her. She spoke honestly.

“I liked you for six years. As much as I hated my father, I understood why you hated yours. And more than anything…”

Suddenly, a surge of emotion welled up inside her. She had wanted to say this in a happier, better place, but tears kept falling. Still, she felt she couldn’t hesitate any longer and finally spoke.

“I’m pregnant.”

She was already worried about how Cardin might despair at this revelation, but she decided not to dwell on it anymore. If he didn’t want the child, she thought she could live on her own. It would hurt, but there was no other choice.

“Is it true?”

His voice was chillingly cold, enough to make her flinch. Unable to meet his eyes, she nodded. At that moment, Cardin pulled her into a tight embrace. His body pressed against hers with overwhelming strength.