Chapter 9 (Part 9)

The city of Devok was a place she used to visit often. It had been a while since her last visit, and the bustling crowds felt new. The buildings were taller and grander than before, making her marvel at the sight. As she looked around in amazement, the maid cautiously spoke.

“This building is managed by the Messerode family. That one too, and the one over there….”

The maid pointed out nearly every building.

“It’d be faster to find one that doesn’t belong to the Messerode family.”

The maid merely laughed and guided her to a large building. She had expected the general store to be quaint and charming. However, it was unexpectedly luxurious. In addition to the general store, there was also a clothing shop, making it enjoyable to browse. It had been so long since she’d been to such a place that she felt giddy.

When she spotted baby clothes right in front of her, her eyes naturally gravitated toward them. The maid, noticing this, hurriedly spoke.

“Madam, the stationery section is over there!”

The maid seemed to think that anything related to babies would make her feel depressed. It seemed she needed to share the news soon, so she followed the maid.

The stationery section was more extravagant than expected. The paper felt as soft and glossy as silk. Thinking about what would suit Cardin, she eventually chose a small piece of stationery adorned with daisies, as the news was joyous.

“Is this all you’ll be purchasing?”

She nodded, not having any other thoughts, and the maid offered.

“Then I’ll handle the payment.”

She nodded and looked around.

“Is there anything else you’re looking for?”

“No. Where’s the restroom?”

“Oh, it should be down the hallway to the right.”

Leaving the maid to handle the payment, she walked toward the hallway. Unlike the brightly lit store, the hallway was quite dim. Feeling uneasy but continuing forward, she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps behind her.

Thinking they were headed in the same direction, she kept walking, but her heart started to race. As she turned the corner, a hand reached out from behind.

Before she could react, a handkerchief covered her lips. The moment she inhaled, everything went black.

***

Cardin sat before a pile of documents but couldn’t turn a single page. Whenever Brienne occupied his thoughts, this always happened.

He couldn’t shake the memory of how fixated she had been on pregnancy.

‘She didn’t push this much before.’

Why did Brienne suddenly seem so fixated on pregnancy? 

Cardin had tried to reassure her by firmly stating that he didn’t want children, but deep down, he truly wished to have a child with her.

Of course, being part of the Messerode family, the hereditary diseases that came with it were his biggest concern. However, that didn’t mean he didn’t want a child of his own. He was curious, too—what would a child of his and Brienne’s look like? Whether it was a boy or a girl, he was sure they’d be beautiful if they took after Brienne.

Cardin rubbed his forehead. If he felt this regretful and tormented, how must Brienne feel? He decided to put his overflowing thoughts aside. She had already been bringing up pregnancy-related topics frequently these days, and the more he dwelled on it, the more it would only add to Brienne’s suffering. Besides, didn’t childbirth ruin a woman’s body? No matter how much he wanted it, he couldn’t bring himself to make Brienne go through such pain.

Cardin furrowed his brows sharply and turned the page of the document in front of him. Just as he was signing it, the door suddenly burst open, and Damon came rushing in.

“Y-Your Grace! Madam has been kidnapped!”

Kidnapped.

Cardin let out a hollow laugh. 

Kidnapped? With dozens of knights stationed around Brienne at all times, kidnapped?

Damon wouldn’t lie about such a thing, so Cardin calmly asked, 

“Where?”

Though he was trying to control his anger, his tone was as cold as ice. Damon swallowed nervously before answering.

“At the Serde Department Store.”

“Did Brienne go out to the city today?”

“Yes, it was her first outing in a long time….”

Cardin immediately grabbed his jacket.

“Deploy all the knights in the vicinity and search thoroughly around Mother and Roquek.”

He paused briefly and muttered, 

“It’s probably more likely to be Roquek than Mother.”

From a drawer, he retrieved a sword. It was a custom-made weapon of the Messerode family, with a dragon clutching an emerald engraved on its hilt. It was the sword he had once given to Brienne, only to have it returned to him. Cardin strapped the sword to his waist.

“They’ve finally crossed the line.”

With heavy steps, Cardin left his office.

***

The surroundings were dark, and there was a strange smell in the air—a mix of straw and manure. Suddenly, the creaking sound of a door opening echoed. She tensed up, closing her eyes, but then felt a rough hand lift her chin.

“You do have a pretty face.”

Her heart pounded rapidly. It was a voice she had never heard before. In that instant, she recalled the incident at the herb shop and instinctively kicked at whatever was in front of her.

“Ugh!”

Thankfully, her legs weren’t tied. She managed to stand up, but when she looked at the man, she froze. He seemed familiar. As she hesitated, he bent slightly forward, smirking.

“Do you remember me now?”

“…….”

“Roquek.”

They had never formally been introduced, but she had seen him at the wedding. She had also heard about him from the maid and Foyne.

“The family laws….”

“Because of you, my entire life was ruined. No, to be honest, it wasn’t entirely because of you. In fact, you even helped me.”

Roquek hesitated for a moment before approaching her. She glanced around and grabbed a long hoe, pointing it at him.

“Don’t come any closer!”

Her voice trembled. She was sure she must look scared. Roquek, still smirking, straightened his posture completely.

“To be honest, I have nowhere else to go. This is the only piece of land I have left.”

As he stepped closer, she backed away. She quickly tried to open the door, but it seemed to be locked from the outside. Roquek, aware of this, curled his lips into a twisted smile.

“To be honest, when I saw you at the wedding, you really annoyed me.”

“…….”

“Even though you come from a family of no significance, your face stood out more than anyone else’s.”

Before she knew it, Roquek was standing right in front of her. Her hands, gripping the hoe, were slick with sweat. Just as he was about to take another step forward, she swung the hoe. Roquek seemed to anticipate the direction of her swing and caught it with both hands before throwing it aside.

She flinched and backed away until her back hit a solid wall—the door. It was locked and offered no escape.

“The Messerode family should stop looking down on me.”

Roquek’s expression hardened. His face was filled with anger, flushed red with rage.

“Is it okay to look down on people just because you’re born with everything?”

Roquek reached out, trying to grab her neck. Summoning what little courage she had, she spoke.

“W-Wait a moment.”

Roquek chuckled and looked at her. She quickly continued.

“I’ve been looked down on, too. You know my family isn’t well-regarded.”

“So?”

“Killing me won’t….”

She couldn’t finish her sentence. Roquek had grabbed her neck with both hands.

“Killing you is the surest way for me. Especially as part of my revenge against Cardin.”

She struggled to break free, but his grip only tightened.

“If you die, that bastard will completely lose it.”

Roquek grinned as he stared into her eyes. His expression was maniacal, filled with a murderous aura.

“That bastard changed family laws just to have you. And above all, I can’t stand watching him get everything he wants anymore.”

“Ugh, ah….”

Only gasping breaths escaped her lips. Her face turned red as the suffocating pressure mounted. The more she flailed her arms and legs, the harder Roquek’s grip became.

“You’re going to die right now.”

He glared at her and pressed down firmly on her neck. Her breath caught completely, and her eyes widened. She hadn’t even told Cardin about the pregnancy yet.

‘I should have told him earlier.’

Regret washed over her as her body went limp. At that moment, there was a loud crash, and the ground shook. Simultaneously, the nearby wooden wall collapsed entirely.

Her body fell to the ground, and dust filled the air. Heavy footsteps approached, and a familiar figure came into view. It felt like she was dreaming, her mind hazy, unsure whether she was alive or dead. She coughed weakly as someone knelt in front of her.

“Brienne.”

It was a trembling voice. When she looked up, Cardin was frantically examining her. His gaze landed on the marks around her neck, and his eyes burned with fury. Barely containing himself, he asked.

“Are you okay? Do you feel suffocated?”

She managed a small nod. Tears she hadn’t realized were there fell down her cheeks. Cardin handed her over to Damon and the knights who had arrived and turned around.