The window blocked with wooden boards. A gun barrel that had squeezed through that small gap was withdrawn. Simultaneously, Saldat’s body collapsed to the floor with a thud. Bright red blood flowed along the stone floor, soaking and congealing with Radilt’s torn skirt pieces.

“……!”

Radilt drew in a large, rough breath. Right after that, bang! The locked door was smashed, and a man holding a gun that still retained its heat jumped in.

“Lady Brill!”

Pendlore threw away the gun and quickly lifted her up, preventing the dirty blood from touching her. Butler Roil, who followed behind, frowned at Saldat’s corpse. Then he took off his outer coat and covered Radilt with it.

“Return to the carriage first.”

“I will.”

It was too harsh an environment to leisurely untie the ropes, and Radilt was too exposed. Pendlore moved with large, quick steps. Soon reaching the waiting carriage, he seated Radilt and cut the ropes binding her body.

“……Lord Duston.”

Her body, stiffened with fear and shock, collapsed forward. Pendlore hurriedly embraced her for support.

“……It’s alright now.”

With almost no experience comforting someone, his awkward hand clumsily patted her.

“There’s nothing to fear.”

In that clumsy consolation, Radilt’s tension melted warmly. She should maintain a proper distance from Pendlore. Keeping him in her heart would only bring pain proportional to the growing space.

Despite repeating this to herself many times, today she couldn’t push away the embracing hands.

Radilt simply closed her eyes. Nestled in the man’s arms, she surrendered to the carriage’s swaying. The journey to the Duston mansion felt as comfortable as returning to her real home.

But it shouldn’t be. It was a place she had to leave behind.

Even after arriving at the mansion, Pendlore didn’t release Radilt from his arms. Without entrusting her to anyone else, he carried her not to the annex but to the main building.

A porcelain bathtub was moved to the bedroom for Radilt. Soft nightclothes were prepared, and a subtle fragrance wafted through the bedroom.

“Wash up, have a light meal, and then rest well.”

As Pendlore turned around, saying he would leave her alone, two green eyes looked at his back with a deep sense of regret. She felt the urge to hold him back but suppressed it and slowly entered the water.

A gentle warmth wrapped around her whole body. As her fatigue eased and her eyes drifted shut, something appeared before her.

A round dot in the center of the forehead. A face frozen stiff. A body that toppled over like a rotten piece of wood.

Followed by the spreading smell of blood.

Splash.

Radilt deliberately splashed the water loudly. Once apart from Pendlore and left alone, the memories of that moment returned with sharp clarity—the gunshot that rang out, and the bullet that flew through the narrow window hole.

‘……He said he had been in the military.’

He had identified the target through that narrow gap, remembered the position, and hit it accurately. The steady shooting skills without a single tremor. The calm attitude of someone who had certainly aimed a gun while standing at the crossroads of life and death.

She felt scared, but at the same time, she also felt sympathy. A moment later, with a knock, maids entered.

“Lady Brill, do you have any serious injuries?”

“It looks like just bruises on the outside, but if you have any discomfort, please let us know right away.”

The maids kindly attended to Radilt. Although she still had a slight headache, there was nothing else unusual, so Radilt slowly shook her head.

Swoosh— With the sound of water, she rose from the bathtub and stepped onto the thickly laid towels. After completely drying her body, she changed into nightclothes. They were slightly thick and fluffy for summer wear.

“You must be hungry, so we’ll prepare a meal for you soon.”

“Thank you. Oh, could I perhaps see Lord Duston for a moment?”

“Yes. I’ll let him know right away.”

The servants carried out the bathtub. Radilt sat on the sofa and examined the bruises remaining on her wrist.

Saldat was dead.

Having been shot in the head and lost so much blood, there was little chance he was alive. Though Radilt was tender-hearted, she felt no sympathy for Saldat after suffering such harsh treatment not once but twice.

Rather, she was worried about Pendlore who had killed him.

“Are you feeling alright.”

Not long after, Pendlore entered the bedroom and asked after Radilt’s well-being. Radilt nodded and tried to stand up. But Pendlore stopped her.

“Please remain seated. I can’t stay long anyway. I need to take care of the aftermath properly.”

“Um, are you alright, Lord Duston?”

Pendlore showed a faint sign of puzzlement at Radilt’s question.

“Of course I’m alright.”

“I mean…… you killed someone. I was worried you might suffer some disadvantage……”

M*rder was a serious crime. Unlike in the past, even noble status no longer served as a significant shield. So she worried whether Pendlore might go to prison because of her. Seeing the green eyes full of concern, Pendlore wore a faint smile.

“With plenty of evidence and witnesses, there won’t be a major issue. It will likely end with a fine for personal revenge.”

“A fine?”

“In cases like this, the sentence ranges from as little as twenty gold coins to as many as a hundred. If unable to pay, one would have to serve labor, but fortunately, that won’t be necessary.”

“So many gold coins……!”

Radilt’s mouth opened wide at the enormous amount. Pendlore bowed politely to her, who didn’t know what to do.

“Please set aside unnecessary worries and have a pleasant evening.”

Although Pendlore left, telling her not to worry, Radilt’s heart continued to race. Despite being hungry all day, she had completely lost her appetite.

‘It’s fortunate that Lord Duston won’t go to prison, but……’

To think that he had to spend so much money because of her. With her heart growing heavy, Radilt sighed deeply enough to sink into the ground.

* * *

“The case is sufficient, so wrap up the investigation with a closed verdict.”

Senior Judge Noia Babloth said to Pendlore who had come to see him.

“The victim’s record will remain anonymous, so there won’t be any news that Lady Brill was kidnapped. As long as your side at Duston keeps quiet, unnecessary talk won’t leak out.”

It would do no good for a kidnapping case targeting a ransom for a noble lady to become public gossip. Not only could it make others targets of similar crimes, but there was also a high possibility of malicious rumors spreading about the woman.

Especially around Radilt, who was currently the most notable woman in society, various baseless rumors were already circulating. There was no need to add an incident that might inspire unwholesome imaginations.

“Since we moved with minimal personnel, it shouldn’t be difficult.”

That’s why Pendlore personally went to capture Saldat. Most of Duston household, except for a select few, believed that Radilt had an accident while working at the workshop. Since she had been carried in wearing work clothes, everyone easily believed and moved on.

A similar story was told to Radilt’s in-laws. That Radilt, who had stayed alone at the workshop the night before, had lost consciousness after misusing chemicals. They had also provided some compensation as damages, so they wouldn’t spread unnecessary talk.

Silencing the people at Langfiel’s workshop was even easier. This side didn’t need to take separate measures. For the sake of the workshop’s reputation, they would never leak information like one of their apprentices kidnapping a patron’s lover.

“Not just Lady Brill, but you must have been quite shocked as well.”

Noia looked at his friend with worried eyes. At those words, Pendlore tilted his head slightly.

“No, I wasn’t particularly……”

Had he not been shocked? Pendlore abruptly closed his mouth. He couldn’t recall what he had thought right after Radilt went missing. It was blank like a white sheet of paper.

“……I don’t know.”

“Good heavens! To think your mind went completely blank. Of course, that’s understandable. I’m relieved once again that Lady Brill is safe. I should personally check on her—”

“No.”

Pendlore cut him off sharply.

“I appreciate your help.”

“There’s nothing illegal about it. It’s just natural assistance. The fine will be around thirty gold coins.”

Pendlore bowed respectfully to the senior judge and turned around. His expression was slightly hardened as he headed outside the building.

‘Worry….’

Of course he would have been worried. Above all, if something happened to Radilt, it would be a loss for Pendlore himself. Even if the relationship would eventually end, it was still too early.

A bit more. His relationship with Radilt Brill needed to last a bit longer to serve as a sufficient excuse.

So he had no choice but to worry. To be angry. Wasn’t it a situation where more than a month’s worth of careful planning could have turned to bubbles in an instant?

‘And at the hands of a foolish gambling addict, no less.’

The footsteps echoing through the long corridor stopped. Standing between the old stone pillars, Pendlore raised his head toward the high arched ceiling. The head of a horned serpent biting a scale looked down at him. Colorless eyes impassively captured the man distorting his own emotions.

Pendlore resumed walking. He took large steps as if shaking off the meaningless afterimages that enveloped him.

Until this contract ends, Radilt Brill’s well-being is also Pendlore Duston’s responsibility.

So that was all it was. The reason for this distortion in his heart.