Chapter 6 (Part 2)

And shortly after, when Cordelia regained her senses, she acted as if she couldn’t remember anything about what had happened.  

As usual, she woke up and kissed Levin on the cheek, asking if he had slept well. She followed him into the bathroom while he was washing up, tickling his back and clinging to him. They sat side by side, sharing a pie. Then, as if it had just occurred to her, she mentioned that she had burned her hand while touching the hearth the other day, showing him the remaining scar and whining about it.  

He was a kind man. And he was still endlessly gentle with her.  

He never blamed her for pretending to have forgotten everything. As always, he only showered her with boundless affection. Stroking her palm, he expressed concern that the wound should heal quickly, his voice filled with sympathy. Then, he softly kissed the scar.  

Cordelia felt a lump in her throat at his actions.  

Why would someone as perfect as you devote yourself to me like this? Why are you trying to heal my wounds, even while pretending you don’t know about my miserable past, even while being my husband like this?

“Because I love you.”  

Suddenly, she heard such an answer. It was his response to her question about why he looked more pained than she did, even though it was her hand that hurt.  

When she stared at him with wavering eyes and a slightly open mouth, he gave her his characteristic bitter smile and added, 

“Why do you look like you don’t know?”  

Then, pulling her onto his lap and holding her tightly in his arms, he said:  

“Sometimes, I want to cling to you like this. Then, I think, maybe I wouldn’t need to say anything. Maybe you’d understand how I feel, maybe you’d read my emotions….”  

“Ah, I’ve thought the same thing before….”  

I wish there were no more secrets between us. 

No, actually, it would be fine if there were secrets. As long as they couldn’t shake us anymore.  

At this point, it didn’t matter to Cordelia whether or not Levin had truly been her husband in the past. But she couldn’t help feeling frustrated that she kept getting caught up in it.  

We care so much about each other. We feel the same way. So why does this keep complicating things between us?  

Kissing the base of his neck, she whispered:  

“So, you’ve thought about that too….”  

Then, with a small laugh, she added that she was somehow happy to know they’d had the same thought.  

At this, Levin asked, 

“When did you think about it?”  

Caught off guard, she swallowed nervously. In such a romantic atmosphere, she felt too embarrassed to admit that the thought had crossed her mind during their intimate moments. Her face flushed red, and she fidgeted with her lips, unable to answer.  

Seeing this, Levin lightly kissed her lips and said:  

“Shall I make you think about it again?”  

There was a teasing heat in his voice as he asked the question. It seemed he had already figured out her thoughts.  

After a moment of hesitation, Cordelia slowly nodded, as if to say, “Yes.”  

Levin immediately pulled her dress up and off in one swift motion, then laid her down on the bed. Settling comfortably between her legs, he began to explore her intimately.  

“Cordelia, I’ll always love you. I have loved you… and I always will.”  

“Ah, ah…!”  

“Don’t forget that. You mustn’t forget.”  

Eventually, as their sense of unity deepened, Cordelia let out a high moan, holding Levin’s beautiful body tightly.  

***  

Today was the day Levin had to leave for work again.  

Originally, he had planned to take a few months off to care for Cordelia after she collapsed. However, with messenger pigeons constantly flying to their home over the past few days, he could no longer hold out.  

Finally, at dawn today, Levin read a short letter stating “Approaching the vicinity” and decided that he had no choice but to go. With a serious expression, he went to the storage shed next to the stable and even brought out a long rifle.  

“Don’t get hurt….”  

Cordelia spoke tearfully. Levin, who was mounting Skoll, the horse, and looked somewhat annoyed from being half-asleep, glanced down at her.  

“Come here.”  

At his low call, she approached him. Levin bent down, cupped her chin, and kissed her deeply. His warm tongue intertwined with hers, as if to calm her anxious heart. When he finally pulled away, a long silver thread stretched between their lips. He wiped it away with his long fingers and said:  

“Why are you so worried? I told you, didn’t I? The only person who could beat me is probably you. I’m an excellent shooter, I ride well, and I’m good in close combat too. You don’t need to worry about me losing, Cordelia.”  

“It’s not that I think you’ll lose. I’m just afraid you might get hurt….”  

“I told you, I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m not going alone to catch them. I’ve already called for reinforcements. You saw the messenger pigeons, right? They were from my comrades. I’ll probably just be there to make up the numbers.”  

Levin spoke as if joking, a smile on his face. Yet tears still welled up in Cordelia’s eyes. For some reason, she couldn’t shake her uneasiness. It reminded her of that stormy dawn in the past when everything had gone wrong.  

Ah, surely nothing bad will happen, right?

Then, something came to mind—an item she had prepared earlier. She asked Levin to wait for a moment and quickly ran back into the house. When she returned, she was holding two necklaces, each with a small whistle attached.  

“Take this with you.”  

“What’s this for?”  

“You never know…. There might be a moment when you need it. Like when you’re in danger, or you need to call your comrades. Just in case….”  

Seeing her nervous reaction, Levin seemed to decide that it was better to humor her than to argue. Instead of saying he’d be fine, he simply nodded. He put one around his neck and then called her closer to put the other around hers.  

“Then you should blow this if you’re ever in danger. I’ll come running on Skoll right away.”  

He kissed her lightly on the cheek as he spoke, his tone almost boastful. Only then did her anxiety subside a little. When she managed a faint smile and nodded, he bid her farewell.  

“Don’t get hurt, and come back quickly. I love you.”  

“Yeah, me too. I’ll be back soon.”  

Levin and his horse eventually disappeared into the distance. But even after they were gone, Cordelia stood there for a long time, staring in the direction they had left.  

Finally, she turned and walked back inside the fence.  

I hope nothing happens. Why does this uneasiness keep creeping up on me at the worst times? 

In the end, Cordelia became so frustrated that she even thumped her chest, muttering to herself, 

“If you keep being so anxious, Levin will only feel worse! Stop it!”  

But shortly after, she realized that her worries had not been unfounded.  

It was when the sun had passed its peak in the afternoon and was slowly beginning to sink into a reddish hue. Thinking that Levin would return soon, Cordelia was busy preparing dinner. She had just placed a fork on the table when it happened.  

Bang—!  

The sound of a gunshot rang out.  

If it had been just that, Cordelia might have barely managed to suppress her unease. But the problem was the other noise that followed.  

Bee—!  

Beep, beep, bee—!  

The forks slipped from her hand and clattered loudly onto the floor.  

Her eyes widened as a suffocating feeling gripped her chest, and she immediately bolted out of the house.  

“No, no….”  

That was unmistakably the sound of the whistle she had given him.