“How do you know that name…?”
Eos’s upper eyelids, already stretched to their limit, quivered.
“Those who remain on a sinking ship are either sacrifices to the sea or fools. They don’t say that in the capital, do they?”
Ah, no way!
“Once I narrowed the search to southern Whaley, finding an actor from the Springton Troupe didn’t take long. Isn’t it funny? You were chosen because of that job, yet it’s that very job that left people who know you alive.”
Eos desperately tried to remain composed. She took a deep breath, digging her nails into the back of her hand. Her jaw clenched tightly, and she barely managed to speak.
“There’s a stab wound on my side—”
“Mixel probably cut you a year or two ago.”
How does he know that? Only Mixel and I were there! Eos wanted to scream.
“Maids helping you bathe wouldn’t be able to judge how old the scar is just by looking at it. At the banquet hall, it wasn’t visible through the thin, damp cloth you wore, right? And you rarely expose your bare skin to experts, so fooling people must’ve been easy.”
Finally, a wound opened on the back of her hand. Blood filled her mouth from her lips, which she had bitten relentlessly.
She needed to regain her composure. After all, if this man drank a sip of tea, victory would be hers. Fixing her bloodshot eyes on his chin, Eos forced herself to speak.
“How can you be so sure when you haven’t even seen it yourself?”
“Because around that time, Celia Pincher collapsed.”
Celia.
Celia Pincher, my poor little sister.
The moment Gopher mentioned her name, Eos snapped to her senses. It was then that she realized that she and the person most precious to her were in grave danger. Every drop of blood in her body ran cold.
From the moment her identity was exposed, the fight had become unwinnable.
“I was wrong, my lord.”
Eos hurriedly began pleading.
“My sister is innocent. She knows nothing. You can take my life, but please, spare Celia—”
“Are you really okay with dying?”
Eos quickly nodded. But it was a hasty decision.
“Feverish, struggling to breathe, daily nosebleeds, and seizures in severe cases. I heard it’s a rare disease…”
She bit her tongue hard.
No, no. If I die here without achieving anything, Mixel won’t cover the cost of her treatment. Her head spun violently.
What should I do? Should I beg for my life? If I promise to do anything, somehow…
Eos looked up, clinging to a shred of hope. But the moment she met Gopher’s eyes, that hope crumbled.
His pale green eyes looked no different from those of a dead man. He wanted nothing. Someone like him would never help me. Eos felt despair sink in deeply.
Then, a spark ignited in the desolate eyes as if by a miracle.
Gopher whispered, “I could help you.”
Even in his cracked voice, the heat was rising. His eyes, suddenly blazing, revealed raw emotions.
Too murky to call hope, too desperate to call greed. Yes, it was desire.
The man, who had been as lifeless as a corpse, transformed in an instant. What could he possibly want?
The emotion was overwhelming to face, drying her mouth. But there was no retreat now.
“If you give me good information, I’ll guarantee not only your life but also your sister’s safety.”
“What… What do you want? Just say it. If it’s something I know—”
“Tell me about Blerea Heaven.”
Ah.
Her tongue, which had been moving desperately, froze.
“When you summoned me, you mentioned Blerea. Anything will do. Tell me everything you know.”
“I don’t… know.”
“You don’t know?”
“I truly don’t know. Mixel never told me anything about her. All I know are the stories anyone could have heard. I really don’t know anything…”
It wasn’t just about Blerea Heaven. Eos Liche was merely a pawn in Mixel’s game. He always kept her in the dark about anything crucial.
She had nothing to offer in trade.
The fire in Gopher Allnight’s eyes slowly died out, leaving only ashes behind. He muttered in a hollow voice, “…I see.”
In contrast, Eos’s eyes filled with heat. Tears streamed down her face as frustration and anxiety overwhelmed her. Gopher, however, didn’t spare her a glance as he rose from his seat.
“This is enough.”
Eos scrambled to her feet and rang the bell to summon a servant.
Even if Gopher wouldn’t guarantee her safety, she had to survive. Only then could she seize another chance. But her desperate actions were rendered meaningless by his following words.
“I won’t kill you. Probably because someone wants me not to.”
Wants? Who… As the question formed in her mind, Eos realized the answer. The previous occupant of her seat—the one with pale, slender hair. A lump of guilt burned within her. She bit her lip.
The man paused before leaving the drawing room and asked, “Did you confirm that diagnosis with your eyes?”
“Are you talking about Celia…? She told me in a letter. Anyone would recognize those symptoms as an illness.”
“If you hear it’s a disease, it looks like one. But if you hear it’s poisoning, it looks like that too.”
“Are you saying Mixel poisoned Celia?”
The question escaped before she could think, surprising Eos herself. Frozen in place, she hurriedly added, as if to excuse herself, “You’re trying to confuse me, aren’t you? Getting revenge with lies and deceit…”
“I’m not asking you to believe me. Humans only believe what they see with their own eyes, right? At least, I used to.”
Gopher murmured as if to himself and then left the room. The maid arrived moments later. She had taken far too long.
“Did you call for me, Lady Eos…? My lady?”
Her legs gave out, and Eos collapsed. The maid rushed to her side, trying to help her, but she couldn’t stand.
Even in such a state, Gopher Allnight’s parting words haunted her like a curse, forcing her to revisit the past.
One day, Mixel Luke Dice appeared before her. Strangely enough, he seemed to understand her tastes perfectly, and they quickly grew close. Offering a fortune large enough to live off for a lifetime, he asked for her help bringing down a swindler. When Eos refused, Mixel Luke retreated without hesitation.
About a week later, Celia fell ill. For Mixel Luke, the timing was perfect.
***
Upon returning to the Allnight Estate, Gopher headed straight for the study without greeting Stella. A visitor was waiting for him.
A pair of unfocused, jet-black eyes stared intently at Gopher. The dog sprawled belly-down on the rug, tried to rise. Gopher gently pressed its back as he took a seat beside it.
“Stay down.”
Rex obediently settled back into place. Gopher removed his gloves and slowly stroked the dog’s back. The feel of its fur against his palm was rougher than before—rougher even than it had been just recently. After today, it would only grow worse.
“Young Master, I have something to report regarding Rex.”
“His lungs were already weak, but the Dreamer’s Bloom smoke had taken a heavy toll. He likely won’t last three more nights.”
Had it been over 13 years since Rex was born? The dog had often injured itself recklessly dashing through the hunting grounds. Even after retiring from the frontlines, its body never fully recovered.
This was the third time Gopher had heard that Rex wouldn’t make it past the month. Yet, against all odds, the dog had survived until now. But today, Rex looked more lifeless than ever before.
“Sorry for being late. There was something I needed to check.”
Logically, the idea was absurd. Yet an uncontrollable hope had swelled within him, one he couldn’t suppress. Today, he had burst that hope and returned with nothing left.
With a dry laugh, Gopher’s face remained expressionless.
Truthfully…
“On the way back, I thought you might already be dead.”
Perhaps he had wished for it. He rarely saw Rex every day, so if the dog passed without him witnessing it, Gopher might have deluded himself into thinking Rex was still alive somewhere. But would looking away erase what had happened?
Resigned, Gopher decided to face the dog’s death with him.
The furry creature lay lethargically, oblivious or indifferent to its impending death. Gopher reached for the dog’s neck. Rex didn’t flinch. Pressing the metal clasp, Gopher removed the collar, flooding back memories of long-past days.
“Would you have been happier with a different master?”
A warm, damp tongue flicked across his palm. Rex rose and climbed onto Gopher’s lap. He let the dog do as it pleased.
The warmth in his arms, the dry spring air, and the lingering fatigue weighed down on Gopher’s body. His eyes closed.
When he opened them again, the furry creature was no longer warm.
“…Is he dead?”
You too?
The dog made no sounds of pain, did not lick his hand, nor did it look at him anymore.
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Night-Owl-Reader
I’m crying so much for Rex! I’ve had to say goodbye to a few pets and it’s never easy 🙁
Had a cat for 16 years, got her as a small child, she moved out with me to my first apartment, I was very attached to her. She went missing, I found her but still had to say goodbye. Two months after she passed my 13 year old lab, his legs gave out while I was at work and for the life of me I can not remember if I gave him a kiss on the forehead before I went to work, like I always did, because I was running late. Then last year my 12 year old boxer had cancer, we knew we had to say goodbye, my whole family was in the room with her when we had to let her go, but the vet we took her to lost her body and we thought we wouldn’t get her ashes or paw prints. That hurt more than knowing we had to let her go because she was so sick. After a couple days and yelling at the vets office we luckily found her and were able to get her paw prints.
They give us so much love. Rex is forever a good boy!!!