Chapter 49

In the meantime, she realized that if she wanted to fix his stubborn, hateful nature, the first thing she needed to do was abandon her own civility.  

Thus, she decided it was better to take action rather than sit idly by and wait for Kalik to come to her rescue.  

Unfortunately, her actions manifested as indiscriminate attacks on the servants assigned to watch her, leaving the innocent staff to suffer. However, amidst the chaos and screams her actions caused, an unexpected opportunity arose.  

Because the servants avoided her, they wouldn’t notice even if an outsider infiltrated.  

Kalik smirked bitterly at the fact that the result of his three days and nights of riding was being greeted with a salt barrage. There wasn’t even any intent to aim properly.  

It was practically a barrier of sorts—a barrier made of salt, enforced by young servants. Its sole purpose was to keep Kalik out.  

Of course, if he wanted to break through, he could. Compared to the border disputes he’d faced, this was nothing. The only thing making it formidable was the fact that the barrier was composed of children.  

Still, whether it was children or adults, meeting a hundred or even a thousand servants wouldn’t solve the fundamental problem unless he could meet Albrecht himself.  

The decision-maker was the head of the household. While the children had some influence, the ultimate authority rested with him. Whether this would end in a retrieval or a return depended on him.  

The unfortunate part was that, no matter what, Kalik needed to get inside, but there was no opportunity to do so. No one came outside. If he could at least make eye contact with someone, he could try to persuade or plead with them, but no one even approached the gate.  

Even Dawson, who had scouted the Odillia mansion, shook his head. The mansion’s exterior, with its focus on weapon development, resembled the lair of a mad arms dealer.  

The deep moat was filled with mud and spikes, and the single wooden bridge leading to the main gate was deliberately made of old, creaky wood to make noise with every step.  

In short, there was no way to enter from the front. The back might be a different story.  

“I couldn’t find any hidden doors. From the layout, it seems like there should be one, but I couldn’t confirm it with the n*ked eye. The back door is thick, so cutting through it is impossible; it would have to be broken down.”  

“Well, it can’t be helped. Given the situation, I don’t want to resort to underhanded methods.”  

This was true. Entering without the Lord’s permission would be nothing short of trespassing. Kalik’s goal was to bring his wife back, and using brute force or sneaking in wasn’t on his agenda.

In his heart, he wished someone would open the door and let him in, but was there really anyone who would…?  

“Please, come in.”

“Hm?”  

Kalik turned his head, thinking it was Dawson who had spoken. Dawson was crouched in front of the moat, estimating its depth and whether it was possible to jump across.

“If I get a running start, it might be possible… but I’d have to write my will first.”  

“I said, come in.”  

“Ah, yes.”  

Dawson reflexively bowed his head. Kalik turned his gaze toward the direction of the voice. Because the front of the Odillia mansion was on a slight incline, the voice came from a higher position.  

“Huh? You’re…”  

“You’re?”  

“Na-Natalie… Natalie!”  

Kalik alternated between looking at Dawson, who had suddenly become overly polite, and Natalie. She arrogantly tilted her head toward Kalik. It wasn’t a greeting but more of a half-hearted acknowledgment.  

Dawson, tense, half-hid behind Kalik, observing the situation.  

“This is a trap…!”  

“Why bother? There’s no reason to set one for people who’ve come this far.”  

“Is she guiding us?”  

“The young lady requested it.”

At the mention of “young lady,” Kalik instinctively surged forward. He was purely delighted that the door had opened, regardless of how suspicious or dangerous Natalie might be.

Even if it was a trap, there was no reason not to go. In fact, it being a trap might even be better. That way, he could break through it with all his strength and take Marie back in the process.

“To cross the moat is simple. Most parts will sink if you step on them, but there, there, and there are pillars you can step on. Step on those.”  

However, Natalie’s instructions required the person to possess extraordinary physical or martial skills. While she spoke as if it were no big deal, the “pillars” she pointed to were all spikes. Balancing on them required a well-trained body.  

If you lost your balance, you’d be impaled. If you stepped wrong, you’d be impaled. If you fell, it was straight to the afterlife.  

Dawson wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and stepped forward.  

“I-I’ll go first… Ah!”  

But Kalik leapt ahead of him.  

Not even a breath could be heard. All that could be faintly heard was the soft sound of his toes tapping the spikes: tap, tap, tap.  

Natalie watched Kalik and Dawson’s actions with a smug look, as if to say, “At least this much is required to be a man.”  

Kalik easily crossed the moat and entered through the open door. Dawson, his mouth agape, couldn’t stand to lose and squeezed his eyes shut before leaping forward with a determined cry.  

His sounds went: thud, thud, thud.  

“Ugh!”  

Dawson barely made it through the door, clutching his pierced foot and collapsing to the ground. The spikes had punctured through his leather shoes.  

Natalie, unconcerned whether Dawson followed or not, led Kalik further into the mansion.  

“The master of the house is currently at the village workshop, so only Sir Aaron and Lady Marie are in the mansion right now.”  

Hearing Aaron’s name, Kalik instinctively gripped his sword. He had heard of Aaron Odillia’s name before. Although he had only seen him once, during the wedding, Aaron’s name was well-known even within the knightly orders. He was the first man to test Albrecht’s prototypes and the finest weapons craftsman raised by the Odillia family.  

“The rest of the servants are all gathered in the backyard.”  

“No wonder no one was at the front gate. That explains it.”  

Ignoring Dawson’s words, Natalie turned to Kalik and said, 

“The young lady has been throwing things outside constantly, so they’ve been busy picking them up.”  

As soon as she finished speaking, a slightly agitated voice came from the innermost room on the third floor.  

“I’ve figured out a new escape plan!”  

Natalie handed Kalik an old key she had been holding. It was a fake key, made by bending a piece of wire. She pointed to the lock beneath the doorknob, mimed turning it, and stepped back.

Kalik bowed his head in thanks and grabbed the doorknob. Even as he did so, the voice beyond the door continued nonstop.  

Natalie grabbed Dawson by the collar and dragged him down the hallway. Now, it was just Kalik alone. And inside the room: the busy figure of Marie.  

“A desk lamp! This would make the perfect weapon!”  

Kalik carefully opened the door. The door opened silently, revealing the chaotic state of the room inside. In one corner, Marie was crouched, busily moving.  

“Are you listening, Natalie?”

Unaware of Kalik’s presence, she was wrapping cloth around the lamp to turn it into a giant club. The disassembled remains of the lamp were scattered at her feet, making the floor look like the aftermath of a disaster.  

“What if I hide by the door and, no matter who comes in, I bash their head in before jumping out the window?”  

“The first part seems realistic, but isn’t jumping from the third floor too dangerous?”  

“Well, of course I’d get hurt, but… huh?”  

Marie’s movements froze, the lamp in her hand still. As if she had heard something she wasn’t supposed to, she slowly turned her head. It was only then that she noticed the open door.  

“Kalik?”  

“Yes.”  

“How… how did you get in here?”  

“First, let me close the door.”  

While Kalik locked the door, Marie quickly shut the window and drew the curtains, worried that the servants outside might hear his voice.  

But as soon as the room became a completely sealed space, both of them fell silent, mumbling incoherently. The distance between them was only a few steps—close enough that they could reach out and touch each other, close enough to hear even the faintest whisper.  

Even so, neither could bring themselves to speak, each for a different reason.  

Kalik hesitated, wondering if Marie might have already aligned herself with Albrecht’s intentions.  

Marie, on the other hand, thought Kalik had come to give her his answer about the divorce.  

“I’m glad to see you’re healthy.”  

Kalik held out the key, and Marie, putting down her makeshift weapon, accepted it. Their fingers brushed, and for a moment, their fingertips touched.  

In that moment, Marie couldn’t hold back anymore. Still clutching the key, she threw her arms around Kalik.  

“I’m sorry!”  

Even if they were to part, the truth needed to be set straight.