Even Death Was Taken Away by That Obsession - Chapter 21
“Hubert?”
When the old butler hurriedly searched for the café, Ian asked why there were so many eyes.
From why he had returned when he should have been heading to the mansion with Haine, to what happened to Haine, and where Haine was now.
Ian chose to hide his surprise and wait calmly for the answer.
Even that composure was befitting of Ian Fortena, the Grand Duke’s successor.
Before delivering the message, Hubert quietly observed the person sitting across from Ian.
The one spending time with his master at the café was Duke Dekiel Viente.
He was Ian’s closest friend and a noble whom he knew well.
Hubert judged that it would be fine for Dekiel to hear some of the conversation.
‘I should tell him quickly.’
The butler began to explain the situation carefully.
“Miss Haine said she wanted to visit the temple. I was worried since she didn’t explain why…”
Strangely, Dekiel was the first to react to those words.
His quiet eyebrows twitched with curiosity, eagerly awaiting the next words.
“Young Master Feiden said as soon as he saw the young lady that her complexion didn’t look good, and the examination might take a while.”
Ian’s face quickly darkened at the unwanted news. It was an expression clearly clouded with worry.
Unlike him, Dekiel carelessly turned his eyes away, feigning disinterest.
His face seemed to be quietly calculating whether the claim of poor health was true, or if there was something hidden beneath it.
“I thought it best to return and inform you right away, young master.”
The temple where Feiden served as High Priest was in the center of the city.
Ian first thanked Hubert for his trouble, then composed himself. Then he asked Dekiel for understanding.
“I should go now, so I’ll take my leave first today.”
“Of course.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
“It’s about your fiancée, it’s only natural.”
Dekiel graciously understood his friend’s situation and gestured.
At his frank urging to hurry, Ian skipped the farewell. Then he quickly left the café.
‘It would have been nice to chat a bit longer.’
The regretful Dekiel lifted the still-full teacup with perfect poise.
He savored the aroma for a moment before taking a sip.
‘The temple, huh.’
What could be the reason that Haine, that fragile young lady, specifically went to that sacred yet suspicious place?
His red eyes slowly swept over the empty seat across from him as he fell into thought.
Eventually, Dekiel too rose from his seat.
There was no need to stay here any longer.
***
“Just hurry back to the mansion. Even if Hubert accompanied you, it would be troublesome for both of us if unnecessary rumors spread.”
Feiden reminded me of our fake identities.
“Haine, you’re my brother’s fiancée, and I’m the capital’s High Priest.”
“So what? We can just say I came for an examination and medicine.”
“Quite some time has passed already. If our conversation drags on, your worried butler might come looking and overhear us.”
“That’s true, but…”
With nothing to say, I bit my lip firmly. The place where Bonnie had once stabbed me seemed to throb unnecessarily.
Seeing that his persuasion was working, Feiden continued his warning.
“Just listen to me. I’ll be staying at the mansion for a while too, so we’ll have other chances to talk.”
“…Alright.”
I obediently stood up and straightened my dress skirt.
As I headed toward the door, I paused and turned around.
There was one more thing I wanted to ask, but I wasn’t sure how to phrase it.
“Feiden, you and Ian…”
I was curious how someone who had been my friend was now living as Ian’s brother, as the Grand Duke’s son, but I couldn’t find the right way to express it.
As if peering into my troubled thoughts, Feiden answered straightforwardly.
“Of course, we’re not real brothers. I have absolutely nothing to do with this family or this country. You know that better than anyone, right?”
His shameless words made me frown. This guy didn’t have an ounce of guilt.
“Being the Grand Duke’s eldest son and High Priest would make it easier for me to help you, wouldn’t it?”
Feiden praised Bonasea’s temple while referring to his office.
“Few countries have preserved ancient documents as well as Aintz. Though they’re old and worn, if I keep working with them, I might find a way to kill ‘him.'”
“How cruel.”
“Like you’re any different. No, are you in any position to say that?”
“I’m not.”
“Think whatever you want, ‘princess'”. Anyway, just wait quietly until the next medicine is ready. Don’t be too anxious.”
Feiden, who had been irritatingly teasing, leaned halfway against the office door and lowered his eyes.
“Our circumstances are quite pitiful, aren’t they? Both yours and mine.”
Though still in a mocking tone, there was a hint of weariness in his voice.
Well, Feiden was also a victim.
A friend to whom I should apologize for life, who ended up living eternally after getting caught up with ‘him’ and me.
As if sensing the words I couldn’t bring myself to say, Feiden openly showed his displeasure.
“Don’t make that face. Teasing you is one of my pleasures, you know?”
He shrugged nonchalantly with a crooked smile.
“Thanks to the power you gave me, I’ve achieved most of what I wanted. Who else in this world gets to do whatever they want for decades? I’m grateful for that.”
“You don’t sound very grateful.”
“I’m serious. All that’s left is for all of us to become free. I’ve achieved everything else except that.”
He spoke the miraculous word ‘freedom’ so easily.
Even knowing it was a wish unlikely to come true, his confidence somehow made me glimpse hope.
“Hubert will be waiting in the garden. You should go now.”
Feiden saw me off with a gentle smile.
“Come find me whenever you need me.”
“…Alright, Feiden.”
Through the closing door, I crushed my needless suspicions.
Though I still don’t know who ‘he’ is. Yes, this is how I should live for now.
I bid farewell to those red eyes and headed to the garden.
***
It was just as Feiden had said about quite some time having passed.
Though it was fairly bright thanks to the early-lit lamps installed throughout the temple and flickering candles, my back felt chilly from inexplicable anxiety.
‘There’s no way Hubert would disappear without saying anything.’
To suddenly vanish like this. If I wait here, will he return?
Or did something so urgent happen that he had to leave me behind?
Just as I was starting to feel uneasy about the old butler’s sudden absence.
Suddenly, something sharp glinted among the grass. At the same time, it grazed past my face.
A small breeze stirred, ruffling a few strands of hair.
And a beat later, my cheek burned as if on fire.
At the sensation of something warm trickling down, I instinctively wiped my face.
Something sticky clung to my hand.
Even under the quiet moon, it was unmistakably bright red blood.
‘What?’
Before I could even comprehend what had suddenly happened, something sharp grazed my arm once more.
Though it was too fast to see clearly, it seemed to be a short blade made for throwing.
And that thing came flying again.
The third blade disappeared after making a deep cut that could have pierced right through my forearm if I hadn’t been careful.
“Ah!”
A scream escaped at the pain that was incomparable to what I’d felt on my face.
I hurriedly clutched my right arm and bit my lip to suppress the sound.
I knew this pain would disappear soon anyway.
‘It hurts… it hurts so much!’
While desperately enduring the pain with my arm clutched as if it would tear off, ten seconds that felt like ten hours passed.
As the pain subsided, I caught my breath and slowly lowered my eyes to examine my injured arm.
Though the dress was torn, the white flesh had already healed without a trace, leaving only pain that only I knew about.
My cheek and arm had healed before I could even find the attacker, this immortal body.
If someone saw this, they would realize I wasn’t a normal person.
When this thought occurred to me, sadly, I worried more about someone discovering my secret than anything else.
The fear of someone discovering this monstrous body still bound to ‘him’ was several times greater than the possibility of being attacked again.
‘I can’t let anyone see me like this.’
Fearing another attack might follow, I clutched my arm where a tingling pain remained to avoid getting hurt again.
And fell into complete despair.
“Haine?”
Ian’s voice, whose presence here was inexplicable, reached my ears.
