The Beast of the Albard Mansion - Chapter 56
The carriage entered a deep forest path. As the sun set, the sky turned a shade of red. The thick forest seemed even darker as the sunlight barely penetrated through. All that could be heard were the clattering of horse hooves and the creaking of the carriage wheels.
It was eerily quiet, as if all the animals had gone to sleep. It felt like they had fled to their nests to avoid a terrifying predator that ruled the forest.
Suddenly, the sound of horses neighing echoed through the forest. The horses stopped in their tracks, stamping their hooves and neighing loudly.
“Whoa! Whoa!”
The coachmen tried their best to calm the horses, pulling on the reins, but to no avail. The horses became more frantic, rearing up on their hind legs and causing the carriages to shake violently. From the front, I heard my family’s screams.
I leaned out of the carriage to see what was happening. Several horses had broken free of their reins and were running into the forest. The carriage carrying my family had its wheels stuck in the mud and couldn’t move. The coachmen had all dismounted and were pushing and pulling the carriages, trying to free them.
Then, I heard a sound like a heavy drumbeat. I looked up to see Desi on top of the carriage carrying the dowry. With his bare hands, he was breaking through the roof of my carriage, peering inside with a casual expression.
The coachmen and servants, who had come outside, stood frozen, staring at Desi. His massive figure and the sheer force with which he was tearing through the carriage roof left them all terrified.
“What the… What is that?!”
“Your Lordship!”
The coachmen and servants screamed in shock, almost fainting. Desi then leaped onto my carriage.
Thud—
A thunderous sound came from above. The carriage lock crumpled instantly, and the door fell off. Desi hung upside down from the carriage roof, peering inside. When he spotted me, he grinned.
His mischievous eyes narrowed, and his wide mouth curved into a grin. Sharp teeth gleamed, full of playful intent.
“I came to greet my bride.”
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
I smiled brightly, reaching out to Desi.
My beloved Desi had come to fetch me.
Desi lifted me out of the carriage. Holding me in his arms, we climbed onto the carriage roof. A cool evening breeze blew, and the sky was painted red. The clouds drifted lazily, looking beautiful.
Under that serene sky, I saw Desi’s face looking down at me. He had an indescribable expression, as if he were on the verge of laughing or crying. He seemed to be caught in a whirlpool of complex emotions, barely able to breathe.
“Selenia!”
At that moment, I heard someone calling my name from below. My parents had emerged from their carriage. Mother’s face was pale with fear, and Father had fallen back in terror. Pointing at Desi with a trembling finger, Father stuttered,
“M-Monster! That monster…!”
Father remembered Desi’s face. Awakened from a long-buried fear, he trembled uncontrollably. He seemed to believe, as the hunter had said, that Desi had returned for revenge. Father was so consumed by fear that he wet himself, unable to take any action.
“What are you doing? Catch that monster immediately!”
Mother screamed at the attendants, but none of them moved. They all believed that the monster had come to take revenge on them.
Desi glanced at the terrified people below before leaping into the depths of the forest.
“No!!”
“Selenia!!”
I heard my family’s desperate cries from far away. But I didn’t look back. I buried my face in Desi’s chest and closed my eyes.
I didn’t leave any final words for my family. Yet, I didn’t feel any regret. I felt liberated.
I knew I would never return. Perhaps we might cross paths by chance in the distant future. Then, I could tell them the story.
I would tell them who I truly was, why I had to leave. That I didn’t hate or resent them, but that I had felt a bit lonely and desolate. Maybe after a long time, I would be able to share my true feelings.
The truth was, I didn’t have the courage to say my final goodbyes. I needed more time to tell my story. My family didn’t give me the time to say goodbye—they just arranged my marriage. That’s why I had to leave so abruptly.
I trembled like a baby eagle fallen from a cliff’s nest. But soon I gathered my resolve and flapped my wings. The small wings I thought were weak caught the wind, and my body lifted off.
I felt such liberating freedom. The wind blew strongly, and the deeper we went, the stronger the scent of the forest became. The weeds were tall, and the thick, tall trees stood close together. The shadows of the trees grew denser, making everything darker.
Suddenly, light burst in. As we exited the forest, a dazzling array of colors unfolded. The sky was a deep purple, and a white halo of the moon had risen. The fresh scent of water and flowers filled my lungs.
Desi placed me on a cliff covered in bright yellow wildflowers. When the wind blew, the flowers swayed like golden waves. I stood in the midst of this enchanting nature, feeling pure happiness. Standing among the yellow wildflowers, I faced Desi. It felt like all of this had been prepared just for me.
And there, Desi knelt before me.
With a lamb-like, devoted expression, he looked up at me and took my hand. He slipped a ring onto my finger, his eyes sparkling as he gazed at me.
Desi was uncharacteristically quiet today, almost as if he didn’t know what to say. He simply looked up at me, his lips moving without sound. Although he said nothing, the overwhelming emotion in his eyes made my tears well up.
We had run away in front of everyone. I became a bride kidnapped by a monster, and Desi became the monster who abducted a bride on the eve of her wedding for his revenge. The story would spread that a bride disappeared because of her father’s wrongdoings.
But we knew the truth. The lady who ran away with a knight, the lady who was kidnapped by a monster, the lady who fell in love with a demon—they all left to find the happiness they believed in and longed for.
I shed a layer of my cumbersome dress. As I did, a breeze blew, carrying the white fabric into the flowers like a floating veil.
“Desi, come here.”
At my call, Desi stood and hugged me tightly. I could hear his heart pounding against my ear.
Though we had no one to bless us, it felt as if all of Mother Nature herself was blessing us.
