We're Married, After All - Chapter 67
I was tall for a woman and relatively strong, but the physical changes brought on by pregnancy weren’t something I could ignore. Walking was becoming increasingly difficult. My hands and feet swelled easily, and there were many small aches and pains throughout my body.
It wouldn’t be long before the iron bars and shackles would be necessary again. This was the very reason Danel had fought to buy himself time during those first few weeks, even at the cost of provoking my rebellion. Once I reached full term, it would be impossible for me to mount a horse, let alone ride one at a gallop.
I deliberately slowed my steps, trying to hide my growing anxiety—but it didn’t work well. At this rate, Danel would kill Petios, and I would give birth to Danel’s child here. If that happened… I might truly go mad.
I had thought about it countless times, but merely stopping Danel from killing Petios wasn’t enough.
I needed to find a way to mitigate what Danel had already done. This was no longer just a matter between him and me.
Danel hadn’t killed Petios yet. Despite the risk that someone might question Petios’ injuries or that he might awaken and escape, Danel had kept him alive.
Through my marriage to Danel, I could guess why.
Because it was efficient.
The most effective way to terrify someone was to aggravate their existing wounds. People remember the exact moment they were hurt.
Danel was methodically tearing open all of Petios’ scars—not just physically, but mentally destroying him.
If Petios ever testified about what had happened—or if someone else accused Danel on his behalf—it would be catastrophic. Killing a noble outside of a formal duel was a severe crime, even more so if the victim was a family member.
Of course, since the murder hadn’t happened yet, in most cases, the punishment might end with a lifetime of confinement in a monastery.
But Danel was a clergyman who had even received holy orders. If the Church took this incident seriously, they might declare that demonic forces were involved and sentence him to death by burning at the stake. Annulment of our marriage would be a trivial consequence compared to that.
…In other words, letting Petios die was just as complicated as keeping him alive. That was why I needed the help of Countess Veloce—someone capable of keeping Petios alive without exposing him to the world.
She was the only person who could help me now. The Countess cherished and loved both her sons. She was the only one who wouldn’t let Danel kill his brother or allow Petios to accuse Danel and see him burned at the stake.
I had to go to the Veloce estate—no matter what.
Just as I was consumed by these thoughts, I heard a strange sound.
Clack, clack, thud, thud, clatter, thud, thud.
A commotion erupted from the opposite side of the barracks. The horses tied up near the forest on the other side of the garden stomped nervously, snorting and kicking their hind legs. It was the defensive behavior typical of prey animals trying to fend off an attack.
I stopped walking and looked toward the source of the noise. I knew horses well. If all five of them were reacting this way, there could only be one explanation—a predator was nearby.
That was the most puzzling thing. The estate was located at the highest point in Lapecia Castle. A dangerous beast shouldn’t be anywhere near such a place…
Bang!
With a deafening crash, a pile of firewood collapsed. Only then did the beast hidden in the shadows leap out—a large dog covered in black fur.
One of the horses let out a terrified scream. Several knights rushed out of the barracks upon hearing the commotion—but they were too late. The dog had already sunk its teeth into the horse’s haunches.
I quietly watched as the knights struggled to pull the dog away.
Bark! Bark! Bark!
The dog, tasting blood, barked fiercely in a frenzy.
But that dog wasn’t a stray.
Creak.
Behind me, I heard the iron gate swing open. I didn’t bother turning around.
“It’s a bit noisy today.”
A large hand gently rested on my shoulder. Danel stood beside me, looking in the same direction.
“Could it be a wild animal? The weather’s turned colder in recent days, so it wouldn’t be unusual. Food must be getting scarce.”
“…”
“Are you alright, Laurea?”
I didn’t respond. It didn’t matter anyway. Today’s walk was over, and all that remained was being carried back to the second-floor bedroom in Danel’s arms.
A wild animal…
A hollow laugh escaped my lips.
The dog’s movements and the knights’ behavior were nothing like how one would handle a wild animal. It was a trained hunting dog.
It clearly wasn’t a dog kept within the estate. A dog that large couldn’t bark without being noticed.
While it was possible to train a dog not to bark, suppressing a beast’s instincts entirely was impossible.
Above all, wild dogs didn’t hunt large animals like horses on their own. The same went for hunting dogs. Dogs trained to hunt such large prey were typically raised in packs.
There was only one use for a hunting dog trained to take down a horse alone while dodging its powerful kicks.
For chasing fugitives on horseback.
