Chapter 12
* * *
“Yes? Who…?”
“My wife, Helena.”
“Ah… She was definitely here until a moment ago.”
“Was she?”
Kavil’s eyes furrowed menacingly. But the count, drunk and failing to notice Kavil’s expression, spoke with a cheerful face.
“She must have stepped out for a short walk, so no need to worry, Duke. She’s not a child, after all….”
“……”
“By the way, have you greeted the young Count Florence? It’s his birthday today….”
Bang!
Bang!
At that moment, brilliant fireworks exploded one after another, decorating the dark sky.
“Young Count, happy birthday!”
“Happy birthday!”
People cheered and clapped toward Eleonor, the young Count Florence, standing in the center of the garden.
Count Florence proudly watched Eleonor raising his wine glass high amid the cheers, then turned his gaze to the side.
Kavil, who had been continuously searching for Helena, suddenly turned his body and dashed out of the garden.
“D-Duke? Where are you going all of a sudden… Duke!”
The count blinked in bewilderment, staring at Kavil who had vanished at an unbelievable speed right before his eyes.
* * *
Helena’s eyes slowly closed and opened. It felt like sinking endlessly into deep, deep water.
She was continuously being robbed of her breath to that extent. Her heart was pounding so hard it was agonizing. It felt as if something was squeezing her heart tightly.
There was still no sign of movement from outside. The grip on the door handle weakened more and more, and soon her wrist dropped to the floor with a thud.
In her fading, hazy vision, a low voice suddenly echoed in her ear.
“I won’t make you wait long.”
“I’ll be there soon.”
For his voice to come to mind so out of nowhere….
Only then did Helena realize she’d been waiting for him throughout the party. For him, who had promised to come early. For him, who had clumsily draped a shawl over her shoulders with uncharacteristic awkwardness.
‘He said he’d come soon.’
A complete lie.
The terrifying thumping of her heart was now spreading throughout her entire body. Her body trembled from physiological fear, and her vision blurred chaotically.
It was the moment her eyelids finally closed.
Fierce footsteps sounded from beyond the door, and soon after, Bang! With a loud noise, the door burst open. Because of that, Helena’s body, which had been leaning against the door, lurched forward unsteadily.
“Helena!”
A voice shouted in anger as it caught her body. From the familiar scent brushing her nose, Helena realized who had caught her. It was her husband, Kavil Destrian.
As soon as she realized it was him, her shoulders, which had been rigidly tense, relaxed loosely. Helena lifted her heavy eyelids and looked up at him.
Their eyes met immediately, as if he’d been watching her the whole time. Helena forced her closing eyes open and mumbled incoherently.
“Why are you so late? You said… you’d come soon.”
“……”
“I waited the whole time. Throughout the party….”
Kavil’s expression changed strangely. His neat eyes distorted, and complex emotions surged fiercely in his golden eyes. She wanted to ask why he looked like that, but her eyelids were too heavy for that.
In the end, Helena closed her eyes as if exhausted. She dropped her head into his chest with a thud. Then, the sound of a pounding heart echoed in her ear.
Wondering if it was her own heartbeat or his, she sank into endless sleep.
* * *
Kavil stared blankly down at the small woman sleeping in his arms. Her cheeks wet with tears from crying for so long, her reddened and scraped hands, her pale complexion.
He wanted to shout, asking what on earth had happened, why she was in such a place, but he forcefully suppressed his emotions.
Whatever it was, he had to get her out of this damned space as quickly as possible. Before lifting Helena, he hesitated a bit, uncharacteristically.
He thought, what if he touched her body carelessly and she broke or something. She looked that fragile and delicate.
Exhaling a short breath, Kavil carefully scooped Helena into his arms and stood up.
Even as he quickly descended the stairs, he had to glance down at her intermittently. Her weight was so light that he doubted if she was really in his arms.
When he finally reached the first floor. The eyes of Count Florence, who had followed him to the annex, widened in shock.
“What in the world… What happened?”
Kavil’s temple throbbed with veins at the count’s bewildered face. Reminding himself inwardly that this was Helena’s father, he spat out his words as if chewing them.
“That’s the question I want to ask. What on earth did you do to my wife?”
“What? What do you mean….”
“My wife was locked in the attic.”
“……!”
“And there’s no way my wife locked the door herself, since it can only be locked from the outside.”
His fierce golden eyes flashed sharply. It was a look that said he wanted to tear the culprit’s throat out and kill them right away, whoever it was.
“Whoever it is.”
“……”
“You’ll have to find the culprit who did this to my wife and bring them to me yourself, Count.”
Kavil looked down at Count Florence and growled threateningly.
“Before I find them myself.”
Without even waiting for the count’s response, Kavil turned and left the annex.
Count Florence stared blankly at Kavil’s retreating figure, then his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
The old butler of the count’s household, Howard, hurriedly helped Count Florence up. The count, staring blankly into space with dazed eyes, suddenly yelled at the butler.
“What were you doing until this chaos broke out! Huh!”
“I’m sorry, my lord. The miss went up to the attic… and it seems the door was locked.”
“So why was the door locked, why! All the annex keys are with me… More importantly, why did ‘that one’ go there and cause this mess!”
The nobles, who had heard about the commotion in the annex belatedly, began whispering and discreetly leaving one by one.
They judged that staying here after Duke Destrian had left in anger would do them no good.
Seeing that, Count Florence felt like his hard-earned reputation was crumbling. The count shouted at the butler to catch the culprit immediately.
From afar, Bianca watched all of this with anxious eyes, biting her nails.
* * *
After the duke and duchess who had attended the party returned, a tense, icy atmosphere hung over the duke’s estate.
Maids with worried faces gathered in front of the firmly closed door of the duchess’s room.
The head maid, recalling Kavil entering the mansion with Helena in his arms and a face that looked like he’d kill anyone who annoyed him, shuddered involuntarily.
It was the first time she’d seen such an expression on the duke, whom she’d served since childhood. His face was gripped by extreme anxiety, as if the woman in his arms might disappear at any moment.
Recalling the recent relationship between the duke and duchess, the head maid looked at the closed door and carefully clasped her hands. She could only pray that God would watch over the duke and duchess.
At that time, in the duchess’s room.
The attending physician, dragged out while half-asleep, swallowed nervously and glanced sideways. Throughout the examination, Kavil stood beside him with arms crossed, his aura utterly menacing.
With his gaze fixed on Helena, who was sweating coldly and groaning in pain, Kavil opened his mouth.
“How is my wife’s condition?”
“She merely fainted from shock, fortunately there’s no major issue.”
“Then why isn’t she waking up?”
“Once her body recovers to some extent, she’ll wake up on her own. Don’t worry too much, and Your Grace should rest as well….”
“So when will she recover?”
“Pardon? Well, I don’t know exactly… Her Ladyship has inherently weak stamina, so it might take a bit more time. We should observe her until at least tomorrow morning….”
Kavil felt his already overflowing anger on the verge of exploding at the physician’s stammering voice filled with fear.
Glaring at the physician, he spat out his words as if grinding them.
“Get out.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
As if waiting for it, the physician hurriedly left the room. Kavil let out an irritated sigh at the sight and slumped into the chair beside the bed.
His fierce eyes, which had been furrowed all along, relaxed loosely the moment they took in her. Unlike his slouched posture with arms crossed defiantly, his eyes were uncharacteristically mixed with anxiety and worry.
As if having a nightmare, her deeply furrowed brow and groaning made her look as pitiful as a newborn puppy. After gazing at Helena for a while, he reached for the damp cloth on the side table.
After hesitating for a long time, he carefully wiped the sweat from Helena’s forehead. Her expression eased considerably, and his narrowed brow relaxed for a moment.
But then, noticing Helena’s hand outside the blanket, red and scraped, his brow furrowed menacingly again.
Ointment had already been applied to Helena’s hand, but Kavil scooped a handful more and generously spread it over.
Knock knock.
“My lord, it’s Claude.”
Kavil, unable to tear his eyes from Helena, ignored Claude’s voice, but let out an irritated sigh when Claude called again.
He rose irritably and went to the door.
“What.”
Claude gasped in surprise at Kavil’s expression visible through the cracked door.
“I-I have something to report….”
Kavil glanced back toward the bed. Fortunately, Helena didn’t seem to have woken up. Claude, watching this with surprised eyes, was soon grabbed by Kavil’s hand and dragged to the study.
Kavil slumped onto the sofa and jerked his chin as if to say, speak.
“Is Her Ladyship alright?”
“The physician says she’s fine, but she won’t wake up.”
“Ah, that’s a relief.”
“Are your ears blocked? I said she won’t wake up.”
“But the physician said she’s fine. Then you have to wait a bit more. She might just be sleeping from exhaustion.”
Kavil raked his disheveled hair back and said irritably.
“Find a new physician and bring him.”
“Pardon? Why?”
“Why do you think? His skills are pathetic. Bring the most renowned doctor.”
Claude shook his head with a resigned expression, said he understood, and stood up.
“Ah, and.”
“Yes?”
“Send a messenger to the old man.”
“To Honir? Why suddenly to him… Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, not that. There’s something I need to check.”
Kavil’s eyes sank low as he recalled the incident at the party. Amid the noisy crowd, frantically searching for Helena.
Her voice calling him sounded unnaturally clear. Kavil’s brow narrowed.
Somehow, it didn’t feel right.
* * *
Helena opened her eyes in the midday afternoon, a full day later.
Still half-asleep, she stared blankly at the ceiling, then turned her head at the presence she felt beside her and widened her eyes in surprise.
With a clearly displeased expression, Kavil raised one eyebrow.
“You finally woke up.”
“Y-Your Grace?”
Helena sat up in surprise. The damp cloth on her forehead fell down with a thud.
She looked alternately at the cloth and Kavil with bewildered eyes, then asked.
