Chapter 49
“No!”
“Even if you hate it, there’s no choice.”
“No, I’d rather die!”
“Anything is better than dying.”
“I said no! Lady Florence!”
Marie’s reaction was fiercer than expected. Her usual maturity was nowhere to be seen, and she acted like a child throwing a tantrum. Keith looked troubled and let out a sigh.
“How long are you going to wear that cheap wooden prosthetic arm? You need proper treatment.”
“Sir Keith, you fixed it so it doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t hurt at all.”
“You need a real prosthetic.”
“I said no! This one is enough for me!”
“Until when? You’ll hit a growth spurt soon and just keep that stick attached to you for life?”
“Why can’t I?”
“No. I even called our sponsor, so get proper treatment and a better prosthetic.”
Enoch scoffed quietly. Marie, on the verge of tears, clung to my waist, pressing her hot cheek against me, begging. Her voice was half-muffled against my stomach.
“No, Lady Florence. Please let me stay by your side, okay?”
“…Linus will target girls your age who are missing limbs.”
Marie froze.
“You saw how crazy that bastard is. He’s capable of anything.”
“Florence, watch your language.”
“How can I watch my mouth in this situation, you heartless bastard.”
Keith scolded Enoch, giving Marie a moment to breathe. I grabbed Marie’s wooden prosthetic arm, the one she clung to me with.
“Do you think you can hide something like this forever, no matter how careful you are?”
“…But you’ve never said anything until now…”
“I was looking for a solution. I’m only saying this now because I found one.”
“…”
“…It’s just for a little while. We’re not parting forever.”
“…Really? If I get proper treatment and a natural prosthetic, that’s all I need to do?”
Marie’s eyes were red as she looked up. Her expression asked, There’s no other reason, right? I glanced at the bruises on my neck and replied as calmly as I could.
“Yeah. As long as we hide the features that make you too easy to identify.”
“…Okay.”
Marie reluctantly agreed. She looked like she didn’t want to, but she stopped insisting and returned to her usual mature demeanor. I was thankful for that. It had been hard enough to push her away while she was crying and clinging to me.
But now that there was even a slight possibility I might choke her with my own hands—I couldn’t keep her close.
I left Marie under Enoch’s protection. He offered to introduce a skilled doctor and prosthetic maker, and even cover all the costs. I insisted I would repay him somehow, but he laughed.
“You’re talking about dignity when you even hired me to kill the Knight Commander?”
“Marie’s case is different.”
I wanted to keep that as a debt. I wanted to take care of everything with my own hands. Enoch shrugged.
“Fine. I’ll add interest then.”
Keith whispered to me.
“You got yourself into trouble. You should’ve just accepted it when he offered.”
“…”
“Debt grows from a penny to two, then to four…”
“…Keith. You’re in debt to Enoch too?”
“…”
“…I’ll repay you quickly too…”
I hadn’t meant to imply with interest, but it was probably too late.
Even cornered, a mouse might bite a cat, but the cat never fears. Even if bitten, it’s just a scratch. Not life-threatening. Just a little annoying. That’s probably how Linus sees my killing intent.
That’s if he only knew me.
Even if it wasn’t five years like Jang Hyunji, I too had gained something from possessing that woman’s body—a better understanding of this world.
A world made for Lila Green.
A world built for Linus Shane Lindquist.
A world kind and gentle to its protagonists.
“All the beautiful, glamorous things that should’ve belonged to Lila… now lost in mid-air after Jang Hyunji vanished.”
And Lila’s secrets too.
I thought of Lila Green.
She had eyes far too cold and gloomy for someone who was supposed to be a cheerful protagonist. Her killing intent had no hesitation. I didn’t know why she hated Florence so deeply, but if she truly did, then it was a clue.
“We need to find Lila Green.”
“Got it. I’ll look for her.”
Enoch nodded without asking why. I was the one surprised by his easy acceptance.
“You know her?”
“…Not as famous as the Marchioness of Baldwin, but she’s known. Heard she broke out of prison. Couldn’t persuade her, Keith?”
“Don’t ask if you already know.”
Keith grumbled.
“All my reports end up with you anyway.”
“I can’t know what you hide.”
“…Hey, Florence. He’s sulking because I didn’t tell him about you earlier.”
Enoch glared, but Keith smirked, unfazed.
“You mad your brother kept secrets?”
“If you’re going mad, at least do it elegantly.”
Enoch muttered, and Keith’s cheek twitched. It was clearly meant to provoke, and it worked. I sympathized. Every time Enoch mocked someone, I wanted to sew his mouth shut.
“…They seem oddly close.”
Violent yet close… a strange cousin relationship. I muttered it without realizing. Enoch and Keith looked at me at the same time. The violet and blue eyes made me instinctively shrink back.
“We’re not close.”
“We are, right?”
Keith teased.
“Aw, you’re sulking. You’re sulking!”
“Shut up, damn it.”
Clearly, Enoch couldn’t win against Keith. I looked at him in wonder.
In the Seymour mansion, Enoch resembled his father—quiet and composed. But beside Keith, he was like oil that could catch fire at any moment.
“If we weren’t close, we wouldn’t work together.”
“Come to think of it, Keith, what do you even do?”
“…Wait, I didn’t tell you that either?”
“I know your name and nothing else.”
Keith scratched his nose awkwardly. Enoch looked appalled.
“You trusted and depended on him without knowing what kind of person he is?”
Keith mumbled, “Hey… ‘that’ kind of person?”
“He saved me. That’s all that matters.”
“What if he was a slaver or a rapist?”
“I offered to lick his feet and he refused.”
“Keith…”
“Hey, don’t say it like that! I didn’t ask him to—hey! Fists! Put the fists down!”
Enoch looked at me with a face full of things he wanted to say. That sharp, intimidating look was familiar. It had been a while—one, maybe two years? Too much had happened. I lost track.
Enoch sighed and pressed the bridge of his nose.
“Introduce yourself.”
“…Keith Hayden Brien. I turned 29 this year.”
Keith looked a bit sheepish.
“As you know, a magician. 7-class user. Personnel manager at the Haines merchant group.”
I nodded. When our eyes met, he smiled.
“Working under a hot-tempered younger brother is tough.”
“Yeah… I can imagine.”
“Knew you’d understand.”
“With your rank, you could’ve worked anywhere. Why here…?”
Enoch remained indifferent to the complaints. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He wasn’t going to engage.
“There’s… a lot of reasons.”
Keith didn’t seem eager to explain. But I could tell—he wasn’t as shady as he looked, more sincere, softer-hearted.
Maybe being honest would be better—but I didn’t say it. Not in front of Enoch, who knew me too well.
“It’ll take a while to find Lila Green.”
Keith changed the subject.
“She was powerful—matched that monstrous Knight Commander. If she wants to hide, it’ll be hard.”
Enoch raised one corner of his mouth.
“Throw money at it. Problem solved.”
“Oh, sure. Right…”
Such arrogant confidence suited him well.
“Anyway, about you—mhpf.”
Keith was about to say something, but I covered his mouth quickly. Enoch looked annoyed, but being treated like a fool was better. Keith looked at me with a really? expression.
Don’t say it.
Why? They’ll find out soon anyway.
Still, not yet.
While we were communicating silently through glances, Enoch reached out, pulled my hand away, and wiped it thoroughly with a handkerchief. I froze, too stunned to react.
Once my palm was scrubbed clean, Keith muttered:
“Hey, you bastard…”
“Don’t touch dirty things, Florence.”
“What?!”
“Spitting, Keith.”
Keith opened his mouth in frustration. I slowly pulled my hand away from Enoch’s grip. He didn’t hold on.
I leaned back in my seat and rested my forehead against the carriage window.
My hair reflected in the glass was golden, not dark brown. My eyes, too, violet like Keith’s. I was wearing the ring he gave me, on my way to the Haines Merchant Group’s main office.
