WDHTMU |CHAPTER 14

Chapter 14

The knight handed Urian a pocket watch with a small lily carved on it—too delicate to belong to a man. 

Urian recognized it instantly.

“The duke’s pocket watch…!”

He asked urgently,
“Where did you find this?”

“Under a tree on the eastern edge of the forest, near some bloodstains.”

“Any other clues?”

“No significant traces.”

At that moment, Visd added,
“Perhaps someone treated him and took him away. There shouldn’t have been more blood if the wound had been life-threatening, but there wasn’t.

It appeared that someone dropped the pocket watch while Claudio was being carried.

“I see.”

Urian felt a dizzy relief after days of worry, but he couldn’t let his guard down yet.

“We need to investigate the villages near where the watch was found.”

Visd nodded quickly.

***

Marsha stared intently at the medicine in her hand.

Before Dio had woken up, she had been carefully feeding him the bitter liquid little by little.

“He should be able to drink it on his own soon.”

Marsha glanced toward Claudio’s room. 

She had checked on him earlier, but he had been sleeping so deeply he didn’t even notice her calling him.

“How can he sleep so deeply in a situation like this?”

…That sly man.

Even after facing death, he hadn’t lost the colour in his face—something about that didn’t sit right with her. 

And the moment he woke up, he started talking like nothing had happened.

“Is he showing off his looks or his status?”

Marsha was a little sharp with him, of course. 

After what he’d been through, how could she smile and be kind?

“…Still, I guess he must be a bit confused. He can’t remember anything.”

Trying to shake off her sudden guilt, Marsha shook her head.

“Forget it. Why feel sorry? Do you think he’d care?”

Just as Marsha frowned deeply and was about to bring the medicine to Claudio, someone knocked on the door. 

It was already dark outside.

“Who could it be?”

“Marsha! It’s me!”

It was Berry.

Startled, Marsha hurried to open the door.

“Berry, what are you doing at this hour? What if you ran into a wolf?”

“Oh, lately the duke’s knights have been hunting, so we haven’t even heard wolf howls.”

“Still…”

Berry glanced at Marsha’s worried face and smiled a little.

She didn’t want to worry Marsha but felt good that someone cared.

 “Why did you come at this time? Is someone hurt?”

 “No, nothing like that. I just wondered if anyone had come looking today.”

Marsha blinked.

“No one’s come.”

 “Oh, good. I was worried someone might’ve gone to your house since I told them no one lives there after your grandma passed away.”

Who had she told that to? 

Just as Marsha’s eyes filled with curiosity, Berry continued.

“Earlier, the duke’s knights came to our house. Not just ours—they searched the whole village.”

Marsha’s eyes widened in shock.

 “Why would such important people come suddenly…?”

“They’re looking for someone.”

Marsha took a shaky breath and asked,
“For someone…?”

Berry quickly waved her hands, worried Marsha might misunderstand.

“They’re looking for a man. Blonde hair, red eyes, very tall, and quite handsome.”

Berry hoped to reassure Marsha, but she couldn’t feel at ease.

“Oh no.”

It had to be the man in that room. 

She suspected he was noble, but connected to someone so important?

Marsha’s heart trembled.

“Why are they looking for him?”

“They wouldn’t say why. I guess commoners don’t need to know.”

People in high places! Berry shook her head and added,
“But you know what’s weird? They told everyone not to tell anyone they came looking for someone. Isn’t that strange? If you’re searching for someone, wouldn’t it make sense to spread the word around town?”

“……”

“They said once they secure the person they’re looking for, they’ll come right away and give a generous reward. When I told my dad about this, he said it sounds like they’re after a runaway criminal!”

The duke’s knights are personally searching, but at the same time, they’re ordering everyone not to spread rumours. 

Yet they promise money if someone captures the man.

“My dad thinks he’s probably right. If the duke’s knights are involved, this must be a very dangerous criminal.”

Berry wrapped her arm and shivered, then suddenly became serious.

“Anyway, Marsha, I’m worried about you. You go to places no one else does. What if you run into someone dangerous while you’re alone?”

“Ah…”

“Just in case, stay away from the blond man, even if he is barely alive! It could be dangerous! And tell me right away! I’ll let the Duke’s family know about it. Oh! And the reward money will be all yours!”

Worried Marsha might misunderstand her intentions, Berry quickly added.

Marsha gave a bitter smile and shook her head.

“You don’t have to explain; I don’t misunderstand your sincerity.”

“Marsha…”

Berry’s eyes filled with tears at Marsha’s trust.

“Anyway, since the knights will be searching around for a while, if anyone questions you, say you’re my cousin staying at our house, okay? If you say you live in an empty house, they’ll surely get suspicious.”

 “I will. Thanks.”

“Oh, don’t thank me so much!”

Berry scratched her head shyly, then her eyes sparkled as she got an idea.

“Hey, why don’t you both just come stay at my house for—”

But before she finished, she saw the bowl in Marsha’s hands.

“Huh? What’s that?”

“Why do you have medicine at this hour? Wait—Marsha! You cancelled dinner plans and stayed home all day… Are you sick?!”

 “No, not because of that.”

“Then what’s this?!”

Marsha panicked. 

Should she tell Berry about the man in the room now? 

Berry was kind and trustworthy—she’d probably report the man to the duke’s knights for Marsha’s sake. 

 But…

“If that man talks about me…”

Not only Marsha, but maybe Berry could be in danger too.

 Helping an illegal resident hide is also a crime.

“I’m studying a new medicine.”

 Marsha smiled as she answered, and the worried look in Berry’s eyes slowly cleared.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. It’s a bit wasteful to use herbs this way…”

“Nothing is a waste when it comes to studying!”

Berry said excitedly, then added with a sigh,
“Ah, but I guess it’s more comfortable here than at my house to study?”

 “…”

Marsha answered with a faint smile.

Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do. 

Alright, I’m leaving now.

Anyway, be careful for a while.

Study hard… and don’t forget to eat and get enough sleep, okay?”

“Wait. I’ll walk you back.”

“What? No, it’s okay!”

“But…”

“It’s fine. The wolves are treated unfairly by the forest’s extreme quiet.

Marsha offered, but Berry firmly refused and quickly left.

Marsha closed the door only after Berry’s small lantern disappeared from view.

“Ha…”

Her mind was complicated.

Would Berry get home safely? 

What should she do about the man in the room? 

She was filled with worry.

Who is he?

Was he not disappointed that no one was looking for him because he was being chased?

“By someone that important?”

His body also looked unusual. 

There were old scars here and there, including some that looked like knife wounds.

What kind of normal person would have such injuries?

“…Could that man be a knight?”

So maybe he wasn’t running because he’d done something wrong, but was caught up in something complicated?

“If rumours spread that a famous Gloria duke family knight disappeared, it would damage their honour. So maybe they’re searching secretly.”

Still, the letter said the duke’s people were supposed to arrive yesterday or today. 

The timing didn’t quite line up.

 “Then again, unlike official notices, they might have come early…”

Her father sometimes inspected earlier than scheduled, either because of changed plans or on purpose.

That happens sometimes, too. 

The lord could check the usual conditions when he came unexpectedly.

So Gloria Duke’s group might have arrived early. 

But that was just one possibility.

“Ah, my head hurts.”

Marsha pressed hard on her temple beside her throbbing forehead. 

She wished she could drink the medicine in her hand herself.

 “…If only it didn’t take so long to make it.”

Marsha walked heavily to Claudio’s door.

 Knocking, she called out,
“Excuse me.

 “……”

 “Are you sleeping?”

No answer came from behind the door.

“I’ll come in for a moment.”

She waited briefly, but still no reply. 

Carefully, Marsha opened the door. 

Claudio was sleeping in the same position as the last time she saw him.

“Sleeping like a mouse.”

Marsha lit the lamp on the bedside table, and his face, blurry in the dark, became clear.

It was breathtakingly beautiful, but now it was just a headache to Marsha.

“Hey.”

She called him again from closer by.

She wanted to shake him awake, but didn’t want to hurt his wounds.

“Hey… please wake up.”

She called louder this time, but his eyelashes didn’t move at all.

 What’s wrong?

“Could he have lost consciousness again?”

Marsha carefully checked his condition.

His breathing was calm, his expression peaceful…

“He’s just in a deep sleep.”

Relieved, Marsha’s lip curled in dissatisfaction.

“I thought I wouldn’t have to feed him like this anymore.”

Sighing, she brought a chair and sat beside him.

As she had done for days, she tried carefully to drip medicine into the corner of his lips…

But his lips were tightly closed.

“Oh.”

What to do? 

Hesitating several times, she gently put a finger on his lower lip.

His lips, though beautifully shaped, were dry and rough.

She slowly began to pull his lip down toward his chin.

That’s when he opened his eyes.

“Huh?”

Did she see it wrong because it was dark?

Just then, as the situation seemed to go wrong, he slowly moved his lips while looking at her.

 “…What are you doing now?”