Following the path Lizzie had indicated, I passed the frozen ground and headed toward the woods. Sure enough, a storage shed soon came into view. Roxana pulled her coat tighter and knocked on the door.
"Excuse me."
There was no sign of life inside. Hesitating at a sudden, ominous premonition, Roxana stepped back. Just as she turned her back to walk away from the shed, the door creaked wide open. A hand shot out and clamped over her mouth.
"Mmph!"
Before she could even struggle, Roxana was thrown into the dark, gloomy shed. The assailant lit a candle and approached. Roxana’s eyes trembled as she recognized him.
"Viscount... Otis?"
"It’s 'Viscount' to you, you lowly wretch."
Derek furrowed his brow and kicked her in the shoulder. Swallowing a scream, Roxana leaned her back against the wall and pulled herself up.
"What is the meaning of this? Why are you here?"
"The person you’re thinking of isn't coming. It’s just you and me here."
The light from the tip of the candle illuminated Roxana. Derek gulped as he took in her sensual figure, barely concealed by her dress. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Roxana lunged for the door and grabbed the handle to turn it.
"You!"
"Aah!"
Derek shoved Roxana back onto the floor with a rough force and climbed on top of her. Roxana resisted desperately, batting away his hands as they tore at the front of her dress. Enraged, Derek slapped her across the cheek. When Roxana froze, stunned by the stinging pain as if she were broken, he finally smiled with satisfaction.
"Stay still. You’ve rolled around with that Curtis fellow countless times anyway, haven't you?"
"……."
Looking into his glistening eyes, Roxana pushed against Derek’s shoulders. The story that man had been telling last night was indeed about her. Viscount Otis saw her as Curtis’s mistress and was trying to defile her. For some reason, he was seeking revenge against Curtis.
"It will be over soon, so behave."
The harsh, howling winter wind battered the shed’s windows along with the blizzard. Roxana, having completely drained the strength from her body, closed her eyes.
"That’s right. That’s how it should be. If I like how you feel in my arms, I might even take you as my concubine."
Derek caressed Roxana’s cheek and began to slowly undress her. If he took this woman, he would be able to see that look of devastation on Curtis’s face. Since he was the King’s illegitimate son, even if he touched one of his lowly mistresses, he wouldn't dare retaliate. Just as he reached out to touch the smooth, white skin he had been dying to taste, the woman’s head, which she had been shaking in resistance, slipped down like a wig.
"What is this?"
While a startled Derek was caught off guard, Roxana seized the moment, pulling her knees up to kick him in his center.
*Thud.*
"Aaaargh!"
Clutching his groin, Derek rolled on the floor.
"You wench! You!"
With veins bulging in his neck from pain and fury, Derek reached out to grab her. Slipping from his grasp, Roxana threw the door open. At the same time, a fierce wind rushed in as if to pierce her to the bone. Because of the snow pouring down so heavily that she couldn't see an inch ahead, she couldn't gauge her direction. While she hesitated, Derek staggered to his feet and roared.
"I won't let you get away with this. I’ll kill you. You wreeeeench!"
* * *
The negotiations didn't end until the sun had set. It was a conclusion that both sides found somewhat satisfactory. As he rubbed his stiff neck and headed toward his bedroom, someone knocked on the door in a panic.
"Frey?"
"Brother! Something terrible has happened. I can't find Roxana anywhere."
"What?"
It felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head. Suppressing his agitation, Curtis forced himself to speak calmly.
"Explain it to me slowly."
"She said she was going out for some fresh air, but she hasn't returned. What do I do? It’s snowing so hard right now, if she’s lost her way..."
Frey sobbed, clinging to Curtis. While soothing his sister, Curtis’s mind raced.
*Did she run away? No. There is no reason for her to recklessly flee in this weather in a place she’s seeing for the first time. Above all, given her proud nature, such a thing could never happen.*
"You."
His sharp gaze landed on Lizzie, who had been attending to Frey.
"Where were you?"
Under the crushing pressure of his gaze, Lizzie averted her eyes.
"I, I was tidying up the fishing rods and stayed by Lady Frey’s side the whole time. When I arrived, she had already left her seat."
"Is that so?"
Having discovered something, Curtis twisted his lips.
"Is there dirt on the icy ground?"
He pointed to the hem of her dress, which was stained with mud.
"Ah... ah."
She had been too nervous to pay attention. Turning pale, Lizzie collapsed to the floor. Curtis looked down at her with icy eyes and commanded.
"Tell me what happened. Don't leave out a single detail."
"I was wrong!"
Lizzie, prostrate on the ground, finally confessed the truth. As soon as he heard the full story, Curtis grabbed his coat and headed straight outside. Shaking off both Frey and Princess Consort Margaret who tried to stop him, he headed straight into the woods.
"Roxana!"
Pitch-black darkness and driving snow obscured his vision. Sound was all he had to rely on.
"Roxana!"
He called out until his throat felt like it would tear, but there was no answer. Every time he felt a small movement and rushed toward it, only the tracks of wild beasts remained. After wandering around for a long time searching for her, Curtis discovered the shed and threw the door open.
"Roxana!"
He called her name, but what stood inside was a face he loathed. Trapped by the intensifying blizzard, Derek Otis recoiled and pressed himself against the wall upon seeing him.
"Ma, Margrave!"
"……."
"I don't know what kind of misunderstanding this is, but I’m the victim here. That woman seduced me!"
Curtis glanced at the Viscount without a word, then stepped forward and drew a sword hanging on the wall. At the eerie sound of the blade, Derek cowered.
"I, I am the King’s illegitimate son! If you touch me, you won't be safe either! You mere hunting dog!"
"Yes. You were."
Muttering, Curtis swung his sword. The next moment, there was a sound of something dropping. Derek, who had squeezed his eyes shut, felt that something was wrong and opened them, only to see eyes as dark as ash. Curtis smiled faintly and replied in a low voice.
"Do you remember, Viscount? You asked me once. You asked if I disliked you because you were an illegitimate son."
At the sudden question, the Viscount could only gape. With the look of someone teaching a slow-witted child, Curtis added.
"No. I despise you simply because you are a worm-like creature. I thought I would die of laughter that you would ask something so simple. Sir Otis."
"...What?"
"Now you’re not just a worm, but a worm whose ear has been bitten off by a hunting dog."
"A, argh. Aaaaaargh! My, my ear!"
Only then did Derek, who had spotted his severed left ear following Curtis’s gaze, clutch his hands to his head in shock, trying to stem the rising blood. Curtis looked down at him writhing in pain with a grimace, then quickly turned away.
*There is no time.* She might have been eaten by wild beasts or frozen to death before that. Leaving the Viscount abandoned at the villa, Curtis headed deeper into the woods.
"Roxana! Answer me!"
But no matter how much he searched, Roxana was nowhere to be seen. The snow fell harder and the wind grew fiercer. Just as his vision began to go black with anxiety.
"That is..."
Something caught his eye. A pack of wolves were gathered around a tree, baring their teeth. A sense of dread crawled up his spine. Gripping his sword tightly, Curtis charged toward them.
"Yelp!"
The startled pack of wolves backed away, then immediately lunged at him. As Curtis fought the wolves, he glanced at the tree. The moment he saw the slumped figure, he realized his ominous premonition had been correct.
"……Roxana."
Roxana, pale with terror and cold, was surrounded by the pack. Gritting his teeth, Curtis slashed his sword downward. As he struck down the wolf that appeared to be the leader, the pack, realizing they had no chance of winning, quickly fled.
He threw his sword aside and took off the coat he was wearing to wrap it around her.
"Roxana."
He cupped her ice-cold neck with his hand and carefully lifted her into his arms. Roxana, who had opened her eyes hazily at the sudden warmth, looked up at Curtis.
"……Curtis?"
"Yes. It’s me."
The young boy from her childhood was reflected in her violet eyes. The first love who was a bit mischievous but always kind and cared for her. At the warmth spreading deep in her heart, Roxana smiled faintly.
"Where were you? I missed you."
"……."
"I waited for so long... You said you would come."
She wasn't talking about the present. She was somewhere in the past. Realizing this, Curtis smiled back.
"I’m sorry. I’m late, Roxana. I said I’d come quickly."
"It’s okay... You’re here now, so it’s fine."
With a voice as small as a whisper, Roxana closed her eyes. Holding her tightly in his arms, Curtis walked toward the remaining footprints.
As the shed came into view, he saw people who had belatedly set out to find them.
"Over here!"
Among that group, Curtis came face to face with a face he did not welcome.
The person leading the group was none other than Enoch Ferentz.
0 Comments