121. Anytime, any amount
Emilia held back the tears that threatened to burst forth. She held back her tears by biting her cheek and holding her tongue.
If she cries like a child right now, she'll be adding fuel to the fire that's burning inside that man.
Still, it was difficult to stop the tears and moans from spilling out.
A faint sob escaped through her teeth, riding the still air and piercing deep into the man's chest.
“...Cry, don’t hold it in.”
“I... I...”
Hardius tightened his grip on her back and pulled her trembling body towards him. Emilia willingly put her weight into his embrace.
The broad, firm chest was warm and cozy.
“It’s okay, Emilia.”
The strong man's firm comfort instantly broke Emilia. She gasped, struggling to breathe, and in an instant, she burst into tears.
Angry. Afraid. Relieved. Sorry. And sad... All sorts of emotions mixed together and flowed out like a flood.
Hardius endured everything that fell apart while holding her in his arms.
Twice again.
He clenched his fists until his bones turned white.
I will never tolerate it, not ever again.
With a solemn resolve, he hugged the small body tightly.
The wind howled outside, pouring sleet. The bluish room was plunged into darkness, and the ticking of the clock filled the silence.
How much time has passed?
The sobbing gradually subsided. The water that had been ceaselessly splattering Emilia's cheeks also dried up.
She stared blankly at the man's stiff neck, suddenly remembering the blood soaking his arm. Shocked, she belatedly turned her head to find the injured arm.
“It just brushed past me.”
He spoke casually, but Emilia couldn't take her eyes off the tightly wrapped bandages.
Who on earth would dare to do such a thing?
Emilia felt anger rising from the depths of her chest.
How great it would be if she had the strength to fight back.
Her heart ached for the man who had to swallow and bear so much alone.
“...Just promise me one thing.”
Emilia whispered desperately.
“You will never blame yourself.”
“...”
“Please.”
Despite her desperate plea, dry, emotionless eyes looked down at Emilia.
"...Yes."
It was an empty answer.
“I won’t blame myself.”
Emilia's chest started to feel stuffy.
She wants to somehow appease that man; she wants to embrace him as wide as the ocean, but she doesn't know how.
"It's my fault. I promised to stay hidden quietly... I should have gone to Hethel with my family. I was left alone, defenseless, and worried about everyone..."
"Stop."
Strength entered the arm supporting her back.
"Stop."
Emilia had no choice but to keep her mouth shut in front of the rough voice that sounded like it had swallowed sand.
No words would do any good. The flames that had engulfed the cabin spread to his chest, burning uncontrollably.
Emilia closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. It was all she could do.
The sound reaching her ears was still rough, but it was peaceful and comforting.
Her body relaxed, and she fell into drowsiness again.
"Master."
Emilia shook off the persistent urge and opened her eyes wide to call him.
“Our child will be okay. I’m sure of it.”
Emilia took his hand from around her waist and moved it to her lower abdomen. After a moment's hesitation, Hardius quickly relaxed and surrendered his hand entirely to hers.
The man's palm touched her small lower abdomen.
Could it be because of the realization that she was at a crossroads of life and death?
His child growing up in his woman's arms.
Hardius was the first child to fully relate to such a person.
He lifted her pajamas and reached inside. The moment his hand gently cupped her dantian, Emilia gasped in surprise. Then, she relaxed, enjoying Hardius's characteristically rough and dry touch.
“...The baby will definitely know. That his father protected him...”
Suddenly, her eyelids became unbearably heavy.
"Me too..."
Before she could even finish speaking, Emilia fell asleep again.
While watching Emilia sleep peacefully, Hardius was being swept into the middle of a storm.
The sight of her lying in the middle of hell, surrounded by black smoke, flames, and suffocating heat, was suffocating.
If only I could turn back time.
If I had really given you a gun and told you to run away when you were laughing at a squirrel a long time ago.
If I had made you run away to the new continent to avoid the terrifying pressure I was putting on you.
No, at least if I had told you the truth about how dangerous you could be that day, a few days ago.
At least you weren't in the middle of a burning house.
Hardius wrapped his arms around Emilia's back and held her close. He closed his eyes, his heart on the verge of bursting against his chest.
We must end this agonizing situation. We must eliminate it once and for all.
He looked down at the sleeping face.
He couldn't even blame himself. He couldn't afford to be consumed by such weak and petty emotions.
Hardius slowly removed his arm from her head and let go of the pillow. He swept away the scattered gold threads buried in the pure white cloth and looked down again.
He sat up. He looked out the window. The white swirl sweeping across the dark sky was growing darker.
The time has come.
William faced two men. One was familiar, the other was new to him.
According to the familiar man, the work went relatively smoothly. The farm workers were in a panic as soon as the fire started, and they were able to set fire to the woman's house without any obstacles or hesitation.
“I caught the woman and locked her up in the place you told me to.”
“Aren’t she going to resist?”
"She seemed too scared to resist. But I still gave her the medicine."
“Yeah, good job.”
William Richard was satisfied. He stroked his mustache and smiled contentedly, but his eyes suddenly turned to a man he had never seen before.
He said that although he was not directly involved in the arson, he was skilled at confinement and torture, so he was brought here on purpose.
Standing before the soldier's robust physique and fierce gaze, a strange, indescribable feeling arose. William narrowed his eyes at him, then turned to the familiar face and asked.
“But... why did you come? Where is your leader?”
The man's neck shook slightly, but it was so brief that no one noticed.
“...He is receiving treatment for burns.”
“That’s a shame.”
William stared at the stranger again, muttering something that neither the speaker nor the listener took seriously.
"The woman will wake up soon. She might make a scene, so you'd better hurry and go before it's too late."
William blinked, glancing back and forth between the two men. He finally stopped in front of a familiar man.
“Yes, let’s go.”
He sat up, closing the box he'd just received from the man. Inside were a few strands of golden hair.
It was a dark night with only sleet swirling mercilessly.
A carriage stopped in a quiet, empty lot far from the center of Nowak. The man with the lamp got out first, followed by William Richard.
“It’s over there.”
William squinted his eyes and stared at the spot he'd pointed at for a long moment. In the darkness, a building that looked like a barn gradually came into focus.
"Let's go."
William followed the man through the darkness, unable to see an inch ahead.
Hardius waited calmly. His heart was beating so calmly that it was hard to believe what was about to happen.
Across the street, the distant, star-like light of a lamp grew closer. He waited quietly, hiding in the darkness.
The hollow cheeks, the cigarette in his mouth, and the wrinkled outline of his face gradually became clearer. Just as his shiny leather shoes touched the blurry oval created by the lamp.
“...!”
William was pinned to the spot. A tense silence descended, and even the shadows were still. Realizing that the being blocking his path was Hardius Meyer, William froze stiffly.
“Well, why are you... here...?”
At that moment, he realized.
Damn it... Why was I so stupid!
A deathly fear settled over his pale face. His heart was already plummeting. A click, a shock adding to his shock, echoed through the silent alley. The cold metal clanked against William's forehead.
When he realized the identity, his heart stopped for a moment, and his body became stiff.
His body's response to life was much faster. Fear poured out along with the urge to urinate.
“S-save me!”
William raised both hands in surrender. All he had left was the will to survive.
"Please!"
He couldn't understand why, at that very moment, the faces of those insignificant lives he had taken away long ago came to mind.
A sharp, piercing sound echoed. William realized the safety device had been disengaged, his eyes rolled back, and his heart stopped. His mouth, free from the control of reason, began to move on its own.
“Berson! Berson!”
He searched for a groom who wasn't even there. Then, someone shouted, "Help! Help!" But their screams, almost shrieks, were drowned out by the funeral march of the reeds, lost in the air.
There was no response from the person he aimed his gun at.
It was a complete failure.
The moment he realized that, William's whole body collapsed.
“You... you... Do you think you’ll be alright after doing this?!”
The sound of a gunshot was once again mixed with the rustling of the reeds. Unfortunately, the gun aimed at his forehead didn't move even slightly.
“S-save me! Please! Please...”
Bang!
Sticky blood splattered. The unfinished screams scattered futilely through the damp air.
William collapsed like a spineless rag doll.
Through the gaping hole in his forehead, a spurt of flesh, brain fluid, and blood flowed out like a torrent, soon drenching the gray street.
The shooter's heart continued to beat calmly both immediately before and after the shot.
Hardius dodged the spreading pool of blood, his feet dipping to the side. Shadows emerged from the darkness.
“Please.”
Hardius handed over the pistol and took off his gloves.
The gaze looking down at the corpse was as calm as the silence that surrounded him.
The man who had received the gun laid the pistol down in the reeds a reasonable distance from William's body.
In a few hours, the detectives who received a report from someone will come running here.
The body's identity as that of Senator William Richard, who commanded the Ronnenhalt Parliament, would be easily revealed, and the gun would be located immediately. The gun's owner, Kaitlyn Meyer, would also be quickly identified, as it was a special item bearing the Meyer family seal.
From there, investigators will raid Kramwitz.
A carriage robbery over ten years ago, the attempted poisoning of Duke Meyer, and finally the alleged murder of William Richard.
Duchess Meyer will never escape.
From real witnesses to fabricated evidence, to the royal family's secret support, that woman is already trapped in a web that has been woven without any loopholes.
The truth doesn't matter.
Hardius had no conscience, no guilt, no hesitation.
He has only one thing left. That is all he needs.
To keep her by his side, he'd do this again without hesitation. Anytime, any amount.
Emilia held back the tears that threatened to burst forth. She held back her tears by biting her cheek and holding her tongue.
If she cries like a child right now, she'll be adding fuel to the fire that's burning inside that man.
Still, it was difficult to stop the tears and moans from spilling out.
A faint sob escaped through her teeth, riding the still air and piercing deep into the man's chest.
“...Cry, don’t hold it in.”
“I... I...”
Hardius tightened his grip on her back and pulled her trembling body towards him. Emilia willingly put her weight into his embrace.
The broad, firm chest was warm and cozy.
“It’s okay, Emilia.”
The strong man's firm comfort instantly broke Emilia. She gasped, struggling to breathe, and in an instant, she burst into tears.
Angry. Afraid. Relieved. Sorry. And sad... All sorts of emotions mixed together and flowed out like a flood.
Hardius endured everything that fell apart while holding her in his arms.
Twice again.
He clenched his fists until his bones turned white.
I will never tolerate it, not ever again.
With a solemn resolve, he hugged the small body tightly.
The wind howled outside, pouring sleet. The bluish room was plunged into darkness, and the ticking of the clock filled the silence.
How much time has passed?
The sobbing gradually subsided. The water that had been ceaselessly splattering Emilia's cheeks also dried up.
She stared blankly at the man's stiff neck, suddenly remembering the blood soaking his arm. Shocked, she belatedly turned her head to find the injured arm.
“It just brushed past me.”
He spoke casually, but Emilia couldn't take her eyes off the tightly wrapped bandages.
Who on earth would dare to do such a thing?
Emilia felt anger rising from the depths of her chest.
How great it would be if she had the strength to fight back.
Her heart ached for the man who had to swallow and bear so much alone.
“...Just promise me one thing.”
Emilia whispered desperately.
“You will never blame yourself.”
“...”
“Please.”
Despite her desperate plea, dry, emotionless eyes looked down at Emilia.
"...Yes."
It was an empty answer.
“I won’t blame myself.”
Emilia's chest started to feel stuffy.
She wants to somehow appease that man; she wants to embrace him as wide as the ocean, but she doesn't know how.
"It's my fault. I promised to stay hidden quietly... I should have gone to Hethel with my family. I was left alone, defenseless, and worried about everyone..."
"Stop."
Strength entered the arm supporting her back.
"Stop."
Emilia had no choice but to keep her mouth shut in front of the rough voice that sounded like it had swallowed sand.
No words would do any good. The flames that had engulfed the cabin spread to his chest, burning uncontrollably.
Emilia closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. It was all she could do.
The sound reaching her ears was still rough, but it was peaceful and comforting.
Her body relaxed, and she fell into drowsiness again.
"Master."
Emilia shook off the persistent urge and opened her eyes wide to call him.
“Our child will be okay. I’m sure of it.”
Emilia took his hand from around her waist and moved it to her lower abdomen. After a moment's hesitation, Hardius quickly relaxed and surrendered his hand entirely to hers.
The man's palm touched her small lower abdomen.
Could it be because of the realization that she was at a crossroads of life and death?
His child growing up in his woman's arms.
Hardius was the first child to fully relate to such a person.
He lifted her pajamas and reached inside. The moment his hand gently cupped her dantian, Emilia gasped in surprise. Then, she relaxed, enjoying Hardius's characteristically rough and dry touch.
“...The baby will definitely know. That his father protected him...”
Suddenly, her eyelids became unbearably heavy.
"Me too..."
Before she could even finish speaking, Emilia fell asleep again.
While watching Emilia sleep peacefully, Hardius was being swept into the middle of a storm.
The sight of her lying in the middle of hell, surrounded by black smoke, flames, and suffocating heat, was suffocating.
If only I could turn back time.
If I had really given you a gun and told you to run away when you were laughing at a squirrel a long time ago.
If I had made you run away to the new continent to avoid the terrifying pressure I was putting on you.
No, at least if I had told you the truth about how dangerous you could be that day, a few days ago.
At least you weren't in the middle of a burning house.
Hardius wrapped his arms around Emilia's back and held her close. He closed his eyes, his heart on the verge of bursting against his chest.
We must end this agonizing situation. We must eliminate it once and for all.
He looked down at the sleeping face.
He couldn't even blame himself. He couldn't afford to be consumed by such weak and petty emotions.
Hardius slowly removed his arm from her head and let go of the pillow. He swept away the scattered gold threads buried in the pure white cloth and looked down again.
He sat up. He looked out the window. The white swirl sweeping across the dark sky was growing darker.
The time has come.
***
William faced two men. One was familiar, the other was new to him.
According to the familiar man, the work went relatively smoothly. The farm workers were in a panic as soon as the fire started, and they were able to set fire to the woman's house without any obstacles or hesitation.
“I caught the woman and locked her up in the place you told me to.”
“Aren’t she going to resist?”
"She seemed too scared to resist. But I still gave her the medicine."
“Yeah, good job.”
William Richard was satisfied. He stroked his mustache and smiled contentedly, but his eyes suddenly turned to a man he had never seen before.
He said that although he was not directly involved in the arson, he was skilled at confinement and torture, so he was brought here on purpose.
Standing before the soldier's robust physique and fierce gaze, a strange, indescribable feeling arose. William narrowed his eyes at him, then turned to the familiar face and asked.
“But... why did you come? Where is your leader?”
The man's neck shook slightly, but it was so brief that no one noticed.
“...He is receiving treatment for burns.”
“That’s a shame.”
William stared at the stranger again, muttering something that neither the speaker nor the listener took seriously.
"The woman will wake up soon. She might make a scene, so you'd better hurry and go before it's too late."
William blinked, glancing back and forth between the two men. He finally stopped in front of a familiar man.
“Yes, let’s go.”
He sat up, closing the box he'd just received from the man. Inside were a few strands of golden hair.
***
It was a dark night with only sleet swirling mercilessly.
A carriage stopped in a quiet, empty lot far from the center of Nowak. The man with the lamp got out first, followed by William Richard.
“It’s over there.”
William squinted his eyes and stared at the spot he'd pointed at for a long moment. In the darkness, a building that looked like a barn gradually came into focus.
"Let's go."
William followed the man through the darkness, unable to see an inch ahead.
Hardius waited calmly. His heart was beating so calmly that it was hard to believe what was about to happen.
Across the street, the distant, star-like light of a lamp grew closer. He waited quietly, hiding in the darkness.
The hollow cheeks, the cigarette in his mouth, and the wrinkled outline of his face gradually became clearer. Just as his shiny leather shoes touched the blurry oval created by the lamp.
“...!”
William was pinned to the spot. A tense silence descended, and even the shadows were still. Realizing that the being blocking his path was Hardius Meyer, William froze stiffly.
“Well, why are you... here...?”
At that moment, he realized.
Damn it... Why was I so stupid!
A deathly fear settled over his pale face. His heart was already plummeting. A click, a shock adding to his shock, echoed through the silent alley. The cold metal clanked against William's forehead.
When he realized the identity, his heart stopped for a moment, and his body became stiff.
His body's response to life was much faster. Fear poured out along with the urge to urinate.
“S-save me!”
William raised both hands in surrender. All he had left was the will to survive.
"Please!"
He couldn't understand why, at that very moment, the faces of those insignificant lives he had taken away long ago came to mind.
A sharp, piercing sound echoed. William realized the safety device had been disengaged, his eyes rolled back, and his heart stopped. His mouth, free from the control of reason, began to move on its own.
“Berson! Berson!”
He searched for a groom who wasn't even there. Then, someone shouted, "Help! Help!" But their screams, almost shrieks, were drowned out by the funeral march of the reeds, lost in the air.
There was no response from the person he aimed his gun at.
It was a complete failure.
The moment he realized that, William's whole body collapsed.
“You... you... Do you think you’ll be alright after doing this?!”
The sound of a gunshot was once again mixed with the rustling of the reeds. Unfortunately, the gun aimed at his forehead didn't move even slightly.
“S-save me! Please! Please...”
Bang!
Sticky blood splattered. The unfinished screams scattered futilely through the damp air.
William collapsed like a spineless rag doll.
Through the gaping hole in his forehead, a spurt of flesh, brain fluid, and blood flowed out like a torrent, soon drenching the gray street.
The shooter's heart continued to beat calmly both immediately before and after the shot.
Hardius dodged the spreading pool of blood, his feet dipping to the side. Shadows emerged from the darkness.
“Please.”
Hardius handed over the pistol and took off his gloves.
The gaze looking down at the corpse was as calm as the silence that surrounded him.
The man who had received the gun laid the pistol down in the reeds a reasonable distance from William's body.
In a few hours, the detectives who received a report from someone will come running here.
The body's identity as that of Senator William Richard, who commanded the Ronnenhalt Parliament, would be easily revealed, and the gun would be located immediately. The gun's owner, Kaitlyn Meyer, would also be quickly identified, as it was a special item bearing the Meyer family seal.
From there, investigators will raid Kramwitz.
A carriage robbery over ten years ago, the attempted poisoning of Duke Meyer, and finally the alleged murder of William Richard.
Duchess Meyer will never escape.
From real witnesses to fabricated evidence, to the royal family's secret support, that woman is already trapped in a web that has been woven without any loopholes.
The truth doesn't matter.
Hardius had no conscience, no guilt, no hesitation.
He has only one thing left. That is all he needs.
To keep her by his side, he'd do this again without hesitation. Anytime, any amount.
Comments
Post a Comment