“If I had sold it, I wouldn’t have had to work myself to death, but if I had, I wouldn’t have been able to find my father.”
Ravielli knew well the patterns and meaning of Theano's signature.
The quishy glass he left behind for the woman was probably not a token of his affection, but rather a message to sell it to save her life.
It certainly wasn't meant to be that she showed up carrying this, even his son.
Until then, he had vaguely thought of him as a conman, but Ravielli began to think that perhaps the man in front of him was just as unfortunate as he was.
"It was my mother who was abandoned, and she missed my father terribly. I love my mother, but it's something I still can't understand."
“I’m sorry.”
“It was probably love.”
Lucian's last words sounded terribly lonely.
"But I'm different. It wasn't my choice; it was my mother who gave birth to me without a father. I never loved my father even once."
“...”
"I was born with no choice. This is my destiny. God gave me this life."
The man clenched his fists as if he were agitated.
But, as if he was used to suppressing his emotions, he soon seemed to regain his composure.
"But half of my body carries Theano Meyer's blood. Even that must have been God's plan. My mother raised me for twenty years, so my father should be responsible for the remaining twenty."
“...”
“It’s here.”
A heavy voice continues like a pendulum.
“I, too, am trying to survive.”
“...”
“Like you.”
Lucian Meyer's face was more serious than ever.
Even as the sun was setting and a reddish glow was dimly spreading, it looked somewhat pious under the sky.
But Ravielli couldn't say anything.
She couldn't offer any consolation or anything. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, her emotions would just spill out.
"Enough of the boring talk. Let's get going again. If we keep going like this, we might end up spending the night in the middle of the meadow."
Lucian, with a smile on his face again, extends his hand towards Ravielli.
This time, Ravielli did not reject his hand but carefully took it and stood up.
It was a small but meaningful change.
When the sun had completely set and darkness had fallen all around them, the two arrived at a small village on the outskirts of Rotten.
After tying the horse in the stable, entering the inn, and taking a room, the two did not exchange any words that could be called conversation until they went up to the empty room on the third floor.
Since the place didn't offer a separate dinner service, Lucian said he would go out and buy something to eat.
She declined because she didn't feel particularly hungry.
"No, it's not okay at all. Look at your arm. It's so thin it could break."
He made his characteristically exaggerated expression and hurried out of the inn.
Left alone, Ravielli opened the door with a key, came in, and sat on the bed blankly for a while.
The furniture looked quite old, but the bedding seemed to have been kept clean.
'How did I end up here?'
The more she thought about it, the more astonishing it became.
Riding out to the outskirts with a man she thought was a conman, no less.
Until a man claiming to be the Marquis's son entered the mansion, she thought it had nothing to do with her.
Because she thought he would disappear without a sound at some point, like countless other scammers have done in the past.
But this man with the shining hazel eyes was different.
He subtly changed the air in the mansion every day.
Little by little, very slowly, so that she wouldn't even remember that she had any feelings of rejection.
“But if the Marquis knows.”
Theano was not a gentlemanly man.
If he were alone with Ravielli, he would probably act differently.
“What was the name of the inn?”
Ravielli, who suddenly came to her senses, began to inspect the inn.
The words <Eldon> were written on a small calendar on the table.
<Eldon> was also an inn run by Eamon Gill, a merchant who had a fairly large business in Rotten.
Wasn't it the largest place in Theano's territory and the one that paid the most taxes?
"Oh my god."
She ran for a long time, but she still couldn't leave Theano's territory.
It's still in his palm.
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a chill she had forgotten about suddenly seeped into her.
'No... This is not what I wanted.'
The thrill of being out of the mansion and the excitement of riding a horse at a breakneck pace had also subsided.
The pleasant excitement that had made her heart race was completely replaced by fear.
A life of being naked, humiliated, and waiting for someone to torment her in some way. Long nights of spreading her legs, exposing her dry hole, and enduring the pain...
It was when Ravielli, gripped by fear, lowered her head between her knees, and her lower jaw trembled.
“Ravielli?”
At that moment, Lucian opened the door and came in to find Ravielli trembling.
“What’s wrong, Ravielli? Why are you doing this?”
Lucian threw the food he had brought down onto the table and ran towards Ravielli.
Even without that, his white face was as white as a sheet of paper.
“I have to go. Please send me back to the mansion.”
“Ravielli.”
“Please... please!”
“Ravielli, calm down.”
"I have to go. You're the one who's going to tame that damn horse. Why did you bring me here? I need to stay at the mansion!"
Ravielli looked precarious, as if she was about to burst into tears.
“If the Marquis finds out that I left the mansion with you... he will probably...”
“Ravielli.”
Lucian gently grabbed Ravielli's shoulder.
As he completely wrapped his arms around her small, round shoulders, he could feel her swaying precariously.
"Ravielli, I know what you're afraid of. But my father is in Austria right now. It's a hundred miles away."
“...”
“Do you think I would have brought you all this way without any thought?”
Ravielli let out a hollow laugh at Lucian's words.
"This far away? It's only Rotten, after all. This is the Marquis's territory! Damn it, this is Eamon Gill's inn!"
Lucian gently tightened his grip on Ravielli's shoulder.
"Ravielli, this is the Marquis's territory, but it's closer to the border. Haven't you heard of Galatea?"
“...”
"This place is hardly worthy of being called Rotten. It's so rugged and borderline, it's a place the Marquis doesn't even bother to consider."
“But Eamon Gill is very close to the Marquis...”
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s Eamon’s Inn or the Marquis’ Inn.”
"You say it's not important? The Marquis will hear about it all. He'll suspect me of being an unfaithful woman, and he won't let you off the hook!"
Ravielli was very agitated.
“Have you forgotten, Ravielli? I’m with you entirely because of the Marquis’s orders.”
“...”
“It’s because of the order my father gave me. Have you forgotten?”
The direction of the discomfort began to change at Lucian's words.
“Don’t worry. I have a plan, so just follow it.”
“...Yeah, that damn order.”
Ravielli closed her eyes.
She couldn't stand the shame she felt for thinking she was free, even if only for a moment.
After experiencing a series of unfortunate events, Ravielli became weaker and weaker.
The only daughter of a wealthy Count, she would have lived a carefree life if not for the downfall of her family.
The only thing that worried her was what dress to wear to lunch tomorrow.
Ravielli had a hard time accepting the sudden change in his situation.
On the outside, she pretended to be calm and tried to live without any worries, but on the inside, she was really rotten.
Those were precarious days, as if it would explode at any moment if touched.
In the darkness, Ravielli collapsed to the floor.
Entering the space with a strange man brought about a great fear in her, and Ravielli could not overcome the surging emotions.
The anxiety that she might be caught and dragged away by Theano at any moment, yet the vague hope that she might be able to escape, everything swirled around her chest like a whirlpool.
It was a time when only heavy breathing continued between the two people.
“You... who the hell are you?”
Ravielli looked up at Lucian with bloodshot eyes.
Of course, life before that was not peaceful.
Rather than living in peace, she lived in such danger that it wouldn't be strange if she died at any time.
But since Lucian Meyer entered the mansion, Ravielli has had to face a new type of anxiety.
She couldn't face her feelings accurately and felt discomfort that was difficult to explain.
Lucian answered Ravielli's question with a calm look in his eyes.
“You’re not curious about my name now, are you? What do you want to know?”
“...”
“I have told you everything I can do for you. I am Lucian Meyer, son of Marquis Theano Meyer.”
"Why did you suddenly show up and ruin my life? Why now...!"
"It was already a mess before. Be honest, Ravielli Lehun. Weren't there moments when you were glad I came?"
Lucian leaned a little closer to Ravielli and continued speaking softly.
“Do you think I came here simply to be recognized as my father’s son?”
“...”
“Do you think you came here after that fortune?”
Lucian's hazel eyes began to glow with a strange light.
The almost murderous look in his eyes that she felt when she first met him.
Ravielli was momentarily gripped by fear as it turned solely towards him.
Ravielli knew well the patterns and meaning of Theano's signature.
The quishy glass he left behind for the woman was probably not a token of his affection, but rather a message to sell it to save her life.
It certainly wasn't meant to be that she showed up carrying this, even his son.
Until then, he had vaguely thought of him as a conman, but Ravielli began to think that perhaps the man in front of him was just as unfortunate as he was.
"It was my mother who was abandoned, and she missed my father terribly. I love my mother, but it's something I still can't understand."
“I’m sorry.”
“It was probably love.”
Lucian's last words sounded terribly lonely.
"But I'm different. It wasn't my choice; it was my mother who gave birth to me without a father. I never loved my father even once."
“...”
"I was born with no choice. This is my destiny. God gave me this life."
The man clenched his fists as if he were agitated.
But, as if he was used to suppressing his emotions, he soon seemed to regain his composure.
"But half of my body carries Theano Meyer's blood. Even that must have been God's plan. My mother raised me for twenty years, so my father should be responsible for the remaining twenty."
“...”
“It’s here.”
A heavy voice continues like a pendulum.
“I, too, am trying to survive.”
“...”
“Like you.”
Lucian Meyer's face was more serious than ever.
Even as the sun was setting and a reddish glow was dimly spreading, it looked somewhat pious under the sky.
But Ravielli couldn't say anything.
She couldn't offer any consolation or anything. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, her emotions would just spill out.
"Enough of the boring talk. Let's get going again. If we keep going like this, we might end up spending the night in the middle of the meadow."
Lucian, with a smile on his face again, extends his hand towards Ravielli.
This time, Ravielli did not reject his hand but carefully took it and stood up.
It was a small but meaningful change.
***
When the sun had completely set and darkness had fallen all around them, the two arrived at a small village on the outskirts of Rotten.
After tying the horse in the stable, entering the inn, and taking a room, the two did not exchange any words that could be called conversation until they went up to the empty room on the third floor.
Since the place didn't offer a separate dinner service, Lucian said he would go out and buy something to eat.
She declined because she didn't feel particularly hungry.
"No, it's not okay at all. Look at your arm. It's so thin it could break."
He made his characteristically exaggerated expression and hurried out of the inn.
Left alone, Ravielli opened the door with a key, came in, and sat on the bed blankly for a while.
The furniture looked quite old, but the bedding seemed to have been kept clean.
'How did I end up here?'
The more she thought about it, the more astonishing it became.
Riding out to the outskirts with a man she thought was a conman, no less.
Until a man claiming to be the Marquis's son entered the mansion, she thought it had nothing to do with her.
Because she thought he would disappear without a sound at some point, like countless other scammers have done in the past.
But this man with the shining hazel eyes was different.
He subtly changed the air in the mansion every day.
Little by little, very slowly, so that she wouldn't even remember that she had any feelings of rejection.
“But if the Marquis knows.”
Theano was not a gentlemanly man.
If he were alone with Ravielli, he would probably act differently.
“What was the name of the inn?”
Ravielli, who suddenly came to her senses, began to inspect the inn.
The words <Eldon> were written on a small calendar on the table.
<Eldon> was also an inn run by Eamon Gill, a merchant who had a fairly large business in Rotten.
Wasn't it the largest place in Theano's territory and the one that paid the most taxes?
"Oh my god."
She ran for a long time, but she still couldn't leave Theano's territory.
It's still in his palm.
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a chill she had forgotten about suddenly seeped into her.
'No... This is not what I wanted.'
The thrill of being out of the mansion and the excitement of riding a horse at a breakneck pace had also subsided.
The pleasant excitement that had made her heart race was completely replaced by fear.
If I were to go back, perhaps Theano's beatings would begin.
It was when Ravielli, gripped by fear, lowered her head between her knees, and her lower jaw trembled.
“Ravielli?”
At that moment, Lucian opened the door and came in to find Ravielli trembling.
“What’s wrong, Ravielli? Why are you doing this?”
Lucian threw the food he had brought down onto the table and ran towards Ravielli.
Even without that, his white face was as white as a sheet of paper.
“I have to go. Please send me back to the mansion.”
“Ravielli.”
“Please... please!”
“Ravielli, calm down.”
"I have to go. You're the one who's going to tame that damn horse. Why did you bring me here? I need to stay at the mansion!"
Ravielli looked precarious, as if she was about to burst into tears.
“If the Marquis finds out that I left the mansion with you... he will probably...”
“Ravielli.”
Lucian gently grabbed Ravielli's shoulder.
As he completely wrapped his arms around her small, round shoulders, he could feel her swaying precariously.
"Ravielli, I know what you're afraid of. But my father is in Austria right now. It's a hundred miles away."
“...”
“Do you think I would have brought you all this way without any thought?”
Ravielli let out a hollow laugh at Lucian's words.
"This far away? It's only Rotten, after all. This is the Marquis's territory! Damn it, this is Eamon Gill's inn!"
Lucian gently tightened his grip on Ravielli's shoulder.
"Ravielli, this is the Marquis's territory, but it's closer to the border. Haven't you heard of Galatea?"
“...”
"This place is hardly worthy of being called Rotten. It's so rugged and borderline, it's a place the Marquis doesn't even bother to consider."
“But Eamon Gill is very close to the Marquis...”
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s Eamon’s Inn or the Marquis’ Inn.”
"You say it's not important? The Marquis will hear about it all. He'll suspect me of being an unfaithful woman, and he won't let you off the hook!"
Ravielli was very agitated.
“Have you forgotten, Ravielli? I’m with you entirely because of the Marquis’s orders.”
“...”
“It’s because of the order my father gave me. Have you forgotten?”
The direction of the discomfort began to change at Lucian's words.
“Don’t worry. I have a plan, so just follow it.”
“...Yeah, that damn order.”
Ravielli closed her eyes.
She couldn't stand the shame she felt for thinking she was free, even if only for a moment.
After experiencing a series of unfortunate events, Ravielli became weaker and weaker.
The only daughter of a wealthy Count, she would have lived a carefree life if not for the downfall of her family.
The only thing that worried her was what dress to wear to lunch tomorrow.
Ravielli had a hard time accepting the sudden change in his situation.
On the outside, she pretended to be calm and tried to live without any worries, but on the inside, she was really rotten.
Those were precarious days, as if it would explode at any moment if touched.
In the darkness, Ravielli collapsed to the floor.
Entering the space with a strange man brought about a great fear in her, and Ravielli could not overcome the surging emotions.
The anxiety that she might be caught and dragged away by Theano at any moment, yet the vague hope that she might be able to escape, everything swirled around her chest like a whirlpool.
It was a time when only heavy breathing continued between the two people.
“You... who the hell are you?”
Ravielli looked up at Lucian with bloodshot eyes.
Of course, life before that was not peaceful.
Rather than living in peace, she lived in such danger that it wouldn't be strange if she died at any time.
But since Lucian Meyer entered the mansion, Ravielli has had to face a new type of anxiety.
She couldn't face her feelings accurately and felt discomfort that was difficult to explain.
Lucian answered Ravielli's question with a calm look in his eyes.
“You’re not curious about my name now, are you? What do you want to know?”
“...”
“I have told you everything I can do for you. I am Lucian Meyer, son of Marquis Theano Meyer.”
"Why did you suddenly show up and ruin my life? Why now...!"
"It was already a mess before. Be honest, Ravielli Lehun. Weren't there moments when you were glad I came?"
Lucian leaned a little closer to Ravielli and continued speaking softly.
“Do you think I came here simply to be recognized as my father’s son?”
“...”
“Do you think you came here after that fortune?”
Lucian's hazel eyes began to glow with a strange light.
The almost murderous look in his eyes that she felt when she first met him.
Ravielli was momentarily gripped by fear as it turned solely towards him.
Comments
Post a Comment