Gyaahhh!
I woke up abruptly from my deep sleep.
‘A child’s scream?’
I heard a ripping sound. And the sound of birds taking flight.
I quickly got up, turned on the light, and approached the window. I could sense people gathering near the forest.
‘What’s happening?’
I put on a shawl and went outside.
“My lady, why did you come out? It’s dangerous.”
Among the people, Zion stood there wearing pajamas and a robe.
“What’s going on?”
“We heard noises from the forest. It sounded like a child crying, so everyone went to investigate, but there’s no one there. It must have been an animal crying. It’s the time when foxes come out.”
Zion comforted me.
“Everyone seems to be obsessed with the rumors of ghosts in the Southern Castle.”
“Yeah…”
I opened my eyes wide and looked at the dark forest. There was no one there.
“Oh, I just woke up.”
“Is it this forest again?”
People started dispersing, one by one, heading back to the castle.
“Zion, what about my Dad?”
“The Duke…?”
Zion’s voice trailed off. He had a troubled expression on his face.
Ah, I shouldn’t get involved with Collen’s nighttime excursions. I nodded.
“Do you have something interesting to share?”
“No, not really. He just said he wanted to experience the atmosphere of the South after a long time. And… he doesn’t sleep well at night when he’s in the South.”
I tilted my head in confusion.
“He dislikes the South that much?”
Zion smiled bitterly.
“That’s not it. You should go inside now,” Zion urged me. “You shouldn’t come out alone at night like this.”
“Yes,” I nodded.
Crackle. At that moment, I definitely heard a sound. I perked up my ears.
“Did you not hear that sound just now, Zion?”
“What?”
I saw a figure moving in the forest.
‘Cedric?’
There was a boy with violet eyes hiding in the grassy forest.
Shhh. Cedric placed his finger on his lips. I swallowed nervously.
‘Did he disappear?’
What did I just see?
“Why are you acting like that?”
“…It’s nothing.”
I followed Zion back into the mansion.
‘A suspicious kid.’
I felt uneasy.
‘Why was he there in the first place?’
* * *
“It’s over, it’s all over.”
Count Gallian murmured as he sat in his room. There were already two empty bottles of wine on the table.
“Even that disappeared, and my precious daughters, my hopes, have also been ruined. Useless things. I put so much effort and care into raising them! They’re nothing but pretty, foolish faces! I spent so much on their education abroad.”
Just the thought of it made him furious.
“To incur the Duke’s wrath. After spending so much money to marry off anyone and everyone.”
Bang!
He struck the table.
“I can’t forgive you above all else. Did they disrespect me? Do they not know how wealthy I am? Do they think I’m the same old Count I used to be?”
Thinking of Leticia’s once charming face, Count Gallian gritted his teeth.
“If they wanted to act so high and mighty with their supposedly special lineage, they shouldn’t have married off my daughters. Even if I have to die, I will repay the humiliation I received from those arrogant Duke bastards.”
His angry outburst was momentarily followed by a despairing mutter.
“They disrespected me, they did…”
Then suddenly, he began to sob.
“But I’ve failed. I’ve failed… He won’t leave me alone.”
As if recalling something, Count Gallian shifted his gaze to the air.
“Yes, there was a way.”
Count Gallian smirked, his lips curling up.
“I just need to seek help from him!”
He walked decisively and opened a drawer.
Inside the drawer, where herbs were stored, it was filled with red flowers. Red flowers with golden lines.
“If it can be done that way, if only that succeeds…”
Count Gallian began to mutter with a vacant stare.
Gyaahhh!
I woke up abruptly from my deep sleep.
‘A child’s scream?’
I heard a ripping sound. And the sound of birds taking flight.
I quickly got up, turned on the light, and approached the window. I could sense people gathering near the forest.
‘What’s happening?’
I put on a shawl and went outside.
“My lady, why did you come out? It’s dangerous.”
Among the people, Zion stood there wearing pajamas and a robe.
“What’s going on?”
“We heard noises from the forest. It sounded like a child crying, so everyone went to investigate, but there’s no one there. It must have been an animal crying. It’s the time when foxes come out.”
Zion comforted me.
“Everyone seems to be obsessed with the rumors of ghosts in the Southern Castle.”
“Yeah…”
I opened my eyes wide and looked at the dark forest. There was no one there.
“Oh, I just woke up.”
“Is it this forest again?”
People started dispersing, one by one, heading back to the castle.
“Zion, what about my Dad?”
“The Duke…?”
Zion’s voice trailed off. He had a troubled expression on his face.
Ah, I shouldn’t get involved with Collen’s nighttime excursions. I nodded.
“Do you have something interesting to share?”
“No, not really. He just said he wanted to experience the atmosphere of the South after a long time. And… he doesn’t sleep well at night when he’s in the South.”
I tilted my head in confusion.
“He dislikes the South that much?”
Zion smiled bitterly.
“That’s not it. You should go inside now,” Zion urged me. “You shouldn’t come out alone at night like this.”
“Yes,” I nodded.
Crackle. At that moment, I definitely heard a sound. I perked up my ears.
“Did you not hear that sound just now, Zion?”
“What?”
I saw a figure moving in the forest.
‘Cedric?’
There was a boy with violet eyes hiding in the grassy forest.
Shhh. Cedric placed his finger on his lips. I swallowed nervously.
‘Did he disappear?’
What did I just see?
“Why are you acting like that?”
“…It’s nothing.”
I followed Zion back into the mansion.
‘A suspicious kid.’
I felt uneasy.
‘Why was he there in the first place?’
* * *
“It’s over, it’s all over.”
Count Gallian murmured as he sat in his room. There were already two empty bottles of wine on the table.
“Even that disappeared, and my precious daughters, my hopes, have also been ruined. Useless things. I put so much effort and care into raising them! They’re nothing but pretty, foolish faces! I spent so much on their education abroad.”
Just the thought of it made him furious.
“To incur the Duke’s wrath. After spending so much money to marry off anyone and everyone.”
Bang!
He struck the table.
“I can’t forgive you above all else. Did they disrespect me? Do they not know how wealthy I am? Do they think I’m the same old Count I used to be?”
Thinking of Leticia’s once charming face, Count Gallian gritted his teeth.
“If they wanted to act so high and mighty with their supposedly special lineage, they shouldn’t have married off my daughters. Even if I have to die, I will repay the humiliation I received from those arrogant Duke bastards.”
His angry outburst was momentarily followed by a despairing mutter.
“They disrespected me, they did…”
Then suddenly, he began to sob.
“But I’ve failed. I’ve failed… He won’t leave me alone.”
As if recalling something, Count Gallian shifted his gaze to the air.
“Yes, there was a way.”
Count Gallian smirked, his lips curling up.
“I just need to seek help from him!”
He walked decisively and opened a drawer.
Inside the drawer, where herbs were stored, it was filled with red flowers. Red flowers with golden lines.
“If it can be done that way, if only that succeeds…”
Count Gallian began to mutter with a vacant stare.
