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Chapter 37.
“Alright. Disperse immediately and conduct a search. We can’t afford to have another victim tonight.”
Nicholas ordered his subordinates.
In particular, there may be bloodstains left, so he ordered them to look carefully for those traces.
Following his orders, the members readied themselves and their weapons and dispersed.
The incident occurred less than a week after Fideut’s death.
Nicholas anxiously looked up at the night sky with a full moon.
It was an ominous night.
***
Killian leaned his heavy body against the tree and bit his teeth.
Blood oozed above his pale neck.
As he swallowed the pain, he lifted his head to see the intensely beautiful full moon hanging in the sky.
“Damn it…”
Curses escaped through his laboured breaths.
Having run until his breath was about to give out in order to escape pursuit, his throat felt like it would tear apart from the pain.
He took off the stuffy mask and tucked it into his robe.
Since he had returned to the residence of the grand duke’s family, it seemed like he had successfully evaded the pursuit for now.
But if he didn’t hurry back to his room, he would arouse suspicion.
Someone must be coming to call him, the commander of the military police.
Kilian forced himself to stand upright, pushing his body away from the tree.
A sharp pain shot through his waist.
“This is driving me crazy…”
Kilian burst into a hollow laugh at the pitiful situation.
When he touched his waist, a damp liquid stained his black gloves.
His white shirt had been stained red for a long time. The wound was deeper than he had thought.
However, he couldn’t afford to waste time here.
He had come this far, so he only needed to reach his room.
He glanced around, surveying his surroundings.
Entering through the main entrance of the Duke’s residence is not an option. It’s an affair unknown to the other servants, including Garfield. He inspected the walls of the Grand Duke’s residence.
He spotted a terrace on the second floor.
If he could just climb up there, things would be easier.
Having determined his route, he tied his shirt around the wounded area to avoid leaving bloodstains.
“Ugh…”
As he applied pressure to the wound by tying the shirt, pain surged through him.
“What a mess…”
He muttered with a self-pitying smile while wiping the blood from his gloves onto the edge of his robe.
Having barely managed it, he stood against the mansion’s wall, following the pre-planned route.
There were places between the bricks to grip with his hands and feet. He climbed the wall of the Grand Duke’s Palace as if he were rock climbing.
Normally, it would be a task he could easily accomplish, but today, every time he exerted himself, a piercing pain tore through his body.
His trembling hands felt like they were losing strength.
Struggling with the pain that intensified with each movement, he barely made it to the terrace, sticking to the mansion’s wall as he had planned.
Despite climbing only a few metres, he was already out of breath. He paused on the terrace, trying to calm his laboured breathing for a moment.
Due to excessive movement, the wound tore further, and the bleeding didn’t stop.
But then, at that moment, the terrace door opened, and a gust of wind blew, causing the white chiffon curtain to flutter.
Kilian, who was clutching his wound, lifted his head.
‘Escape…’  As he tried to hide, the moment he tried to rise, he froze in place due to the excruciating pain that felt like someone was tearing at his wounds.
And then, they came face-to-face.
Sophia came out to get some fresh air while holding a glass of water.
In that instant, both of them stood frozen, unable to utter a word.
Only Sophia’s eyes widened at the sight of him.
“…Well, I’ve been caught.”
He murmured with a mix of self-pity and resignation.
Caught without a moment’s hesitation. By someone, I really didn’t want to be seen by.
Things couldn’t have gotten more tangled.
With only the thought of returning to his room immediately, he had forgotten that this terrace was connected to Sophia’s room.
No, he hadn’t expected her to be awake at this hour in the first place.
He had to conceal his injury with his robe and maintain a composed expression as much as possible.
How could he make an excuse?
Will the excuse work?
Lost in his thoughts, he looked at his fiancĂŠe, who he had unfortunately encountered.
Eyes filled with fear.
Pale skin illuminated by moonlight.
Frozen lips, devoid of breath.
A white, shimmering schism dress fluttered in the wind along with the chiffon curtain.
And trembling hands.
What are you afraid of?
Do you suspect that I was trying to intrude into your room?
‘Oh, I don’t want to be suspected of that…’
Everything is messed up and only laughter comes out. Truly, the second worst day of my life.
At that time, Sophia, who was shaking, eventually let go of the water cup she was holding.
Kilian reached out and caught the glass.
Her breath hitched again.
“We’re going to wake people up, Sophia…?”
Even uttering a single word was difficult, but Kilian forced a relaxed smile.
He couldn’t let her discover his injury.
Despite the pain coursing through his waist, causing cold sweat to flow, he looked at the cup Sophia had been drinking from.
There were traces of her lips on the rim of the transparent glass.
“Well, this works out nicely. I felt like my throat was drying up.”
Whether it was due to the blood draining from his wound or the cold sweat flowing along his spine, the burning thirst doesn’t go away.
Killian took the cup Sophia had been drinking from and brought it to his lips.
The water, sweeter and cooler than usual, flowed down his throat, quenching his thirst.
It was less than a cup, but it filled him up.
It was enough to moisten his parched lips.
He slowly placed the empty cup on the terrace railing.
Sophia watched him drink from the glass.
With fearful eyes, she didn’t run away.
Brave, indeed, but still a strange woman.
Doesn’t she realize that a man who visits a woman’s terrace at such a late hour, no matter the reason, is dangerous?”
There seems to be a lack of crisis awareness.
After all, she was the woman who jumped into the pond just this afternoon.
Perhaps it’s because she lives in the attic that she doesn’t know how scary the world can be.
Despite the urgent situation, I couldn’t help but have unnecessary thoughts, maybe because I’m in pain.
At that moment, Sofia covered her mouth with trembling hands.
“Blood, blood….”
Her gaze was fixed on his waist.
“Oh….”
Although he had covered it with a robe, somehow the wound had seeped through and was exposed.
Not only his white shirt but also his thigh was stained with blood.
Killian hastily pulled the robe back and hid the wound.
Sofia’s face turned pale.
“Do, doctor…!”
She tried to turn around and call for a doctor.
He was grateful that she wanted to call a doctor rather than a military police officer or a servant.
“No, you can’t.”
He grabbed Sofia’s wrist.
With his strength, Sofia’s body turned back towards him.
At that moment, the full moon reflected in Sofia’s eyes.
For some reason, the full moon was particularly beautiful tonight.
There is a myth that the full moon drives people crazy. They say that the moon, brimming with ominous energy, destroys people’s souls.
Perhaps tonight is one of those nights.
On a night when the full moon had risen, Killian pressed his lips against Sofia’s.
Sofia’s lips, which had not been able to call a doctor, were sealed by him.
The pain in his waist that had been throbbing at the touch of his lips disappeared.
All senses were transferred from me to you.
The tip of the tongue tingled sharply.
The scent of a spring night emanated from her.
The hot breath tickled his cheek.
Perhaps because he had been chased and rushed here, his heart was beating fast.
He thought it would be nice if this moment could last forever in time, in his madness.
But as the black clouds gradually covered the full moon, reason awakened him again.
The military police would soon come looking for him.
He forcefully detached his lips from Sophia’s.
“Forget what you saw tonight, Sofia.”
He looked at his fiancĂŠe, who was looking at him in confusion.
I have to forget.
That I came here.
That I was tempted by you.
I have to forget for your sake.
Sophia’s pupils trembled.
Killian slowly let go of her hand.
This might not be enough to completely shut her mouth.
It would be right to use a slightly tougher move.
But somehow, he wanted to believe Sofia. He wanted to believe that she wouldn’t tell anyone about tonight.
Looking into Sofia’s eyes, he received an indescribable affirmation.
And…
“Killian…!”
He left the terrace as if escaping from Sofia.
*****
Killian pushed the bookshelf with all his strength.
With a heavy thud, the bookshelf moved, revealing his hiding place.
Finally, Killian managed to lean his body against the chair and sit down. The excruciating pain he had desperately held back surged all at once, like a tidal wave.
Drops of blood fell onto the black floor.
There was no spare moment to light a fire. In the deep darkness, he took off his gloves and carelessly hung his robe over the armrest of the chair.
He opened the desk drawer and took out bandages, disinfectant, and a hemostatic agent.
As he tore open his shirt, his blood-soaked waist came into view.
Every slight movement of his waist caused deep groans, blood spewing like a grotesque monster.
Killian forcefully opened the cork stopper of the disinfectant as if tearing it with his teeth.
He spat out the cork towards the desk and soaked a handkerchief with the disinfectant, wiping the wounded area.
The contact with the disinfectant made the wounded area burn as if on fire. Trembling, Killian endured the pain.
As he held back the moans, the sound of his teeth grinding against each other could be heard from his closed mouth.
Swallowing the escaping groans, he disinfected the wound and applied the hemostatic agent.
Even that alone required so much effort that it felt as if he would collapse from exhaustion.
His body, revealed beneath the torn shirt, was drenched in sweat.
The wounds were severe and needed stitches, but he simply didn’t have the strength to do it now.
Then, through the thin wall, the sound of hoofbeats could be heard.