Chapter 46

46

"……What on earth is going on here?"

He quickly approached me. Seeing that I was holding Zen's hand, he frowned and then naturally wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me toward him.

Zen, who had lost his grip on me, blinked in confusion. Theodore glanced coldly at him and then shifted his gaze to me.

"Miss Elsner said she needed to rush to the greenhouse… What happened? Why is Lennon Chester here…"

At his words, I furrowed my brow. Florentine sent him here?

'What was she thinking?'

…Let me think. Lennon and Florentine seemed to have agreed in advance to trap me here.

If their plan had gone as intended, I would have been assaulted here. But Zen Delacroix intervened, and when Florentine witnessed him entering the greenhouse…

'…If Lennon is caught for attempted rape, he might confess and mention Florentine… She must have acted quickly to avoid being implicated as an accomplice.'

…It’s certain. Florentine wouldn’t be caught as an accomplice.

I lifted my head and asked Theodore.

"What exactly did Miss Elsner tell you?"

"That…"

Theodore explained in detail how he came to be here.

The story he told was as follows:

After finishing all his tasks for the day, he came to the Elsner mansion, eager to see me early. Unexpectedly, Florentine ran to him and asked for help…

"…Miss Elsner seemed frightened and was talking incoherently."

Florentine said she was being threatened and had no choice but to comply, and that I was in danger and he needed to come to the greenhouse immediately.

"And she said you were in danger. She didn’t mention Lennon Chester."

"…."

I sighed heavily. It was absurd. Florentine and Owen seemed like a well-matched pair. They should have just gotten married instead of breaking the engagement. They would have lived very well together.

"…What happened with Lennon Chester? …And why is the Young Duke Delacroix here?"

Theodore pulled me closer and asked. His hands were trembling, as if he had already guessed what had happened here.

I wasn’t ashamed or scared; I was just disappointed that I hadn’t been able to properly deal with Lennon. So I spoke without reservation.

"Florentine lured me here and locked me in with Lennon. Lennon tried to rape me."

"…."

Theodore’s face turned cold as if frost had settled on it. Then a fierce light appeared in his eyes, and he glared at Lennon as if he wanted to kill him on the spot.

"Ugh… Ugh…"

At that moment, Lennon, who had just regained consciousness, staggered to his feet.

Despite being hit by Zen, he was still able to move, showing his resilience. …Indeed, I regretted not having done more.

'If Zen Delacroix hadn’t intervened…'

That was when it happened.

The air trembled strongly, and a ringing sound pierced my head. It was a sign that a powerful spirit was awakening due to the anger of its contractor.

I looked at Theodore in surprise. His irises were even bluer than usual.

Soon, blue flames appeared in the air and began to circle around him and me.

When Theodore extended his hand, the flames coiled around his arm like a snake.

In the next moment, a fiery arrow shot from his fingertips and struck Lennon’s right face.

"Aaah!"

Lennon screamed and fell to the ground. His right face was burned by the blue flames. It happened in an instant. The fire died down in less than ten seconds, and Lennon’s right face was…

Burned so badly that it was unbearable to look at.

"A… Aaah! Uuuh! My face… My face!"

Lennon ran frantically toward a fountain in the greenhouse.

He clung to the stone wall and looked at his reflection in the water, letting out a sharp, agonizing scream.

"Aaaah!"

He plunged his face into the fountain water, as if it would wash away the burns.

Watching this ridiculous scene, I let out a small laugh.

I no longer felt the need to pretend to be meek and obedient. It didn’t matter anymore. I felt like a wild calf that had broken free.

Perhaps it was for the best. If Theodore knew my true nature, he would stop being so affectionate.

With this thought, I turned to him with a wide smile. When our eyes met, Theodore, who had been staring at me blankly, sighed softly.

Then he gently embraced me and said,

"I’m sorry I was late."

"…."

My mind went blank.

I couldn’t think at all. …What did he just say? Did he just hug me?

After seeing half of a person’s face burn?

"You’re safe, and I’m really relieved."

"…."

"From now on, I’ll make sure nothing like this happens again. I’m really ashamed."

…It was incomprehensible.

Why was he hugging me? Didn’t I look like a madwoman to everyone?

Didn’t I seem no different from the demons of Everette, whom Theodore Valentina despised so much?

I was completely bewildered. I had never thought that he would be kind to me even after seeing my dark side. I had assumed he would find me repulsive.

But Theodore’s attitude didn’t change at all.

"…."

I stared at him blankly, still in his embrace. I could only move my lips, not knowing what to say. My mind was a complete mess.

Theodore reached out and gently stroked my cheek. Soon, his lips touched my forehead.

It was a very warm and tender kiss, one that made me want to cry.

"It’s okay now. Don’t worry about anything."

"…."

"You don’t need to worry anymore. I’ll take care of everything."

…And from then on, everything went as he said.

With the help of Zen Delacroix, of course.

* * *

The reason Zen Delacroix burst into the greenhouse was simple but full of questions.

"…I don’t understand. Why did the Young Duke Delacroix’s spirit hide its power in me?"

"…."

That was it.

Zen Delacroix knew I was in danger thanks to his spirit.

His spirit had hidden its power in me without either of us knowing, and suddenly Zen Delacroix was able to see and hear everything I did.

"…My spirit, Ventus, is very playful. That’s why, no other reason…"

Zen Delacroix blushed and stammered.

Theodore shot him a sharp look.

Under Theodore’s sharp gaze, Zen flinched and then laughed awkwardly.

"I’ll scold Ventus, Your Grace Valentina. …Please don’t be too upset."

"…."

Theodore rolled his eyes irritably and sighed.

I was puzzled by why he was so wary of Zen. After all, Zen had helped me, and I should be grateful.

‘Have these two had a bad relationship before?’

As far as I remembered, they hadn’t. They just exchanged polite greetings. I hadn’t even heard of any bad blood between them.

I glanced at Theodore and then asked Zen casually.

"…So, the Young Duke Delacroix saw everything that happened to me through your spirit?"

"…Yes, that’s right…"

"…."

A moment of silence followed.

‘Everything’ he saw.

Not just saw, but heard as well.

He saw how crazy I had been.

"…."

I lowered my head and then started to laugh, shaking my shoulders.

Zen Delacroix stared at me blankly.

I asked him bluntly,

"Are you the type to gossip?"

"Excuse me? No, absolutely not!"

I didn’t understand why he was so vehemently denying it.

Ignoring his flustered state, I continued,

"Anyway, you know everything, including that Miss Elsner was an accomplice to Lennon Chester."

Zen’s eyes darkened, and he then looked serious. He nodded in agreement.

"Yes. …If you need my testimony—"

"I do."

Of course.

I couldn’t let Florentine Elsner get away easily.

Zen stared at me blankly again and then snapped out of it when Theodore clicked his tongue.

"I’ll testify. Just call me whenever you need me."

I smiled at him.

"Thank you, Young Duke Delacroix."

Thus, two days later, the trial of Lennon Chester and Florentine Elsner began.