Chapter 24

Translated by XyeHeart Edited by XyeHeart

A sudden sound came from nowhere.

The horse then abruptly raised its front paws, knocking Klaus and Meriel to the ground.

When Klaus noticed the thick arrow lodged in the nape of their horse, he forgot about his own pain and grabbed Meriel. Meriel took his hand in hers and began running. His right arm was droopy, most likely from a fall while she was wrapped around him.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to let you go.” Klaus’ words were accompanied by arrows.

The arrow deftly sailed past Meriel and Klaus.

It would have been simple to hit those fleeing, but the arrow kept missing. He was so gifted that he purposefully missed them.

Craig was savoring this moment as if he were a predator playing with his prey. He was insane, just as Meriel predicted.

The two had to run without stopping until they reached the edge of the forest, gasping for air. Deep darkness descended, and Craig’s unseen harassment persisted.

“Are you okay?”

They had completely escaped the forest, and the flying arrows had also stopped. When they reached the paved road, they were able to catch their breath.

Klaus, who kept wielding his sword, was drenched in sweat as he waited for the arrows to pass.

“How about you, Klaus?”

“I’m fine.” He said this as he tried to catch his breath.

Meriel took a seat on the ground. She, like her heart, just wanted to lie down.

“…Who is that person?” Meriel, who had been catching her breath for a long time, asked after she had calmed down a little.

His face hardened violently, as if he didn’t want to talk about Craig.

“He’s insane.”

“I noticed that.”

She was well aware of it because she had firsthand knowledge of it. Meriel felt a million fears from him in a short period of time.

“Who the hell is that insane person doing this?”

“Have you heard of Palletas?” “I’d heard about them. Isn’t it the crazed religious sect in Dustin’s estate?”

Selina’s personal feelings were the first force she learned from her education. These are the people who demonstrate erratic movements and proclaim that demons will rule the world one day.

Meriel recalled what she had learned.

“To be specific, a group of people who stand up for things,” she added.

“That’s right, he’s the leader of the group.”

“Wow, that’s insane.”

Meriel wanted to know how Klaus knew Craig was the leader of such a group.

But when she talked about him, she felt a deep sense of anger and sadness from Klaus that she hadn’t felt before. As a result, she was unable to ask. She seemed to have touched something he was trying to keep hidden.

“Did you hurt your arm?”

“No, it isn’t.”

“I know you’re hurt, so don’t try to fool me.”

Meriel stood up from her seat on the road. Klaus, who was always on the lookout for an unexpected situation, hid his injured right arm.

“I don’t even know how to cure it, so you don’t have to hide it like that.”

“……”

Meriel simply approached slowly and grabbed his left hand. His gloved hand was still carefully held.

Klaus flinched and tried to pull his hand away, but Mariel gripped his hand more tightly.

“If you take it off a little bit, I’ll cut it off.”

“What’s the matter with you?” In disbelief, Klaus asked.

“I’m trying to help you.”

“How can you help me in this situation?”

“You’re too big to lean on my shoulder. I’ll only appear to be clinging to you.”

Klaus took Meriel’s hand without saying anything as she rubbed her lips. As if he understood Meriel’s words.

She wished she could sleep more, but the forest was still nearby. She had the impression Craig was still watching them, so she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

Klaus trailed Meriel without saying anything.

“When did you come back?”

“I arrived yesterday afternoon.” he replied immediately

“I was out, and I’m sorry I couldn’t greet you.”

“……”

“Did you come straight to the palace?”

“……”

“No?”

Klaus remained silent when Meriel pretended she didn’t know. Meriel burst out laughing because he couldn’t lie and was embarrassed.

She wondered how strange it would look to smile with her face smudged with tears, but she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Have you been somewhere else?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask where you have been?”

“Of course.”

“Where have you been?”

“I went to a store owned by a childhood friend. There is no other meaning. I have a question so… Oh…ahmm..my friend is very good with information…”

Meriel burst out laughing as she listened to his gibberish. She raised her head and looked up at him. Klaus was perplexed on the outside, but not the inside.

“Please contact me before you return the next time.”

“……”

“So, I can welcome you, right?”

“I will definitely do that.”

“Oh, and because we’re still newlyweds, I’m a little disappointed that you’re going to meet a friend first, rather than your wife.”

“Are you upset?”

“No, that’s not it.”

She could see why she felt strange at the store during the day. It was the first inspection he conducted while she was by herself.

She had vowed to greet him cheerfully when he returned. She also considered what she wanted to do with him when he returned.

Why did he do that?

Meriel hoped he did as much for her as she waited and thought for him. However, he returned to Grant and went to meet his friend without first looking for her.

Despite the fact that it was not Klaus’ appearance, Meriel felt pathetic. She was also disappointed that she was the only one who thought so.

She assumed he, too, wished to see her.

She was irritated because it wasn’t like that at all.

“I went to a store owned by your childhood friend.”

“How did you get there?”

“Bran was my escort. She’s such a lovely friend.”

“I’m really friends with Eirin.”

“Did someone say something?”

“Just in case you misunderstood.”

Meriel laughed as she remembered the conversation she had with him when he was Kiyan.

He was pretending not to be Klaus, and she was angry at the time, and he was only concerned with himself.

“That’s when I met Kiyan. I was furious at him for nothing, but I have to apologize when I return.”

“If it’s Kiyan, he won’t mind.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ll tell him.”

“Isn’t that an abuse of power?”

“Kiyan is fine.”

Meriel gripped his warm hand tightly. If he wanted to hide the fact that he was Kiyan, he would pretend not to know until the very end.

During the conversation, however, he brought up the contents of her conversation with Kiyan in a subtle manner.

How come the monster grand duke is so sloppy?

He was extremely shy when he was with her, but whenever she was in danger, he was always there to save her. Even from the man who had just given her a horrible nightmare.

Meriel was well aware of what he had become for her. He truly gave Meriel a reason to live.

It was romantic to hold her hand and walk through the dark night, but she didn’t have enough stamina.

It took a while for her to realize her heart was racing, and she felt a rumbling in her stomach for no apparent reason.

‘Stay still, please.’ she thought to herself.

He couldn’t have heard her standing right next to him, but thankfully, Klaus ignored her.

“There’s a long way to Grant. Would you like to take a break?”

He asked, his gaze drawn to Meriel, who appeared to be exhausted.

She was also concerned about Klaus’s injured arm, but at this rate, she was about to collapse on the ground without moving.

They saw the river leading up to Grant as they exited the road. They went down to the river to wash their hands.

“Uh?”

Then her attention was drawn to a small hut at the river’s mouth.

“People who live in the Grant area’s outskirts sometimes build huts like that.”

“Aren’t they homeless?”

“They chose freedom on their own.”

Klaus was the Grand Duke of the Dustin estate.

As a lord, he was someone who helped young people live happily ever after. He seemed to want to ignore the fact that people were living in such a run-down hut on his own estate.

“Klaus, not everyone has the opportunity to live a happy life. They should not be left alone in these circumstances. Isn’t it true that lords should consider what they can do for them?”

“It is entirely their decision.”

“Whoa! I’m disappointed.”

Meriel went into an empty hut after leaving Klaus, who did not admit it until the end. Unlike what she saw from the outside, she felt at ease once she entered.

Klaus and Meriel’s clothes were shabby and messed up, just like the people who used to live in the hut.

“They appear to be a homeless couple.”

“…It is a safe haven for free people. Grant has a number of huts built in this manner.”

“Yes, yes. That’s enough excuses.”

“How come you don’t believe me?”

“I don’t like it when you make excuses, Klaus. Why not simply admit it?”

Klaus let out a frustrated sigh. Meriel sat on the pile of animal hair and marveled at the sophistication of the hut, where there was no room for wind to enter. The hut, which even had a log chair, resembled a ‘house,’ as Klaus put it.

“Aren’t you going to follow me all the way here?”

“It’s time for the sun to come up. Don’t worry, he won’t show up where there isn’t a forest.”

Klaus rose from his seat and approached Meriel’s side, sensing her anxiety. As they sat next to each other on a bed made of soft animal hair, a strange air flowed between them.

“I don’t want to spend another night in this place.” Meriel suddenly commented.

“…what…”

“So, don’t get sucked into the lewd atmosphere.”

“Does such a word come out in such a situation?”

“However… In situations like this, don’t you usually get irritated with the excuse of raising your body temperature?”

“Where the hell did you get that idea?”

“I believe I saw it somewhere.”

“Can you tell me where you saw it? It’s a book, isn’t it? I’ll have to burn it down to get rid of it!”

Klaus jumped out of his seat and yelled.

When he fell, Meriel appeared to be reviving his chilling sensation.

Translator’s Note:

I’ll be posting the next chapter tomorrow. X♥X

Read only at Travis Translations