Chapter 12
Chapter 12
He found her at last. From a distance, she looked like a small, white rabbit, peering around nervously.
He drew his bow without a moment’s hesitation. He’d thought it over and over as he searched. He would make her pay dearly when he caught her. For the unnecessary headache and discomfort, for this entire bothersome process, for the wasted time.
He disliked deviations from his plans and had no qualms about eliminating those who caused them. But when he finally met her clear, peach-blossom eyes…
His sharp temper softened. Perhaps it was because his throbbing head had suddenly cleared, like the sky after a rain shower. That was why he settled for such a light punishment.
“I quite liked your scream, too.” Medicine poured onto the wound, and a clean white cloth was wrapped around it. Having finished the first aid, he glanced at her neck and his brow twitched. The wound he’d inflicted on her neck during their first encounter hadn’t healed yet.
‘Does she have particularly delicate skin?’ Benedict roughly applied the remaining medicine to the neck wound and then lifted her into his arms.
She was incredibly light, like a small, arrow-struck rabbit. Even unconscious, her body convulsed intermittently from the pain.
Impatient creature. Benedict misjudged the nature of the small beast he had captured and enslaved, bringing his face close to her wound. “Still… unique.” He murmured, his nose almost touching the bloodstained cloth. It’s usually metallic… He inhaled her scent as if drinking it in, then flicked his tongue out, tasting the blood that hadn’t yet dried.
Sweet. Like a ripe, luscious apple. “Is there honey in your blood?” He lifted his head after savoring the sweetness a few more times, a faint hint of satisfaction playing on his lips.
The hunt was over.
***
The sharp scent of grass filled the air. A pungent aroma that tingled her nose. A refreshing scent, yet one that hinted at a bitter, spicy taste if she were to touch her tongue to it.
…The smell of medicine.
The moment she recognized it, Hilde opened her eyes. “Ah, ugh…”
The first sensation that greeted her was the throbbing pain in her left shoulder. The events leading up to her losing consciousness flashed through her hazy mind. She had escaped the dungeon, run, been shot with an arrow. And the one who shot her…
“Gasp!” Hilde shuddered, a soft moan escaping her lips as she remembered the man who had inflicted such terrible pain upon her.
“I don’t like it when my belongings misbehave.”
“So you must endure. Don’t you agree?”
His emotionless, merciless gaze, the ruthless way he’d pulled out the arrow… Just the thought of it felt like torture. At least the pain was much less now than before…
‘…!’ Suddenly remembering something, Hilde frantically reached for her neck.
To her relief, she felt the familiar necklace.
She breathed a sigh of relief, running a hand over her chest. Then, cautiously, she touched her injured shoulder. Beneath the soft fabric, she felt the bandages wrapped around the wound. It seemed she had been treated and her clothes changed.
‘Did he order it?’
But why was it so quiet? Hilde belatedly realized there was no sign of anyone else in the room and slowly sat up. Her eyes scanned the room. It was night, but the scattered candles provided enough light to make out the objects within.
Paintings lined the walls, an ornate sofa, a table with carved edges… Hilde thought it looked remarkably similar to the headmistress’s office at the orphanage, the room where guests were received and entertained. The only difference was the large four-poster bed she was sitting on.
“Where… am I?”
Why is no one here?
She silently placed her feet on the floor and walked towards the curtained windows. But every window, including the shutters, was tightly locked, preventing her from seeing outside. Finally, her gaze landed on the mahogany door.
“…It’s open.”
Hilde’s small frame slipped through the doorway.
And soon, she encountered an unexpected obstacle. Lost amidst a maze of identical doors and hallways, with no one in sight.
“This won’t do. I have to go back…”
But when she turned around, Hilde became even more disoriented. She couldn’t find the room she had just been in. Everything looked the same. Left, right. Her sense of direction vanished, and she felt dizzy.
‘What do I do? What should I do…?’
Lost and bewildered, Hilde started walking, choosing a direction at random. Then, she spotted an area bathed in brighter light and headed towards it.
‘Stairs!’ Relieved, she was about to step onto the staircase leading down when someone suddenly grabbed her shoulder.
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