Chapter 80
***
Thick steak, rich soup, freshly baked bread with butter, a side of savory sautéed vegetables, and a sweet pudding dessert—
dinner was more satisfying than they could have imagined.
Noah, his belly full and round, patted it contentedly before sprawling out on the sofa like a sleepy cat.
“Baron.”
Once the inn staff had cleared the table and withdrawn, Rector spoke carefully to Ethan.
“Before we leave for Karsten, there’s something I must tell you. Could you spare me a moment?”
“Can’t you just say it here?”
“Well…”
Rector trailed off, glancing toward Elisa.
Although Ethan had introduced her as his soon-to-be wife, they were not yet officially married.
To Rector, Elisa was still an outsider with no direct ties to the Karsten territory,
so naturally, he was cautious about what to say in front of her.
“She is—”
“It’s fine,” Elisa cut in before Ethan could protest.
“Go on, talk outside. Or should Noah and I leave the room instead?”
“N-No, there’s no need for that,” Rector replied quickly as Elisa started to rise.
“Then you’d better go,” she urged, giving Ethan a gentle push.
Driven out under her insistence, Ethan let out a short sigh and followed Rector down the hall.
The knight led him to a small room on the second floor—Rector’s own quarters.
Unlike Ethan’s spacious, well-furnished suite, this one contained only a bed and a table, barely enough for two grown men.
“I thought we’d be talking in the corridor,” Ethan said casually, glancing around.
“There might be listening ears in the hallway,” Rector replied. “I thought it safer to speak privately here.”
“So something’s happened in Karsten?”
“…Yes. But that matter can wait until you see it yourself and decide what to do.”
“And there’s something else?” Ethan prompted.
“There is, but…”
“Out with it.”
Rector hesitated for a long while, clearly struggling with the words.
“I said out with it.”
Under Ethan’s firm tone, the knight finally stammered,
“This is less about Karsten itself and more… about you, my lord. The thing is—there’s no residence prepared for you in Karsten.”
“…What? The lord’s mansion still stands, doesn’t it?”
“It does, but part of it was destroyed during the last war. The remaining area is currently being used by the knights.
Their quarters were ruined in the fighting as well, so there was no other choice.”
He went on, explaining that repairs were underway and that until they were finished, Ethan would have to stay at an inn.
By the end of the explanation, Ethan’s temples throbbed.
Until now, he had never once regretted returning to Karsten—
but at that moment, regret came crashing down like a wave.
***
What was supposed to be a short conversation dragged on longer than expected.
By the time Elisa had bathed and dried Noah’s hair, Ethan still hadn’t returned.
The freshly washed boy hugged his favorite wolf plushie and rolled lazily on the sofa before toddling over to the window.
His small eyes sparkled as he gazed at the stars scattered across the night sky.
“You can’t climb on the sill, but I’ll open the window for you,” Elisa said gently.
A cool night breeze slipped inside as she opened it, and Noah beamed with delight.
He even lifted his stuffed wolf toward the sky, as if to show it the stars.
“You might catch a cold, so only for a little while, all right? And don’t you dare climb up there,” she warned, smiling.
After making him promise, Elisa turned to organize their luggage.
They were set to leave early in the morning, so it was best to pack now.
Ethan hadn’t washed yet, so she left a fresh change of clothes for him aside…
While she was busy folding and sorting, a faint rustle reached her ears.
She brushed it off—perhaps the wind had stirred the curtains since the window was open.
Or maybe it came from the hallway.
But the sound seemed to come from the door, not the window.
It couldn’t be Ethan returning. Then who—?
The noise stopped as suddenly as it had come.
If it had continued, she might have checked, but now all was quiet.
Maybe a draft from the corridor windows, she reasoned, glancing back at Noah—
still lost in wonder, eyes glued to the glittering stars.
I’ll finish packing, then close the window, she thought.
But just as she reached for the last bag—
Shwick! Thud!
A sharp whistle sliced through the air.
An arrow flew past Noah’s cheek, embedding itself deep into the wall.
“Noah!”
Elisa dropped everything and rushed to him.
“Are you hurt? Let me see—”
Her hands trembled as she checked him over.
A thin red scratch marked his cheek, but the wound was shallow—thank heavens.
Her relief lasted only a heartbeat.
Another arrow could come at any moment.
She turned to close the window—
—but the door burst open instead.
Men in black masks stormed into the room.
Startled, Elisa tried to flee with Noah in her arms,
but there was nowhere to run.
“S—!”
She opened her mouth to scream, but one of them clamped a gloved hand over it.
Another tore Noah from her grasp.
No—Noah, no!
Elisa struggled wildly, but they were too strong.
When one of them pressed a blade to Noah’s throat as a warning,
her body froze in terror.
“Please… please, not the child…”
“Shh. Quiet.”
A low, rough voice whispered against her ear,
followed by the sting of a chemical odor that made her eyes water.
She tried to hold her breath, but it was too late.
The acrid scent flooded her lungs, clouding her thoughts.
Her vision spun—Noah’s crying face blurred,
the world dimmed—
—and then everything went black.
