Translator: Nox

Chapter 42

The man’s focused gaze was like molten iron. It wasn’t just the intensity of his eyes, but the tension born from the realization that his every minute movement was being observed. Wherever his gaze brushed, heat rose as if he had been touched directly.

“…….”

Saliva pooled in her mouth. She wanted to say something, anything, to break this taut silence, but whenever she met those blue eyes watching her from beyond the paper, her breath caught. It felt as though she were in a dream rather than reality.

The faint warmth from the fireplace, the dust motes floating in the air, the sound of charcoal scratching against paper, the man in his rolled-up shirt sleeves, and the supple, resilient movement of his arms and the backs of his hands.

Whenever he tilted his head, shadows of light flickered softly across his handsome face. In the moment she swallowed a nervous breath, the man suddenly laughed.

“Relax a little.”

“…Is it obvious? Very?”

“Just keep talking, like you were doing before.”

“What I was saying before?”

“Anything is fine.”

When she blinked, unable to decide on a topic, River Ross spoke up as if to help her.

“There are those among sailors who believe in sirens.”

“Ah, I’ve heard of that. I heard that many fishermen, especially those in the north, truly believe monsters exist. They say they appear most often during the transition from winter to spring.”

Countless tales of siren lore had been passed down since ancient times, but Vanessa hadn’t even fully believed her own mother’s words. Legends were merely superstitions. It was likely just ships hitting reefs they couldn’t see because of the melting glaciers or the spring fog….

“It’s obviously a story made up to instill caution in those who sail. There are exceptionally many shipwrecks during that season, after all.”

“Right. They say the sirens devour the shipwrecked men and return to their nests to conceive new monsters.”

“Using human blood and flesh as nourishment…. Some people interpret those words to mean a sexual act.”

“Most sailors believe so. They say those enchanted by a siren don’t even realize it until the moment the monster kisses them.”

“River Ross. Do you believe in things like that?”

“I don’t believe in what I haven’t seen for myself. Don’t smile too broadly, Vanessa.”

“Alright.”

She smoothed her expression, which had inadvertently softened into a smile. She finally understood why the man before her didn’t believe in God. It was a reason that was quintessentially ‘River Ross.’

With flushed cheeks, Vanessa tried her best to keep her gaze steady. She liked seeing River Ross so seriously immersed in something. His firm fingertips rubbed the paper, and the hand holding the charcoal quickly added detailed strokes. The man’s elegant face was slightly flushed with concentration.

Sometimes, she was satisfied just killing time like this. It was okay to do nothing. She felt fulfilled simply by the sense of sharing the passage of time together in the same space. Eventually, River Ross looked up.

“There. Take a look.”

“You’re finished already?”

Vanessa rose from the bed and approached River Ross’s side. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, she took the paper from his hand. An exclamation escaped her the moment she saw the drawing.

It was a woman leaning her upper body obliquely against a rock where waves were crashing. Her gaze, staring straight ahead, was as clear as if she were innocent, but her fingernails gripping the stone were as sharp as blades. Below her waist, scales sprouted, and her legs shimmering beneath the water’s surface were not human, but long and transparent like a fish’s tail. Just like a mermaid from legend.

“I really love it….”

Vanessa marveled at the drawing as she looked at it, fascinated. It was her face, yet upon closer inspection, it wasn’t her. The monster in the drawing was both gentle and violent, innocent yet elegant. Surely, if those closed lips were to open, they would reveal pointed teeth.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“This… may I have it?”

“If you want.”

She very carefully tucked the drawing between her manuscripts. She planned to ask Mary to find a small frame so she could keep it forever. Looking at this drawing, she felt as though she could find courage even in moments when it failed her.

Because the woman in the drawing actually possessed sharp claws, pointed teeth that could bite through anything, and even a fierce temperament to cleverly navigate the waves. And a tail that could take her anywhere in the vast ocean….

Vanessa looked up as if suddenly remembering something.

“Oh, and River. I’ll be away from the castle for a week starting tomorrow. An invitation came from the Essex family to go hunting together.”

“Essex?”

“Yes. To be precise, the invitation went to Lord Roden, and he invited me. Until now, I’ve used the excuse of not having made my debut to refuse…. He said that since we’re getting married in the autumn, I should gain some experience before then. He said he loves hunting.”

Theodore poured whiskey into a glass as he listened to Vanessa’s voice. Come to think of it, hunting season was fast approaching. The peak of summer had passed, and the heat was beginning to break. Furthermore, Lord Roden was a man who chased after anything provocative, so nothing would suit his tastes better than a blood-splattered hunt. Despite that, he was a coward who had run away using his age as an excuse when the opportunity to serve in the military arose….

News of the ‘hunts’ Lord Roden enjoyed around this time every year often reached even the indifferent ears of Theodore. Alcohol, women, gambling—all the vulgar amusements that continued for a week.

Since he had even invited his fiancée, he would maintain some degree of appearances, but it wouldn’t be a refined hunt where they merely chatted on horseback and aimed their rifles. Having guessed all of this, he asked as if he knew nothing.

“Have you ever hunted before?”

“No. I’ve never even learned how to hold a gun.”

“Hold this.”

He pointed to a long black umbrella leaning against the doorway. Her eyes sparkling with the anticipation of learning something new, Vanessa scrambled up and gripped the umbrella as if it were a rifle. She clumsily mimicked a shooting stance she had seen somewhere and aimed it at River Ross.

“Like this?”

River Ross, who had been watching her silently, strode toward Vanessa. Standing behind her, he took hold of her slender hands and corrected the position of each finger.

“An actual rifle will be heavier than this. Spread your legs and straighten your back. If the umbrella handle is the buttstock, you need to press it more firmly against your shoulder. If you don’t brace it properly, the recoil will either jerk the barrel up or dislocate your shoulder.”

“Against my shoulder, like this?”

“A bit higher. The servants will handle the reloading for you, so just focus on holding the barrel steady. Check your target through the sight. It would be located around here.”

He pointed to the top of the umbrella with his finger. Vanessa squinted one eye and looked at the spot his finger indicated.

“Should the target I want to hit be in the center of the sight?”

“It varies from person to person. So, if the target is stationary, take a shot. You can judge the next one based on the trajectory.”

“What if it’s a moving target?”

“You have to aim by predicting its movement.”

“It’s hard.”

“Stay like this. Keep the barrel about a knuckle’s width away from your cheek.”

He slipped his palm between the umbrella and her cheek. The man’s broad chest enveloped her back, and his large hands firmly supported her from beneath both arms. It was just as she managed to strike a somewhat plausible pose after moving this way and that according to his instructions.

“Now, breathe in. Keep your eyes on the target until the end.”

Bang. With a sound of gunfire that couldn’t possibly be heard, strength surged into his hands gripping her arms. The umbrella jolted up and down as if to let her feel the recoil of a shot against her shoulder. In that moment, she felt as if smoke were rising, even though there could be none. Just as she had heard a gunshot that couldn’t have sounded.

“Once you’ve fired, lower the muzzle and pull the bolt to eject the casing.”

She was busy trying to regain the stance River Ross had taught her on her own when he spoke.

“People aim guns instead of using teeth or claws, Vanessa.”

She looked up at the incomprehensible remark.

“It is an equalizing power that can kill a person even with the frailest of bodies.”

“…….”

“Once you get used to it, you might even mistake a person for a beast and shoot.”