Translator: Nox

Chapter 49

49

49. The Baron family's Secret Maid (2)

I left the mansion and went to the place where he had been standing just a moment ago. I illuminated the surroundings with the lamp in my hand, but a strong wind blew. Dry leaves rolled across the ground, and the lamp creaked, casting light here and there.

Then something caught my eye. There were traces of what looked like water droplets on the ground. Moreover, it wasn't just one or two drops, but a trail leading somewhere.

"What is this?"

Puzzled, I approached and examined it, but it wasn't water. The color was dark. It wasn't just because of the darkness. I bent down and touched it, and it stained my fingertip. The moment I held it up to the light and identified what it was, I was horrified.

It was blood. These were bloodstains.

My horrified gaze turned to the trail of bloodstains in front of me. It was heading towards the corner behind the Separate Residence. I swallowed hard and straightened my back. I tried to calm my trembling heart. It felt ominous. Should I call someone?

Then Lucas, whom I had just parted with, came to mind. He wasn't anywhere in the mansion. Could it be? I hesitated for a moment, lost in confusing thoughts, then steeled my resolve and slowly took a step.

I shone the lamp on the ground where the bloodstains were. The closer I got to the corner, the more bloodstains there were.

The Hair tie fluttered in the wind and struck my face. After briefly securing the Hair tie, I focused my attention on the corner. A strange noise mixed with the sound of the wind. It sounded like voices...

Just as I had that thought, I reached the corner. I swallowed hard and quietly took a step. I turned my body and shone the light of the lamp.

At that moment, a strong gust of wind blew, and my eyes closed. My clothes fluttered in the wind, and the lamp shook, making me dizzy.

I raised my hand to block the wind and barely managed to open my eyes a slit. In the darkness, the light of the lamp flickered erratically. The wavering light illuminated the ground, the wall, the figure standing before me, and the figure collapsed beneath it.

And then a strong force struck the lamp.

"Aah!"

I screamed instinctively. As my body fell backward, the lamp in my hand shattered on the ground. Darkness engulfed my vision.

I quickly groped around for the lamp. But all I could touch were broken pieces of the lamp. Still, I grabbed onto them. Even as I did, I didn't stop screaming. I screamed as loudly as I could, hoping someone would hear me.

Then, someone grabbed my ankle. My body was thrown onto its back. I struggled and tried to shake off the hand. My frantic screams were mixed with sobs. I wildly swung the shard in my hand.

"Ah! Ah! Get away!"

"...Paula..."

"Ah! Aah!"

Save me! Don't do this! Get away! I screamed and shook my legs wildly. I struggled to survive. Then, as I crawled backward, a familiar voice reached my ears.

"Paula."

The voice, uttered with difficulty, jolted me awake. I immediately turned my head. Tears filled with terror streamed down my face.

As I stopped screaming, the sound of the wind buzzed in my ears. I could also hear a faint call within it. I heard it clearly.

"Lucas?"

"..."

As my eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, I could see a round shape. I called out his name, but there was no response. Instead, the sound of labored breathing became clearer. Listening intently, I slowly reached out and groped for the hand holding my ankle. Something wet soaked my hand.

"Lucas? Is that really you, Lucas?"

"Pau... Paula..."

"Oh my god. Lucas!"

I crawled towards him. Lucas was lying on the ground. He was curled up, struggling to reach out and grab me.

I tried to examine his face, but it was too dark to see clearly. Panicked, I touched his face with trembling hands, then touched his body. Then, when my hand reached a certain spot, it became soaked with something wet. I tried to identify what it was, but it was too dark to tell.

I tried to lift him up, but his limp body was too heavy. I held Lucas in my arms and barely managed to raise his upper body. But his weak body couldn't maintain its balance and slipped, so I ended up having to sit him up, almost leaning against me.

Even as I did, my hands became wetter and wetter. And when I touched the area around his stomach, where he was holding, I realized that something was gushing out.

I slowly raised my wet hand. I still couldn't see clearly. But I instinctively knew what it was. The bloodstains on the ground, the constant flow of wetness. Blood, it's blood. His blood was flowing from his stomach.

I gasped and pressed down on the area with my hand. But the blood flowed relentlessly through my fingers.

"Wh-what is this? What is all this?"

"Pau, haa. Paula."

"Yes. Lucas. It's me. I'm here. What happened?"

"Haa. Haa."

His rough breath reached my ear. He leaned his face on my shoulder and exhaled with difficulty. But his breath was precarious and unstable, as if it could stop at any moment. His condition was terrible.

Who did this? Who on earth...?

"Lu, Lucas. Stay with me."

I shook his shoulder. Lucas slowly rolled his eyes as if responding. There was no focus in his eyes as he looked at me. Seeing that, I burst into tears.

"Hic. Stay with me. Don't fall asleep."

"Why... haa, why didn't you, haa, let me go..."

"Hic. Sob."

"I was... waiting..."

He mumbled. His voice was small, as if it would fade away at any moment. I slapped his cheek. I shouted at him to please stay awake. I was afraid he would fall asleep.

"Don't fall asleep. Don't fall asleep."

"I was... waiting every day... Instead, instead of my brother... for you to be sent... haa... I was waiting... Haa, ugh, I was wait, hic!"

He groaned and twisted his body. I held him tightly, preventing him from slipping out of my arms. His breathing, which I could hear in my ear, was too rough. The blood continued to flow without stopping.

I looked around. I shouted to see if anyone was there, but it was a place where people rarely came, so there was no one around.

Tears kept blurring my vision. I wiped my eyes repeatedly, looking around in case someone who could save him passed by.

"Don't fall asleep. Don't fall asleep. Please. Don't sleep."

"I was really... happy... I really..."

"Lucas. Don't fall asleep."

His voice, mumbling something, faded weakly. I slapped his cheeks to keep him from falling asleep. The body temperature I felt in my hands was cold. He was a person, but he was cold. That was scary.

I have to get him treated quickly.

There was no time to be doing this.

I put his arm over my shoulder and, with all my strength, lifted his body up. But it wasn't easy to drag him along, as he had no strength in his body. He couldn't even take a single step properly and collapsed.

I carried him on my back and took a step. His limp body was still too heavy. Eventually, I fell forward without even taking a few steps. I felt a stinging pain, but I jumped up and carried him on my back again. But this time too, I couldn't go far and fell again.

My heart was anxious. My heart was pounding with unease. I only had the thought that I had to get him to a place where someone could help him. I tried to carry him on my back a few more times, but gave up and instead reached my arms from behind him, grabbed his upper body, and dragged him. His body was dragged along the ground.

"You can't die. You can't die. Please. No."

I took a step, dragging him with all my strength. Sweat dripped onto my tear-stained face. But I didn't give up. I muttered like a madman and walked forward one step at a time. But he was too heavy, and I was too weak to drag a grown man. I resented myself for that.

Please, quickly!

"I have to go quickly. You can't die. Don't fall asleep. I have to. go."

"...la."

"I have to go. Quickly. Quickly."

"La..."

He grasped my trembling hand. Recognizing the sensation, I stopped walking.

We emerged from the darkness and arrived under the moonlight, and his bloodstains followed the path I had dragged him along.

I immediately checked his condition. I could see his pale face. It was so pale that he looked like a dead person. I put my trembling fingertips under his nose. I could feel a faint breath.

Sobbing, I covered my mouth with both hands. My hands were covered in blood. It was such a large amount that he might die.

"Lucas. Lucas."

I called him, crying. I begged him not to fall asleep. I wanted him to call me as always. But instead of calling me, he moved his lips slightly. As if he was trying to say something. Realizing that, I carefully laid him down and brought my ear close to his moving lips.

Hiss- A labored word was cut off between the heavy breaths.

"Run, run, away. Quickly. Run, from my brother. Paula."

"Lucas. I'm here."

I held the hand that was slightly raised. He also groped for my hand and grabbed it. His eyes, which had been blinking weakly, finally focused and turned to me. When our eyes met, he blinked once. At that reaction, I burst into tears of relief.

It was at that moment. I felt a presence in the darkness.

Footsteps. As soon as I heard the sound, my face stiffened. I turned my heavy head and looked towards the sound, and something flickered in the darkness. It gradually flickered more clearly.

Lucas pressed my hand tightly. My gaze returned to him.

"Go. Run, quickly. Go."

"..."

He said earnestly, but my body wouldn't move. My legs were heavy. My body was frozen, and I couldn't even move a finger. Fear crushed me. I'm scared. I'm so scared. Someone, please save me.

Seeing me like that, Lucas suddenly twisted his body. A groan escaped from him. He looked like he was in pain. Even so, he supported himself with one hand on the ground, and with the other hand clutching his stomach, he struggled to raise his upper body.

He grasped my hand tightly with his trembling hand. My dazed eyes collided with his shaking brown eyes. The desperation in them poured over me.

A thin tear streamed down the corner of his eye.

"Go."

"..."

"Quickly, go. Go. Go—"

The hand that was holding me finally pushed me away.

"Run away!"

The moment I saw his face contorted as if he was crying, my body moved instinctively. I put strength into my heavy legs, stood up, and turned my body. Ignoring the approaching footsteps, I ran as fast as I could, looking only ahead, as he had wished.

'I will never forget this moment.'

The moment I was swallowed by the darkness that was falling again, I remembered Lucas standing in front of the mansion, looking at me. His eyes, which were filled with kindness and curved gently, and the corners of his mouth, which also turned upwards. A smile that considered the other person. He always smiled at me like that.

Was he smiling like that then too? And is he smiling at me now, even as I move away?

Tears streamed down my face.

As I ran, I desperately hoped that Lucas wouldn't fall asleep.