Chapter 33
33. Dragging Her onto the Bed
"Are you asking me about the outcome, Eclaus?"
"Because Your Excellency holds the key to the bet's result."
"It's none of my concern."
Shed slammed the documents down and turned his head.
There was no need to get involved in the maids' trivial bets.
Intervening would only make the situation more ridiculous.
"You should be concerned, though."
Eclaus chuckled, flicking the coin in his hand once.
As he said, it would be absurd to step in and lecture the maids.
It would only draw more attention to the bet's outcome.
However, the fact that the bet was becoming an issue was something to watch carefully.
Whether true or not, it meant that people saw him as interested in Liana.
Shed knew this, which was why he reacted to the bet story like that.
"Public perception changes the course of history."
Eclaus rotated his wrist, flipping the coin in his hand back and forth.
"So, what's your point?"
"Bets always have a winner and a loser."
It wasn't about who won or lost money.
The repercussions of this bet, those repercussions must always be under the master's control.
"You need to steer the outcome of that contest in the direction you want, even if it's just a trivial bet among the maids."
Shed's mouth clamped shut again at Eclaus's advice.
His head was getting complicated over something so insignificant.
"What is the result Your Excellency desires?"
The desired result?
Shed mulled over the terms of the bet.
Did he want to get Liana into bed?
No, that kind of love had long since turned to ashes.
Then, did he want Liana to leave the Lester household?
No, he didn't want that either.
So, what outcome did he want from the bet?
What kind of ending did he want with Liana Serpens?
Revenge? Her suffering? And death?
Yes. That's what he wanted.
Clearly, he had thought that one day he would end her life with his own hands.
But...
Shed pressed hard on his temple.
A simple question had tangled his mind into a complicated mess.
Eclaus stared intently at the pensive Shed before parting his lips.
"Since things have come to this, how about Duke Lester joins the bet?"
At the unexpected suggestion, long eyelashes lifted, revealing violet eyes.
"A bet? With whom?"
"With me."
Eclaus smiled, pointing to himself with his fingertip.
"I'll bet 100,000 dela that Liana Serpens will leave."
He placed the lucky gold coin on the table with a thud, smiling.
His red eyes, filled with laughter, were clearly provoking Shed Lester.
One hundred thousand dela. It was enough to build several buildings without a problem.
Even for the Vittel family, it was a large sum to wager on such a bet.
"...Isn't that a disadvantageous bet for you? What if I drag Liana into bed to win the bet?"
"I believe Duke Lester is not that kind of person. And..."
Eclaus removed his hand holding the gold coin from the table.
In the place where his hand had been, there was a smooth gold coin with no picture drawn on it.
"Speaking of which, wouldn't Your Excellency be at a disadvantage as well?"
"Disadvantage?"
"If I decided to secretly spirit Liana away, the bet would end easily."
It wasn't a bluff.
With the Vittel family's information network and power, spiriting away one Liana would be no problem.
Instantly, a murderous glint flashed in Shed Lester's eyes.
At that, Eclaus raised both hands in surrender, laughing.
"I'm just saying. Just as Your Excellency won't use any tricks, I won't use any tricks either. The contest must be fair and square."
Eclaus's glib voice grated on Shed Lester's nerves.
"So, will you take the bet?"
***
Sunlight streamed through the old window gap.
A gust of wind swept around the lemon tree, which had begun to bloom with white flowers one by one.
A fresh and sweet fragrance blew in through the open window with the wind.
It was the scent of Ideana that Liana remembered.
Liana looked up at the sky, which had become noticeably warmer with the arrival of spring.
The pattern of the Guardian Barrier, faintly embroidered on the clear blue sky, was visible.
Like opal or mother-of-pearl, the barrier, with its subtle patterns that changed with the light, was like a truly beautiful work of art.
It had only been a week since Dietrich and the other Clerics had arrived.
They had surrounded the entire Paradel Castle with a Guardian Barrier that was on a different level from the existing one.
Even someone who knew nothing about Divine Power could tell at a glance that it was a much stronger and more excellent barrier than the previous one, which had barely surrounded the mansion with a clumsy structure.
"Now, move around a little and get some fresh air."
The doctor said, clearing away the medicine bottles and remaining bandages.
Only then did Liana's gaze, which had been directed out the window, turn inward.
"Thank you."
Liana bowed slightly to the doctor who had treated her.
"I'm the one who's grateful. That you're alive."
At those words, Liana felt a pang in her heart.
Was being alive really something to be grateful for?
"Your recovery is so fast."
At his words praising her miraculous recovery, Liana awkwardly lowered her gaze.
Although she was suppressing the Black Magic's natural regeneration ability, she couldn't completely suppress it, so she was regaining her health faster than others.
"The weather is nice today, so why don't you go out for a walk?"
The doctor said that and left the room.
Liana was lost in thought for a moment.
As he said, being cooped up in the room seemed to be making her feel increasingly depressed.
Old memories clung to her like glue, dragging her body heavily into a swamp.
She had to shake off the overwhelming sense of depression somehow.
Would getting some sunlight make her feel a little better?
Or would the approaching scenery of Ideana be too much for her?
She pondered, but sitting around wouldn't provide any answers.
Besides, she had hated spending time in bed since she was a child...
In the end, Liana borrowed the afternoon and left the room for the first time.
If there was one good thing about being a maid, it was that she could move around freely without having to be accompanied by others.
When she was Luise Ideana and walked around this mansion, she was always accompanied by maids and knights.
At that time, it was her father's kind measure for her, who was sick and often collapsed... or so she had believed.
Perhaps her father had assigned people to watch her.
To report any side effects or to see if she had noticed the experiments.
'Ah... stop thinking about the past, Luise.'
Once again, she was being sucked into the swamp of old memories, sinking again.
She shook her head, trying to shake off the self-deprecating memories somehow.
But despite her efforts, she followed the path her body remembered and headed familiarly to the back garden of the mansion.
It was a walking course she had taken as a child.
In the back garden, there was the lemon tree and the fence that could be seen from the window.
In the past, colorful flowers had bloomed along the white fence.
But now, everything except the lemon tree had lost its light. The small bushes and grass were stained with the fading of time, covered with overgrown weeds and messy vines.
Liana was newly grateful to the lemon tree for protecting and enduring this place.
She leaned against the crumbling fence in a place where shade and sunlight intersected.
The sound of birds singing could be heard in the distance, and the sound of grass rustling in the wind.
The Heretic was still there, and the past hadn't been erased, but Liana thought that for the first time, she felt a little, just a little, peaceful.
At that moment.
"And, and the groundwater Purification is also nearing completion. Uh, that, I was sorry that I couldn't finish it before..."
People's voices could be heard in the distance.
Liana turned her head in the direction of the sound.
"If, if the groundwater Purification is completed, we, we won't have to go all the way to the upper reaches to fetch water at risk."
When she turned her head, she saw Dietrich, wearing the High Priest's robes, and the Clerics, and Shed's group moving together.
They seemed to be looking around the mansion and talking about the Purification and barrier situation of Ideana.
Liana was surprised and raised herself up from where she had been leaning.
As soon as Shed's gaze, who had been talking to Dietrich, reached her, Liana turned her head as if she had been caught doing something bad.
Why am I avoiding his eyes?
Liana couldn't understand herself.
She felt like a stone that had been caught in a space where it shouldn't be.
Should she pretend not to notice and leave? Or should she politely greet him?
"Let's talk about the rest next time."
"Ah, yes...! May, may God be with you...!"
Shed dismissed the others.
As Dietrich and Werner and the others retreated, the back garden became quiet.
Even the birds that had been singing until just now had flown away somewhere, and not a single song could be heard.
Only a warm breeze blew between the two of them.
Liana couldn't avoid the situation, so she stood there awkwardly with her hands clasped together.
"Your Excellency."
As she greeted him with a beat late, Shed's eyes stared at her silently.
"...Is it okay to be outside?"
After a moment of silence, he asked.
"They said it's good to move around a little now..."
Liana answered in an unsure voice, like a child giving the wrong answer.
For the first time, Liana felt awkward being with Shed Lester.
It was strange that she had never felt so awkward even when the blades of their emotions were drawn against each other.
The two of them wandered in silence, not knowing what to say to each other.
There were too many wounds to say kind words to each other. Conversely, they knew each other's pain too well to pour out hurtful words.
She didn't have the courage to ask questions, and she was too afraid to give answers first.
