48 - The Time of the Blind Beast (15+ Revised Edition)
Chapter 48
Whether the moon was out or not, Rose often went for walks with Ezekiel, whose eyes were covered with thick cloth. Following the path, tightly bound with ropes, they would naturally embrace or kiss at spots where statues were erected. Ezekiel, who had somehow memorized the path, knew their location without Rose's guidance and would pull her closer first.
“Wait, this isn't the spot.”
Sometimes, he would play tricks. Stopping in front of an odd statue, or even in an empty space, he would arbitrarily steal Rose's breath away. Rose would pat his shoulder to calm him, but she didn't actively avoid him when Ezekiel pressed his lips to hers.
The time spent standing still, feeling each other's warmth, was longer than the time spent walking the path. As a result, each step felt infinitely distant.
There were days when they would stroll through the garden, which could have been circled in thirty minutes, for an hour and a half. Today was no different. More often than not, they would be surprised at how quickly time had passed. Of course, they could infer the passage of time somewhat from the moon's arc across the night sky, but Rose didn't bother to count it. Tonight, once passed, would never return. There was no reason to shorten precious memories by being conscious of time.
“Wait a moment, Major. It’s too open here.”
Ezekiel felt Rose was excessively cautious. Every time he nuzzled her waist, dropping kisses on her forehead and eyelids, Rose kept glancing nervously at their surroundings, where there was nothing.
“What does it matter if no one is watching?”
“The order is reversed. It’s not that no one is watching, but that no one can come into the garden because of us…”
It was then. Suddenly, the sound of rustling grass, as if something had brushed past it, reached Ezekiel’s ears.
Wait. Is it really empty?
“Shh.”
The moment he signaled, he pulled Rose’s head into his chest.
Rustle, rustle. The grass was brushed again. This time, it was clearer.
He knew this kind of sound well. It was a signal from nature when an ambushed enemy stepped carelessly. The sound, with a hint of artificiality, creating a sense of unease, grated on his nerves.
As soon as his instincts detected another presence, Ezekiel immediately turned, shielding Rose behind him, and swept his feet across the ground, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon.
“Who’s there!”
If it were an employee of the mansion, they would have identified themselves. But there was no answer.
“Major, what’s suddenly…?”
While Rose, unaware of the situation, looked bewildered, a large stone brushed against his heel. He immediately kicked it up with his heel, catching it by feel.
He didn't know the opponent's height. He didn't know their build. If that were the case, aiming for a lower target would have a higher chance of success.
Based on his experience as a renowned marksman, eyesight is surprisingly not crucial for shooting. In reality, one cannot expect clear vision on a battlefield where blood, dust, allies, and enemies clash. When the war situation was unfavorable, he would hide behind cover, expose only his rifle barrel, and take down enemies by relying on the thudding footsteps on the ground. Everything was instinct. In fact, true marksmen reached a state where they could sense, the moment a bullet left the barrel, whether it hit the target or missed.
Ezekiel trusted his instincts.
The stone drew a long parabola, aimed at the sound of movement.
“Oof!”
A man’s scream was heard. Only then did Rose jump in surprise. What’s more, the man’s voice was familiar, which surprised her even more.
It was Merlo.
He had suspected they had something to hide, and in the end, he couldn't bear it and had apparently snuck into the mansion under the cover of darkness.
Rose quickly peeked out from behind Ezekiel’s back and looked around.
It was a rare moonlit night, so Merlo was visible at a glance. Unfortunately, he was crouching down, perhaps trying to hide, so the stone Ezekiel threw struck Merlo directly on the side of his head. He was lucky to have reacted quickly, covering his mouth immediately after a short groan, thus avoiding further attacks.
If he had taken even one careless step, Ezekiel’s hearing would not have missed his position.
My goodness. Swallowing her shock, Rose glanced sideways at Ezekiel. He was intently watching the opponent’s movements with his ears, while his feet continued to search for weapons – habits of a soldier. He glared fiercely into the darkness overgrown with weeds, not letting his guard down. Knowing that an attack would follow even the slightest sound, Merlo also held his breath and only looked at Rose, begging for help.
If that hand had been holding a Rifle, Merlo might have died instantly. Rose shivered, recalling Ezekiel’s past as a renowned marksman, unmatched when armed with a gun, bullets, and gunpowder.
In any case, Merlo was a messenger dispatched from the main family. His identity was certain, and he was not someone who intended to harm Rose or Ezekiel. For the sake of damage control, it would be problematic to inflict serious injury.
“Ah!”
She didn't have time to think. Rose deliberately feigned panic and let her legs give out, falling down.
“Rose? Did you trip on something?”
Though her act was somewhat clumsy, it succeeded in drawing Ezekiel’s attention.
He immediately found the fallen Rose and knelt down. His hands were unhesitating as they fumbled under her skirt, which had ridden up, to her legs.
“Let me see. Are you hurt?”
“I’m… I’m fine.”
While he focused on Rose, he did not neglect his vigilance. He pushed aside the handkerchief that was partially covering his ear, sharpening his hearing, and then massaged Rose’s calf down to her ankle with his large hands. He had touched her body so often that he was confident he could detect even slight swelling by the change in her skin.
“You’re hurt.”
It wasn't just swelling. Her skin felt wet and clammy; this was clearly bleeding.
This was the problem with an unkempt garden. With small pebbles and sharp grass scattered everywhere, even a slight bump on the knee could easily scrape the skin.
Ezekiel quickly rummaged through his pockets, looking for cloth to wrap the wound. He happened to have the handkerchief he had just removed. He had performed simple first aid countless times during his military service. He wrapped the handkerchief around Rose’s injured knee and applied pressure to stop the bleeding.
“Rose, tell me if you see anyone around.”
Even in the midst of this, Ezekiel had not forgotten the intruder. Rose quickly concocted a lie.
“I think he’s… gone. I don’t see anything around.”
“A petty thief, perhaps.”
Petty thieves and swindlers who targeted large mansions were common everywhere. Even in the populous main family estate, there had been several night visitors looking for valuables. Without a doubt, this mansion had also been targeted numerous times. This was one of the reasons Madam Serva, who had been managing the mansion, kept valuables on this floor and inspected them daily.
Ezekiel narrowed his brow.
“I should wake the servants and have them search the area.”
Rose limped, leaning on Ezekiel for support, as they entered the mansion. Glancing back slightly, she saw Merlo, clutching his injured head, desperately trying to stay hidden. Although he had sustained a minor head injury, his limbs were intact, so he would be able to escape on his own before the servants arrived. That was enough.
More importantly, Rose had something else to attend to.
The cloth he had used to wrap her knee wound was the handkerchief that had covered her eyes.
Her heart began to pound wildly.
Dr. Briman peered intently into Ezekiel’s eyes. The eyes of a man whom everyone, regardless of gender or age, found beautiful, were now sunken into a deep, opaque dark blue, having lost their function.
They were like a cave that endlessly swallowed light. Gazing into that darkness, Dr. Briman spoke his first words.
“Do you still feel nothing unusual?”
“Hmm. I’m not sure. There’s nothing different from usual.”
Ezekiel’s reaction was as calm as ever. Rose, who was seated with him, exchanged glances with Dr. Briman.
Just the other day, Ezekiel had faced bright moonlight without feeling any pain. This was proof that the poison was no longer affecting his body.
Dr. Briman nodded towards Rose. Then he said to Ezekiel,
“I have been holding a Lamp continuously. You no longer feel pain from light.”
As he fumbled around with his hands, Dr. Briman placed the Lamp he was holding into Ezekiel’s hand to prove his words.
Ezekiel blinked his dim eyes a couple of times. It was strange. He felt only a slight discomfort when looking at strong light, but absolutely no pain that felt like it was drilling into his brain.
“But why can’t I see yet?”
He had naturally assumed his sight would return once the pain disappeared. But now, only the pain was gone; his vision remained monochromatic.
“If you no longer feel pain, it is correct to assume the poison has been neutralized. However, if there is no change in your vision, there must be another reason. Could you open your eyes wider?”
Dr. Briman carefully examined the surface of the eyeball with a magnifying glass. Both Ezekiel and Rose maintained a deathly silence until the doctor finished his examination.
Finally, Dr. Briman put down the Lamp and the magnifying glass.
“First, allow me to ask one question. You said that woman sprayed poison into your eyes when she tried to harm you?”
Ezekiel recalled the memory. It was a scene he had replayed hundreds, thousands of times, aided by the hallucinations of opium, so the answer came quickly.
“She scattered the contents of the bottle into my eyes.”
“Then the cause of your blindness may not be solely the poison.”
Dr. Briman delivered his diagnosis.
