Time Healer Ceres
Chapter 33
Even though flyers had been distributed throughout the surrounding areas and requests for assistance had been made, the lack of information was almost uncanny.
“How can there be absolutely no witnesses?”
“I know, right. Good grief, it’s as if they vanished into thin air or sank into the earth….”
Furthermore, because there was no information regarding the man reportedly living with them, the investigation had hit a complete standstill.
“Do you think they’re already dead…?”
“Hey! It’s too early to jump to conclusions.”
“I’m sorry.”
The other soldiers rebuked the young private for his careless words. Their gazes shifted back toward Knox, who had already moved quite a distance away.
Supported by a neighbor, his staggering footsteps looked particularly pitiful today.
“Get some rest now.”
“Yes, hyung…. Thank you so much for today.”
“We’ll find them, so don’t worry too much.”
“I hope so.”
Knox offered a bitter smile at his neighbor’s comforting words and turned away.
However, as he turned, a slightly different smile flickered across his face before quickly vanishing.
Click.
“…!”
Slam!
“Knox? What’s wrong?”
The neighbor, who had been watching him enter the house, was puzzled by Knox’s sudden behavior—slamming the door shut and hurriedly stumbling backward.
His face had turned deathly pale, as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have. It was clearly not normal.
“N-no, it’s nothing. I just suddenly felt nauseous…. I think I need some fresh air. You go on ahead, hyung.”
“Tsk, you must be exhausted. Go inside and rest soon.”
“Yes.”
Knox nodded vigorously with an awkward expression and did not move an inch until the neighbor had completely disappeared from sight.
“Pant… pant…. W-what is this?”
Only after he was alone did Knox exhale the breath he had been holding and slowly turn back toward the house.
His eyes shook violently, as if an earthquake were happening inside them, as he stared at the firmly closed wooden door.
“…I must have misseen it, right?”
Yes. It was definitely an illusion.
His nerves were probably just frayed from spending the last few days and nights acting while constantly conscious of the eyes around him.
After checking one last time to ensure no one was nearby, Knox reached out with a trembling hand and cautiously gripped the doorknob.
Click.
Creeeeeak.
“C-crazy…!”
Stepping inside, he hurriedly bolted the door as if terrified of being caught by someone.
The first thing he felt was the thick, overwhelming stench of blood rushing at him.
“How, how is this possible…!”
The interior of the house was a complete bloodbath.
It was a scene all too familiar.
Pools of blood gathered in every corner of the floor.
Bloodstains splattered across the walls.
Even the handprints where someone had clawed at the door to survive!
All of it was the direct result of his own actions!
“But I erased it!”
Had he not worked himself to the bone to scrub it clean?
Had he not poured all sorts of chemicals to make every trace disappear?
“Then why…!”
Is this a dream?
Yes. This must be a dream!
Knox crawled forward, reaching out a trembling hand toward the blood pooling on the floor.
“Eek!”
It was real blood! It wasn’t an illusion, and it wasn’t a dream!
Looking at his hand, now stained with sticky blood, Knox collapsed onto the floor.
“T-this makes no sense.”
What is this? What on earth is happening?!
Jump!
His despair was short-lived; Knox scrambled to his feet.
He had no idea what was going on, but there was only one thing he had to do right now.
Erase the evidence!
He began to wipe away the blood like a madman.
Scrubbing and scrubbing. Pouring every last drop of the remaining chemicals!
He scrubbed and scrubbed, losing all track of time.
“Ugh….”
Knox lay slumped in a corner, asleep.
In his hand, he still held a tattered cloth, a testament to the night spent mopping the floors.
Feeling the sunlight filtering through the window, suggesting he had slept quite a while, he groggily pushed himself up.
“What time is it….”
Thud.
“…….”
The rag Knox was holding fell limply to the floor. His hollow eyes snapped wide open in an instant.
“A-aa… Aaaaaargh!”
Soon, a desperate scream tore from his throat.
“Why, why…!”
Had he not cleaned all night?
He had scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed until his hands were raw!
Then why….
Thump.
“…….”
Staring at the pools of blood scattered throughout the house as if the night’s work had been a lie, Knox collapsed right there on the floor.
“Ceres-nim, where are you coming from so early in the morning?”
“A walk.”
“A walk?”
This early?
Jay tilted her head.
Ceres, who had left the mansion even earlier than her, had only just entered the shop as it opened.
“I thought you went straight to the shop.”
“I intended to, but the weather was just too good. On a day like this, being outside is….”
“C-Ceres-nim! Your nose, you have a nosebleed!”
“…Aw, damn it.”
What is wrong with this body?
A nosebleed just from using that much power? Talk about a pathetic physical vessel.
“Here’s a handkerchief! Oh no, what do I do, what do I do!”
“It’s fine. It’s no big deal.”
Ceres wiped the blood away roughly with the handkerchief, reassuring the panicked Jay.
It had been a long time since she’d had a nosebleed.
Tinkle.
“Huh?”
At the sound of the shop door opening, Jay turned her head, and her eyes went wide. She immediately recognized the customer who stepped inside.
She had only seen him once, but his appearance was so striking that he was impossible to forget.
“Ah, I’m sorry. We aren’t open for business yet.”
Jay spoke up quickly, trying to stop the guest from entering.
Ceres turned her head as well, her eyes widening slightly.
“It’s fine, Jay.”
“Pardon?”
“Go inside and finish tidying up the kitchen.”
“Ah, yes.”
Jay might not know since she wasn’t at the shop every single day, but this man had been showing his face quite often lately.
‘Are you just bored?’
Is it really okay for a Grand Duke to drop by whenever he feels like it?
Why does he come so often?
What is the reason?! It makes me feel like an idiot for being anxious that I’d never see him again!
‘I thought that day would be the last.’
Who would have guessed she’d end up seeing him almost every day?
And why did he show up at the crack of dawn today?
“You’re early.”
“You told me to be.”
‘Since you’re bothering the other customers, either come early in the morning or late in the evening.’
‘…Wait, was it because of that?’
Since the mercenaries scrambled to escape every time he showed up, she had told him to pick a specific time to visit.
Ceres shook her head slightly.
Truly, the man knew no middle ground.
“Sit over here.”
Ceres gestured toward a seat for the standing Kainel.
“…….”
Kainel was staring at Ceres, who was still holding one hand to her nose.
“It would be better if you stayed still and didn’t move.”
At the blunt advice, Ceres couldn’t help but let out a short laugh.
‘Please, just stay still, Grace.’
‘Exactly! The bleeding won’t stop!’
‘It’s fine. You don’t die from a little nosebleed.’
‘You do! How can you not die when you’re pouring out blood?!’
‘Grace, are you dying? Are you going to die? No! Don’t die!’
‘…Kai, you’re making the kid cry. Stop scaring him.’
She was reminded of the two boys who used to freak out every time she had a nosebleed.
‘…She’s smiling again.’
Kainel’s eyes narrowed slightly.
It was incredibly bothersome when this woman looked at him and wore that inscrutable smile, just like she was doing now.
‘No.’
Or perhaps it was the fact that he found someone “bothersome” that was actually the problem.
What did it matter to him whether someone else smiled or not?
“Want food?”
“…….”
That way of speaking was bothersome too.
This woman used a strange register whenever she saw him—neither formal nor casual, but somewhere in between.
“The stew isn’t ready yet.”
“I’ll wait.”
Kainel sat down and closed his eyes, settling into a relaxed posture as if he had all the time in the world.
Listening to the sound of Ceres heading toward the kitchen, he sank into deep thought.
‘A recipe passed down through generations.’
On his first visit to this shop, Kainel had naturally asked the question he was curious about.
Where did she learn this stew recipe?
‘It’s a recipe that has been passed down in my family… sir.’
He didn’t know how it was possible, but this was undoubtedly the stew Grace used to make.
‘Grace used to give the recipe to others occasionally.’
Even so, it was remarkable that the taste had been preserved so perfectly for 300 years.
Even if one had the recipe, how could there be absolutely no difference in flavor?
Was such a thing even possible after all that time?
Thud.
“……?”
Lost in thought, Kainel opened his eyes at the sound of something being set down.
He saw an omelet with steam curling off it.
“Eat this while you wait for the stew to finish.”
