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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Spreading Warmth (3)
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My entire body ached from using muscles I hadn't used in a long time. While the ointment Cyrus Karha applied had significantly reduced the pain from my wounds, it hadn't disappeared completely.
I knew I needed more rest, but I couldn't keep imposing on Cyrus Karha. As Ariana stood up, Cyrus Karha looked up at her as if asking why.
The blue light emanating from the mushrooms dyed his silver hair a sky-blue hue. His strikingly red eyes seemed even more intense against his skin, which was so pale it appeared blue. His sharply chiseled nose sat above lips as red as his eyes.
Only now did Ariana notice a small mole beneath his left eye. Instead of meeting his cold gaze, she fixed her eyes on the mole below his eye and spoke.
"I should go now."
"Where to?"
"Anywhere."
"It's dark outside."
"The cave is long. It will take me more than a day to get out at my pace. Won't it be bright by the time I escape?"
Cyrus Karha, who had been sitting on a small rock, rested his elbows on his knees and lightly propped his chin on the back of his hand, watching Ariana intently with only his eyes.
"What's the rush? Haven't you succeeded in escaping the Bronte Ducal Estate?"
"By now, the Duchess will have arrived in the city beyond the mountains. She'll inform the soldiers that my carriage has disappeared. The Duchess's plan was to hear of my death and play the role of a grieving mother who lost her daughter, but thanks to Your Grace's help, all those who tried to harm me are dead."
"Hmm. It sounds like you're subtly blaming me. Is that my imagination?"
"You must have disposed of their bodies so they couldn't be found, too. What happened to the coachman?"
"He was dead. I didn't touch him."
"In that case, the soldiers will only find the coachman's body at the scene. There are signs of an attack and blood on the ground, but they won't find my body or my maid's, so they won't be certain of my death. There's no reason to leave the coachman's body and only take mine and the maid's."
"They'll think it's a kidnapping."
"Yes, probably. The buying and selling of people happens secretly, and noble ladies are especially valuable, so they'll suspect that. The soldiers will list me as missing."
Cyrus Karha lowered the hand propping his chin and crossed his arms.
"What does that have to do with your hurry?"
Ariana sensed that Cyrus Karha knew the answer but was asking anyway, so she replied calmly.
"If my death were confirmed, the Duchess would hold my funeral at her villa in the capital. A noblewoman and a Noble Lady who lost a daughter, a sister, or a sibling in an unfortunate accident. What better way to gain public sympathy?"
"The ladies of society are ruthless. Rachel Bronte is still your birth mother, would she really try to use your death?"
"She said she wanted to kill me when I was in her womb."
"..."
"Since I survived and came out, seeing me must have been like hell for the Duchess."
Cyrus Karha quietly observed Ariana's face.
She spoke of her mother wanting to kill her, yet a faint smile played on her lips.
That desolate, chilling smile was not what Cyrus Karha wanted to see. He wanted to see a brighter smile, one that, yes, illuminated the space before him like the sun.
Like when Ariana had laughed, finding Cyrus Karha's words amusing.
Rui, standing nearby, lightly touched Cyrus Karha's shoulder.
Having been together for a long time, Cyrus Karha knew what she was saying just by her gaze.
'It would be best to comfort the Duchess, My Lord.'
Comfort?
It had been too long since Cyrus Karha had received comfort, so he didn't know how to give it.
Rummaging through his memories, his childhood came to mind.
His mother, who would warmly embrace him when he teared up after being scolded by his father for playing pranks.
Should he just embrace her?
Just as Cyrus Karha was about to stand up, Ariana continued speaking.
"But with a missing daughter, the Duchess cannot achieve her planned outcome."
Cyrus Karha looked at Ariana in an awkward posture, neither fully standing nor sitting. The desolate smile that had been on Ariana's lips was gone.
"If she continues her journey to the capital while her daughter is missing, she'll only be scorned. Whether it's finding my body or finding me, she must find me before she can plan anything else. So, I must leave the Western Territory before they catch me."
"..."
"But Your Grace, are you unwell? Why are you in such a posture?"
Cyrus Karha, having been called out by Ariana, stood up straight and faced her.
"Do you know what warriors value most on the battlefield?"
Ariana was bewildered by his sudden question but answered patiently.
"Weapons?"
"No. Sleep."
"Sleep...?"
"Yes. If a person can't sleep, this place..."
His finger lightly brushed Ariana's temple. Despite the brief contact, she felt a chill.
"...goes mad. So, they try to fall asleep quickly and deeply, even during very short rest periods. A warrior who can do that well survives longer. Isn't that right, Rui?"
"That is correct."
"Your health isn't good, and you're suffering from severe muscle pain right now."
Ariana's face flushed, realizing her physical condition had been exposed.
"You haven't slept, so your eyes are hollow. How far do you think you can escape in this state? Do you really think you can go far with a mind that's not functioning due to lack of sleep?"
It was a valid point.
"I have no benefit in killing you, and neither does Rui, so you don't have to worry about an attack while you sleep."
"I never thought Your Grace would kill me."
"Oh, you're confident. Then get some sleep."
Ariana sat back down.
As Cyrus Karha said, if she had left like this, she wouldn't have lasted long before collapsing. Even standing during their conversation had been a struggle.
Sleeping in front of a man, especially the Northern Duke, bothered her, but she quickly dismissed the thought.
'I decided to abandon my reputation and everything else, so what's the situation now?'
Ariana closed her eyes.
She heard Cyrus Karha's murmuring voice giving instructions to Rui. Just a few seconds after thinking, 'I don't think I'll be able to sleep,' Ariana fell into a deep slumber.
+++
Rui, who had returned from scouting outside the cave under Cyrus Karha's orders, reported.
"The soldiers are searching the forest. Soon, news of the Duchess's disappearance will reach Rachel Bronte's ears."
"Alright."
"And it's starting to rain lightly. From the looks of it, it will rain for several days."
"Has Ten returned?"
Ten was the white eagle Cyrus Karha raised as a carrier pigeon.
"Yes. Noah and Isaac Peren say they've found the opposite cave exit and will wait nearby."
"Alright."
Rui was curious whether Cyrus Karha intended to take Ariana to the Northern Territory, but he had the patience not to reveal all his questions.
"I will go catch fish for the Duchess to eat when she wakes up."
"Alright."
After Rui left, Cyrus Karha leaned against the wall and watched Ariana. Just watching her sleep, he lost track of time. It had been like that since the Bronte Ducal Estate.
Talking with Ariana was enjoyable. The intelligent Ariana quickly discerned what her enemies were thinking, and she responded skillfully to Cyrus Karha's words.
How would she react if he said this? How would she block their next move?
Predicting and observing Ariana's strategies was more entertaining than any play by the most renowned theater troupes on the continent.
Cyrus Karha had many tasks to complete to clarify and resolve past matters. He had obtained what he needed from the Western Territory and should have hurried his journey to the Northern Territory, but he didn't want to.
For Cyrus Karha, who had lived his life meticulously, breaking down time into seconds, these days of leisure and dawdling were a first.
'Because she has value to be used.'
Cyrus Karha repeated the thought he'd had many times.
'And it's better if the woman I'm going to use smiles often.'
Thinking a thought that had no logical basis, Cyrus Karha kept Ariana's sleeping form in his gaze.
+++
Ariana remembered falling asleep on the hard cave floor. Therefore, the warmth she felt the moment she woke up made no sense.
She distinctly remembered falling asleep uncomfortably on the cold ground.
Curiously, she fumbled with her hand on the floor and felt soft fabric. Beneath it, there seemed to be a thick layer of leaves or straw.
The soft fabric carried a scent she had smelled before. Thinking it was a pleasant scent, she buried her face in the fabric, but then realized where she had smelled it and pulled her face away.
When she first met the Northern Duke in the Bronte Ducal Estate's kitchen. When he pulled her into an embrace at the appearance of the maids. When she buried her face in his chest then.
That was the scent.
A scent that gave a refreshing feeling.
Only then did she realize that the soft fabric was the cloak he had been wearing.
Her face flushed crimson.
To sniff his scent, thinking it was a good one, and bury her face in it.
She had decided not to care about her reputation as a woman, but this was beyond reputation. It was foolish and vulgar.
Ariana looked over the blanket to see if anyone was around.
Fortunately, neither Cyrus Karha nor Rui was visible. The bag he had shown her remained in the spot where Cyrus Karha had been sitting before she fell asleep.
'Where did they go?'
Ariana slipped out from under the blanket and gently lifted the cloak. Beneath it, a thick layer of leaves was spread out, sourced from who knew where.
'There shouldn't be this many leaves yet.'
The weather had only just begun to warm, and young leaves were just starting to sprout. She had seen the forest trees holding only a slight green before entering the cave.
Gathering this many leaves would have required considerable effort and time.
From her first life until now, this was the first time she had received such consideration, which was somewhat bewildering.
'I know he wants something from me, but... he doesn't need to go to such lengths.'
What on earth could he want that was so great he would treat her so well?
'By the way, how long did I sleep?'
Being inside the cave, she couldn't tell the passage of time.
Judging by how refreshed she felt, she seemed to have slept quite a long time.
As Cyrus Karha had said, sleeping was important. Waking up after a good sleep, her gloomy mood had vanished, and she felt like she could do anything.
'My stamina is back, so I need to move quickly now. By the way, where is everyone? I should probably say goodbye before I leave.'
Ariana looked towards the lake a little distance from her sleeping spot.
Although there was light from the mushrooms, it was very faint, so the cave lake, not properly illuminated, seemed impossibly deep.
Ariana approached the lake, squatted down, and scooped up a little water. It was cold enough to freeze her fingers.
'I wish I could wash.'
She hadn't been able to wash since leaving the estate.
She felt sticky from sweating so much while escaping the attackers.
'My hair and face must be a mess.'
Ariana looked around again.
Still, Rui and Cyrus Karha were nowhere to be seen.
'They're not using stealth to hide themselves, are they?'
She squinted and carefully scrutinized the dim cave. She did so even though she knew her own skill wasn't enough to discern their stealth.
'They must have gone out to hunt or something.'
The water being too cold bothered her, but she likely wouldn't have many more chances to wash. Ariana hesitated for a moment, then placed her hand on the ties of her dress.
It was just as she was about to untie the laces caught on her fingers.
Splash!
Water splashed from deeper within the lake.
Ariana gasped in surprise and turned her gaze towards the interior of the lake.
The first thing she saw was a white shoulder. A broad, seemingly firm, muscular shoulder. Next, she saw a chest. A bulging chest, muscular enough to cast shadows.
Below the chest, the abdomen was carved with evenly defined abs, and the waist, devoid of any excess flesh, was narrow.
And...
Ariana, who had been staring down, mesmerized as if admiring a beautiful work of art, stopped her eyes from going any further when she realized what it was.
She hastily looked up, and her gaze fell upon a face she hadn't noticed, having been captivated by the upper body.
