Misfortune 74

Chapter 74

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Leticia, who had been heatedly criticizing him, suddenly changed the subject. It seemed that her earlier nagging had been a prelude to the main point she was about to make.

Roan nodded slightly, as if to indicate he was listening, and allowed her to speak.

Leticia’s eyes lit up then as she opened her mouth.

"Delnia and Margaret are going on a picnic today, and I was wondering if you could accompany them."

“A picnic…?”

"Yes. The weather is nice today, and I thought it would be perfect to go to Sunset Hill. It's just the right distance for Delnia to get some exercise."

Sunset Hill was a coastal cliff located northwest of their residence.

Access was restricted to the general public due to the partial view of the naval base, but the locals of Blois often sneaked in and out of the hill discreetly.

The reason the Navy turned a blind eye to this open secret was simple: the scenery was too beautiful to be completely taken away from those who had lived there since before the empire was established.

"I'd love to take them, but I can't just sit around doing nothing."

Leticia suddenly changed her expression and sighed deeply.

“Unlike the Colonel, who is relaxing at home on the weekend, household chores never end. So it would be best if the Colonel, who has more free time than me, could guide them.”

Before Roan who felt like he was being treated like a bum, could respond, Leticia quickly added,

“Besides, the Sunset Hill is off-limits to ordinary people like me. If the Colonel doesn’t take us there himself, where else can we go sightseeing?”

It was a request to go on a picnic to a restricted area for civilians while strictly adhering to the rules as an ordinary citizen.

It was utterly confusing, but Roan decided to play along.

“Yes. I’ll accompany them.”

Before Leticia could come up with another excuse, Roan answered, and her face visibly brightened.

“Then come down when you’re ready!”

Watching Leticia rush out the door, Roan immediately headed to the dressing room.

After changing into a light, casual outfit suitable for outdoor activities, he stepped out of the room and heard laughter mingled with voices from the first floor.

He descended the stairs and headed toward the source of the sound without hesitation.

The first thing that caught his eye was the woman wearing a cream-colored dress. Though her outfit was simple, with only a brown ribbon tied around her waist and no other accessories, she was so beautiful he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

No, actually, her attire didn't matter at all.

His gaze was drawn to her eyes, sparkling in the warm glow of the sunset, her rosy cheeks, and her soft, peach-colored lips.

Unable to take his eyes off the woman, Roan took another step forward as she argued with the young maid over a basket.

"Ah."

Delnia let out a small scream as someone snatched the basket she had taken from Margaret from behind.

She turned toward the culprit who had taken the basket. When she saw him and her eyes went wide, Roan finally realized why his gaze had been drawn to her so unusually today.

The woman's healthy complexion was radiant with a vitality he had never seen before. Like a flower that had been withering and dried up, but had been revived by a sudden rain.

At that realization, Roan felt a deep sense of relief. And suddenly, he felt utterly unfamiliar with himself.

Why was he feeling at ease?

Well, she looked much better than when she was wandering around aimlessly...

“You timed it perfectly!”

At that moment, Leticia spotted him and ran over.

It was a fortunate turn of events for Roan, who had nearly been overwhelmed by emotions he couldn’t understand, and for Delnia, who stood there awkwardly between his piercing gaze and the stolen basket.

As Leticia reached for the napkin, she opened the basket Roan was holding and immediately furrowed her brow. The items inside had become disorganized due to the earlier commotion.

“You have to be careful. If you shake the basket too much, the food inside will get messed up.”

Leticia advised as she carefully rearranged the items. The culprits who had been shaking the basket were elsewhere, but Roan ended up being the one to receive the warning.

Nevertheless, Roan silently nodded his head.

There was no particular reason. He just felt that it wasn’t worth arguing.

Meanwhile, Delnia and Margaret, who had quietly slipped away, were busy packing their bags with their now-empty hands.

Finally, once the preparations were complete, Leticia accompanied them outside the mansion to see them off.

“We’ll be back soon!”

“Alright. Have a good time.”

Margaret waved her hand excitedly toward Leticia. Delnia merely bowed her head slightly before turning away.

Roan, who knew the way to the Sunset Hill, led the way, and Delnia and Margaret followed closely behind him.

Since they weren’t close enough to engage in warm conversation, the air was unusually quiet for a picnic.

Still, Margaret's incessant chatter to Delnia and her gentle laughter occasionally filled the silence. The occasional birdsong added a pleasant harmony to the atmosphere.

Roan adjusted his pace, considering Delnia’s physical condition, which Letticia had emphasized countless times. At the same time, he often looked back to make sure she was keeping up without difficulty.

How long had they been walking? The trees that had once filled their vision gradually thinned out, and soon a vast field came into view.

“Wow, such a place was hidden here!”

Margaret exclaimed in awe at the breathtaking scenery, different from the sea.

Golden reeds swayed in the breeze on the vast, gently sloping meadow. Here and there, white, dainty wildflowers bloomed, adding color to the green waves.

Beyond that, a sheer cliff stood like a boundary line, and beyond that, the endless sea stretched out, never ceasing to captivate the eye.

However, what truly captured the eye was the massive, solitary tree standing atop the hill.

"I think today's picnic spot will probably be that tree,"

Margaret whispered to Delia. Delnia nodded silently as she thought the same.

The ancient tree, rooted like a guardian of the hill, exuded such a powerful presence that one could instinctively sense it was both the destination and the final stop of the day.

Thoughtfully, Roan began to climb the hill slowly. Delnia and Margaret followed behind him, as they had done up until now.

The familiar scent of the sea and the faint fragrance of flowers were carried by the wind. The wind brushed past Roan's loosely rolled-up shirt sleeves, caressed Delnia's hair pinned behind her ear, and blew Margaret's skirt, which reached her ankles, as it passed.

Delnia maintained a distance of two steps, watching the man's back as he walked ahead. Whenever he turned around, she would look away toward the sea or the fields, making sure their eyes did not meet.

“…”

Was it from the day he fed her grapes? Or was it even earlier than that?

From some unknown point in time, she had become aware of his gaze lingering a little longer each time.

Like the depths of an unfathomable ocean, his deep blue gaze did not immediately withdraw but lingered longer, perhaps even persistently, around her.

She didn’t know what those eyes meant. Perhaps she didn’t even want to know.

Even so, it already made her feel uneasy. Her fingertips tingled for no reason, and unnecessary tension crept into her already straightened back.

It was no different now.

Delnia fidgeted with her fingers. There was a moment when her heart ached at the sight of her skin, which had become smooth and flawless, as if it had never been through rough times.

“I’ll do anything.”

It wasn't a promise she made lightly. She couldn't deny that it was half-hearted, but it was still a decision she made with all her heart.

For Delnia, who had come to know the truth, such resolve was truly in place.

It would be painful and leave scars. Perhaps she would writhe in agony.

But she was okay with that. If it meant atoning for her sins.

Yet he didn't torment her or hold her accountable for her sins. Though he had threatened her with the idea of paying for her sins for the rest of her life, there was no sign of him actually intending to collect on that debt.

Instead, he merely offered to feed her grapes and keep her by his side for a moment, mentioning her resolve.

These acts, neither violent nor harsh, but somehow awkward, could not be the atonement she had resolved herself to.

That’s why Delnia was anxious. It was a painful yet not painful existence. Like a person watching a storm approaching from the distant sea, unable to flee, trembling helplessly.

‘What exactly do you want to do with me?’

Every time that meaningless gaze lingered, such doubts rose to the tip of her tongue.

But she never asked, and the unasked question was left with only the bitter taste of being swallowed back. It felt like a thorn in her throat.

So she had no choice but to avoid that gaze as much as possible.

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