Misfortune 98

Chapter 98

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Roan Barthez was, so to speak, a person who had never once in his life entertained thoughts of wanting to die.

Even when she abandoned him, that was the case. The vengeance that had consumed his entire life had only served as the driving force that kept him clinging to life.

I will definitely meet you again.

Before that, I will not die, no matter what.

And so, he finally managed to get his hands on this woman.

‘But why...?’

His eyes, gazing at her as if seeing something utterly incomprehensible and unknown, were filled with a strange fear.

The cruel woman left no suicide note. Therefore, he would never know.

Why did she want to die? Where did the resolve to take her own life come from?

But regardless of the cause, the conclusion she offered with her closed eyes was simple and clear.

Death was a better choice for her.

For her, this was peace.

‘So she stubbornly refuses to open her eyes.’

If death was peace, then it meant that life was not at all peaceful for her.

And the one who made it that way was none other than him.

He was the very one who had stolen peace from her.

“…..”

The realization, which was nothing new, made his hands tremble.

All of this was the result of his will, ensuring that this woman could not escape anywhere and fully endured his hatred.

'As I intended……………….'

Was that it?

Did he really want this?

Was it all just to lose her forever in this way, to cling to her so desperately?

"………………."

At that moment, the loud commotion echoing from afar shattered his thoughts into pieces.

The muffled voices were coming from outside the mansion. The room was so quiet that the sound seemed to carry farther than usual.

Regardless, Roan remained motionless. Only the servant who was guarding Delnia's room with him peered out to look in the direction of the noise.

"......Silence!"

But for some reason, the commotion that had seemed like it would die down quickly refused to subside.

It was at that moment when the unknown noise began to grate on his nerves.

The woman's neatly arched eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Roan, who had been watching her intently the entire time, unconsciously held his breath at that subtle change. His heart raced with the hope that she might finally be regaining consciousness.

But no matter how much time passed, her eyelids remained closed. She simply looked annoyed, as if her sweet rest had been disturbed.

Worried that he might upset her, Roan had been holding his breath, but he couldn't bear the commotion any longer.

He abruptly rose from his seat and stepped out of Delnia's bedroom for the first time.

The servants who saw him wandering alone all stared at him as if they had seen something they shouldn't have. Even seeing a ghost would not have been as shocking as this.

Of course, Roan paid no attention to their stares as he walked down the hallway and stairs. His footsteps led him all the way to the source of the commotion outside the mansion.

As soon as he stepped out the mansion door, the cold winter air pierced through his thin clothing.

However, he paid no attention and looked in the direction of the sound. Beyond the garden gate, Milan was engaged in a heated argument with someone.

“Colonel?”

Leticia, who had been peering anxiously toward the main gate, startled him by calling out. Her eyes were filled with doubt, wondering if the man before her was indeed Roan.

However, Roan did not even glance at her, instead glaring intently at the main gate and asking,

“What’s the commotion?”

“Well, it’s like this. Someone is causing a ruckus, demanding to see Delnia.”

At the unexpected news, Roan finally turned his gaze toward Leticia.

She quickly listed the information she knew.

“She’s dressed quite uniquely, so she’s probably from another country. According to Milan, she’s the suspicious woman who suddenly showed up at Belfort Castle a few days ago…”

"Miss Delnia!"

At that moment, another curious shout cut through Leticia’s hurried explanation.

The long-forgotten title caused Roan’s head to turn reflexively once more. However, Milan was blocking his view, so he couldn’t see the person clearly.

Then, he should just get closer to confirm.

Roan took another step forward without hesitation.

“Wait a moment, Colonel!”

Leticia hurriedly followed him. Her eyes were fixed on him as if he might erupt into violence at any moment.

She wanted to believe he wouldn't hit a woman, but given his recent behavior, she couldn't be sure.

“Miss, are you still there?”

“Stop and go back, won’t you!”

“Why won’t you let me see her?”

“There’s a good reason for it—I’ve already told you several times…”

“Milan.”

Milan, who had been arguing with an unknown intruder, bowed his head in surprise at Roan’s voice.

As the person engaged in the heated argument changed their attitude with someone’s arrival, the unfamiliar intruder’s fiery momentum naturally subsided. She now eyed Roan with a wary gaze.

Roan also coldly scanned the other person.

As Leticia had said, the woman was dressed unusually. The fluffy fur draped over her shoulders and the delicate outer garment embroidered with colorful gold thread were unique, but what stood out most were the narrowly tied trousers.

"I think the people who came from the Eastern Continent were dressed like that."

Eperne was renowned as a proud old aristocracy who did not actively interact with the nobles of Brunois.

And here was a foreigner from another continent visiting such that said Eperne.

"Could it be someone associated with Count Eperne, who was said to associate with pirates?"

Come to think of it, he heard there was a pirate ship somewhere at sea where a woman was the leader.

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed more likely to be connected to that than to Delnia.

Upon deciding there was no need to engage further, Roan turned to Milan and reprimanded him in a low voice.

“What are you doing now, unable to drive out a single woman?”

“Well, that’s…”

“Why chase me away? I didn’t come here begging for anything. No, if you need money, I’ll give it to you! So just let me meet Miss Delnia!”

At that moment, a loud voice pierced his eardrums. It was so loud that it felt like his skull was about to split open.

Roan couldn't hide his annoyed expression as he turned his gaze toward the unwelcome guest.

"Why are you looking for that woman?"

“That’s none of your business!”

The bold woman, who had been arguing back, suddenly stopped speaking.

She narrowed her eyes and stared at him intently, as if she had witnessed something utterly bizarre.

"Eh…?"

Then she even let out a dumb sound.

“That can’t be……………….”

Roan glared at the woman, who had suddenly changed her demeanor and was muttering to herself.

Then he suddenly realized something. He felt no sense of discomfort in conversing with her.

Despite her appearance, the woman’s Imperial language was remarkably fluent. Though her accent was slightly foreign, the vocabulary she used was at a level that could easily be mistaken for that of a native speaker.

“..................No way, right?”

The woman, who had been tilting her head repeatedly, muttered in smooth Imperial language, as if she couldn't believe it. She still had a frown on her face.

It was an ordinary, even rude action, yet for some reason, Roan was suddenly overcome by a strange sense of déjà vu.

That expression, with her nose wrinkled and her face scowling, seemed familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

Once that thought crossed his mind, strangely enough, familiar features began to emerge one by one from the woman who had seemed utterly unfamiliar.

Such as her jet-black hair, or her light-colored green eyes that evoked memories of a bygone era…

“Could it be…?”

Even though he thought it couldn't be true, a voice that sounded like he was in pain escaped from his mouth.

The woman, who had noticed that he was consumed by doubts not unlike her own, slowly widened her eyes. She finally managed to open her lips, which had been trembling all along.

“................Brother?”

A term that had once been familiar in her childhood but had never been used since losing her only sibling finally slipped from her lips.

Then Roan’s mouth moved on its own. He couldn’t help it.

“………………Lena?”

He uttered the name he had only ever called out in his dreams over the years.

Immediately, the woman’s face lit up with a bright smile. Her face, filled with joy, bore a striking resemblance to the girl he had once so desperately wanted to protect.

“Brother!”

She couldn't contain her excitement and ran toward him, throwing her arms around him. Her embrace was so tight that his chest was soaked with tears.

Until then, Roan couldn't move. He couldn't even think of hugging her back, instead repeatedly replaying the unbelievable reality in his mind.

His younger sister had returned.

Lena was alive.