Misfortune 117

Chapter 117

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Milan, who had come out to check on the commotion outside, spotted Roan raging like a beast and hurried over. He threw himself in front of Roan, who seemed poised to burst out of the residence.

"What's going on? What on earth could possibly…………"

But Milan lost his words. Roan, breathing raggedly as if ready to tear apart anything that got in his way, looked no different from a rabid beast.

It was the moment Milan wondered if attempting conversation itself was reckless.

"She's gone."

"Huh?"

Milan, unable to comprehend the abrupt statement, repeated the question.

"Nothing. That woman... nowhere..."

Roan, rambling incoherently, seemed confused, as if unaware of what he was saying.

Only then did Milan begin to scrutinize his appearance again, carefully, piece by piece.

His eyes, which had flashed with an eerie brilliance, trembled slightly upon closer inspection. His face, contorted in a grimace, was deathly pale, devoid of any color. In contrast, a faint trace of red bloodstain was visible on his lips.

To Milan's eyes, it all looked like a frightened child trembling with anxiety. Even though he was a man with a physique far more robust than Milan's.

"Colonel, Delnia is……………!"

It was at that moment, as Milan fell silent, unsure what to say, that a maid who had been eavesdropping on their conversation from afar raised her voice.

Suddenly, the main door swung open, and unseasonably warm winter sunlight flooded the dim interior. Simultaneously, a bright, chirping voice like a bird's song gently pushed away the gloomy air.

"Huh? Brother?"

The now familiar voice of his younger sister called out to Roan.

He slowly lifted his head toward the light.

He saw Lena, looking bewildered, clearly unaware of the serious atmosphere.

And beside her, another woman, equally puzzled, looking perfectly normal.

The tension in his clenched fists instantly dissolved. His eyes stung, whether from the sudden flood of sunlight or the woman's hair, which seemed to absorb every ray.

"What? What happened?"

Lena, noticing Roan's clearly abnormal state, asked.

But the eyes of the man who had just been rampaging through the mansion like a madman no longer held his sister.

He moved forward, his legs staggering. Toward Delnia. As if she were the only one left in the world.

"......"

Then, Delnia took a step back. A look of wariness flashed across her face, as if the suddenly narrowed distance made her uncomfortable.

His stride, which had seemed unstoppable, froze in place at that moment. As if blocked by an invisible wall, unable to advance or retreat.

"Brother?"

Lena called out to him again. But even his sister’s voice, always a welcome sound, failed to reach his consciousness this time.

Was this how it felt to be caught in a god’s cruel joke, alternately tempered in heaven and hell?

He still couldn’t hear his own heartbeat. The despair that had felt like the world had stopped remained unchanged.

“………………No. Nothing.”

Yet he said it anyway.

Because she was safe, after all. Because nothing had happened.

So what did it matter if he alone was damned to hell?

'But still…'

He insisted it wasn't love.

Even if the world that crumbled at her safety kept rebuilding itself, it couldn't be love.

It was simply because he couldn't let her go until he'd paid for all his sins.

The man who had to deceive himself like this bowed his head helplessly. The shadow pooled at his feet had grown as deep as the world had grown bright.

***

Yet despite all that deceitful self-denial, there was one truth Roan could not deny.

What he feared most was still losing her forever.

Therefore, he began seriously contemplating Delnia's whereabouts.

With war threatening to erupt at any moment, could he truly leave her in Blois?

Compared to Orbon, Blois was considered the rear, but that offered no guarantee of safety. War was precisely the kind of thing where no one could predict what might happen.

He himself would remain in Blois for now, but if war broke out, he could be called to the front lines at any moment.

He couldn't leave her behind in such an uncertain situation. If the front lines retreated while he was away, putting Blois itself in danger, the consequences were too dreadful to contemplate.

Ultimately, he resolved to move her to a safer location outside Blois beforehand.

It was a rather contradictory move, considering how he'd turned the residence upside down just because she wasn't in her room, but it couldn't be helped. Delnia's safety was an absolute priority he could never compromise on, even for himself.

With his mind made up, Roan began searching for a suitable location.

"So it really comes down to that place, doesn't it...?"

In truth, it was practically the only viable option.

Therefore, the decision was swift, and the follow-up actions proceeded without delay.

"Handle it exactly as outlined here."

Milan, who had been handed the document unexpectedly, widened his eyes so much the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out.

"Colonel, this is……...."

Seeing Milan unable to continue, Roan calmly reiterated his request.

"Just carry out my instructions."

It was tantamount to declaring he wouldn't accept any objections. Therefore, Milan, though clearly unsure if this was acceptable, couldn't add anything further.

After completing the necessary procedures one day, he finally notified Delnia unilaterally.

"Make arrangements to go to Belfort Castle soon."

Delnia, who had been gazing out the window at the dreary, almost grayish-green foliage, turned her head toward the man who had suddenly barged into the room and was spouting strange words.

Her lips remained tightly pressed together, as if she still had no voice to offer him. But the gaze that had always passed through him like he was invisible today pierced him precisely.

Even in this situation, the mere fact that his heart fluttered at that single gaze made him feel like a madman. It was hardly surprising now, though.

"We don't know when war might break out. If it does, Blois could be in danger too."

He cleared his throat calmly and continued his persuasion.

"But Belfort would be safe, right?"

Belfort, an inland region, was a secure fortress cut off from the sea. There would be no land battles with Dalos, nor should there be. But even if war spread across the land, the flames of war wouldn't reach Belfort with its closed terrain.

Moreover, it was Belfort. Delnia's hometown. The foundation and ground where she had lived her entire life.

"So go to Belfort. I'll send people close to you along with you."

The words he'd prepared flowed out without hesitation.

Even then, no response came from Delnia. As always.

Speaking to someone who didn’t listen was a lonely task. Yet he didn't stop.

"And if it's alright with you, I intend to give Belfort Castle to you."

His voice, delivering this unilateral announcement, remained flat and monotonous. It was a significant decision for him, but having made up his mind, there was no reason to hesitate.

For him, Belfort Castle was a relic of the past he didn't particularly wish to remember. Buried there were the most miserable and agonizing memories of his life. That was why he had forced it upon the Emperor and left it neglected ever since.

But it was different for this woman.

She was born and raised in Belfort. She had lived her entire life in one place.

Honestly, Roan didn't truly understand what that felt like. He had always drifted through life, as if floating upon the sea.

He could only guess that its meaning must be profoundly different. And so, he reached his conclusion.

"………………So, you mean you're giving me ownership of Belfort Castle?"

Then, a clear, pure voice cut through the air.

It was the first time she had spoken to him since entering this room—no, since rejecting that absurd proposal.

"Yes."

Roan, still busy composing his expression after his throat, hurriedly nodded.

Even with the confirmation, she still wore an expression of disbelief. A look unique to someone who hadn't yet grasped what had happened to them—dazed, and thus feeling slightly uneasy.

"I've already taken care of the necessary steps for the rights transfer."

His voice carried a weight born of his desire to reassure her.

"So if you want to, anytime………………”

It was precisely at that moment that Delnia abruptly cut him off.

"Why?"