Time of the Blind Beast - Chapter 120

Lisanne gasped for breath.

She didn’t know whether it was fortunate or unfortunate that she had lost her voice. If she had screamed and woken the students asleep in the other rooms, all of them would have been put in danger.

“Who is she?” one man looked suspiciously at Lisanne and asked.

Akenaus didn’t take his eyes off her as he answered, “A woman I know.”

“Even knowing your relationships with women were complicated, Young Master, I never imagined you would get involved with a schoolgirl hidden away in the mountains. She even looks young.”

“I haven’t touched her yet. She disappeared before I could.”

“Really? That must have been disappointing. She’s quite beautiful.”

“It was disappointing.”

Akenaus spoke with familiarity.

“Seeing her here makes me even more pleased.”

Lisanne tried to step back, but she froze. If she moved recklessly, the girl hiding behind the shelf might be discovered.

“I was shocked earlier. Some girls were flitting around the mountainside. I followed them, and suddenly a school appeared.”

She recalled the strange sensation she had felt when she went out to pick mulberries. She had thought it was a mistake, but clearly it was not. The intruders had been watching the students from the shadows. Realizing so many men had been secretly watching them sent a chill racing from the top of her head down her spine.

“Isn’t it reassuring to have a school here? Climbing mountains takes strength, so let’s eat in the kitchen before we go. Ah, too bad it isn’t a house. If it were, we could sleep there and leave well rested. Or… young lady, how many people are in this school?”

The killer’s gaze turned to Lisanne. She pressed her lips tightly together and tried to stay calm. But it was not easy.

Her hand slid down and gripped the ring.

She had heard in the Valdemaira mansion: Akenaus, having allied with spies from Davis after being defeated by Ezekiel, had been cast out from his family. Then these unknown intruders must be soldiers of Davis.

The students left in the dormitory rooms had been killed instantly without even a scream. Against soldiers, they wouldn’t have resisted, nor even had time to understand what was happening.

These spies were casually talking about killing all the teachers and students in the school if necessary.

What should I do?

What should I do?

“Someone asked you a question. Why aren’t you answering? How frustrating.”

“Wait.”

Akenaus narrowed his one remaining eye.

“What is it you’re clutching so tightly, like a lifeline?”

Akenaus approached with heavy steps, pulled at Lisanne’s collar, and shoved his hand inside. His vulgar hand deliberately groped her chest, roughly squeezing her soft flesh, then drew out the chain of her necklace. Unable to resist his strength, Lisanne was dragged forward.

Akenaus carefully examined the red diamond set in the ring. His fingers traced its shape while his eyes stayed locked on her face.

Suspicion, doubt, shock, rage. His smooth face twisted, distorted, then returned to itself again. Lisanne watched it all unfold right before her eyes.

“So it was you.”

His tone was utterly different from before.

“The woman with red hair and green eyes.”

The description, long forgotten, spilled from Akenaus’s lips. His eye gleamed strangely, and Lisanne nearly collapsed on the spot. Somehow she forced herself to stand.

“Yes, no wonder it was strange. He searched the entire country and still couldn’t find you. Then he finally spread the word everywhere that he had. And then…”

Akenaus hissed like a snake, “He laid a trap. That bastard.”

“……”

“Do you see my face? He did this.”

“……”

“Even blind, he must have lived quite well. He stole a red diamond from the auction to propose marriage. I wondered what kind of woman could bewitch him so completely. And it was you. Life is so amusing, isn’t it?”

Having been locked in the camp, Lisanne couldn’t understand every twisted grudge Akenaus spewed. All she could do was endure his inexplicable resentment.

“So this is the woman who ruined our plans? Maybe it’s because you’re brothers, you share the same taste.”

One of Davis’s spies approached slowly, staring intently at Lisanne. If Akenaus was revolting, this one was terrifying. Akenaus had never truly been capable of doing much himself. Even when he tried to poison Ezekiel, he had only coerced her by exploiting her weakness.

But the soldier before her, and the others, were seasoned killers. The murderous aura of soldiers was entirely different. Lisanne wanted to step back, but Akenaus’s grip on her necklace kept her trapped in place.

“Young lady, try to understand. Our grudge runs deep. Anyone would grow twisted after hiding among corpses for a whole day just to escape from the trap Ezekiel Valdemaira set. All my men were killed, and even the few of us lucky enough to survive will be punished for failing the mission once we return.”

“What should I do with you? If your pretty face were ruined and became like mine, would that bastard regret it a little?”

Akenaus rubbed Lisanne’s cheek with his thumb. Lisanne held her breath.

“But the Valdemaira family lives in the capital, doesn’t it? What kind of man would send his fiancée alone to the north? Isn’t this another trap?”

It was a misunderstanding. Lisanne had never been engaged to Ezekiel. But she had no way to explain, and these men had already seen the ring and were convinced of her relationship with him.

And if they asked whether there was truly no meaning between her and Ezekiel… that was not the truth either.

“Then he wouldn’t have given her a ring. She was a student here to begin with. From the very first time I met her. Ah, that’s right. This place is close to Derosa. She caused trouble, ran back to the school, then went to Derosa to find him. Why? Were you sorry for ruining his eyes? Or did you just prefer him over me?”

“Well, seeing no trace of the King’s Army or whatever regiment here, I suppose this time the goddess of fortune is on our side. About time she favored us.”

Even with his endlessly light tone and grin, Lisanne could tell the two men were in no mood to laugh.

“Still, this is an unexpected harvest. Honestly, if we returned like this, we’d have been severely punished, but if we take back Ezekiel Valdemaira’s fiancée, the story changes.”

Take me. To Davis?

They would drag her to Davis?

Her blood froze cold.

One man saw the look on Lisanne’s face and roughly squeezed her wrist in his iron grip.

“See? People don’t just die easily. Oh, by the way, young lady, what’s your name? I’m Levian.”

Akenaus answered for her, “Lisanne. I still remember your name. Rose was the alias I gave you.”

“Ah, Lisanne. I see.”

Levian handed Lisanne’s wrist to his subordinate and gave an order, “Hold her tight so she doesn’t escape. Let’s grab some food from the kitchen before we go.”

“Food, and anything else of value too. Since we failed to catch him, we’ll have trouble with our reward.”

Akenaus reached to snatch the ring from Lisanne’s neck.

In that moment, Lisanne grabbed Akenaus’s hand and clung to it. It was an instinctive resistance.

It was not a ring given with a promise of marriage. Ezekiel had only said he hoped she would keep it to remember him by.

She knew it was foolish. Ezekiel was the type who would have told her to just give it up rather than get hurt fighting over a ring.

Even so, her determination not to let Akenaus have it was stronger. Lisanne twisted desperately to protect the chain holding the ring. Even she was surprised at the strength she found.

“What’s this girl so desperate for? Sooner or later, you’ll have to give it up if you want to live.”

A flash of light burst before her eyes. Annoyed, Akenaus had struck her across the face.

“What are you doing? Hurry up. Once he knows his woman is gone, he won’t stay still. We don’t have time to waste, even with a hostage.”

From ahead came Levian’s impatient voice. Akenaus reluctantly let go of the ring.

But there was no chance to breathe. One of the soldiers yanked Lisanne forward with brutal strength. Having spent all her energy struggling with Akenaus, Lisanne had no strength left to resist and was dragged out.

All she could do now was pray that no one in the school woke at this strange commotion. If anyone came out of their rooms, they would only lose their lives in vain. She forced herself not to glance toward the shelf where the young girl was hiding.

“Life really is interesting. Do you think he ever imagined you would fall into my hands?”

His mocking voice dripped with malice.

“I wonder what he’ll do when he hears you’re in Davis with us.”

She tried her hardest not to see him, not to hear him. But the next words shattered that effort.

“Especially when he hears you’re carrying my child.”