Time of the Blind Beast - Chapter 81

“Ah, the famous redhead. I’ve heard the rumors.”

Levian let out a short laugh.

“But a woman for Major Valdemaira… I don’t know. I’ve bribed a few prostitutes, but they all said there was no way to get near him. They said he’s not interested in women.”

“Maybe prostitutes just weren’t his type.”

There are always those who pretend to be lofty and aloof, only to awaken to the pleasures of women far too late. In Akenaus’s view, they were the type who grew up physically but were woefully immature as adults.

“True. If there were rumors about a woman, he’d have chosen a prostitute who looked like one he used to know. But since there’s no talk going around, we don’t even know who to send.”

As Levian seemed to be slightly persuaded, Akenaus added passionately, “The woman he’s after now—he’d probably marry her even if his family opposed it. That’s why he took that diamond from me. A rare gem that hardly ever appears at auctions. Guys who’ve always been indifferent to women go crazier once they get a taste.”

“Well, if even that block of wood is so smitten he’s thinking of marriage, then it’d be best to keep her in our hands. Lots of ways we could use her…”

Letting out a light groan, Levian pressed his temple.

“The problem is we have no clues. How are we supposed to find a woman with just ‘red hair and green eyes’? Even Major Valdemaira himself is turning the whole country upside down looking for her. For us, it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. Actually, finding a real needle would be easier. Apparently, even those guys just send women to the mansion and ask the major to confirm directly when they’re unsure. So how the hell are we supposed to figure it out?”

Akenaus’s lips curled into a slight sneer. That’s true. For the Davis infiltrators, there were countless limitations and hardly any solutions.

But Akenaus was a Valdemaira. At least in Astrie, he could outthink the spies.

“What if I have a method?”

“…You have a method?”

A hint of curiosity appeared on Levian’s face.

Akenaus nodded. “He met that woman in Derosa.”

Ezekiel met her at the most miserable and shabby point of his life. A woman who had shared his darkest moments—how could she not be unforgettable?

That must be why he’s turning all of Astrie upside down now, desperate for even that one letter she left behind.

Though it hadn’t been obvious because of that ever-stoic face, thinking back now, he must have been incredibly anxious and unstable. The desperation in Ezekiel’s actions—how he’d even let Akenaus go just to get his hands on that handwritten letter—was now plain as day.

“That means there’s someone in Derosa who’s seen her face.”

Someone who took in the broken wreck that was Ezekiel and protected and supported him until now. Someone who likely had a deep bond with him since childhood.

Someone like that still remained in Derosa.

Serva, the old head maid who had once been his nanny, would certainly remember Ezekiel’s woman.

Akenaus’s eyes gleamed coldly. “We just need to bring that old woman from Derosa.”

***

Half-asleep, Ezekiel moved his lips. And the name that had become a habit slipped out.

“…Rose.”

The longing had lasted too long. No matter how many times he called out to her, the thirst wouldn’t be quenched.

Ezekiel groped for Rose’s hand on his forehead. Or rather, he tried.

“Rose?”

His hand closed around nothing.

She’d been there the whole time, yet suddenly he couldn’t feel a thing. For a moment, it felt like his soul had plummeted downward. With a jolt of panic, Ezekiel’s eyes flew open.

“Rose!”

Only after shouting her name at the top of his lungs did he come to his senses.

“Damn it.”

The hazy shadows of the hallucination faded. The sweet night ended, and reality returned. Dawn light bleeding into morning filled the room with its pale glow.

Ezekiel swallowed a curse. Just like always, the happy moments were far too short.

“Rose.”

That cruel woman had vanished again. She’d appeared like mist, and disappeared even faster.

Feeling like he was playing hide-and-seek, Ezekiel scanned the bedroom. But Rose was nowhere to be found. This had become his daily routine. Each night, aided by the medicine, he would faintly taste her shadow, only to writhe in the emptiness each morning.

“You’re awake?”

One of the servants, having heard Ezekiel’s shout, ran over and knocked on the bedroom door. They must have assumed he’d called someone by yelling instead of pulling the bell cord.

“May I come in now and tidy up the bed?”

Ezekiel instinctively reached for the remaining Laudanum, then drew back his hand and covered his throbbing forehead.

“…Prepare the bath.”

His head was heavy. It was a headache no medicine could ease. He’d have to hope cold water could cool his burning fever.

A day that began without Rose was already miserable.

“Akenaus still seems to be moving with the spies. I heard he’s wearing an eye patch over his injured eye, so he’s easy to spot. Convenient, isn’t it?”

Lately, the 37th Regiment’s biggest concern was Akenaus’s recent activities with the Davis spies.

“He must look like a damn pirate.”

The moment Montcalm delivered the update, Feder burst into giggles.

“An eye patch on that handsome face—he must be furious. Say what you will, but you can’t deny the guy’s good-looking.”

The remarks weren’t unfounded. Even as Akenaus’s every move was compared to Ezekiel’s, he had managed to enchant numerous women with nothing but his flashy appearance. Some women even showed interest in Akenaus simply because Ezekiel was difficult to meet in person—but that, too, was only possible because the two brothers resembled each other.

“An eye patch, huh…”

Amid the noisy laughter of his subordinates, Ezekiel alone was dredging up a different memory.

On moonlit nights, before heading out for a stroll in the garden, Rose would wrap a handkerchief around his eyes like an eye patch. Her careful hands brushing his temples and hair always made him feel good. Sometimes, he’d even use the excuse of a loose knot just to have her do it again.

Now, no matter the topic, every memory led back to Rose. If this was an illness, it had to be a serious one.

“Still, it seems he did get a checkup. They secretly brought someone in, and when we looked into it later, he turned out to be a doctor. He asked if the eye could be healed, and when told that no doctor could treat a gunshot wound to the eye, he flew into a rage.”

“I guess he expected some kind of miracle after seeing you recover so well, sir.”

Ezekiel smirked faintly. “A foolish hope.”

Looking back, he had been lucky. The woman had changed her mind at the last moment and splashed the poison into his eye instead of putting it in his tea—allowing him to receive treatment. And using that same experience, she had inflicted permanent damage to Akenaus’s eye.

Even overcoming those past days had ultimately been thanks to Rose. Had he not regained his sight through her sacrifice, he might still be burning with anger at the woman who robbed him of his vision, pride, and dignity.

“By the way, sir. What about that woman? I heard you’ve seen her a few times since.”

Montcalm changed the subject.

Ezekiel answered indifferently, “She’s been lying down sick every time I visit.”

“Did you interrogate her at all?”

“Not that I could. She’s been completely mute since that day.”

“She kept coughing up blood the day we captured her, too. Something must be seriously wrong with her.” Feder tilted his head.

“Wasn’t it the same poison you suffered from for so long, sir? She just gulped it down—of course her throat wouldn’t be fine. Then, how about bringing a doctor over? She has to speak if we’re going to question her.”

“Montcalm. That woman is a prisoner. And you want to bring a doctor for her treatment?” Ezekiel cut him off sharply.

It was excessive. It wasn’t as though she’d been wrongfully detained, nor was it a suicide attempt—they couldn’t afford to be seen as giving special treatment to a woman who had harmed Ezekiel and eluded pursuit while constantly mocking him.

The one who should feel desperate and afraid right now was her—not them.

Montcalm quickly realized his mistake. “The circumstances are unusual, so I misjudged the situation. I apologize.”

“We don’t need her testimony. What we’ve gathered so far is enough.”

Ezekiel dismissed the topic flatly.