Time of the Blind Beast - Chapter 98

“The master is waiting. Please, both of you, come this way.”

The butler, acting on special instructions from Ezekiel, welcomed the two women who had arrived alongside the army.

They had just finished a grueling journey. They hadn’t even had a moment to catch their breath or been shown to their guest rooms when the butler’s silent urging nudged them toward Ezekiel’s bedroom the moment they stepped into the Valdemaira estate.

“Why are we being summoned straight to the bedroom? This is really scary.”

Anna whispered to Paulina, glancing nervously at the solemn atmosphere of the Valdemaira estate.

In Derosa, where Anna had grown up, the Valdemaira’s branch house was the largest and most magnificent estate around, but the grandeur and splendor of the main house in Claris were simply incomparable. A country girl like Anna had been overwhelmed ever since setting foot in the Valdemaira main estate.

They had followed the army to Claris almost by accident, without much information. It was no different for Paulina. Since the deceased Madam Serva’s body was being transported to Claris, and one of the soldiers was injured and needed a doctor, they had somehow ended up tagging along.

Now it was far too late to back out. After Ezekiel, who had been leading the battle on the front lines, suddenly left without explanation, everyone was thrown into disarray. Though Montcalm, Feder, and other close aides handled the aftermath, they were just as flustered.

And upon arriving in Claris, strange rumors began to circulate. The story went that Ezekiel had stormed the execution grounds and carried off a death row inmate in his arms.

They were even more shocked when they matched the dates. Even accounting for the time lost managing the scene and the funeral procession, it was still a long distance, not something one could cover lightly, yet Ezekiel had supposedly completed it in less than a day. It was a mystery.

His subordinates had joked that bystanders probably thought a war had broken out. At one checkpoint, Montcalm and Feder were stopped and questioned repeatedly. They were asked if something had gone wrong at the border because Major Valdemaira had sped past the checkpoint like a storm even after being called to stop. Since they had no idea why Ezekiel had rushed ahead, they had to spend extra time reassuring the checkpoint soldiers that all was well at the border.

“Could it be he’s injured badly enough to be bedridden…”

Anna muttered to herself, then nodded as if convincing herself. Judging from Ezekiel’s movements, it seemed he had ridden tirelessly day and night despite being wounded. Even someone with steel-like stamina had limits. Her mind was too preoccupied to wonder why no other subordinates had been summoned to the bedroom. Before she knew it, they had arrived.

And then they were surprised again.

The man they thought bedridden appeared before them in perfect health. Without offering any explanation, he immediately spoke a woman’s name.

“Lisanne.”

“Pardon?”

“Forget her old name. Call her Lisanne.”

“Lisanne?”

“Also, she’s suffered a severe throat injury and can’t speak.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I don’t have time to explain right now. You’ll be briefed later. For now, I just want you to bring her comfort.”

Only then did Anna realize there was someone very important behind the closed bedroom door—someone who had shaken the reason of the famously cold and composed Major Ezekiel Valdemaira.

And as far as Anna knew, there was only one person who ever meant that much to Ezekiel.

As Anna stood reeling in shock and confusion, Ezekiel passed Paulina with heavy steps and said quietly, “She hasn’t received a medical exam yet, but she’s very particular about people. I’d like your help, Doctor.”

Ezekiel opened the door to the bedroom.

Though he had to hear reports from his returning subordinates about the inn’s aftermath, he needed someone to stay by Lisanne’s side during his absence.

If it was Paulina and Anna, he could trust them. He could leave Rose in their care for a while.

He worried that if Anna and Paulina learned Lisanne’s true identity too soon, they might treat her awkwardly. So he chose to share only the minimum information, allowing them to focus solely on the immediate reunion.

“Rose…?”

But the moment Anna saw Lisanne, she failed to recall the new name.

It was already shocking enough that she had vanished without a trace from the Derosa estate, throwing the entire nation into an uproar—and now, here she was, at the Valdemaira main house. Anna couldn’t make sense of anything. Amid the complete confusion, she was first overcome by the joy of seeing a familiar face in this unfamiliar place, Claris. Along with relief at the thought of finally being able to share their ordeals and comfort one another, and a wave of concern and pity at Lisanne’s visibly sickly appearance, Anna cried out the name she knew best.

“Rose!”

She ran to her in a single stride and threw her arms around Lisanne, whose arm was wrapped in thick white bandages.

“What happened to you? You look so sick! Did you almost die too? I almost died. See this? It’s from a burn. I had to get treated.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Anna burst into tears.

Compared to Anna, Paulina remained quite composed. Though startled by the unexpected reunion, she had not forgotten the new name Ezekiel had given.

“Miss Rose—no, Miss Lisanne?”

Before Paulina could even greet her properly, Anna sobbed again.

“Ah, right. Lisanne. You’re Lisanne now… What happened to you? Changing your name and everything… it must be so complicated…”

“Calm down. Major Valdemaira said Miss Lisanne injured her throat and can’t speak.”

“Right, he did. Really, what in the world happened to you…”

As Anna sniffled for a while, she finally delivered the most shocking news.

“Did you know? Madam Serva passed away…”

For the first time, Lisanne’s eyes wavered.

***

Leaving Lisanne in Anna and Paulina’s care, Ezekiel moved to his office, where his subordinates were waiting.

They were close enough to forgo formal greetings. As soon as Ezekiel sat down, Montcalm reported, “We killed eighty-three spies. None were taken alive. We tried to capture a few for interrogation, but they were shot during transport preparations. Judging by the long-range shots, it seems they were silenced to prevent leaks. We lost seven men during the operation, and twenty-one were injured. Fortunately, none are critically wounded. Lastly, we found forty-nine civilian corpses in the basement and surrounding areas. We believe they were the innkeeper, employees, and guests.”

The high civilian death toll indicated the enemy had already taken over the inn in preparation for an ambush.

Ezekiel’s tone turned cold. “If there were snipers, it means some escaped.”

“Yes. We tried to pursue, but lost time regrouping after their counterattack.”

He couldn’t blame his men. The confusion caused by his own sudden departure as commander had led to the incomplete resolution. One more debt he’d have to settle himself.

“What about Akenaus?”

“Neither he nor the one named Levian was found at the inn. We suspect some escaped, likely led by those two.”

Feder clicked his tongue and chimed in, “Honestly, the structure of that inn… they probably knew it better than us. They must have arrived earlier and chosen the best hiding spots.”

Ezekiel pressed his lips tightly together. Killing eighty-three spies likely meant most of the infiltrators in Astrie were eliminated. But it still gnawed at him that key figures like Akenaus and Levian had slipped through.

“Also, we heard some strange rumors on our way back.”

Feder cautiously brought it up.

“We were wondering where you rushed off to after leaving us at the inn. Then we heard you halted an execution and rescued a convict.”

Anna and Paulina, who had heard the same rumors but didn’t know the full story, had only looked puzzled. But Ezekiel’s subordinates, who knew exactly who the rescued convict was, were stunned.

“What were you thinking? That woman is the one who, under Akenaus’s orders, damaged your eyes. Don’t you resent her?”