Time of the Blind Beast - Side Story 2

Lisanne flinched in fright and lifted her head. Then she froze.

A man stood slanted in the doorway, adjusting his trousers as he looked down at her coldly.

He was a frightening man. If studied closely, his features were fine and delicate, almost beautiful, yet despite that rare appearance, the chill he exuded struck first. It was strange.

Lisanne glanced sideways at the curtained, pitch-dark room. Unlike the other rooms that had been wide open, this one, where a man and woman had shut themselves in, was filled with an odd humidity and heat. Still too young and innocent to understand, Lisanne sensed something was off but could not tell exactly what it was.

“Who sent you?”

Not understanding the meaning of the question, her answer came late.

“…Pardon?”

“Who told you to follow me. Father? Or Ezekiel, that bastard? Do they think I’ll let my guard down if they send a little girl?”

The man pressed her.

She couldn’t make sense of a word. Why would family members spy on each other? Surely it didn’t mean they were curious if their kin were doing well in such a large house and sent someone to check in…

Either way, Lisanne sensed that if she spoke wrongly before this man, her parents or the woman who sent her on the errand would end up caught in the fire. As the daughter of servants who knew how to feign death if House Valdemaira demanded it, she was quick at picking up such cues. Lisanne clamped her lips shut.

The man furrowed his brow. “Do you even know who I am?”

Somehow, she felt she had to insist she didn’t. As the daughter of employees, she had occasionally heard bits and pieces about the two sons of House Valdemaira. She could guess who this man before her might be, but she had never been properly introduced, so any answer would be, in truth, a lie.

Lisanne quickly shook her head.

“Look at this brazen brat. Shaking like a leaf, yet lying through her teeth?”

The man pulled his mouth into a sharp sneer.

“How can you not know me, huh? You live in the middle of the Valdemaira estate and claim you don’t?”

He strode forward. His face still had the trace of youth, not yet that of a full-grown man, but as a Valdemaira, known for their height, he already towered like a grown adult. All the more so since Lisanne, used to the short statures of schoolgirls, was not accustomed to such height.

Tall and menacing, the man closed the distance with a threatening air, and young Lisanne couldn’t help but tremble.

She held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut, but before she could, someone’s chest blocked her view, shielding her from the hostile man.

“What are you doing to a child?”

“Move, Ezekiel.”

“Get up.”

A large hand helped Lisanne to her feet. She leaned on the strength guiding her and barely stood.

“Th-thank you…”

She whispered her thanks in a tiny voice but then widened her eyes.

It was the same man as before.

The one who had laughed faintly when she was practicing her play, then quietly closed the door so others would not notice.

So they were brothers.

Lisanne looked between the two. Standing side by side, the resemblance was clearer. They looked very much alike, enough to show they shared the same parents, but one’s features were so fine they looked almost androgynous. The other, however…

He was darker.

In color, in line, in aura. Even in sheer presence.

From the moment he appeared, the air itself seemed to shift.

“You always show up at the most inconvenient time, don’t you?”

“It was so noisy I couldn’t just pass by.”

“What’s with the girl?”

“As you see, just a child. Why?”

“Why is she hovering around me? Is she spying on me or what? It’s unpleasant.”

“A coincidence, surely.”

“A coincidence? At this exact hour, knowing exactly which room I’m in, knocking until the door opens?”

It was too much of a leap. Lisanne herself had never imagined the heir of House Valdemaira would be locked in a guest room with a woman. And she couldn’t understand why he was so furious. At school, if someone had business, they barged in and out of rooms all the time. Even if someone came in suddenly while she was busy, Lisanne didn’t mind.

So this was just spite. As the daughter of servants, disturbing the master’s time was deemed insolence.

According to her parents, Akenaus Valdemaira had a temper both picky and unpredictable, frightening in its way. It was best not to be noticed. If his eyes narrowed, you had to apologize unconditionally.

But the woman earlier had looked so troubled she was on the verge of tears… It hadn’t seemed like a pleasant meeting at all…

“Calm yourself.”

Thankfully, Lisanne was safe now. She lifted her eyes to the broad back shielding her.

The man called Ezekiel spoke in a low, monotone voice, yet it carried strength.

“Why are you so defensive? What did you do in front of her? Is there some secret that mustn’t be revealed?”

At Ezekiel’s calm remark, the man shut his mouth tight. Ezekiel gave a faint smirk at his brother’s evident displeasure.

“Whatever it is, if it’s a secret that mustn’t be exposed, you should behave more carefully.”

“…Both of you get lost. I’m tired and going to sleep.”

The man waved his hand irritably. Just as Lisanne felt relieved that it seemed she could leave, something shining orange in the dark corner of the room caught her eye. It was the necklace she had been looking for.

“Ah, there it is… Just a moment.”

Nervous about passing by the ill-tempered man blocking the doorway, Lisanne unconsciously grabbed Ezekiel’s sleeve. Though he was the younger brother, his tall height and broad shoulders were even more imposing than his elder brother’s. Just touching him with her fingertips gave her a sense of security.

Ezekiel did not shake her off, instead letting himself be pulled along by the hesitant girl’s steps. Only when they reached right before the door did Lisanne release his clothes and dash inside to pick up the necklace.

“See? She only came to look for a lost item.”

Amber was a cheap stone that prestigious houses didn’t even consider valuable. The rough workmanship made it look crude at a glance, so even Akenaus couldn’t nitpick about the source of the necklace Lisanne had found.

The door slammed shut.

Only then did Lisanne let out the breath she had been holding.

“…Thank you for your help.”

When she gave her thanks politely as she had been taught at school, the man suddenly asked, “Your name?”

“Lisanne. I’m Lisanne.”

“Lisanne? A good name. Anyway, Lisanne, if you ever run into my brother again and find yourself in trouble, say you were doing an errand for me.”

Having said what he wanted, the man strode off. Lisanne listened to the pounding of her own heart and thought,

If anyone asks, I’ll say the first son of Valdemaira is awful, and his younger brother is truly wonderful.

It was the first love of her childhood.

***

Lisanne hurriedly shoved the eight-year-old student under the dormitory bed and whispered, “Stay here and don’t move at all. Even if you’re scared, you mustn’t make a sound. Cover your mouth with both hands and hold it in. Understand?”

The child, suddenly pushed under the bed, stared up with wide, terrified eyes.

“Unnie, what about the others…?”

“The older girls are all fine, so don’t worry. Even if you hear loud noises outside, don’t come out. If you stay still, I’ll come back later to get you. But if a whole day passes and I don’t come, wait until it’s completely quiet outside, then check carefully if there are any strangers around before you come out. Promise.”

There was no time to check if the child understood her words. Finishing her urgent instructions, Lisanne ran into the next room and pulled along two children who were sitting blankly on the bed. Even now, the ominous noises outside were drawing closer by the second.

“Unnie, soldiers are pushing into our school!”

It was a Sunday morning. The youngest students had slept in at the dormitory, while the slightly older ones were in empty classrooms doing homework. A few who had gone up to the roof to get fresh air came running back down, pale with fear.

While everyone was in confusion, Lisanne had dashed straight to the dormitory, waking the younger children and hiding them in closets or under beds. Milena Girls’ School was located on the slopes of Cielsa, close to the border, and Astrie had long been at war with Davis. Though the exact situation wasn’t clear yet, one thing was certain: the children had to be protected first.

Whose army was it?