Chapter 10
~Chapter 10~
Damn it.
Asthan instinctively reached for his sword belt and made a frustrated face.
He had forgotten that he didn’t bring his sword because he hadn’t planned to go far.
No choice, then.
Asthan quickly spoke while keeping an eye on Sikun’s movements.
“Listen to me carefully, Gloria.”
Her blue eyes trembled without focus.
Asthan knew it was impossible for someone who had just seen Sikun for the first time to stay calm.
Still, he desperately hoped this fragile woman could stay cool-headed enough to save herself.
“I’ll draw its attention, so you can run to the castle and get help. Don’t look back, no matter what. Got it?”
“D-Duke…”
“Go now!”
Asthan roughly pushed her back.
Gloria stumbled but then started running toward the castle.
It wasn’t the speed he hoped for, but it was good enough.
She would survive.
“Grrr!”
Sikun’s eyes gleamed fiercely at the sight of its prey fleeing.
Asthan threw a snowball at Sikun to draw its gaze.
“Over here!”
Flames lit up in the monster’s eyes.
“Haa… haa…”
Gloria ran toward the castle, looking like she was about to cry.
The snow piled up to her ankles, seeping into her boots and freezing her feet, but she couldn’t feel the cold or the pain.
Sikun… so that’s Sikun.
The monster she had only heard about was even bigger and scarier than she imagined.
Now she understood why the coachman had coldly refused to take her to the Schultzmeyer castle.
Was the Duke going to be okay?
Was it right for her to run away alone?
But in this kind of situation, she would only be a burden if she stayed.
The only way to save him was to get back to the castle and ask for help as quickly as possible.
Clenching her teeth, Gloria kept running.
The snow made even walking hard, but she had no time to slow down.
When the castle that had seemed so far away was finally close, Logan and the servants came rushing out with weapons.
“Young Lady!”
“Logan!”
“Where is His Grace?”
“Down by the cabin. Sikun… Sikun is…”
“Understood. Please go inside quickly.”
“Logan…”
“Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it and be right back.”
Trying to calm her, Logan winked with one eye and then ran down the hill.
Please, please let them all be safe.
Gloria clasped her hands together and prayed with all her heart.
Asthan stood face-to-face with Sikun, the cabin between them.
This wasn’t his first time fighting Sikun barehanded.
But it was the first time he had faced one so unprepared.
Thankfully, it seemed like this Sikun had never fought a human before, either.
Asthan calmly observed the creature.
Had it been starving for a long time?
Compared to a human, it was still overwhelming, but smaller than most Sikun.
Since it wasn’t in its active season, he guessed it had been pushed out of its cave while fighting for food.
“Grrr!”
While Asthan was assessing the situation, the excited Sikun moved first.
Asthan rolled to the right, dodging the fist aimed at his head.
The monster’s hand narrowly missed him and slammed into the snow.
Now fully enraged, Sikun used the cabin like a springboard and leapt into the air.
Crash! The cabin couldn’t withstand the monster’s strength and collapsed like a sandcastle.
Asthan grabbed a piece of broken wood and threw it at the charging Sikun.
It was just to buy time, but it didn’t work.
“Ugh!”
Long, sharp claws slashed into his shoulder and chest.
He kicked Sikun’s shin with his studded boots.
While the monster staggered, Asthan managed to pull away and clutched his wound.
The area burned instantly—likely from the poison on Sikun’s claws.
He couldn’t win like this.
Asthan glanced at the bracelet on his wrist.
It was swollen tight and glowing red-hot.
Not yet.
He had to hold on until Logan arrived.
Making a quick decision, Asthan turned and started running.
Seeing its prey bleeding and fleeing, Sikun got even more excited and chased after him.
Asthan ran in a zigzag pattern around the ruined cabin to buy time.
Logan, you damn guy. How long are you going to keep me waiting?
“Your Grace!”
“About time, you slowpokes.”
At the sound of the long-awaited voice, Asthan didn’t hesitate to remove the bracelet.
In that moment, the suppressed curse was unleashed.
“A monster, a monster attacked His Grace…!”
“Calm down, my lady.”
Back at the castle, Gloria explained what she had seen to Mrs. Merriweather, her face completely pale.
Even after hearing that Sikun had appeared and that Asthan was facing it alone, Mrs. Merriweather didn’t seem shaken at all.
“Don’t worry. His Grace will return safely.”
At her calm and firm reply, Gloria finally managed to sit down on the sofa, though she was still restless.
It’s okay. He’ll be okay.
No matter how many times she repeated that in her head, the tension didn’t go away.
Gloria tried her best to calm her pounding heart.
“W-When will he be back?”
“He’ll come back when it’s time.”
“Aren’t you worried, ma’am? Logan went too…”
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
Gloria looked at the head maid.
She was calmly sipping tea with a gentle smile, which felt almost eerie.
How can she be so calm?
Everyone knew that Sikun sometimes appeared in the Schultzmeyer territory.
It was also well-known that Asthan was skilled at dealing with them.
But still, even if he was used to fighting Sikuns, how could anyone face such a huge monster barehanded—without even a sword?
Gloria looked at Mrs. Merriweather, feeling like she might burst into tears.
Without a hint of concern, the older woman held out a teacup.
“Would you like some tea?”
“…No, thank you.”
Shaking her head, Gloria got up and walked to the window.
The endless field of white snow was quiet, as if nothing had happened.
That silence only made her more anxious.
<If I don’t come back…>
Asthan’s words wouldn’t leave her mind.
Gloria clutched the pendant he had given her, biting her lip.
The sharp edge dug into her palm.
Please… Please let him come back safely.
As she nervously wandered by the window with trembling hands, familiar shadows began to appear one by one.
They were the castle’s servants.
Gloria pressed her face to the window and scanned the group.
Where is His Grace? Where is he?
As her eyes moved frantically, she spotted a familiar face—Logan.
Behind his dragging steps, drops of red blood stained the snow.
A cloak fluttered behind his back. She recognized it instantly.
“That’s… His Grace!”
“You must not go out!”
Collin grabbed Gloria just as she tried to run outside.
She looked at him desperately.
“Butler, His Grace looks badly hurt!”
“I understand. Please go to your room, my lady.”
“Just let me check if he’s okay!”
“Go to your room.”
Collin firmly blocked her path.
Even though she pleaded to at least see Asthan’s face, the old butler refused. Feeling like she was clinging to her last hope, Gloria turned to Mrs. Merriweather.
“Go to your room, my lady.”
Even her final ally had turned her away. Gloria looked back out the window again.
But all she could see were footprints and bloodstains in the snow.
Hearing movement by the front door, Gloria shook off Collin’s grip and ran outside straight to Logan.
But the Asthan who had just been on Logan’s back was nowhere to be seen.
“Logan!”
“My lady.”
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.”
“But you’re bleeding a lot.”
“This isn’t my blood…”
Logan, covered in blood from head to toe, trailed off and didn’t finish his sentence. Realizing what that meant, Gloria finally asked the question she’d been holding back.
“Where is His Grace? Where is he?”
“His Grace…”
“My lady.”
Mrs. Merriweather naturally stepped between them.
“Logan needs his wounds treated first. You can talk later.”
“Ma’am…”
“Go inside. Logan, you too.”
The head maid cut her off sharply and pushed Logan away.
What is this atmosphere?
Why is no one talking about His Grace? Gloria couldn’t understand what was going on.
