Chapter 87
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 87
The atmosphere inside the exhibition hall shifted abruptly. The people who had been pressuring Seo-ah to apologize, along with Eric, who had just flared up at her, all turned their gazes toward the source of the sudden change.
The nobles’ eyes converged on the entrance of the exhibition hall. A procession of people carrying flower baskets began streaming in through the Lily Arch.
“Oh, it looks like His Majesty sent a gift.”
The crowd murmured at the sight of the flower baskets bearing the royal crest. Once the basket-bearers had finished entering, the Royal Guard marched in behind them, clad in full dress uniform. Gasps of admiration erupted at the solemn entrance of the King’s Royal Guard. Before those gasps could even fade, a figure in a black dress stepped into the exhibition hall.
Swish, swish.
The sound of heavy fabric sweeping across the floor was sharp, almost piercing. All of Seo-ah’s senses focused on her ears. A shiver traced a path like lightning from her ears to the crown of her head, raising even the finest hairs on her skin.
From beyond the crowd, the sense of an unseen presence brushed past her as it moved forward. The strides were wide and slow, yet but for the rustling of fabric, the figure made absolutely no sound.
But there was another reason why Seo-ah’s attention was utterly arrested.
The metallic stench of slaughter drifting through the air struck her nose with terrible force.
The rustling footsteps came to a sudden halt. Seo-ah, who had been listening intently, raised her head.
“His Majesty sends his deepest apologies for being unable to attend in person.”
“Of course, I understand. I am delighted that he sent such a gift.”
“My sincere congratulations on the opening of your exhibition.”
The conversation drifted from somewhere beyond her line of sight.
The voice conversing with Sabine was impossibly low. It belonged to someone whose gender was ambiguous—at once a woman’s, yet in another way, a man’s. The aura they exuded was far from ordinary. Seo-ah, who had been standing frozen as if in a trance, moved to catch a glimpse of the being who brought this stench of slaughter.
But a wall of well-built nobles stood before her, and beyond them were soldiers in red jackets.
“It has been a long time.”
“I greet the Dowager Marchioness.”
They continued their conversation. Even amidst the murmuring of the crowd, their voices pierced Seo-ah’s ears with bizarre clarity.
Seo-ah tried to weave through the people blocking her path. But then, a rough, powerful grip suddenly snatched her hand.
“...!”
Eric, who had grabbed her wrist just as he had snatched her hair ribbon earlier, revealed his true colors now that everyone’s attention was elsewhere. He leaned in close and whispered to her.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Feeling her resistance, his expression turned vicious.
“Trying to run away? I can’t have that.”
His grip promised he wouldn’t let her go even if he had to snap her wrist.
“I’m sorry. Please let go.”
Seo-ah struggled to wrench her hand free, but the man’s grip didn’t budge. It felt as though her bones would break.
“Then, I shall take my leave now.”
“Are you leaving already? Won’t you stay and look around a bit?”
Sabine’s voice drifting from beyond the crowd fueled Seo-ah’s urgency.
“I would like to, but as I have brought a large entourage, I worry we might cause a disturbance. I shall visit again privately.”
Unlike the other guests, the sudden visitors seemed intent on delivering only what was necessary before departing.
Seo-ah couldn’t get a proper look at them. No matter how high she stood on her tiptoes, the faces of those wearing feathered military caps pulled down low remained hidden, and the person conversing with Sabine was completely obscured by the crowd.
“Let go, please...!”
She felt like a leashed beast. Meanwhile, the soldiers were already exiting the exhibition hall with disciplined, swift movements.
“Oh? Trying to leave?”
To make matters worse, it wasn’t just Eric; his companions surrounded her as well. As if worried that others might witness the scuffle, they crowded even closer.
But not a single word they said registered in her mind. Though she had spent hours wandering this place, there hadn’t been a single person she wanted to seek out.
But now, for the first time, she felt a desperate urge to know.
That metallic stench of slaughter drifting through the air.
It was, without a doubt, the exact same scent that had hung thick over her grandfather’s desecrated grave.
Prepared to have her wrist broken if that was what it took, Seo-ah wrenched her hand away with all her might.
Tearing herself free from Eric’s grasp, she pushed through the crowd of nobles, chasing the fading scent of slaughter.
The men who had surrounded her were stunned by how quickly she slipped past them. She moved with a sudden, fierce agility that belied her previous stillness, where she had stood like a soulless doll.
Breaking free from the pack of men, Seo-ah darted past the peacock-like nobles and slipped through the splendid Lily Arch—the very threshold she had feared she would never escape today. But once past the arch, she hesitated. In that brief window, they had already vanished.
The path split in several directions. They might have gone down the corridor, or perhaps down the grand staircases on either side.
Seo-ah hurried toward the balustrade overlooking the stairs. They couldn’t have left the department store yet; if she looked down from above, she was bound to spot them.
She ran with all her might toward the ornate golden balustrade, then pivoted toward the long staircase descending from it.
They must be there.
Whispering the words like a mantra, she reached the top of the stairs—which felt as steep as a cliffside.
In the blink of an eye, her wildly racing heart seemed to vanish. All the blood drained from the hollow space left behind.
Though the path ahead was wide open, she froze as if she had hit a dead end.
For there, ascending the red-carpeted stairs, was a black wolf—and his eyes were fixed right on her.
He looked exactly as he had this morning.
As Oscar ascended step by step, his gaze boring into her, Seo-ah instinctively took a step back. She had run all this way chasing the scent of slaughter, yet the moment she saw him, her mind went completely blank.
She could neither turn back nor bring herself to greet him. She could only stand there, frozen, watching Oscar draw closer.
“You fucking bitch...!”
A snarled curse lashed out. Turning toward the sound, she saw Eric marching toward her, his face contorted with absolute fury.
It wasn't that she feared him. It was simply that she had nowhere to run. She couldn't possibly descend the stairs Oscar was currently climbing.
She hesitated. In that split second, Eric closed the distance like a hunter cornering his prey, reaching out to snatch her wrist.
Backing away, her waist pressed precariously against the balustrade. With no one to call for help and her escape route cut off, overpowering her would have been effortless.
If not for the man who appeared without warning, that is.
Oscar materialized before Eric’s eyes before the man could even register his presence. It happened a mere heartbeat before Eric could grab Seo-ah’s wrist again.
A sharp-featured man with pitch-black hair and deep blue eyes stepped onto the landing.
Thud.
The moment he set foot on the landing, the power dynamic shifted instantly. Eric’s gaze was forced upward.
A man of extraordinary presence and stature. There was no one in Luxen who did not know him.
The rage that had consumed Eric’s mind evaporated instantly, as if doused in ice water.
Standing at the top of the stairs, Marquis Reinhardt stared at the man and woman before him, his hands shoved casually into his pockets. The faint, distant strains of music only served to heighten the heavy silence that fell over the landing.
Eric was the first to find his voice.
Shaking off the shock of Oscar’s sudden appearance at Sabine’s exhibition, he quickly turned to face him. His vicious expression vanished, replaced instantly by a smooth, polite smile.
“Good day, Your Excellency!”
The Marquis, who had been studying the disheveled woman, shifted his gaze to Eric. Encouraged, Eric's smile widened.
“It is an honor to meet you.”
His previous violence was entirely gone, replaced by obsequious politeness. Oscar, observing him with dark eyes, let out a faint, thin smile. Then, keeping his hands in his pockets, he spoke.
“The son of Count Richard… was it?”
“Yes, I am honored that you remember me!”
Oscar’s gaze drifted back to the woman cornered against the railing. The faint smile on his lips vanished. Staring at her pale, downcast face, he murmured, “Hardly an honor.”
“Please, come inside, Your Excellency. Lady Jerome will be absolutely delighted.”
Thrilled to have run into Oscar—a man even the King struggled to meet—Eric turned toward the Lily Arch, where the music was playing, and gestured like a deferential servant.
“Allow me to guide you, Your Excellency.”
Oscar, his eyes lingering on the woman for a fraction of a second, turned toward the Lily Arch.
It seemed as though no one cared about the woman left standing by the balustrade.
As Oscar walked toward the Lily Arch, Simon followed, brushing past Seo-ah. Behind him, four other wolves in suits filed past her. They walked by without so much as a glance, acting as if she didn't even exist.
While they filed past, Seo-ah kept her eyes glued to the floor. Only after their heavy footsteps faded did she slowly raise her head. Her eyes fell upon the back of the exceptionally tall man.
His presence was overwhelming. It was like a black sun, so intense that Seo-ah forgot her very purpose, her gaze helplessly anchored to his retreating figure.