Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: The Hidden Summoning Circle
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**
Duke Carlisle left all the commotion behind and returned to his chambers.
Blood trickled down the back of his left hand. Startled servants rushed out with towels and bandages at the sight.
"No... Your Grace! Blood!"
"Out."
His low, suppressed voice carried an ominous edge.
The seasoned attendants withdrew quietly yet swiftly, careful not to disturb their master's mood.
Lennox irritably tore off his tie chain and flung it aside before heading straight for the bathtub filled with steaming hot water.
Crash!
A crystal bottle containing amber liquid near the tub shattered with a loud clatter.
His black shirt concealed the wound, but his left arm was sliced deeper than it appeared—enough to inconvenience him for some time.
"That wolf pup—"
At the third and final clash of their blades, Roy's sword had plunged into his exposed left side.
That wasn't the issue. He had aimed for the neck out of pure instinct, yet Roy knew it and didn't dodge.
Instead, he leaped directly into the path of Lennox's blade.
Lennox hadn't reflexively shifted the angle.
It wouldn't have merely grazed the corner of the wolf pup's eye—it would have cleanly severed his neck. Yet even that had been the pup's intention from the start.
Relying on the fearsome regenerative power of the Lykanthropes, dragging Juliet onto the stage before him as if to flaunt it.
"That damned thing, daring—"
Lennox ground his teeth.
Daring to lay hands on whom?
The wolf pup's true target wasn't him—it was Juliet. From the very beginning.
A childish act to startle Juliet into running straight to him.
Even if he'd blown off the neck instead of the eye, the monster's regeneration would have left him unscathed, Lennox was certain.
**
"Ow."
The temporary treatment room fell silent once everyone had left—everyone except Roy, who was making a fuss.
"You're laughing right now?"
Juliet scolded him with a furious expression.
Only after the temple healers finished and departed did Roy show her the cut on the back of his hand. It was shallow, but Juliet was livid.
No, what was he doing earlier when all those healing priests were swarming around!
Juliet vented openly, slathering disinfectant with rough dabs. Annoyingly, Roy didn't even wince.
"If you ever pull something like this again, then—"
"Then?"
"I'll cut ties with you."
"......Pardon?"
"You don't know what that means? It means we're no longer friends."
"Yeesh...."
Roy's shoulders slumped dejectedly.
"What on earth were you thinking doing that?"
Juliet still didn't seem appeased. Yet as he watched her, Roy's shoulders shook with silent laughter.
"Because even I didn't know."
Roy chuckled softly.
Juliet tilted her head at the cryptic words, furrowing her brow.
"Give me your hand."
"Yes."
Roy obediently extended the back of his hand, letting Juliet peer at the wound.
It was a scar that would vanish without a trace in half a day anyway.
Juliet often underestimated their clan's healing abilities. But Roy deliberately said nothing about it.
Instead, as she gravely inspected the wound, he gazed at her to his heart's content.
Her slightly furrowed brow when serious, and the way her nose scrunched when concentrating.
'I didn't plan on liking her this much.'
His golden eyes darkened a shade.
Unlike humans, Lykanthropes were known to remain faithful to one mate for life through imprinting.
But imprinting was rarer than most thought.
Most of the clan simply found partners during their heat cycles every few years, passing the time without forming families.
Imprinting was no different.
And he had been the same.
He surely had been...
"Juliet."
"Yes?"
Roy gently tugged her wrist and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.
Human flesh was so soft and fragile that even a bit of strength from him could shatter it easily.
Roy had always despised weakness. Like the rest of his clan, he loathed humans for their frailty, deceit, and cunning.
But now, even that despised fragility felt utterly endearing.
The fact that this delicate body pulsed with life, wore vivid expressions, and moved despite being so fragile it could die from the slightest mishandled force—it all seemed wondrous and mysterious.
Yet Roy didn't mind in the least.
Juliet wasn't entirely fragile, and if she aged faster as a human, growing weaker with time, he would simply grow stronger to match.
Juliet watched Roy kiss the back of her hand and subtly withdrew her captured one.
"Roy, do you like me?"
"...If I say yes, will you run away?"
Juliet stared at him wordlessly.
Roy knew her better than she expected.
"If you like someone, it's only natural to want to treat them well. Even if you don't like me back, I don't think that's a bad thing."
But Juliet felt not the slightest thrill from his tender words.
'Maybe I'm broken somewhere.'
She thought so.
Lennox Carlisle's affection had its twisted sides. And she had been conditioned to his ways for far too long.
"Roy, I..."
Roy was kind, so she didn't want to be equally cruel.
"I'm too worn out to like anyone the way I used to...
It's impossible."
It wasn't limited to Roy.
No matter who—even if she came to like Lennox again—it wouldn't be the same as before, Juliet believed.
She had grown exhausted from hopeless unrequited love. For far too long.
"It's okay."
"Roy."
"I won't demand you like me right away. I won't make you feel burdened."
Roy gauged her mood before slyly taking her hand and resting it against his cheek.
"You don't hate me, right?"
He must have seen through her weakness for faces.
Juliet couldn't shake off his grasp.
"Then, that's enough for now."
Roy beamed.
Lykanthropes lived three times the span of a human life. And especially Romeo Bascal was a predator of immense patience.
Juliet was utterly drained. Mentally and physically, she had been pushed to her limits.
It had been far too long a day. Her limbs felt leaden. Juliet wanted nothing more than to hurry to her room and collapse into bed. But her hands and skirts were a bloody mess.
"Um, Lady."
As she trudged up the stairs, a priestess cautiously called out from behind.
"Yes?"
She looked familiar—one of the healing priestesses who had tended Roy's wound hours earlier.
She approached Juliet and shared news that made her ears perk up.
"There's a special bathhouse in the east wing basement."
A special bathhouse?
Juliet perked up.
"It's normally for priestesses only... but at this hour, no one will be using it."
She even offered to lend clothes for changing.
Juliet was so grateful she nearly hugged and kissed her. The priestess warned her not to get caught by the supervisor.
Juliet wanted to at least learn her name, but she handed over a plain priestess dress and vanished.
"She's gone."
In any case, Juliet found the special bathhouse in the east wing just as directed.
It was a grand bath far larger than the small one attached to her room.
For Juliet, who loved hot baths, nothing could be better.
Quite late, the spacious, pleasant bathhouse stood empty.
Juliet washed off the blood, changed out of her bloodied clothes into fresh ones, and left the bathhouse.
On her way back to her room, she unfortunately ran into priestesses carrying foodstuffs.
'Oh right, Nix.'
She suddenly remembered the baby dragon waiting for her.
The hatchling's name was Onyx—Juliet usually called him Nix.
Raising him had racked up unplanned expenses.
She'd even sold some emergency jewels.
Among them was a flawless jet-black onyx brooch, a memento from her late mother, Countess Monad.
Thus, the little black dragon was named Onyx (Nix).
Juliet lacked talent for naming, but she thought it suited him well enough.
She told them she hadn't eaten anything. The kind-hearted novice priestesses took pity and gave her two apples.
Red apples were Nix's favorite treat.
The priestess uniform dresses had apron-like pockets. Juliet pocketed one apple in each side, satisfied, and was about to step away.
"Sister?"
'Oh no.' A cold voice from behind made Juliet flinch preemptively.
She turned as naturally as possible.
"Yes, Priestess?"
An unfamiliar priestess stood there.
She appeared to hold a high position—her robes differed slightly from those of the others Juliet had seen.
Juliet tensed a little.
'No way it's about the apples? Or did she see me coming from the special bath?'
"Could we speak for a moment?"
"Now?"
"It'll only take a minute."
What could it be?
The priestess who stopped her didn't wait for an answer and turned to walk away briskly, as if beckoning her to follow.
'Here it comes.'
Juliet followed honestly thinking so.
But the unfamiliar priestess strode ahead swiftly without a word.
Creak. Creak. Creak.
Juliet grew anxious trailing her up the worn stairs.
It was late; hardly anyone around. But where was she being led?
'I hope it's not about Nix.'
She hadn't meant to bring him, but Nix had snuck into her luggage and followed.
Getting caught with a dragon—thought extinct—in such a crowded place was a horrifying prospect.
She could claim the bathhouse was a lucky find. And the apples...
She'd just have to apologize profusely no matter what.
But if it was about Nix, the stakes changed entirely.
'If it's Nix, forget penance—I'll flee in the night.'
Juliet resolved as much when the priestess halted before a reception room.
Clunk.
"Wait here a moment."
The priestess seemed about to shove Juliet inside before shutting the door.
"Yes? Priestess?"
The instant Juliet approached the door.
Flash!
A geometric circular summoning circle hidden in the floor blazed to life.
Forgotten Juliet