Chapter 19

 

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Shaaa.

Anita was first welcomed by the sound of wind sweeping through the grass. Inside the gate, waist-high weeds swayed in the breeze from the surrounding plains.

‘Oh yeah. It was like this before.’

Anita believes that it was somewhat brighter when she was younger.

With the azure sky as a backdrop, the villa of Volloni had an inappropriately melancholy vibe for the weather.

Anxiety dominated. Anita yelled towards the inside of the jungle-like garden.

“Father? Are you inside? It’s me! Anita!”

The neighborhood was peaceful.

“Father!”

She focused her whole concentration on her father’s response, but the mansion was as silent as the grave. 

Squeak. Squeak.

At that very time, the sound of an ancient seam could be heard nearby.

“Miss. The gate is open.”

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According to the servant, the villa’s gate was unlocked.

‘Who’s inside?’

Is her father still inside the house? Anita surveyed her surroundings before entering the home.

“Father?”

Thankfully, the property was not vacant.

Despite being basic, it was furnished with a few items. Paintings were hung on the walls, and flowerpots were stacked in drawers.

Despite the fact that they were all coated in dust.

“I wanted to ask you this before… did you go this far just to visit your father?”

“Currently, yeah.”

“Then, lady, look upstairs. I will search downstairs.”

“Thanks.”

‘Perhaps he was so fatigued from work that he dropped into a deep slumber.’

However, after examining every room on the second level, she was unable to locate her father.

‘Ha. Aren’t you here?

Then, why did Duke Edenbahir provide her with the villa’s address? Even withholding the information from Lancelot.

She sighed deeply as she sank down on the chair in her childhood bedroom upon her return.

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Anita rocked the squeaky chair back and forth, recalling a long-forgotten truth.

“Ah… right.”

Anita created a hidden compartment under this chair.

Anita removed the chair and carpet in order to expose the hardwood floor, since she felt nostalgic.

The pink pocket that had been concealed behind it was then exposed.

“I recalled it.”

Inside the pocket were the girl Anita’s valuables. White seashells, a hand towel with a painted princess, and chocolates that may have decayed due to its age.

‘Huh?’

But underneath the pocket lay a previously unknown item.

‘Paper bag?’

It was there. Even though the paper bag was too pristine and couldn’t be considered as old.

Around that time, the servant approached her. He was the one who searched downstairs.

‘Why is it like that?’

Anita stuffed a paper bag into her bag as if she were concealing a crucial secret, and then she straightened the wooden planks and rugs.

Squeak.

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The door was unlocked and the servant entered. Anita stilled her heart, which was pounding as if it might burst, by remaining quiet.

“Did you locate anything?”

Anything.

A meaningless phrase entered her thoughts.

She said ‘anything’, and not ‘my father’. But she came here with the purpose of locating her father.

Anita lied while feigning innocence.

“It has been a very long time since I was last here. I just cannot recall where it is.”

“I know. No matter how you look at it, it does not seem to be a residence.”

“Because there may be items left behind by my father. I must search for a bit more.”

“Yes.”

Before leaving the room, the servant turned his attention to Anita’s bag, which she had left next to the bed.

“Oh, I’ll take care of the luggage.”

The package contained a revolver.

“It’s all good. It’s not heavy at all.”

The servant, unable to keep his eyes off the bag, glanced at Anita once before descending to the ground level.

Anita was required to look at the corridor while holding her breath until she could no longer hear footsteps.

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Accident.

[A lunatic set fire to all the wagons in this region a few days ago, so it will be difficult to locate.]

[My granny lived close by. I am also returning after a lengthy absence.]

[Did you locate anything?]

[I’ll take care of the luggage.]

Coincidence.

All these synchronicities were a warning to Anita.

Dangerous.

‘I need to go.’

But how can she run away? Were not all wagons in this region destroyed by fire?

First, let’s vacate the mansion.

With her luggage, Anita was equipped with the most casual appearance conceivable. Pretend to glance outdoors for a bit, then request assistance from the farmer.

However, Anita’s plan encountered obstacles from the outset.

Door.

Creak.

Window.

Creak.

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All outside entrances were secured.

Anita saw via the windows that each window and door was secured from the outside.

She could not have finished it in such little time. It was erected before her arrival.

Worse was the subsequent.

‘Fire?’

There was black smoke rising from the kitchen. It was not only the kitchen. The smoking also emanated from the living room.

Anita used a foul-mouthed expletive for the first time in her life.

“Motherf**ker!”

She raced after her and pounded with all her might on the door.

Bang!

“Is anybody there? Someone is encased inside!”

Bang. Bang!

“Help me! There is someone inside!”

She had to do something. Anything. She needed to live.

Because the home was made of wood, the fire spread so rapidly.

A strong likelihood existed that Anita would be roasted before outsiders noticed the fire.

She retreated to the second-floor bedroom and opened the window. Fortunately, the second-floor windows were not secured, although…

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‘Okay, Anita. Let’s be calm. Don’t worry… It is preferable to suffer a broken limb than to be burnt to death.’

If there was a silver lining to the disaster, it was the thick growth of weeds around the house.

Anita grabbed the discolored drapes and blankets, knotted them together, and flung them over the weeds.

If she tumble over it, she will not sustain significant injuries. She self-hypnotized and snatched the bag.

‘Let’s concentrate. You need to just fall there.’

The longer this goes on, the more difficult it becomes. Simply take three deep breaths, then let go. Three, two, one!

‘Ha, one more time.’

Three, two, one!

Anita put herself on top of the heap of clothing.

“Ah!”

Her mind was spinning, her butt hurt, and her whole body tingled.

However, Anita could not afford to concentrate on the shock that struck her.

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Before plunging from the second level, she caught sight of the servant standing between the gardens.

Anita unzipped the bag and extracted the pistol with an unprecedented speed.

And she placed it on the servant who was ready to dash away.

“Stop moving.”

Thud. Thump. Anita’s head resonated with the sound of her heartbeat, which sounded like it was going to burst.

It’s peculiar.

“What are you?”

In contrast to the quivering of her hands, her head became cool and her eyesight became clear.

“What do you want to find in this villa?”

As her respiration became consistent, the tremor in her progressively normalized.

“What are you seeking from me?”

“Do you want to become a killer?”

He had a different appearance than when they first arrived. His cruel and icy gaze heightened Anita’s tension.

A voice whispered in her ear.

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“You will become a murderer if you murder me. Do you want to burden Lancelot-nim and the Edenbahir family, who took pity on you?”

The eyes of the servant, who could not continue his sentence, suddenly widened in shock.

At that very time, Anita felt a familiar smell on her back.

A huge, white hand extended from behind her shoulder was tense and rigid. The warmth that had naturally fallen on Anita’s trigger-holding palm murmured softly.

“Give me your hand, Anita.”

Anita’s hand, which was gripping the trigger, remained still despite the arrogant instruction.

She instead turned her head and inspected the person standing behind her.

Lancelot.

“Anita. hand.”

How could this be?

However, Lancelot’s finger took grip of the trigger far quicker than her query could have been spoken.

His hand drew something with it.

Bang!

A scream was audible.

She attempted to stare straight ahead, but Lancelot’s other hand immobilized Anita’s head.

He maintained eye contact and talked normally.

“Just stare at me like this.” Then he fired another shot.

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