HM | Chapter 82 | [Illustration]

Translator: Yonnee



‘How can a man look so devilishly enchanting?’

He had merely smiled, yet Julie felt a shiver run down her spine.

She almost found herself smiling back at him, but the stirring baby in her arms snapped her out of it.

‘Huu, I nearly got swept away.’

Julie quickly averted her gaze, feeling as though she had been caught doing something wrong.

But she realized that turning away like that was rude, so she hastily raised her head again, flustered.

Heath merely shrugged, as if to say it was no big deal.

“Hmm, that’s odd.”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if my beauty has faded or not.”

His playful remark made Julie blush once again.

At that moment, Grace picked up on the slightly awkward atmosphere.

‘Julie’s about to burst.’

It was undeniable—those red eyes of his were entrancing.

And why was his skin so pale, and his hair so brilliantly white?

He was a man with such a strange beauty. It wouldn’t be strange to find out that he’s being worshiped by aesthetes.

Above all, it seemed he knew full well the allure he possessed.

That made him all the more unique… and unfamiliar.

‘I noticed it before too, but he has a rather peculiar personality.’

To put it kindly, he had an abundance of confidence. But on the other hand, it was more like an—

‘…Egomaniac.’

Grace bit her lip, swallowing the word she’d picked up from the orphanage children.

When she glanced at him, Heath smiled softly and winked.

‘Goodness.’

If Lucas was a type of man she had never encountered before, this man was certainly another first.

Startled, Grace quickly turned her head as if nothing had happened.

Still, aside from this man, there was someone else suspicious.

Grace directed her attention toward Torres.

“Are you sure you know this woman?”

“Y-Yes, Miss.”

“May I ask how you know her? As far as I know, you’re unmarried.”

“Unmarried… that’s right.”

“Then what is your relationship with her? Is she perhaps your sister…?”

“N-No, she’s not my sister.”

Grace’s tone was soft, but her questioning was persistent.

“Then?”

“…That, um.”

Torres bit his lip and lowered his head. His mind felt like it was about to burst.

Carolyn Adeia’s existence was supposed to remain a strict secret.

She was to remain as someone who didn’t exist in the capital.

That was Norman’s order.

That’s why she had been isolated in a remote area, with strict orders not to leave without his permission.

Torres had disobeyed that command by bringing her out.

He had no choice but to come to Lutein National Medical Center, a place he knew Grace often visited, because it was the only hospital that guaranteed secrecy.

‘…If this is discovered, I’m dead.’

Both he and Carolyn.

And perhaps even the poor baby as well.

‘But… if things continue like this, Carolyn and the baby might not survive anyway.’

It was clear why Norman wanted to hide Carolyn’s existence.

It was to make things easier to ‘deal with’.

And that ‘cleanup’ would likely be Torres’s responsibility.

‘No, I can’t let that happen.’

For a mere 200,000 grand, he had handed over his identity and five years of his life to the marquis’s family.

That money had gone to support his elderly mother and younger sister in the countryside.

The money aside, Torres didn’t know what Norman would do to him if he made any mistakes.

And the same would go for his mother and sister back home.

“Is it difficult to answer?”

Grace pressed him again.

Torres clenched his fists tightly, grinding his teeth.

If he told Grace everything… could things possibly change?

For a brief moment, an image of Grace being struck by Norman flashed before his eyes.

He closed his eyes tightly.

‘Nothing will change.’

Grace O’Ellin was too weak.

Norman O’Ellin was a terrifying man who would even harm his own sister to protect himself.

No matter how powerful Grace might become as a duchess…

‘What should I do?’

As Torres tried to suppress his trembling and desperately thought through his options—

Bang!

A loud crash echoed from the floor below, as if something had been broken.

 

* * *

 

Lucas kicked the firmly closed door with ease.

“Hmph.”

The giant, thick door couldn’t withstand a single kick from him, swinging open without any resistance.

“…Your Excellency, no matter what, kicking the door down like that is a bit lacking in decorum…”

“Compensate for it then.”

“Nooo, it’s not about the money.”

“If it’s not about the money, then I don’t see the problem. By the way, this place really lives up to its reputation as a snake’s den. Quite gloomy.”

After passing through the first-floor cafeteria and the second-floor terrace, they had reached the door on the third floor.

Lucas had left Jaime and the other escort knights behind and strode ahead.

Though no one was guarding it, the thick door was firmly shut.

Before Jaime could press the doorbell, Lucas’s boot had already swung out.

With just a casual kick, the door gave way with a cracking sound, swinging wide open.

‘Well…’

When it came to kicks, Lucas was the best in the world. There was no way the door could withstand it. After all, strength was his specialty.

For him, opening a door like this was as easy as blowing his nose.

“What is the meaning of this?”

A guard immediately appeared, blocking Lucas’s way.

He was no ordinary guard but a mercenary specifically hired by Yulias, skilled in hand-to-hand combat.

Though he was a foreigner, unfamiliar with the kingdom’s politics, he wasn’t completely ignorant.

He knew full well who the man in the black suit, casually walking with his hands in his pockets, was.

“Y-Your Excellency the Duke, what brings you here?”

“Well, I heard my future wife was dragged here. Naturally, I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

Though Lucas’s tone was relaxed and languid, the atmosphere around him remained dangerous.

He smiled, but somehow, it only made the situation more menacing.

With such a powerful presence, even his smile could seem terrifying, and this was one of those times.

The guard, looking between Lucas and the men following him, couldn’t tell if he was facing a duke or the underworld’s final boss.

Even just standing there in front of him made the guard’s legs tremble.

“P-Please wait just a moment…”

The guard glanced behind him nervously, blocking their path.

He couldn’t treat a powerful figure carelessly, and he certainly couldn’t face this alone.

Thankfully, other guards quickly joined him, but even then, the tension remained high.

“It would be best if you stepped aside. My patience isn’t known for lasting long.”

Lucas glanced down at the watch on his wrist.

He had made a point of arriving with a loud entrance, so it was about time someone showed up.

“…Your Excellency?”

Luckily, right on cue, a soft voice broke through the tense standoff between the men.

“Grace.”

In an instant, the dangerous aura surrounding Lucas Blacke melted away.

He pulled his hands out of his pockets and stepped toward her.

“Y-Your Excellency, what brings you here?”

A surprised Grace approached him, taking the hand he offered.

In that moment, Lucas gently pulled her into his arms, lifting her as if she were a child.

Holding her up, he looked at her and said,

“The real question is, what are you doing in this shady snake’s den?”

His strong, thick arms wrapped around her protectively.

Grace, finding herself held so close, instinctively clutched his shoulder.

 

 

“Um, what? A s-snake’s den? But this is… Heath Serpiente’s residence…”

“Exactly. That wretched snake, whether it’s Heath or Hicks or whatever that guy’s name is.”

Lucas smiled softly as he brushed a lock of hair away from Grace’s cheek.

Grace was startled not only by Lucas’s effortless strength, lifting her with one arm, but also by the possessive glint in his eyes.

“Your language is rather crude, you brutish warhorse.”

Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, Heath muttered lazily, glaring at Lucas.

The man who had been all smiles in front of Grace now looked ready for battle, his expression icy as he faced Lucas.

“Better a strong and powerful stallion than a weak snake, full of secretive thoughts.”

“And what use is a warhorse whose leg would render it useless for life?”

“If you cut off the head, doesn’t the snake die as well? Might not be a bad opportunity to test that theory.”

…Judging by the way they were speaking, it was clear the two knew each other.

Though their relationship didn’t seem particularly friendly.

Grace hesitated, then lightly patted Lucas’s shoulder, signaling him to put her down.

“Can you put me down now?”

“How did you end up here, Grace? You weren’t kidnapped, were you?”

“What? Kidnapped? Goodness, no. Someone collapsed nearby, and this gentleman just happened to be passing by.”

“Ah, I see. He just happened to be passing by…”

Lucas’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

With an innocent expression, Heath merely shrugged his shoulders. But where Grace couldn’t see, he silently mouthed, ‘What do you want me to do?’

With his charming smile and flowing white hair, Heath’s pupils briefly shifted into narrow slits before returning to normal.

‘That bastard.’

Without releasing Grace, Lucas subtly raised his other hand and extended one long, elegant finger downward. The veins on his finger bulged, turning red.

Even a single finger could look menacing in the hands of Lucas Blacke.

On the surface, both men were smiling pleasantly, but a silent battle raged between them.

The only problem was how absurdly childish it seemed, considering their age, status, and the seriousness of the situation.

Jaime and Yulias, who had been watching this scene unfold, let out a simultaneous sigh.

They exchanged a silent glance, then both spoke at the same time.

“Now that we’ve found Lady Grace, let’s head back, Your Excellency.”

“Lord Heath, you’ve been outside for too long. It’s time to return to the branch office.”

Each stood by their respective master.

Just then, a scream rang out from the room Grace had emerged from.

It was Julie’s voice.

Before Grace could even react, someone had already rushed inside.

“Julie!”

It was Jaime.

 

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