A Shadow Cast in Paradise - Chapter 63

“You’re fearless. To still enter my bedroom so calmly after that.”

A wry laugh escaped from Sched’s lips.

At that, Riana’s lips trembled slightly.

“Ah… did you want more perhaps?”

His long eyelashes lowered mockingly at her.

Slap!

Finally, her small hand grazed his cheek.

But Sched looked down at her without even turning his head.

Moisture welled up in her gaze that had been dry all along.

Strangely, he rather liked the tears that Riana Serpens shed.

It felt like peeling off one layer of the mask she had been stubbornly wearing.

Riana could no longer meet the eyes looking down at her arrogantly and turned her gaze away.

His purple eyes, which she once thought beautiful and charming, now felt only cruel.

“If that’s not it, then say so.”

Sched took another step closer, as if to press down on Riana.

Riana swallowed a bitter smile in front of the shadow cast over her.

“What should I say? Should I go around spreading rumors that Your Grace is in heat?”

Sharp words sprang from her mouth.

At that, the Duke’s brows furrowed.

He knew Riana would not spread rumors about him being in heat.

What he wanted to ask about was not the gaze of others, like rumors and gossip.

“Riana.”

“…I’m already overwhelmed and terrified enough.”

Riana spat out the words between trembling lips.

That night, she vividly remembered the raw and barbaric emotions she had felt.

Under his rough thrusts, she had moaned like a beast just the same.

It felt like she had exposed all the base emotions hidden deep inside.

He had dug into the deepest part of her inner self, thoroughly searching even the intimate secrets she herself wanted to ignore, and drawing out primal breaths.

It was an ugly desire, to the point of being shameful.

“I want to cut it out. All the memories of that night.”

Riana struggled to lift her eyelids and meet Sched’s eyes.

Teardrops clung stubbornly to her eyelashes.

At that, turmoil also arose in Sched’s eyes.

“Your Grace would do the same, wouldn’t you?”

She barely managed to speak again, pretending to be calm.

“So, let’s act like it never happened.”

As if I had never loved you even once.

As if the emotions felt that night never existed.

Because only then could she completely escape from him.

Because with those memories embraced, she could not break free from his shadow.

That would be good for both of them.

For Sched too, yesterday’s passion was surely just an impulse and mistake.

“Then I’ll be going…”

Riana turned on her heel and fled the room as if escaping.

The door closed coldly between them, as if to separate the two.

Only the sound of rain tapping on the window finely shook the air.

He repeated the words Riana had said.

“…I’m already overwhelmed and terrified enough.”

The corners of his stiff mouth twisted as if disgusted.

It was a clean definition.

Of what kind of person Sched Lester was to Riana.

The words were so perfect there was no room for denial.

What more accurate assessment could there be for a filthy monster who couldn’t even properly control his own desires?

“I want to cut it out. All the memories of that night.”

If possible, he wanted to cut out her memories for her.

He wanted to turn everything back as if nothing had happened.

But at the same time, he hoped she would struggle in those memories for a long time.

He hoped she would remember and be bound to their first night together for life.

‘You crazy bastard.’

Even he himself thought he must have lost his mind somewhere.

He turned his head, rubbing his dry face.

An old mirror hanging on one wall was reflecting him.

Beyond the mirror, eyes filled with self-loathing were visible.

That vulgar Lupus reflected in the mirror was proof of the long history Lupus had lived as a slave.

How could he not despise himself when even he himself was disgusted?

He picked up the water bottle Riana had brought and poured it into a cup.

Watching the water flow down to fill the cup, he thought the weather was entirely humid.

His body felt heavy, as if soaked in water from the rain and fog.

He suddenly guessed that her tears must have also played a part in making this air heavy.

Somehow, the tears she shed must have mixed into this air too.

Just then, the sound of bells calling the knights together was heard.

The sounds of busy movement from early dawn for the heretic hunt grew louder one by one.

Sched turned his gaze to the sword hanging on one side of the room.

It was soon time to depart for the hunt.

The longsword with a wolf carving on the pommel was shining, awaiting the upcoming hunt.

He gripped the familiar sword.

There was no telling how many days the heretic hunt would take.

Perhaps it was a good thing.

As he ran around the life-threatening hunting grounds tracking heretics, maybe he could cut it out as she said.

Maybe he could forget it all as if it never existed – this terrible self-loathing, the memories and sensations of that night.

No… he would never be able to forget, but at least, maybe he could pretend to forget.

He tightened the belt at his waist and fastened the sword.

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“The, the weather is good for hunting heretics.”

Dietrich looked out at the damp and hazy scenery while putting on the white hood of his priest’s robe.

The priests following him were gathered in front of Paradel’s mansion, fully prepared.

The knights of House Lester were the same.

Due to the cloudy weather, the atmosphere seemed even more solemn and majestic.

Even among them, Sched Lester’s presence was overwhelming.

Wearing a long black cloak with a longsword at his waist, he simply stood still with an expressionless face.

But Dietrich found victory so naturally in that figure.

‘So this is the power of Sched Lester.’

He felt he could now understand the presence others had spoken of.

Somehow, he seemed to know why the title ‘Undefeated Hero’ was attached before his name.

With an anxious heart gripping him in case things went wrong, Dietrich turned around with a grave feeling.

There stood the ever-beautiful High Priestess Giselle Marlhein.

“Ple, please take good care of Paradel Castle while we’re gone, Hi, High Priestess Giselle Marlhein.”

The heretic hunt was planned to be led by Sched and Dietrich.

Giselle was to remain in Paradel to prepare for any possible dangers.

However, Giselle’s expression was not good, when normally she would have pretended to have a kind voice and blessed people to boost morale.

“May God always be with you all.”

There was no usual smile on Giselle’s face as she gave the stereotypical blessing.

Dietrich thought it was because the weather was gloomy.

“May God be with us.”

Dietrich bowed his head in response to Giselle’s blessing.

Sched, standing beside him, simply nodded with his eyes without saying a word.

Somehow, a chill ran down his spine.

This too, Dietrich thought, was because the weather was bleak.

“Th-then shall we depart now, Commander-in-Chief?”

Dietrich cautiously asked Sched, who had a stiff expression.

The Commander-in-Chief’s gaze slowly looked at the mansion and then nodded briefly.

As he gave a light signal, black and firm horse hooves stepped on the muddy puddles.

It was the dawn when the heretic hunt to save Paradel began.

[This is the timeline separator]

Riana watched the long procession leaving the mansion.

Due to the thick fog, only black silhouettes flickered against the pale background.

However, Riana could recognize Sched precisely among them.

An exceptionally large, straight, and unwavering shadow.

Riana watched that black shadow recede into the hazy smoke.

She thought she would feel liberated when he left, but somehow her chest felt heavily pressed.

Anxiety spread due to the gloomy weather.

Though they said they were fully prepared, would they be able to return safely from the heretic hunt?

Would Sched… be alright?

Just then, there was a sound of a fingertip tapping on the window she was looking out of.

It was Grita.

The tall woman nodded once as she watched those departing.

It was a signal that all preparations were complete.

Eclas was waiting with a ship prepared in the port city of Helling.

There were forged identity documents and clothes and shoes to change into along the way.

Thinking that footprints would be left in the muddy ground due to the drizzle, they had prepared two pairs of shoes each in different sizes.

There were gatekeepers, guides, mercenaries bribed in preparation for crisis situations, and even a decoy to disguise as Riana Serpens if necessary.

Under Eclas Bitel’s hand, everything was meticulously and perfectly prepared.

“You can run away again. I’ll find you even if I have to burn this entire land.”

Would those words still be valid?

Could he do that even when he had a fiancée by his side after returning from the hunt?

Riana recalled what Eclas had said.

He, who was second to none in information networks and wealth, promised to completely erase both Riana Serpens and Louise Ideana from the world.

With his help, even Sched Lester would never be able to find her.

“When do we depart?”

At Riana’s question, Grita pointed with her eyes to the long procession.

They planned to follow soon after Sched left this castle.

Riana nodded.

‘No need to worry, Riana.’

It’s already over.

She couldn’t resolve the heretic issue herself, and Dietrich should be able to finish off the incomplete heretic.

Hadn’t Sched alone fended him off well when they arrived in Paradel?

Riana turned her back on this lingering attachment that no one would welcome.

“I’ll get ready.”

Riana stepped away from the window.

Sched, who had left Paradel mansion, still did not know at that time.

That he would come to regret that day he left for the hunt for a very long time.