A Shadow Cast in Paradise - Chapter 68

Undoubtedly, Eclas Bitel was not an honest man.

He did not convey that Sched had been badly injured while fighting heretics, nor the fact that he had not yet awakened due to a severe curse.

There was no good to come from telling such things.

He admitted it. He was the type of person who would filter information for his own benefit, and occasionally add exaggeration and lies.

And Riana had no way of knowing the truth.

“Ah… That’s a relief.”

Eclas was the only channel connecting her to the outside world.

So if Eclas covered her eyes, Riana could not see the truth.

That was the benefit Eclas received for hiding Riana.

Holding her perfectly in his hands.

Eclas examined her face, slightly dimmed by the bright light, and asked.

“Are you disappointed?”

“No. It’s not like that.”

Riana shook her head and smiled.

But Eclas could see it all.

The fact that Sched was not at all shaken by her absence must be bothering her.

Pretending not to know, Eclas knew everything.

The fact that that rutting beast had slept with Riana Serpens.

When he received that report, Eclas regretted leaving Paradel early.

But regret was too late.

He decided to calmly plan out the future and act more meticulously and selfishly.

Like the current lie.

‘The feeling of being treated as nothing by someone you spent the night with can’t be very pleasant. Especially if it’s quite an old relationship.’

It was rather fortunate.

‘That’s how you completely detach Sched Lester, Louise.’

Eclas thought quietly while fiddling with the gold coins in his pocket.

[This is the timeline separator]

When he opened his eyes again, it was the very familiar ceiling of the mansion.

As his blurry vision cleared, all the events he had experienced began to come back one by one.

He saw the face of the heretic.

As soon as he recalled his vivid and familiar face, his head felt like it was about to split.

‘Parmen…!’

What happened to him?

I need to catch him and ask. Why he’s alive as a heretic. Why he changed like that.

As he instinctively rose, his surroundings spun and his vision went dark.

“Cough!”

A hot surge rose from within along with the cough.

“My lord!”

“Sched!”

Those around him grabbed him.

Black blood poured from his mouth.

His whole body felt like it was on fire.

“Are you alright, my lord?”

His body wouldn’t listen.

The tips of his hands and feet tingled and felt stiff, unable to move.

It felt like woodworms were burrowing into his blood vessels, gnawing at various parts of his body.

“How could you move so suddenly!”

A high voice scolded him.

Only then did Sched realize that Giselle was beside him.

Sched pressed his stiff hand against his splitting head.

“Parmen…, no, the heretic.”

He mumbled in a shredded voice.

“Don’t worry. The heretic was caught and dealt with by High Priest Dietrich. He’s already reported this successful hunt to the High Temple.”

“…Dealt with?”

Sched’s face turned pale.

Parmen was dead.

He had killed… his brother.

The sensation of the blade piercing him was vividly felt on his palm.

Since that day 8 years ago, he had constantly hated the Ideana who killed Parmen.

He had even tried to kill the Count who killed his brothers.

Sometimes his directionless anger was aimed at Louise.

But who was it that killed his precious brother Parmen?

It wasn’t the Ideana he so hated, but Sched Lester.

He felt nauseous.

All his memories were now jumbled into a mess.

Were the Lupus who were massacred then really dead?

Or were they alive somewhere like Parmen?

What on earth happened at Ideana?

“Riana…”

Sched clenched his teeth.

“Bring Riana…”

Sched ordered, clutching the bedsheet with trembling hands.

He had to ask her.

About Parmen. And… about the crescent moon mark on his body, identical to hers.

At this, Giselle’s lips stiffened.

“…Even with me by your side, you need to find that woman?”

It was Giselle who had stayed by his side while he was down with the curse.

She had poured out her spiritual power to lift the unknown curse, searched through all sorts of books to keep him alive.

But Sched had no room to care about who was beside him.

“Damn it, I have something I must confirm with her…!”

That I need to ask why Parmen is alive, why he’s using black magic, and why I came this far knowing nothing.

If I had known Parmen was alive, I wouldn’t have hated you so much…!

“Get a grip… That woman is gone now.”

Giselle bit her teeth watching Sched focused solely on Riana.

Only then did Sched raise his head to look at Giselle.

“What do you mean she’s gone…?”

“She disappeared. After you left for the hunt.”

“What are you saying!”

As Sched shouted with his torn voice, the knights hurriedly tried to calm him.

But Giselle rather hoped his body would worsen from getting angry.

She wished that foolish fiancé blinded by stupidity would come to his senses even that way.

“She left. This place.”

Giselle firmly planted Riana’s absence in his head.

Sched shook his head like a person out of his mind.

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

He recalled the face that pretended to be nonchalant.

She was the one who first said to act like it never happened.

Then, as always, she should be here.

She should have come back to my bedroom to sharpen knives and bring towels.

She should have continued to serve calmly as a maid of House Lester.

But while I was away, she left as if running away?

Isn’t that proof that she cared about that incident more than anything else?

“Your words don’t match your actions, Riana…”

Veins bulged above his tightly clenched jaw.

Sched faced the source of anxiety that had weighed down his steps when he left for the heretic hunt.

Foolishly, he had believed her lie.

He mistakenly thought that tears pressed down inside would be hidden beneath calmness.

So he let his guard down.

And Riana didn’t miss the gap in the open door of the cage.

Regret flooded in.

He shouldn’t have left her as she was.

He should have locked her up securely somewhere and put a guard on her.

But the reason he didn’t was… yes, his arrogance.

The arrogance that she would stay by his side forever.

Sched staggered to his feet, his body still not free of pain.

“My lord!”

“You, your treatment isn’t finished yet! If you move around like that…ugh!”

As Giselle grabbed him, Sched shook off her hand and turned to her with fierce eyes.

Ah, yes. Could it be.

“…Was it you? Who drove her out?”

Everything was suspicious.

“What are you talking about…?”

“You didn’t like her.”

Because you were afraid of the scandal sullying your clean and noble reputation.

Because you were annoyed that I was talking about breaking off our engagement because of that woman.

At this, Giselle’s lower eyelids trembled.

“Don’t be ridiculous! That woman left on her own. How could she have stayed here after what you did?”

Giselle looked at him with wide open eyes.

“Get a grip. You’re the one who crossed the line. Not me.”

Sched’s eyes wavered at Giselle’s words.

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

Riana’s voice echoed in his head.

The heavy chain of ill fate drawn between him and her swayed heavily.

The relationship he thought had hit rock bottom was now showing an even deeper abyss, as if mocking him.

“Now you get a grip too. Stop clinging to that kind of woman like an idiot.”

Giselle advised him.

Give her up?

Live as if I’ve forgotten everything, as she said?

His pupils sank coldly.

No…, I need to hear.

What happened to Parmen.

What exactly happened between her and Ideana.

What was she trying to hide from me.

[This is the timeline separator]

“There it is. The place where you’ll live.”

Eclas, disguised as Egon, pointed to a low beach visible between distant islands.

The Janna Island he had mentioned was so discreetly hidden among the islands that it was hard to notice even when he pointed it out.

And when they reached Janna Island, Riana understood why he had called this place a paradise on earth.

A beach sparkling like powdered platinum.

Beautiful coral spread out under the emerald sea, transparent like glass.

Colorful fish and large turtles could be seen swimming through the gaps.

Inside the island were a small village along with tall palm trees and trees with large leaves.

There was a small mountain in the center of the island, but it was not high, so a healthy person could even run to the top.

It was a small island that could be circled in a day on horseback.

Riana disembarked from the ship and left the small dock.

Immediately, warm sand crunched beneath her feet.

The sound of white waves crashing into the sand and scattering into foam was peaceful, and strange-colored birds perched on trees welcomed the guests with new songs.

Egon led her along the shore.

After a short while, a house came into view not far from the beach.

The house, built with clean stone and wood, blended into nature like a painting despite being made with expensive materials.

“This is your new home. What do you think? Do you like it?”

Riana blinked as she looked at the small house on the beach.

It was a two-story house with a garden large enough to cultivate a small vegetable patch, though not spacious, and a small terrace where a table could be placed.

Riana suddenly recalled Eclas’s office she had seen in Sizlon.

Like that room, this place was also a luxurious villa carefully calculated to appear natural and rustic.

“I don’t think you’ll give me this house… without any price.”

Recalling that nothing from House Bitel comes for free, she turned to look at Egon.

Egon smiled.

“Of course. There are conditions.”

“What kind of conditions?”

“This way for a moment.”

Egon took her to a table in the garden and handed her two sheets of paper.

“You need to sign here.”

Riana took the papers and examined the contents.

As soon as she read the top line, Riana’s eyes widened.

“A marriage contract?”

What he handed her was a marriage contract with the names ‘Egon’ and ‘Riana’ written on it.