Chapter 22 (1/2)

Translator and Editor: Lea and Ishy

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Chapter 22

The corridor was dark. Although every other light on the wall was turned on, there were blind spots everywhere because they were dimmed.

‘Too bad it’s on the same floor.’

If I had to climb or go down the stairs, I couldn’t be sure I had secured enough vision to prevent my fall if anything were to attack me.

‘It’s a good thing I brought my bed lamp.’ Thanks to the bed lamp that I remembered to bring, I was able to safely arrive in front of my old room.

Click–

I opened the door I was familiar with, the shivering cold wind of the midnight blowing through the broken window that cut into my skin.

I had to be careful that it didn’t plunge me into darkness by turning off the lamp. I walked across the room, placing the lamp on the table behind me.

“Ash.”

Still, no answer.

Soon, however, I was able to find the sleeping bird with his body rolled up on the floor outside the balcony door.

“Oh God, what if you catch a cold while sleeping here?”

It seemed he had fallen asleep while he was waiting for me.

I carefully picked Ash up and wrapped him with the warmth of my hands before standing up, my hair fluttering from the fresh wind.

“The scent of grass, it’s refreshing.”

When the smell of healthy grass tickled my nose, my eyes inadvertently flitted to view the outside of the railing.

It was still the middle of the night, so it was dark.

I could see nothing outside in the dark…

‘Huh?’

Within a short moment, something caught my eye.

The shaking of a light.

‘What is that?’

I leaned on the railing of the balcony in order to get a closer look.

At first, I just saw a round light, but when I looked closer I could make out a human silhouette.

‘Who is that…?’

Relying on a single lamp, the person walking below seemed familiar.

I focused on who they were. And not very long after, my eyes grew wide with surprise.

‘…Mary?’

It was the middle of the night. Too dark to perform your duties, or even to go somewhere.

My eyes followed Mary’s walking direction as I muttered softly under my breath, “she said it was an empty lot.”

When asked where the trail—the one I found while swinging—led, Mary certainly replied that way.

‘I’ll have to follow her.’

I hurriedly moved Ash to my bedside.

Though he seemed sensitive to light and abandonment, he did not wake up because he was deeply asleep.

I was glad that I was dressed in outdoor clothes from having to see Lennox off and then going straight to find Ash.

In the short period of looking after Ash, Mary had gradually moved away, and before I knew it, she looked as big as a finger.

“Sorry. I’ll be right back,” I whispered to the sleeping form of Ash before I went out.

I pressed my feet on the ground, each step loaded with urgency.

Killing the sound of my footsteps, I ran fast to catch up to the light of her lamp.

***

After a while, my forehead gathered into a frown.

‘…It’s not an empty lot?’

There was lush vegetation.

Looking at the trees, bushes, and grass that grew arbitrarily, it could be said without a doubt that this place had not been touched by any human.

‘Mary lied to me.’

There could be several reasons for people to lie.

And in this case, it was probably…

‘To hide something.’

I could feel my muscles tense.

The chilling sensation of finding out something so crucial and at the same time, a dangerous truth.

‘What is she doing here?’

Mary crossed the path thick with bushes as if she were going to her home. She was so fast, it was hard to catch up.

I was lucky there wasn’t a dry leaf or branch on the floor. Otherwise, she would’ve heard my rustling steps behind her.

Then, Mary suddenly stopped.

I reflexively hid behind a large wooden bark next to me.

At the same time, I caught the thick voice of a man.

What he said was nothing but shocking.

“Are you back, Lady Carinne?”

***

‘Carinne?’

I opened my eyes and stared ahead.

Unless my ears heard wrong, the man definitely called out to Carinne.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”

“Not at all.”

“You always say that.”

The voice exchanging words with the man was certainly Mary’s. I couldn’t be mistaken by her unique voice.

‘But why did he call out to Carinne…?’

I was still trying to figure it out.

“Anything special?”

“There isn’t.”

Listening to their conversation, I seemed to have caught on to a new fact:

‘Mary’s way of speaking completely changed.’