[IFITAOAMV] Chapter 38

Feeling resigned, I gently ran my fingers through his soft, golden hair. His long eyelashes trembled slightly at the touch.

*Could the Crawford family have some beast folk blood in them?* I mused, though there had been no mention of such in the original story. Still, his behaviour made me suspicious.

Despite the situation’s absurdity, my hand continued to stroke his hair. The texture was so incredibly smooth that no silk could compare to it.

“Ah, this feels so good,” Edwin murmured, his body relaxing like a cat under the influence of catnip. 

*Did Jueri have the ability to handle animals?* I wondered. If so, maybe I could tame Edwin?

Just as I began to entertain that hopeful thought, Edwin opened his eyes, his long lashes fluttering. “I think I’m becoming addicted to my bride,” he said with a playful smile, his intense blue eyes locking onto mine.

*Is he going to have me stroke his hair all day?* The thought alone made me shudder.

Seeing my reaction, Edwin chuckled in amusement. “Tomorrow, I’ll be away for the day.”

“Do you have something important to do?” I asked, surprised. Although he had sometimes left for work, he had never been gone for more than an hour. The idea of him being away for an entire day seemed as unlikely as the sun rising in the west.

“I’m heading to the Muhas Desert. The royal family has been spreading strange rumours, and now treasure hunters are swarming there. I’ll also deal with some Ravens while I’m at it.”

“Treasure hunters?”

“Yes. The Ravens alone weren’t enough, so they’ve resorted to using treasure hunters.”

*Why would they need treasure hunters to find Jueri?* I wondered, but my thoughts were interrupted by his next words.

“Tomorrow night, don’t leave your room under any circumstances.”

“Why? What’s going to happen?”

“On nights when the blood moon rises, monsters appear,” Edwin said.

“It’s not safe outside right now.”

“This isn’t the time to worry about me! The Duke is in danger!” 

In my panic, I completely forgot that I was supposed to respectfully address Seth. 

“My Lord is currently inspecting the estate’s security. You don’t need to worry.” 

“No, something has happened to the Duke.” 

“Even if a monster were to attack, my Lord wouldn’t be harmed. The knights are with him as well.” 

“I’m telling you, the Duke might die!” 

When I shouted out in frustration, Seth’s eyes widened. 

“You’ve been here the whole time, so how do you know if the Duke is safe?” 

“That’s…” 

“I know. I can feel it. You know that I made a blood pact with the Duke.” 

At the mention of the blood pact, Seth’s expression stiffened. 

“…Are you truly sensing something?” 

“If I weren’t, do you think I’d be running around in the middle of the night with monsters lurking about?” 

Seth, clearly flustered, slowly looked me over from head to toe. 

*What? Why?* I thought. *It’s not like I had time to change my clothes!* 

I knew I was wearing pyjamas but held my head high. They weren’t see-through or revealing, so what did it matter? My survival was at stake. 

“Do you know where my Lord is?” 

“I think I can find him.” 

Seth, who had been looking at me with an unreadable expression, stepped aside politely. 

“Lead the way. I will follow.” 

I was about to run off but stopped and turned back to him. 

“If we encounter any monsters, can you handle them?” 

I glanced over Seth’s body, noticing he wasn’t carrying a sword, and his arms seemed rather thin, which made me a bit uneasy. 

“Don’t worry. I will protect you.” 

He gave a slight smile, full of confidence, but somehow, it didn’t reassure me. 

But what could I do? Seth was the only person I could rely on at the moment. 

I gave a half-hearted nod and then took off running, clutching the bundle of jewels tightly in my arms. 

It wasn’t difficult to find where Edwin was. I could sense it instinctively. The problem was where he was located. 

I was stunned when I saw the tower that soared into the sky. 

*He said he was patrolling! So why is he here?* 

I was completely taken aback to find that Edwin was in the tower I had suspected was the torture chamber. 

And to make matters worse, the eerie wails that had frightened me all night emanated from the tower. 

When I thought Edwin was in danger, my legs moved independently. But now, it was as if they were rooted to the ground. 

“My Lady, what are you doing here?” 

Beryl, looking startled at the sight of me, turned to Seth. 

Seth let out a small sigh in response to Beryl’s questioning gaze. 

*Did Seth know Edwin was here?* I thought, staring at him in disbelief. Seth gave me a troubled look. 

Something was going on. Something I wasn’t supposed to know. 

I raised my head to look at the top of the tower, barely visible in the dark. 

To be honest, I was scared. I didn’t know what was up there or what was happening. 

On top of that, I was about to disobey Edwin’s strict order and never come here. 

But… 

I had to know. I had to make sure he was safe. 

“Let me in. I know the Duke is on the top floor.”