Winter Wolf - Chapter 11. Part 1

Chapter 1. Part 1

Harmony had returned, and Lysithea stood by the first-floor window, watching Gray as he saddled Harmony’s slightly thin back. The sky had begun to flake again, and as she watched him prepare to leave, Lysithea thought about what might have been.

‘What if she hadn’t made that misstep yesterday? What if she had shared everything with Gray?’

‘What if she had asked him to investigate the ghosts in the mansion as soon as she discovered he was a detective?’

“Lysithea,” Terrence said, appearing beside her without warning, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Lysithea met her fake husband’s eyes with a neutral expression.

With Gray’s departure, the absurd charade that they had been playing would come to an end.

“I was concerned that your gun might go missing suddenly,” Terrence remarked.

Lysithea extended the long gun she held out. She forced a smile, pushing up the corners of her mouth.

“Were you afraid I might use it to end my own life?” she retorted.

“I won’t deny the thought that crossed my mind,” Terrence replied casually.

He reached out to take the gun from her hand, but Lysithea pulled it back, avoiding his touch.

Terrence paused, his eyes locked with hers.

“What’s the matter? I’m just trying to be helpful,” he said.

“It’s fine,” Lysithea responded, removing his hand from her shoulder.

“Now that the horse is back, we can practice shooting. I need to improve before winter ends.”

She turned away from the window and noticed that it was almost noon.

With Terrence following behind her, Lysithea stepped out the front door of the mansion and fired her weapon, the sound echoing in the still air between them. It took Terrence a moment to break the silence.

“Liz, save your bullets. Let’s just fire ten more rounds and call it a day.”

Lysithea set a fresh bullet on the remains of the shattered one and silently returned to her position. As she reloaded, glancing at him with a stoic expression, Terrence offered her a smile.

“You’ve got some talent, girl. Your accuracy is impressive already.”

“Maybe I should take up hunting, too,” Lysithea muttered, raising her weapon again.

“Sylvaneth Harbor or whatever, I could just quit and…make a living at it and still survive, right?”

“You can’t.”

Terrence replied as she put her finger on the trigger. Lysithea raised an eyebrow.

“Why not? You said I had talent. When I get better, I could catch wolves like you.”

“Can you shoot?” Lysithea asked, pointing her gun downward and looking back at Terrence, already anticipating his answer.

“Can you shoot an innocent wolf that poses no threat to you?”

“If… if necessary,” Terrence hesitated.

“Necessary? You’d only resort to killing a wolf if it sunk its teeth into your neck,” Lysithea retorted, shaking her head in frustration at his evasiveness. She raised the gun and quickly squeezed the trigger, shattering the wine-filled flask with a resounding crack. Terrence released his arms in surprise.

“What a waste of wine! What were you thinking?” he exclaimed.

“You weren’t going to drink it anyway,” Lysithea muttered, moving to set up a new bottle. As the wine-soaked snow melted beneath her feet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was walking through blood.

As Lysithea lifted another heavy bottle and set it down, Terrence rushed over and grabbed her hand.

“That’s enough for tonight. I’ll get you another empty bottle tomorrow,” he insisted.

“Let go. You’re wasting my liquor, and you don’t even drink,” she retorted.

“Of course I don’t. It’s precious, so I’m saving it. I wanted to save the wine for later when it’s all over,” Terrence explained.

“But then it won’t be mine to drink, and I’ll be long gone by then,” Lysithea countered.

“Would you like to have a drink with me? Tell me now and I’ll be your drinking buddy,” Terrence offered.

“Who would want a guy like you as a friend?” Lysithea muttered.

Behind her, she heard a muffled cough and the slow pounding of horses’ hooves. She turned to see Gray Hoflander on a fully loaded brown horse. Two men and a woman stood nearby, armed with rifles and bottles of liquor.

“We’re getting ready to leave. Luckily the weather is not too bad,” said Gray Hoflander from his horse.

“Mr. Hoflander…” Lysithea began, her gaze fixed on him.

To her, Mr. Gray was a fascinating man and a true gentleman, and she regretted not having had the chance to speak with him more.

Meanwhile, Terrence, who had been joking with Lysithea, quickly took on a serious expression when he met Gray’s gaze.

“Good idea. You should go before it gets dark. We were just about to head inside too,” Terrence replied.

“I’m grateful to you, Mr. Kadas, and I won’t forget the meal you prepared for me,” Gray said with a smile, despite the earlier embarrassment.

Lysithea watched him with a newfound admiration for his resilience.

“So, Mr. Hoflander, you’re heading straight for the capital?” Lysithea inquired.

“Yes, I need to get back. I’ve fallen quite behind schedule during my time here. It’s been a crucial period,” Gray responded.

“I imagine your client will be expecting you, but… don’t rush too much,” Lysithea advised.

“Don’t worry Liz. My client is quite busy these days,” Gray assured.

“Then…” Lysithea began, intending to continue the conversation, but Terrence silently grabbed her hand and gave her a meaningful look. Seeing this, Gray smiled and took Harmony’s reins.

“Goodbye. To both of you,” she bid them farewell.

Relaxed, Gray urged his horse into a slow walk and faded into the distance. Lysithea watched him go, feeling confused for a moment.

Terrence’s interruption had cut their conversation short. But Lysithea still had a present she wanted to give to Gray.

She shook off Terrence’s hand and ran across the snow toward Gray, who was now quite far away.

“Mr. Hoflander, wait!”

“Liz!”

Terrence’s call from behind sounded like anger, but this time she had nothing to fear. The long rifle was in her hand.

“Wait…wait, Mr. Hoflander!”

Lysithea approached Gray, her breath coming in heavy gasps after more than thirty steps. Gray looked at her curiously, noticing the long weapon in her hand and Terrence’s figure in the distance.

“Mrs. Kadas, what brings you here?” Gray asked

“I have something… to give you,” Lysithea replied, panting slightly.

She reached into a leather pouch at her waist and pulled out a book. She offered it to Gray.

“What kind of book is this?” Gray asked, taking the worn book from her and examining it.

“I found it at the mansion. It’s filled with strange… herbal tales, and I thought it might be more useful to you than to me,” Lysithea explained.

As Gray flipped through the pages, a peculiar smile spread across his face, as if he had received a cherished gift from a beloved sibling.

“This is a truly precious gift. Are you sure you want to give it to me?” Gray asked, a grateful smile playing on his lips as he accepted the book.

Lysithea returned his smile and nodded, feeling a sense of relief at fulfilling her debt to him.

Meanwhile, Gray carefully stowed the book away in his pack before reaching into his coat pocket.

“There is something I’d like to give you,” he said, pulling out a glass ball about the size of a child’s hand. It was a snow globe, with tiny particles glistening in the liquid inside.

“I purchased it as a souvenir from the Port of Sylvanes,” Gray explained, holding out the snow globe. “I carved the base into a circle, so it should roll around even if it’s not perfectly level.”

Lysithea gasped in surprise. “For me?”

“Yes,” Gray confirmed with a nod. “It doesn’t need a base; you should just leave it alone.”

Gray’s tone suddenly became firm, leaving Lysithea stunned. There was something strange in the way he looked at her, a mixture of affection and warmth tinged with pity. It was a look more like pity than sympathy or kindness.