Winter Wolf - Chapter 11. Part 2

Chapter 11. Part 2

“Mr. Hoflander, what do you mean?” Lysithea asked, confused by his words. Did he mean that he expected her to roll the snow globe around and break it?

“The third floor also had 287 steps, just like the others. I had hoped it would be different, but it turned out to be the same,” Gray explained cryptically.

“What? Oh, the hidden secret—you didn’t find it after all,” Lysithea realized.

“That is true. I lacked the courage to go deeper, but you must find it, Lysithea del Arman,” Gray said, his words sending a shiver down her spine.

Lysithea’s grip loosened, and the snow globe slipped from her hand, crashing to the ground with a sharp clatter. As the glass ball shattered, it seemed to shoot into the snow like a bullet.

Her wide, purple eyes trembled with disbelief. Gray Hoflander knew who she was.

“Please don’t tell me you’re not. There are countless reasons why you are Lysithea del Arman.” he said

“Did you recognize my face from before?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“No, not directly. I’m just a detective; how you eat, drink, speak—all those things are clues, so I knew,” Gray responded.

“You mentioned that you were on your way to the capital. Are you planning to… report that I’m here?” Her mouth felt dry, and she watched Gray closely, her eyelashes fluttering nervously.

“A week ago I might have, but my contract with the Revolutionary Party is up. All that’s left is to deliver the report,” Gray explained.

“The Revolutionary Party? You mean…” Lysithea’s voice trailed off, her mind racing with the implications.

“For the past two months, I’ve been monitoring smuggling activities involving nobles in the port of Sylvanes. I’ve been paid handsomely, and I’ve arrested numerous nobles,” Gray explained.

As Lysithea absorbed this information, Gray spoke again, his tone apologetic. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not in the business of prosecuting a lifesaver. And don’t worry too much. The fact that you’ve survived this far… I see hope in you.”

Lysithea felt like she was about to explode. If the sea hadn’t frozen, Gray would have captured her. Now, with the frozen sea trapping her here, unable to escape, and having saved Gray’s life, she couldn’t help but feel the irony of it all. Whether it was hope or fate, it felt like a cruel game.

“This is all I can offer you, Lady Arman. I wish you the best of luck,” Gray said, bowing deeply before continuing on his way.

As Gray walked away, Lysithea remained standing, reaching down to retrieve the snow globe buried in the snow. Shimmering, colored powders scattered from the glass, reminiscent of snowflakes dancing in the air. Behind her, she heard Terrence stomping through the snow, prompting her to quickly hide the snow globe in her pocket.

“What’s taking you so long?” Terrence asked impatiently.

“Nothing much, just a book I found at the mansion,” Lysithea replied casually.

“A book? What kind?” Terrence asked, eyeing her with suspicion.

“Just an old, worn-out book,” Lysithea clarified.

Terrence watched Gray walk away, his expression unreadable. It wasn’t until Gray was out of sight that Terrence muttered, “That horse. I thought he was never coming back.”

When Lysithea glanced at him, Terrence met her gaze and smiled. “Even if I hadn’t been practicing my shooting, we’d  have two horses now.”

Lysithea’s hand tightened on the long rifle, and she asked softly, “Are you suggesting that because I have the only weapon, you couldn’t handle Gray the way you wanted to?”

“A gun is an equalizer; whether I use it or you use it, the result is the same if the target is hit,” Terrence reasoned.

“Because you can shoot and I can’t?” Lysithea countered.

“No, because I have the skill to shoot, and you don’t,” Terrence clarified.

Lysithea glanced at the massive, long gun in her hands, still loaded with a bullet.

Terrence shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve told you before, you can’t bring yourself to harm even an innocent creature like a wolf, and you’ve never had to in your sheltered life.”

With a soft click, Lysithea began methodically reloading her weapon. She aimed it at Gray’s retreating figure, moving further and further away. But Terrence seemed unfazed.

“Nice try, but your target needs work. If you want to shoot at a moving target, you need to…”

At that moment, a click indicated the release of the safety on Lysithea’s weapon. Terrence was momentarily speechless as he watched her.

“Lysithea,” he began, his voice tinged with concern.

But Lysithea remained focused, her violet eyes fixed on their target, her finger poised over the trigger

With a deafening BANG, the shot shattered the still winter air, sending shockwaves through the silent landscape. Startled, Harmony ran, her gray and brown form disappearing into the swirling snow.

As the echoes of the gunfire continued, Lysithea slowly lowered her weapon, her eyes following the trajectory of the barrel as it pointed skyward.

Terrence’s large hand closed around the barrel of the gun, lifting it skyward with a force that turned his palms white.

“Damn it”

The gun recoiled, causing Lysithea to fall to the snow, holding onto her chest. A sharp, throbbing pain pulsed through her head, leaving her gasping for air.

She struggled to control her cough. She looked up and saw Terrence staring at her incredulously. His expression was a mix of confusion and disbelief. He looked like a man whose mind understood the situation but whose body couldn’t quite catch up.

“Lysithea, if you had pulled the trigger, you would have hit that man,” he said. His words were filled with both concern and reproach.

Lysithea responded, “Is that true?” She tried to remain calm despite the chaos.

Terrence repeated, “You’re exhilarated by this, aren’t you?” His excitement was evident in his tone. However, Lysithea steadied herself and stood up.

She burst into laughter uncontrollably at the sight of Terrence’s face, contorted with horror.

“Terrence, you’re sweating. Is it a night sweat?” she teased, reaching out to wipe the bead of sweat from his forehead. But he slapped her hand away aggressively, causing her knuckles to tingle. Despite the sting, she found a strange satisfaction in his reaction.

“Terrence, you’ve been deceiving me all along,” she accused, observing him closely as he stood there with the gun in hand, his expression was unreadable.

His uneven breathing and intense gaze validated her suspicion. She felt satisfied.

Lysithea locked eyes with him. She noticed that the warmth and indifference she was used to had vanished.

“You care about me.”

He shook his head silently. But she continued.

Don’t lie to me. You care about me, otherwise, you wouldn’t do this. You wouldn’t be able to watch me become a real murderer.”

“Bullshit….”

“Am I wrong, then kill me?”

Lysithea stood before him with her arms spread, appearing defenseless. Her red hair blew in the cold wind. She spoke to him directly with unwavering determination.

“If you’re going to kill me, then go ahead. My money and the ring are all yours. I’ve only got one shot left in this gun,” she challenged.

“Shut up, Lysithea,” Terrence replied tersely, the sound of him loading the gun echoing in the air.

He pointed the gun at her with ease and anger. He had already shown his skill by taking down a wolf with a single shot from a distance. It appeared probable that he would now shoot her.

Lysithea remained firm, staring at him without flinching. His brass-colored eyes bore into hers with intensity, but she noticed a slight tremble in his hand as he gripped the gun barrel, revealing his inner turmoil.

He pulled the trigger, but he closed his eyes, contrary to what she had taught him. The shot fired, and she felt a sharp sting.

 Terrence quickly opened the gun’s magazine and checked it, realizing that it was empty. Lysithea noticed his distress and spoke apologetically.

“I lied. There were no bullets left,” she confessed.

His frown deepened, and his voice trembled as he struggled to comprehend her deception.

“Why did you lie?” he asked, his voice filled with emotion.

Lysithea calmly explained, “I wanted to see the regret in your eyes after you shot me, just as I see it now.”

He stood still, watching as the gun’s barrel lowered. Lysithea spoke with conviction and belief.

“Do you love me, Terrence?”

Terrence stood still, trying to process her words. They stood in silence for several minutes, with only the sound of their heavy breathing breaking the silence.

Terrence finally broke the silence, reached out, and grabbed Lysithea’s arm.

He demanded, “Come with me.” His voice was harsh and urgent.