Winter Wolf - Chapter 14. Part 2

Chapter 14. Part 2

“The leader’s request presented a dilemma: why would he seek my services after I supposedly killed his son? It seemed like either a trap or a sign of his madness. I considered the potential dangers: would his soldiers lie in wait if I accepted the task, or would the target turn the tables on me? Alternatively, perhaps the leader was simply insane and valued my skills above all else, disregarding his son’s death.”

“I had many thoughts, but I knew I had to take action to uncover the truth. I was curious, so I accepted the deal.”

“I targeted Terrence Cadas first because I knew your escape route. I waited for your arrival at the mansion, which provided the perfect setting for executing my plans.”

“The broker was unable to keep quiet, so I used torture and other methods to extract information from him. During this process, I found the confession that you had planted. While searching for a hiding spot for Terrence’s body, I discovered a secret room within the mansion.”

“Despite my efforts, I didn’t manage to extract all the information from the broker until you arrived. Consequently, I had no choice but to keep him alive until then.”

“And then, there you were.”

“Lysithea Heerenair del Arman?”

“I was surprised when I saw you.  Your unique features made you stand out, even with your hair covered. Your violet eyes, which resemble the early evening sky, captivated me from the moment I saw you.”

“I couldn’t stop looking at you because you are so beautiful.”

“If the situation had been different, I would have taken you to bed without hesitation. However, I had to maintain the facade of being Terrence Cadas, your friendly broker. This was a missed opportunity.”

“Every time you called me Terrence and I showed you courtesy, it felt like an enjoyable charade as if we were acting out a play.”

“As your time in the mansion went on, you became more sensitive and fearful. You may have heard the sounds of me torturing the real Terrence at night. So I gave up my attempts to extract information from him and decided to keep him alive, using him only when necessary. I couldn’t bear to see the life drain from your face. Your smile was a beautiful sight.”

“Above all, I needed to understand why the leader involved me in this game, despite being responsible for his son’s death. Getting to know you better might uncover a clue.”

“I asked you to stay over in my room so that we could spend more time together.  I know it was selfish of me, but I hoped that we could connect on a deeper level. Unfortunately, my attempts to do so were rejected.”

“The next night, as I was getting ready for my bath, I heard you crying and talking in your sleep. Part of me wanted to wake you, thinking you were having a nightmare. However, I hesitated, wondering if even Lady Arman would come to me in such a vulnerable state.”

“However, you did not come to me. I assumed you were fast asleep since you had not slept in days. So I convinced myself that everything was fine and continued to extract information from Terrence, under the mistaken impression that I was safe.”

“You ran away from me that night.”

“I felt betrayed. I had always treated you well, and your decision to run away shook me. You left me without warning, and I couldn’t understand why. It was especially confusing because I knew you couldn’t ride a horse by yourself.”

“As I followed you through the cold night, I wondered if you had betrayed me and set a trap. Were you working with the leader’s people for a planned encounter? Or was I walking into a trap set by the leader himself in the snowy fields?”

“However, instead of encountering a trap, you were faced with a lone wolf standing on the brink of death.”

“I couldn’t bear to see you lose to a wolf, especially without knowing why the leader had targeted you, so I made the split-second decision to intervene and kill the wolf. As I lifted you from the ground, a whirlwind of questions swirled in my mind.”

“Why didn’t you come to my room? What do you want from me? How much more must I do to earn your trust?”

“While I was thinking, your body grew cold, so I found the cave that Terrence had mentioned and took shelter inside. It was challenging for me to undress and hold you close without acting on my desires.”

“However, the effort was worth it. I saved your life and took care of you, which made you rely on me and trust me more.”

***”When he attacked me, I shot him dead with my gun.”***

“I smiled upon hearing those words. It felt like a puzzle had been solved, revealing all the hidden secrets.”

“Lysithea del Arman killed Bran. The leader of the Revolutionary Party knew this and ordered me to kill you. He wanted me to have a chance for revenge against the woman who caused my failure and to cleanse my failure with blood.”

“My client was cunning and unpredictable, while you were so clueless.”

“You are concerned about being accused of murder for killing Bran, even in self-defense. This thought haunts you and causes nightmares.”

“The story should have ended there. I had the information I was looking for, and I had heard all I needed to hear from you. There was no reason to keep you alive. Cleaning up after you would have been simpler.”

“Yet… I spared your life because you were the first person to thwart me. You, a vulnerable, almost lifeless, frightened, delicate woman, caused my first failure. That is remarkable.”

“The leader gave me three weeks to pay my respects to you, which seemed like enough time. You deserve to be treated with respect, and I couldn’t bring myself to end your life quickly.”

“I wanted to provide you with the best care possible. To ensure that you didn’t suffer from nightmares, I tended to you throughout the night. I worked to lower your fever and even went out of my way to acquire medicine for you. I couldn’t believe the lengths I would go to to save someone’s life. It was as if I had become a different person altogether.”

“Upon my return with the medicine, I discovered intruders—three intruders who were likely thieves based on their belongings and footprints.”

“Until that moment, I had never considered harming you. However, if those intruders had dared to harm you or take your life before mine, I would have taken action to protect you. I would have ensured that the unluckiest among them suffered the longest. The minutes felt like they were dragging on endlessly.”

“I heard gunshots from the second floor and realized you were still alive. I quickly used my gun to dispatch two of the intruders, but the third was hiding somewhere on the second floor—I could hear his footsteps.”

“Standing in the doorway, I heard your faint breaths. I wanted to open the door and make sure you were safe, but I hesitated, expecting the final attacker’s desperate move.”

“As expected, I did not encounter any difficulty in dispatching him, but in my eagerness to end the confrontation, I made a mistake—I accidentally slit his throat, causing blood to stain my clothes. This was a big mistake, especially if it was meant to be a professional hit.”

“I didn’t want you to see me like this. I couldn’t hide it. Upon opening the door, I found you looking at me with eyes that seemed to be on the verge of tears as if you had no one else in the world to turn to but me.”

“You embraced me despite my reluctance to stain you with my blood, willingly sharing in the bloodshed. Your pitiful yet beautiful clinging to me made me feel strange.”

“‘Does she suspect my plot?’ ‘If she did, she wouldn’t hold me like this or show concern.’ This thought unsettles me.”

“I was foolish for a moment, trying to claim something I couldn’t handle. You were embracing Terrence Cadas, not the Phantom.”

“However, I couldn’t help but laugh. My name is Terrence Cadas, and I am your friendly broker. But as soon as I closed the door, reality hit me.”

“I don’t want you to discover my true identity. However, you will eventually learn everything and be dragged into this life with no way out.”

“The hallway is covered in blood. A lifeless figure lies at my feet, and my body is soaked in blood.”

“It is absurd that you would be drawn into this life. Saving your life is not an act of altruism, but rather an act of selfishness, ensuring that you survive to become the partner of a murderer, forever cast adrift.”

“No, I am most terrified by the moment when you truly realize who I am.”

“You would not laugh.”

“I am tired of your unrealistic daydreams. I took a cloth from an unoccupied room and cleaned up the mess.”