Winter Wolf - Chapter 17. Side Story 1

Side Story. Part 1

By the time Ian returned to the city, it was spring.

It had been about six months since the revolution. The atmosphere both inside and outside the country was still unsettled.

The leader of the revolutionary party was unable to maintain a monopoly on power. Within three months of the government’s formation, rival factions emerged and many soldiers left the revolutionary army.

“But, even so, there is unlikely to be any possibility of the nobility being reinstated.”

Ian took a sip of his drink without responding to the man who joined him. Last winter, he hadn’t been able to drink at all. The only alcohol he had consumed was a few sips of strong liquor to warm himself in the cave and the last sip of wine that she had given him to quench his thirst.

“Whoever’s up there doesn’t bother me. I don’t work for the government like you.”

Ian said coldly, and the man sitting next to him, Gray Hofflander, responded with a friendly smile.

“Does it not concern you, Mr. Croce?”

Ian shot Gray a look of annoyance, irritated by his familiarity. He hadn’t asked for his name.

Gray went on, ignoring Ian’s silence.

“It seems the central government’s defenses are being tightened. Even the esteemed leader is feeling quite a sense of crisis. There have been several assassination attempts recently.”

That’s problematic. Ian stared down at his drink in silence.

The only reason he had returned to the city after losing track of Lysithea was to deal with the revolutionary leader who had ordered her murder.

He wanted to solve that problem first before looking for her. He couldn’t face her without taking care of it.

“So, what is it you want to say to me?”

When Ian looked at Gray with suspicion, Gray smiled.

“I’m suggesting you wait for the right moment. I know very well what you’re planning, and I have no intention of stopping you… but.”

“You mean I could storm the government office at any moment.”

“That seems a bit impulsive, given your recent… style.”

“Style,”

Ian laughed to himself. This annoying detective had come knowing everything.

The relationship between him and Lysithea, their eventual fate, and his current plans.

“Is that why you came to teach me? To stop me from carrying out my harsh plans?”

“Oh, not at all. I’m not a clergyman. Quite the opposite.”

Gray pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Ian. Ian’s bronze-colored eyes darkened with suspicion.

“What is this?”

“It’s a blueprint. It seems that he’s spending state money on building a private residence without regard for its value. If he wanted to be a noble, he’s certainly taking care of that, including adding secret passages to his new house.”

Ian quietly put the paper in his pocket. Gray, having finished his task, prepared to leave. Ian asked him one last question.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“Well… for a similar reason as yours. Let’s just say it’s for my woman.”

With that remark and a casual nod, Gray promptly left the room.

Ian briefly wondered if Gray’s “woman” referred to Lysithea, but concluded that it couldn’t possibly be. Gray was a pragmatist; he wouldn’t engage in inefficient behavior like coveting someone else’s woman.

‘…No, she’s not my woman yet.’

He quickly corrected himself. Lysithea was not yet his. Not yet.

***

Since Phantom’s disappearance, the city’s underworld has been abuzz with rumors.

There were reports that the revolutionary leader had put out assassination contracts everywhere, targeting someone he desperately wanted dead, but every hired assassin’s whereabouts became mysterious and unclear.

As a result, the rest of Ian’s plans went fairly smoothly. The quality of the assassins taking the revolutionary leader’s orders continued to decline. The safe house that was to be the leader’s refuge when he lost power was nearing completion.

‘In 29 days.’

Every morning, Ian counted the days until the final moment. Only after the final assassination, a life-or-death attempt that had to succeed, would he be free.

Then, he could go find Lysithea.

‘What should I say when I see her again?’

He practiced what he would say when he reunited with her, but that was far more difficult than planning an assassination plan.

In his imagination, she remained expressionless no matter what he said. He would try to forcefully hold her back when she turned away, but he always regretted it.

Lysithea’s eyes, when she looked back, were filled with resentment and tears. Just like right after she heard his confession.

‘This is maddening.’

It was a relationship with no sign of a positive turn. It was already autumn, and it had been almost a year since they parted ways.

Ian had heard a few months ago that Lysithea had joined the Spencer family of the Principality of Randus. Although he was relieved that she had found a new home, he felt empty inside.

She had returned to her rightful place as a noble. She must have adapted quickly, and being young and beautiful, the men there wouldn’t leave her alone.

Though she wasn’t married yet, who could say? By the time he dealt with everything and arrived at the principality, she might already be someone’s wife.

‘If that happens, should I give up?’

Giving up on Lysithea seemed impossible to him.

Even if she was married, what did it matter? If her husband were to disappear, another opportunity might arise for her.

‘No… I decided not to do that.’

Ian scolded himself for his tendency to remove obstacles so naturally. He couldn’t afford to make her hate him any more than she already did.

‘If I’m late, that’s my fault for missing the timing. I need to wish her well.’

He calmed his mind. After all, now was the time to stay calm. If he failed to successfully enter the leader’s residence and complete the mission, there would be no second chance.

A month later, the day Ian finally stepped out of the mansion’s secret passageway after shedding the last of his blood, he expected everything to become clear. The death of the leader, disguised as a suicide, would be the biggest news in the world. He believed that Lysithea, being perceptive, would understand what the leader’s death meant.

That he had been living for her.

When Ian arrived in the Randus Principality a month later, having settled everything, he was informed that the Duke of Noxar had become engaged to Lysithea.

‘…I’ll need to check out the Duke’s residence.’

The man who had sworn a month ago to respect and bless her choice now felt utterly pitiful.

Could he just stand by and watch her end up with another man? He couldn’t bear the thought.

He began investigating the Duke’s movements, the comings and goings at the mansion, and the times of his outings.

In the midst of this, he made sure not to forget to visit the jeweler. Thinking of Lysithea, he envisioned the white snowfields, wishing to preserve that image forever. So he had a pair of platinum rings made, perfectly fitting their fingers.

Ian went to find her only after completing all preparations for the murders and the proposal.

It was a snowy winter. Ian had discreetly slipped into the Spencer Count’s estate. After waiting for about an hour, she appeared on the balcony.

Lysithea.

He wanted to call out to her, but he held back. He also resisted the urge to kidnap her and take her away. Instead, he simply watched her from the shadows.

Lysithea looked even more worn out than when they had parted ways. Ian felt a mix of pity and anger.

The damned Spencer Count’s family did not seem to be taking proper care of her. Security was so poor that anyone could get in. Besides, the Duke of Noxar, to whom she was engaged, was an old man nearing his end.

Everything about the situation displeased him, but in the end, all his frustration turned back on himself.

He should have come earlier.

Just looking at her filled Ian’s heart with longing. At the same time, seeing her dressed so elegantly as a noble made him feel conflicted.

No matter what, Lysithea was a noblewoman. Even though she had been in his arms countless times and once confessed her love to him, she still had the chance to live as a high-born lady. Ian felt a deep, fundamental question arise.

Even now, would she still want to leave with me?

As if answering his question, Lysithea turned away from the balcony. Watching her walk further inside, Ian decided to put such pampering thoughts aside.

He simply wanted to see her.

If there is even the smallest crack in her life, he wants to squeeze in and fill it with himself. He wants to say all the things he couldn’t at the time.

Words of apology. A plea to leave together. Words of love.

He promises to make her happier than anyone else.