Winter Wolf - Chapter 3. Part 2

Chapter 3. Part 2

The drink was strong, likely made to withstand the cold. Lysithea pushed the bottle away, and Terrence quickly took her hand. He held her small hand in his large one, and soon it warmed up. Her tipsy mood suddenly changed.

“I thought it was water!”

Terrence laughed and took a couple of sips as Lysithea grumbled. She heard the sound of alcohol flowing down his throat.

“Oh my God, “you’re giving me alcohol just because I have a cough?”

“It works. You have stopped coughing.”

That was true. Lysithea closed her eyes tightly as the power of his strong drink felt like it was burning her heart. She had never consumed such strong alcohol before.

A warm breath immediately wafted from her neck. She sensed that if she didn’t divert her focus to something else, the drunkenness would overwhelm her in an instant.

She spoke quietly, concerned about the scent of alcohol on her breath.

“If it weren’t for you…” “Am I dead, right?” she trailed off.

“Are you okay? Did you intend to die alone?” he asked.

Terrence rested his chin on her shoulder. He seemed genuinely curious. His wiry beard tickled her soft shoulders.

“I ran away because I wanted to live. I might go crazy if I stay in that mansion.”

“Why? Did you see a ghost?”

Lysithea was silent. Her voice was barely audible, almost ghostly. Anyone who heard her would hear sounds resembling a ghost, but she refused to admit her belief in ghosts.

However, she refrained from mentioning her nightmare about being chased by a phantom. She never mentioned having nightmares because she was afraid of a persecutor she didn’t know was there.

She admitted to not knowing anything else.

“I had a nightmare. It was something that happened in the past.”

Lysithea trembled in Terrence’s embrace. Despite having such a dream, the reality of being peacefully held by her man felt strange.

“Was it before? When were you in the capital?”

“Yes, in the castle where I was born and raised.” “The day my entire family was killed in the revolution, and I had to run away.”

Lysithea looked at the burning fire and muttered.

“The leader of the Revolutionary Party’s son pulled me away from the platform that had become my place of execution. I told him I had some business to attend to.”

Lysithea remembered slowly. Terrence listened quietly to her. It was strange, but at the same time very comforting.

“He attempted to rape me. He wants me to be his slave for the rest of my life instead of saving my life.”

“Did you survive that way?”

Lysithea turned towards Terrence in response to his question, with her bright purple eyes.

“I was not raped.”

“Then what happened?”

“I shot him dead when he got on my body.”

Terrence stared at her face, looking slightly surprised. He then asked her a question with an expression that almost made him laugh.

“You killed him? Is it true that Bran is the party leader’s son?”

When Lysithea answered, Terrence burst into laughter. The sound of his laughter echoed throughout the cave.

“Why did you react like that? Do you not believe me?”

Terrence barely managed to suppress his laughter as Lysithea blushed with embarrassment.

“No, indeed. It’s hard to believe, but I have no choice but to believe you. That way everything will fit together.”

He paused to catch his breath. He blinked as if he had caught a glimpse of her.

“Yes, you killed him. I never even considered it. I never thought it would be you who killed him.”

“Have you heard anything about him?”

“There is no one who doesn’t know. Since the famous Bran died after being shot in the middle of the forehead, naturally, everyone can’t help but think of the killer first. No one knew about the specific situation.”

It was the first time Lysithea had heard this story.

“Then… no one knows that I am the criminal?”

“I know.”

Terrence’s eyes sparkled with interest. Lysithea was startled, but he added lightly.

“However, the term ‘criminal’ is not correct. You did not commit a crime.”

“I committed murder.”

“It was self-defense.”

Terrence said, gently wrapping his large hand around her back.

“Who can blame you? Things like that can happen to anyone. Something you can’t escape without killing the other person.”

Lysithea found the word ‘comforting’ strange, but it put her mind at ease. She didn’t mind his hand caressing her back. That was strange, too.

“You’re being selfish. I felt like you would never be on my side, but you suddenly became this kind,” Lysithea muttered, and Terrence responded lightly.

“I decided to change my strategy. I don’t want the effort I’ve put in so far to be in vain.”

“Effortless work…”

“Lysithea, you can’t imagine how hard I worked to secure this contract.” His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at her, reminiscing. He laughed as Lysithea averted her gaze with her innocent face.

“I was frightened and ran away alone, like a child. I almost died in a snowy field with no one around. Have you ever considered how I felt searching for you?”

“Sorry, I do.” Her face felt hot because she was embarrassed. She wondered if she brought it up for no reason. She should have slept since she was so tipsy.

Terrence asked. He looked into her regretful eyes.

“Lysithea, why didn’t you come to see me last night? The door was open.”

“I couldn’t go. I knew something would happen during the night.”

“Are you scared of me?”

Terrence is scary. It wasn’t like that. He was always kind and even gentlemanly.

“It’s not you that’s scary.”

Her mouth was dry, and she wanted water instead of alcohol. Lysithea replayed her memories from a few hours ago, feeling scared and going to Terrence to ask him to sleep. She felt her pride crushed and was worried about looking easy with her stuffy mind.

However, these are simply excuses. The true reason was something she was all too familiar with; the nightmare kept coming back.

“You would abandon me. I will leave it alone whether I die or not. It’s scary.”

“Why do you think that?”

“You said last time that if the hitman comes after me, you’ll pretend not to know me.”

Lysithea seemed to be out of breath when she said those words again. She mumbled, lowering her eyes.

“I heard sounds that you didn’t hear. I feel like I’m the only one who is weird. You’re fine over there, just me.”

Lysithea pursed her lips. She felt wronged and frustrated, on the verge of tears. She lived with him but had nowhere to turn. If there was a ghost in her mansion, it would be herself—a woman who appears ghost-like and wanders through an abandoned mansion. She appears pale and frightened, as if in a state of nothingness, with no influence on those around her. She longed to settle down somewhere, with someone who would accept, understand, and empathize with her. She yearned to escape this dull existence. End her boring life on the run.

Terrence asked quietly, looking into her watery eyes.

“So did I abandon you?”

Lysithea remained silent, showing her disagreement without words due to cognitive dissonance.

Terrence will let her die.

But Terrence is here now, by her side.

He muttered in a low voice.

“Do I not care if you live or die? I followed you through a snowstorm. I caught a wolf and picked you up. Then, I took you to a safe place and started a fire. After that, I stripped you of your skin and embraced you. Is this abandonment?”

“That’s not…”

“Now it would only be right if I left you here alone and rode off alone. Is that it? The ending you imagine.”

Lysithea’s purple eyes shook significantly. He spoke to her as her lips trembled, and she was left in confusion.

“Tell me the truth. What do you want?”

“Don’t leave.”

“Also,”

Lysithea hesitated before adding,

“Don’t abandon me.”

Terrence smiled contentedly at her hesitant voice. He turned Lysithea around, pulling her close. As he embraced her, she heard his whispered words, echoing the warmth of their first hug.

“I’ll be next to you. So, don’t run away on your own again. I thought I was going crazy when I saw your bedroom empty.”

“Oh! you?”

Who else is there besides you? Is there anyone else?