Looking For My Fiancé’s Lover – chapter 33 (spin-off 6)

Heavy rain was still lashing down from the sky.
It was so strong that he couldn’t even guess when it would end, thus, Nezar was starting to get worried.
As the sun had long gone down, there was a chilling sense surrounding them even though it was indoors.
The foggy air that used to spread hazy now embroidered the darkness in pure white.
And the only light they could rely on was a faintly flickering candle.

“At this rate, we might freeze to death without even a mouse or a bird knowing.”

“We just have to wait until the rain stops.”

“The problem is that it’s not stopping.”

The dim light of the sunset completely died down when it started raining.
All that remained in the still forest was the thick darkness and the sound of heavy rain.
Nezar, who had been in agony for a long time, stood up and walked to Katrina.

“This won’t do.
Katrina, you wait here while I go get the carriage from the castle.
Keep the candle away from the window, and sit next to it.
It’s dry indoors and once it catches fire, it will get out of control, so be careful.
Understood?”

Katrina’s eyes widened at his words then she quickly shook her head.
She hurried down from her chair and dug into Nezar’s arms.

“I-, I hate that.
It’s too dark here… Can’t I just go with you?”

“No.
You just got better, if you get soaked in the rain again, you might not be able to get up again.
The flu recurs quickly, so you have to be careful.
I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”

He lightly patted her head and pulled his body away.
Katrina looked up at Nezar with a frown on her face.
And after a long silence, she nodded reluctantly.
Her nod was so forceful that there almost seemed to be a creaking sound coming from her thin neck.

“Mhm… I-, I understand.”

He took off his coat and put it on Katrina’s shoulders.
He would get wet anyway, so it didn’t really matter if he wore one layer or two.
As Nezar opened the door, he did not forget to remind her.

“Lock the door.
Never open it unless it’s me.”

The forest through the gap of the open door was full of moisture as if submerged in the sea.

After meeting the pair of blue-green eyes for the last time, Nezar made his way down through the heavy rain.
The condition of the road was half messed up with snow and soil that had dissolved in the rain.
Still, this would be enough for a carriage to ride on.
The snow piled up to the ankles had disappeared due to the rain.

After a long run, Nezar managed to arrive at the castle like a drowned rat.
His body was as heavy as wearing sandbags all over.
He took off his tie as soon as he entered the hall.
Katrina’s personal maid, Daisy, who was standing next to the stairs, rushed out when she saw him.
Her face was half distorted from anxiety.

“Your-, Your Highness! Miss Kate, she went out with you, right…?”

“She is currently sheltering from the rain in a cabin in the forest.
Do you know where that is?”

“You mean the Forest Keeper’s log cabin? Yes, I do.”

Daisy quickly nodded.

“Good.
Prepare a carriage and a blanket to send there now-…”

“Your Highness.”

At that moment, a long, dark shadow appeared beside Nezar.
He raised his chin, which was dripping with water.
There stood a neatly dressed man.
It was his aide, Ron, who called Nezar.

“His Majesty has sent you a message.”

“…Now? All of a sudden?”

Ron lowered his head slightly in response to his question.
He then whispered in a low voice that only Nezar could hear.

“It seems to be a simple greeting to ask if you are doing well in Ezelot.
Since the Emperor’s messenger has personally come all the way down here, I think you should show the least sincerity.”

“What do you mean by the least sincerity?”

“What else is there? You should at least reply to his letter.”

Damn it.
Nezar suppressed his sigh as he grabbed his forehead.
Unfortunate things kept on overlapping, and to think a royal message would arrive at a moment like this…

“But why are you like that? Did you play outside with lord Lockherd?”

Nezar ignored Ron’s words and gestured at Daisy.
Daisy, who was quietly waiting for him to finish talking, approached.

“I told her not to open the door unless it was me, so here, bring this and follow the carriage.
The road is muddy, so tell the coachman to be careful.”

“Yes.”

Daisy did a curtsy bow with her dress slightly lifted, then stepped down.
He promised to pick her up, but he didn’t expect things to go this way.
Her eyes, which had trembled in fear from being left alone, were still clear in his mind.
Still, if Katrina could be brought back without any major problems, then that’s enough.

“Looks like someone is still out there.
Could it be lord Lockherd?”

“No.
It’s Katrina Ezelot.”

“Katrina? … Ah! You must be talking about the youngest daughter of the Ezelot.
It seems you have gotten closer to her.
If you’re worried about her, should I go pick her up?”

“No need.
I’m sure she’d be scared if you stick your huge body in.”

Nezar went straight up to the bedroom and ripped the envelope without even washing up.
As Ron said, there was nothing much written on the parchment.
He wiped his hair roughly with a towel and immediately picked up the fountain pen.

Perhaps it was because Nezar was in a rush, but he felt that the amount of time it took for him to fill one side of the parchment was terribly long.
His body trembled nonstop because of the cold, and beside him, Ron kept talking nonsense, still, he had to write as decently as he could.
He disliked it all, but somehow he managed to finish writing a reply and handed it to the imperial messenger.

“Then I think I’ll have to stay here for a day or so…”

“Just go.”

“Already? Moving in this heavy rain? Don’t you think it’s too much?”

“Don’t complain.
If so, just take a breather in the living room on the first floor.”

“Whoever sees this will think that Your Highness is Count Ezelot himself.”

Nezar left the bedroom and headed to the hall.
The carriage must have left long ago, so Katrina should have arrived by now.

But something was a little strange.

“Your-, your Highness…!”

Daisy was weeping while holding his handkerchief in front of the tightly closed gates.
Nezar felt his breathing become heavy and ran towards her instantly.

“What are you doing here? Did I not tell you to follow the carriage?”

“That-, that’s-, Mrs.
Morcada said we don’t have a carriage right now…Since Master Eden and the Duke have left the castle, all of the family’s carriages are out of the territory… We would have to wait for Master Eden, but I don’t know when he’ll come back…”

Because of the pauses between her weeps, he could barely understand her words.
Nezar exhaled slowly, calming his pounding heart.

“Therefore?”

“That-, that’s why I still haven’t sent the carriage to the lady, I can’t…”

Daisy finally burst into tears.
Nezar hastily turned his head to check the wall clock in the hall.
9:30 p.m.
It was 8:10 when he arrived at the castle, so Katrina was left alone for nearly two hours.

For a moment, he felt his head go blank.
Two hours was about enough time for the short candle to melt away completely, and time passed very slowly in the darkness where one couldn’t see an inch ahead.

What should he do? Nezar was not even angry with the maid.
He just didn’t know what to do right now.

“What’s the matter, Nezar? Why is Kate’s personal maid crying in front of you?”

It was then that Lockherd approached them.