10.

“…What?”

“The Count has responsibilities to tend to in his estate. And honestly, staying here doesn’t seem to benefit either of you.”

Her words, though spoken with all the courage she could muster and entirely true, immediately struck a nerve. Before she could even finish her sentence, the Baron violently shoved Henesstia to the ground. The pain that shot up her arm left her writhing on the floor.

“You think you can talk back to me now? You think one night with Riad changes your standing?”

He stomped his feet, making the floor vibrate with each step, his voice booming angrily.

Henesstia, still trembling from the shock, peered up at him through her disheveled hair.

“Talk to the Count again. I’ve already told him not to leave. He didn’t listen to me.”

She whispered, her voice barely audible, but her attempt to reason with him only seemed to enrage him further.

His eyes bulged with fury, veins popping visibly.

“So, you think you have leverage now, huh? Because you’ve spent a night with him, you think you can talk down to me? I thought I brought a noble lady from a respected family, but all I see is a curse upon this house!”

Henesstia flinched, hugging her shoulders tighter as questions swirled inside her head.

‘Why was Riad leaving such a catastrophe to the Baron?’

She had no idea that his departure could trigger such fury. The more the Baron’s face contorted in anger, the more she secretly hoped that Riad would indeed leave, just to see this man’s expression crumble.

Without warning, the Baron moved closer and yanked her up by the shoulders, gripping her tightly.

“Should I fetch a whip to make you listen? Do I need to discipline you like when you first arrived here, for you to understand?”

The pain shot through her like fire, her injured arm feeling as though it was being torn apart. Henesstia bit her lip, trying to suppress the scream that threatened to escape. The agony blurred her vision, and her mind went blank, leaving her incapable of speaking or defending herself. She could barely breathe, as if someone had gripped her throat. This was a reaction ingrained in her from facing so much anger and violence—her body’s instinctual response to her helplessness.

At that moment, the door swung open with a loud crash.

“Henesstia, come here at once. Riad—what are you doing here?”

The Baron’s wife had entered abruptly, her eyes immediately locking onto her husband.

“Isn’t it obvious? What did Riad say this time?”

The Baron replied sharply, his grip still firm on Henesstia.

“He’s packing his things already! Henesstia, come here!”

The Baroness ordered, ignoring Henesstia’s pale and stricken face.

The pain in her shoulder was unbearable. Her head felt light, her stomach churned, and the edges of her vision flickered with bright spots.

But her well-being clearly meant nothing to either of them. The Baroness stood between Henesstia and her husband, her voice lowering into a sharp, thin line.

“Did he tell you anything?”

“……”

“You’re useless. A mute would be better than you!”

She snapped, her frustration boiling over.

“Just go and convince him to stay! It’s been barely a day since he returned from war, and he’s already leaving? That’s ridiculous!”

The Baroness was fuming, her breath coming out in heavy, furious sighs. Without warning, the Baron threw Henesstia toward the door.

“Don’t try anything stupid. Go and bring Riad back,” he growled.

Thrown out of the room and into the hallway, Henesstia stumbled, barely catching herself. Slowly, she steadied her feet and began making her way to the stables.

Each step felt like dragging herself through quicksand. She had never experienced it before, but this is how she imagined it would feel—each step heavier than the last, her legs struggling to move.

Her head throbbed with pain, and she leaned against the window frame for support, taking a few shaky breaths. She bit down on the inside of her cheek, determined not to let anyone see her weakness, and forced herself to keep moving forward.

‘I have to face him again… That terrifying man…’

Her reflection in the glass was ghastly—her face pale as if she could collapse at any moment. She let out a deep sigh and continued her slow march toward the stables.

The closer she got, the clearer her memories of the previous night became. The stables were near the well, and the images of her encounter with Riad played vividly in her mind. Her destination was in sight.

‘There are… a lot of people.’

She gripped her hands tightly, her knuckles turning white as she braced herself for what lay ahead.

The servants of the Baron’s household swarmed like ants, busy with their tasks. And the reason for their rush was clear enough.

“Use the bridle I brought with me; it’s better. And switch out the stirrups—they’re too small. I wouldn’t have used these even when I was thirteen.”

It was Riad Ingel.

Despite everything that had happened the night before, he stood there under the bright sunlight, looking radiant as if nothing had changed.

His face, exposed with his hair pushed back, had the same cool resolve Henesstia had seen last night. But unlike her belief that he belonged to the shadows, he seemed to blend naturally into the daylight, commanding attention more than anyone else around him.

Every time his deep, authoritative voice reached her ears, she couldn’t help but react, her attention drawn like a magnet to wherever his golden eyes turned.

‘The man who possesses both power and glory.’

That phrase someone had once said about Riad Ingel floated back into her mind, and she didn’t understand why.

Every time she blinked, he filled her vision.

‘We’re worlds apart.’

She thought with a faint, bitter smile.

‘I was born with a noble lineage but have nothing else, while he has everything except noble blood.’

The stark contrast between them became painfully clear, and Henesstia felt the urge to run. She didn’t know where she would go, but anywhere away from this place where he stood would be better.

Henesstia looked down at where she stood, the comforting shade of the trees that shielded her from the sun now felt like a hiding spot for a coward. Her face flushed hot with shame, and she gripped the hem of her dress tightly.

Her dress, wrinkled in her clenched hands, reflected her crumpled feelings. She bowed her head in embarrassment.

When she finally lifted her gaze again, Riad was busy giving more orders to the servants, holding the reins of the largest horse in the stable. Despite her strong desire to flee, Henesstia found herself unable to look away.

Riad Ingel gently stroked the massive horse’s face, the creature responding to his touch with a proud lift of its head.

‘A red horse…’

Henesstia had ridden a pony a few times as a child, with Heron’s help, but she had never been an experienced rider. Still, she could tell this was an exceptional horse.

Its well-maintained coat, long flowing mane, and the deep, almost blackened red of its fur stood out. Even someone like her, who had little interest in horses, couldn’t help but admire such a magnificent animal.

But that admiration was brief, as the horse seemed to have a bad temper.

“Whoa!”

“Hold still, will you?”

Riad stepped away from the horse for a moment to put on his riding gloves, and the animal immediately expressed its displeasure. It stomped the ground with its hind legs and snorted, causing the servants holding the reins to flinch in fear. The way the horse thrashed about made Henesstia think it would kick her if she got too close.

She knew she had to approach Riad, but her body refused to move.

As she stood frozen, watching the scene, Riad returned to the horse, now gloved.

‘Where is he planning to go?’

His light attire suggested he wasn’t heading back to the Count’s estate just yet. Was he going hunting? But the only thing strapped to his waist was a sword.

Henesstia forced herself to stand straighter, pulling herself out of her slouched, nervous posture. Just as she took a tentative step forward, Riad, stroking the horse’s mane, suddenly snapped his head in her direction, like a predator sensing movement in the underbrush.

‘…!’

The moment their eyes met, Henesstia froze.

Without hesitation, Riad began walking toward her, closing the distance between them with long strides. He seemed to cover the ground in mere moments, and before she knew it, he was standing right in front of her.

“What are you doing here?”

“I-I…”

Henesstia instinctively wanted to run, but Riad’s arm reached out and blocked her retreat, his hand resting on the tree behind her. His imposing figure cast a shadow over her, shielding her from the sun once again.

The proximity made it hard for Henesstia to find somewhere to look. She lowered her eyes, embarrassed by how small she felt in front of him, but then felt ashamed of herself and forced her gaze upward. Her eyes accidentally landed on the part of his chest exposed by his loosely draped shirt.

Realizing that staring there was even more awkward, she quickly looked up, and her gaze locked with his piercing golden eyes. Henesstia reflexively closed her mouth, which had been slightly open in surprise.

“I hadn’t heard you were up yet. What are you doing here?”

Riad asked, his head tilting slightly.

“…What?”

Henesstia, confused by the question, reflexively asked for clarification, but it seemed more like he was thinking out loud. He shrugged it off and removed his hand from the tree.

“Never mind. You’ve come at the perfect time, so there’s no need to fetch another horse.”

Before she could make sense of what he meant, Riad’s hand suddenly reached out, wrapping around her waist. In one swift motion, he lifted her off the ground. It happened so quickly that she didn’t have a chance to react.

“We need to leave now before my parents try to break the horse’s legs,” he said nonchalantly.

“W-wait, Count!”

Without further explanation, Henesstia was…

“Let’s go.”

…kidnapped.