BID Chapter 136

1It shouldn’t be possible, but I felt as if someone was watching me from beyond the window.

“Young Master Oscar? Is there something bothering you?”

The servant who had been watching me while holding the dining room door open asked as if wondering what was wrong.

“It’s nothing.”

I shook my head. I must have been staring out the window as if entranced.

Even though it was clearly my imagination, my arms were still covered in goosebumps.

I rubbed my arms as I stepped directly into the dining room. There was no one beyond the long table. They say you don’t notice what’s there, but you notice what’s missing. Without Erhan, the dining room felt particularly large. I deliberately ignored the feeling of emptiness and busily shoved food into my mouth.

“Would you like some tea?”

I nodded.

To be honest, I didn’t particularly want to drink tea. Not in this place that felt as vast and empty as a barren field.

But it felt awkward to refuse, so I decided to just drink it. Soon after, the servants brought out the tea.

‘This is really awkward.’

All the servants’ eyes in the dining room were fixed on me. They were busy immediately refilling empty plates whenever I picked up a snack.

‘I never thought I’d miss the cloth with ghost eyes painted on it.’

If I had grown up in an ordinary noble family, I wouldn’t have found them burdensome. However, I had always lived with servants who moved around silently and inconspicuously.

They were a bit gloomy, but they didn’t make me uncomfortable like this.

“Thank you.”

When I smiled awkwardly, the servants’ expressions stiffened. Wondering if there was something on my face, I wiped my cheek with my hand, but nothing came off. Some of them looked at me with blank expressions. Then the person next to them would nudge their side as if to say “snap out of it.” At that moment, another servant approached and spoke to me.

“Young Master Oscar, we’ve confirmed the approval of the documents you sent. We’re truly sorry there were so many documents for you to check.”

The servant bowed deeply to me, full of apology. I smiled slightly again at the excessive gesture.

“It’s alright. It was manageable.”

Only then did the servant smile back, looking relieved.

“Since you’ll likely be much busier after the wedding tomorrow, may I go over the detailed schedule with you now?”

I nodded.

He started explaining meticulously while flipping through the papers he was holding.

“First, the Madam has completed all preparations for the gifts and food for the guests, as well as the banquet. Your grooming is scheduled to begin early tomorrow morning, and regarding the attire, the total…”

Huh? Did my ears deceive me? A two-digit number of prepared outfits?

“Wasn’t what we chose before all there was?”

“Ah, since the Madam changed her attire, yours was also changed accordingly. Did you… not hear about this?”

Seeing the servant break out in a cold sweat, it seemed to be Genevieve’s unilateral decision.

Genevieve, why on earth would you make such a choice…

“It’s fine. Please continue.”

I listened to the rest of the servant’s explanation with an awkward smile on my face. I knew Genevieve was meticulous, and of course, a Duke family’s wedding would be followed by splendor, but I didn’t know that even I, not the bride, would need to put so much effort into my appearance.

The servant’s mouth endlessly poured out information about the outfits and accessories I would have to wear. Gradually, my mind went blank. Unlike me, who prefers achromatic colors, this place considered more vibrant colors to be more aesthetically pleasing.

“Also, the Dukee will arrive at the mansion early tomorrow to help with the wedding preparations.”

“Mother? It’ll be hard for her to move around from dawn…”

As I fell into thought, not wanting to trouble my mother, the servant suddenly smiled, crinkling his eyes.

“I think she’d be more upset if you refused.”

I couldn’t deny those words.

“Will Genevieve be coming too?”

“No. The young lady said she had some matters to handle at her family home, so she’ll depart directly from the Raven family house tomorrow at dawn.”

Well, Genevieve had been staying by the sea until now, so she probably has a lot to sort out.

“Then, roughly what time should I wake up tomorrow… Ah.”

At that moment, my hand suddenly lost strength. The teacup I dropped rolled across the table, and the hot tea instantly soaked the tablecloth. I stood up in surprise, but the servants approached even faster.

“Young Master Oscar?!”

“We’ll clean this up.”

The servants asked in alarm if I was hurt anywhere. Fortunately, the tea didn’t touch my skin much. The tips of my fingers were slightly scalded, but not seriously.

‘Why did I suddenly lose strength in my hand…’

I thought I had recovered from the accumulated fatigue… Or maybe not. Leaving the cleanup to the servants, I left the dining room and looked around the mansion with an uneasy feeling. The servants in the mansion were moving busier than ever. They were constantly on their feet without a moment’s rest.

“It seems preparations are in full swing.”

“Of course. The mistress will arrive tomorrow. Everyone is doing their best to ensure the master and mistress can stay comfortably.”

The servant walking beside me smiled brightly. Mistress and master and mistress. Words that don’t feel natural no matter how many times I hear them, but I just smiled back awkwardly.

But for some reason, I’d been feeling strangely anxious. What was the reason for this ominous feeling? Was it the strange dream from last night, or the grayish mist I saw earlier?

However, the sky now was clear without a single cloud. A blue sky that seemed to wash away all worries greeted me. But why do I keep feeling…

‘So ominous.’

And my anxiety turned out to be more than just a groundless fear.

It wasn’t long before I faced the reality of my uneasiness.

‘Fire…?’

Our house.

‘Why?’

It was burning. Engulfed in blue flames, at that.

I had only rested in my room for a very short while. What are the chances of discovering your house on fire when you look out the window because of a commotion?

‘Is this a dream too?’

It felt so unreal that I wondered if I had fallen asleep at my desk. Moreover, the flames consuming the mansion were truly strange. The fire seemed unaffected by the wind, spreading in all directions to burn the mansion.

Unbelievably, it looked as if someone was controlling the flames. And… There was no red glow anywhere, only blindingly bright blue flames.

The size was also abnormal. It looked as if a large, blue fireball had dropped onto the mansion and spread from there. I shook my head vigorously to snap out of my daze while staring blankly at the blue flames.

‘I need to get out right now.’

I was using the bedroom on the top floor of the mansion. If I don’t leave now, I won’t be able to escape. Thinking that in the worst case, I might have to jump out the window, I hurriedly approached the door, but…

“…”

Click.

“…?”

No matter how hard I pulled on the doorknob, it wouldn’t open.

I knocked on the door with a pale face. There was no sign of life beyond the door, perhaps everyone had evacuated due to the fire.

Not only that, would mere servants dare to brave those terrifying flames to rescue me?

“Hey!! Is anyone there?!”

Bang bang bang.

I knocked on the door, hoping there might be someone nearby. But still, not even a footstep could be heard. To make matters worse, shouts and screams from outside engulfed the mansion. There was little chance of my voice reaching outside.

‘Where’s something I can break down the door with…’

As I looked around, I spotted a candlestick and picked it up. I struck it against the door, but it didn’t even leave a scratch on the doorknob.

“Cough, cough!”

Moreover, smoke was gradually filling the room. I approached the window with a pale face. As expected, outside was chaos. It was a mess of servants trying to extinguish the fire and those fleeing in fear of the strange flames.

Who would care about my safety in such a situation? Even if they did, they couldn’t reach up here.

“…What should I do.”

Click, click. I looked at the tightly closed window in dismay. For some reason, the window wouldn’t open either.

A window that suddenly won’t open even though it’s not locked – it was absurd. I was dumbfounded by the impossible situation, but I thought I’d at least grab the candlestick I had put down to break the window and call for help. As a last resort, I could jump out.

I turned back towards the door and hurriedly picked up the candlestick. At that moment, I heard the sound of the doorknob turning.

“Hey!”

I threw down the candlestick and clung to the door. There was no doubt. Someone had come to save me.

Sure enough. The person on the other side pulled the door open as if trying to get me out.

Despite coughing from the acrid smoke that had quickly filled the room, I pushed my body through the opening to survive.

‘Finally… a person!’

A tall man, only his chin visible, stood before me.

“Thank you. Let’s get out of here right now!”

I urgently tried to pull him along, but then hesitated.

Something felt off. In such an urgent situation with a fire, anyone would normally move quickly.

“…”

The person who opened the door didn’t say a word or make any movement.

The acrid smoke kept making my eyes close, but unbelievably, the man in front of me looked relaxed. Perhaps it wasn’t relaxation. He might have frozen in shock and panic.

I needed to keep my wits about me in this situation. Just as I was about to reach out my hand to say we should leave immediately, the other person suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked it.

In that moment of being pulled along, even in the suffocating, acrid smoke, I could smell a familiar scent. I denied it, saying it was impossible, that it couldn’t be, but…

“Young master.”

I couldn’t believe it.

I thought I must be going crazy. Just as I was about to raise my head to confirm his face, he roughly grabbed my chin.

Only then did I clearly see what I hadn’t noticed before. The embroidery and jewels adorning his elaborate and beautiful uniform all looked precious. The arms that had always supported me were as large and firm as ever, and above all…

“I’m at a loss for words at such a personal welcome.”

Despite his affectionate tone, a chill settled over me.

Blue eyes curved as they looked at me. After staring at him endlessly as if time had stopped, I managed to open my mouth. The name I had longed for for so long flowed from my lips.

“…Zachary.”