I Wish I Could Predict Love, Not Fall Into It - Chapter 24

“Don’t you also have a bad habit when you drink?”

Count Rissen always acted in ways unfit for his title whenever he drank. He would flirt with young noblewomen or hit the servants.

“Just one more glass, please.”

With a friendly smile, Count Rissen filled his wine glass again, and Marquis Blake reluctantly pulled his hand back.

As the two men looked at each other, Grand Duke Jefferson finally spoke.

“So that man just left?”

“Yes, I heard he went back right away,” Count Rissen answered, setting down the wine bottle. Grand Duke Jefferson leaned back in his chair, his face darkening.

“He didn’t take his daughter with him?”

“No, he just took the money and ran.”

Count Rissen shook his head, then brought his glass back to his lips. After emptying it, he sighed with annoyance.

“Ugh, the more I think about it, the more frustrating it is.”

“It wasn’t even your money. Why do you care?” Marquis Blake let out a short laugh and stroked his beard. Count Rissen poured himself more wine and replied.

“It wasn’t my money, but it was from the imperial palace.”

Right now, the emperor’s word was law, and the imperial palace’s wealth was his. But once he died, that would all change.

Count Rissen glanced at Grand Duke Jefferson. The Grand Duke sat silently, his lips pressed together, deep in thought.

Suddenly, Count Rissen gulped down the wine and stood up.

“Shall I go catch that man named Flip and beat him up?”

“Are you drunk?”

Marquis Blake frowned at Rissen’s sudden action. Grand Duke Jefferson also gave him an unimpressed look.

But Count Rissen, already tipsy, didn’t care and grabbed the wine bottle as he stepped away from the table.

“I’m actually pretty good at sword fighting. Of course, I’m nothing compared to Your Grace’s shooting skills.”

Cough, cough!

At that moment, Grand Duke Jefferson coughed hard. Both Marquis Blake and Count Rissen immediately turned to him in surprise.

“Don’t tell me your asthma is acting up again?”

Count Rissen, still holding the wine bottle, walked toward the Grand Duke.

“Count Rissen!”

Marquis Blake stood up from his chair and quickly went to stop him. He took the wine bottle from Rissen’s hand.

“Stop drinking. You’ll cause trouble if you keep going.”

Both men cautiously looked at Grand Duke Jefferson. The Grand Duke took a glass of water and spoke quietly.

“I’m not feeling well today. Please, both of you leave.”

The moment he finished speaking, the two nobles quickly left the dining room. As soon as they were gone, Grand Duke Jefferson threw the cup he was holding at the wall.

Crash—

The glass shattered into pieces.

❖ ❖ ❖

After riding for a long time, Louisville and Clark’s horses stopped near the base of the mountain.

The sun was already setting behind the western hills, painting the fields they had passed in red.

“If we go any farther, it’ll be dangerous.”

Clark looked around seriously and warned. Louisville pulled in the reins and looked carefully toward the mountain.

“It’ll definitely get dark while we’re crossing.”

If night fell while they were halfway up, they would have no choice but to sleep outside. But it still felt too early to turn back to the village since the sun hadn’t completely set.

“But if we keep going now, tomorrow will be easier.”

“Yes, that’s true, but…”

While Louisville and Clark were thinking, Anier was leaning limply on Louisville’s back, unable to stay conscious.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide and stretched out her hand, her voice hoarse.

“S-sir… It hurts a lot.”

Naturally, both men turned their attention to her.

“What did you say?”

Louisville tilted his head toward Anier, who was leaning against his back. She slowly pulled her shaking hand back.

“My… My butt really hurts.”

Then she placed her hand on her hip.

“Can we stop now?”

Anier wasn’t used to horse riding or climbing mountains at night.

At that moment—

Rustle—

Louisville took off his cloak and handed it to her.

“Sit on this.”

Anier awkwardly spread the cloak over the saddle and sat down.

She was just trying to survive the moment.

Clark, who had been silently watching, tilted his head in confusion.

He had always felt that the emperor was strangely gentle only toward Anier.

Louisville wasn’t usually the type to show mercy.

“Let’s try to get over this mountain by tonight.”

With that decision, Louisville gave Clark a look, and Clark quickly pulled his reins again.

“Hyah!”

Louisville moved first, and Clark followed behind him.

They crossed the mountain faster than before, but just as expected, the sky grew darker and darker. Thankfully, it wasn’t a cold season, so there was still some light left. That gave them more time to move quickly.

But then, all of a sudden, Louisville urgently pulled his reins. His white horse stopped too, as if it didn’t want to go forward anymore.

Neigh—

The horse’s sudden stop made Anier lift her head slightly.

“Ah!”

She let out a scream. In front of them, dozens of wolves were standing.

It was already dark, but they could still see clearly.

The wolves had rough, red fur, glowing eyes, sharp fangs, and drooling mouths.

“These aren’t normal wolves.”

Clark said in a low voice, and Louisville agreed.

“Yes. They look like man-eating wolves.”

Wolves normally don’t attack humans, but if they had rabies or hadn’t eaten for too long, they could develop cannibalistic behavior.

“Yes, I think so too.”

Clark replied but tilted his head. No one had seen man-eating wolves for the past five years.

“But why are they here?”

“Good question. I remember seeing them once in a remote place during the war.”

“I haven’t seen them in a long time either.”

“Kind of nice to see them again.”

Clark and Louisville had a calm conversation, never even imagining the wolves were a gift from the witch. Only Anier turned pale with fear between the two.

“What did you say? They eat people?!”

Anier looked like she was about to faint.

It felt like she could hear the witch’s laughter echoing from somewhere, even though they couldn’t hear it.

❖ ❖ ❖

The deep night was lit only by moonlight.

Harry, wearing a light robe, got off the carriage and entered the palace garden.

Step, step.

Looking dazed, he wandered through the garden and headed toward the Empress’s palace. As a royal, no one stopped him, and he entered the Empress’s residence without any issue.

He stood still and stared at the central hall, then suddenly leaned against a pillar near the entrance and sat down.

A little later, Harry flinched and came to his senses. He quickly looked around and sighed.

“Sigh… This sleepwalking problem…”

Harry had been struggling with sleepwalking for over a year, and it was causing him a lot of stress. As he slowly stood up, Head Maid Emma approached him.

“Duke Harry? What brings you here at this hour?”

Emma’s wrinkled face showed concern. Harry didn’t want to say it was because of sleepwalking, so he asked her instead,

“Has Mother already gone to bed?”

“Yes, she’s already asleep.”

“Then I guess I’ll go see my brother.”

As Harry pulled his robe tighter and turned, Emma quickly reached out to stop him.

“He’s not in the palace right now.”

“Oh, really?”

Harry scratched his chin awkwardly. Emma added with a slightly tired expression,

“Sir Clark and Lady Anier are also not here.”

“Anier too?”

He could understand Clark being gone, but Anier as well?

Harry wondered where the three of them had gone together. While he was lost in thought, Emma lightly patted her sore knees and muttered,

“Come to think of it, I wonder if Lady Anier found her diary.”

Harry’s eyes widened with curiosity.

“Her diary?”

“It seemed important to her, but she lost it after coming here.”

“If she lost it here, why couldn’t she find it?”

At Harry’s question, Emma stopped tapping her knees and straightened her back.

“She dropped it out the window while visiting the Empress’s bedroom, but it landed toward the mountain in the back…”

“The back mountain?”

Harry imagined the thick forested mountain behind the Empress’s palace. Since long ago, everyone avoided going there. Too many wild animals lived there, and the sounds of them fighting were terrifying.

“Why there, of all places…”

Harry muttered sadly and turned his gaze toward the back mountain.

Emma quietly watched him.

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