Chapter 18

The voice seemed to exert pressure on her. Why is it asking for her to wake up?

The pain on Deertes’ head was now pressing down even more as it slowly moved towards her chest. Suddenly, the feeling of wanting to throw up overwhelmed her. Deertes covered her mouth as Serene, who was standing in front of her, said with a calm expression.

“Sister, I’ll give this book to you.”

“Why are you… to me…”

Deertes looked at the thick red book on her knee. She felt strange. This was such a thick book yet she could not feel its weight.

“It’s one you have to read.”

“Why would I…”

“Because you went to Saul.”

“What? What are you saying right now…!”

When she tried to ask what Serene was saying, a few things passed by. Ships carrying prisoners, trapped women, abandoned women, raids, auctions, beasts, and…

“Gasp!”

She had made a vow. Cassar. Who asked for her to be his in exchange for saving her life.

“No… It’s a dream…”

Deertes!

The moment she said “dream”, the sound of thunder filled her head. Her feet shook as the room started collapsing. Tables started to break as the items atop fell. Even amidst this chaos, Serene’s expression remained calm.

“Serene!”

“Wake up, sister.”

A soft smile appeared on her lips.

“This is a nightmare.”

At that moment, Deertes opened her eyes wide.

“Deertes!”

The voice that caused her head to ache started to ring once again.

***

When asked about a famous building in Endeavour, the people had many different answers.

A child who likes climbing trees noted how the towers were the most famous buildings. A religious man would answer with the church which had been completed in a mere 5 years.

The soldiers would laugh and reply with a “Isn’t the soldiers’ quarters, the largest of all buildings, the most famous of them all?” Only for another soldier standing beside them to point out the farmers’ market, stating how “If size were used as the competing factor, wouldn’t this be it?”

Yet, even among such divided opinions, when asked to choose the most beautiful building in Endeavour, everyone would reply with the same place. The Governor’s Residence.

The mansion that the first governor started building atop the central hill of Endeavour, overlooking the harbour.

A lot of manpower was needed to build on such a vast piece of land. Such a building was even comparable, in terms of size and technology, with other mansions in the home country.

Compared to when it had just been built, more people have been visiting the residence now. To this day, construction on the mansion is still ongoing.

However, ever since the past week, the sound of construction has ceased. Leaving behind silence.

Brian tapped his pen against the paper as he sat in his office, located near the mansion’s entrance.

‘I have no idea what I should do.’

Brian let out a deep sigh as he looked through the document in front of him. Lachlan had yet to leave the building ever since he first stepped foot in it last week. Only a handful of people, Craig and a few maids, were allowed to enter this new building.

Though he did not stop Brian from entering, Brian knew that the sight he would see upon entry would not be good.

‘What’s going to happen from here on out…’

When asked, Craig had mentioned how Deertes’ condition is worsening day by day. At this rate, it will not be long before she lets out her last breath.

‘No, at this point, she’s lucky to even be breathing. No matter how much of a forest fairy she is, it is still a human body.’

It is a miracle that an aristocratic woman, who is usually unable to lift anything more then a flower, had managed to survive and make her way here. However, she has reached her limit. There is no way she will remain safe and sound here.

Before, when they had met on the beach. Brian had already noticed how ragged her breath was and her awkward shoulder movements. Plus, since she had been left on the beach for a day, this meant she had not eaten nor drank for at least a day.

“Haa…”

Brian sighed again, this time remembering what happened when Lachlan arrived.

Upon noticing his dehydrated state, Craig asked him how much she had drank. He had only replied, stating how the water he had left behind before leaving Endeavour was all.

Though he had some of Saul’s native blood flowing through his veins, travelling without any water for close to a week is impossible. Yet, Lachlan had accomplished such a reckless feat for the sake of a woman.

Brian also agreed that her eyes were pretty enough for him to do a doubletake. However, this show of affection from Lachlan was extremely abnormal. Obsession, not affection. That word better suits Lachlan’s actions.

It was then a knock could be heard, followed by footsteps, as a maid entered. She was the only young maid allowed to enter the estate.

“Mr. Brian!”

“What? Are they dead?”

Of course, Brian was referring to Deertes.

“No, not that… Mr. Lachlan had taken her to the old building!”

Brian groaned as he heard her words. His head started aching.

Deertes. That woman was already stirring up a storm as soon as she arrived.

Bang!

The lock broke as the iron door groaned open after Lachlan kicked it.

Pushing his way in, a grassy patch of land under the moonlight caught his eye. The place they were in used to be the old governor’s residence. Even though it’s an old building, it’s the same size as where he currently resided in. Considering the presence of an attached garden, it is not an exaggeration to label it as a governor’s residence.

This place has been left on its own for a long time. Ever since Lachlan took up the governor’s seat, it has been abandoned.

The beautiful building where the former governor’s family lived was boarded up and the garden fenced up to prevent curious visitors from entering.

Less than half a year later, nature took the reins and the garden became uninhabitable.

After many years, even taking a step in was challenging.

Lachlan pushed past the overgrown grass. Deertes, who he carried in his arms, was now faintly breathing.

Since the moment he brought her here, she has yet to even open her eyes. And Craig had been knocked out by his fists the moment he cautioned them to “get ready for her to meet God.”

Lachlan had tried multiple times to douse her in water as a means to wake her up, but she had instead writhed around in pain.

If he had not forced water into her mouth, she would have already died from dehydration. Even so, such methods would only last for so long. As if his efforts were in vain, her breath continued to grow fainter by the minute.

Lachlan started to feel as if the inevitable was approaching. No one would survive after their body being in such a poor condition.

He might have started making his last prayer for her had he not heard her faint murmur.

“Trees…”

She breathlessly said the first word that came to mind. When she had once ran away from the auction house, he could recall her having reached the…

Without another moment’s hesitation, he picked her up and started running. Behind him, a handful of surprised servants followed. But right now, this was the least of his concerns.

A faint memory of him breathing heavily as he spoke flashed across. A long time ago, when he ran out of the auction house, he had definitely spotted Deertes in the garden.

The garden. Immediately, she was in his arms once again as he ran outside.

The sound of servants’ footsteps followed closely behind him but he couldn’t care less. The first place Lachlan made his way to was the forest of caran trees that surrounded the edges of the estate.

‘I’m certain at that time…”

There, he saw it firsthand. How she called out to the trees, and how they replied to her. Deertes held out her hands to hold a branch that had stretched it leaves towards her. A smile spread across her face.

“Thank you for all the hand work. I think I’m feeling much better now.”

Her smile during then was deeply etched into Lachlan’s mind.

Though he carried her into the forest, he was at a loss on what to do. Knowing that forest fairy blood flowed in her vein, Lachlan had hoped that by bringing her here would the trees do something to help her.

Lachlan brought her close to a Caran tree and placed her hand on it. Nothing happened.

At that moment, a rustle can be heard as a branch fell, exactly atop Deertes’ hand on the tree. Causing her hand to fall.

Lachlan could feel it. The Caran trees did not welcome her, and instead aimed to overshadow the forest fairy.

“…Why?”

This is the only tree found in Saul. Even if they are oddly shaped or have a somewhat different appearance, in the end, they are all subspecies of the Caran tree. Yet, this Caran tree was rejecting her.

The remaining sense of hope he was holding onto shattered and he lost strength in his arms. Now, Deertes was shivering so much that he could clearly feel every tremble. One more breath and she will be… Why the hell would they…

He glanced around in confusion, before settling on the land past the estate. There, beyond a worn down mansion and at the edge of the Caran tree forest, was a closed off place where no one was allowed in. There remained traces of the terrible man he had once called his father.

Lachlan’s body moved as he started to recollect memories of what remained there. As soon as the servants who followed him saw where he was heading towards, their faces soon held shocked expressions.

It was a place where one had to follow strictly to customs. One step out of line and your feet would be in your mouth. The servants of the current official estate could remember the living conditions Lachlan had been in as a child, and how he had left the building.

Everyone had taken the fact Lachlan came back and closed off the old building for granted. Some were even surprised he did not burn it down completely.

Him running towards such a place shocked them.

The servants dare not run after him. After all, he held strong hostility towards his old man and the customs. Among them, only one maid was able to run and get to Brian. Brian, the only person who believes he will not die in Lachlan’s hands.

Meanwhile, Lachlan hurried inside. The wooden boards that once nailed the doors and windows tightly shut were rotting, so much so they were practically breaking apart. Though he was not intending to check out the interior of the estate. Wild grass grazed Lachlan’s skin.

When Deertes arm started swelling as if she had just been whipped, Lachlan knew he had reached the right place.

The garden was built with the same style as the home country. Gravel roads in the shaped of a cross, a marble fountain in the middle, and trees amidst the grass that have adapted to live in such a place.

His father had built such a hope with his home country in mind. Hencewhy it was decorated with plants that are only found there. Those same plants that have been able to survive despite being left without anyone to care for.

He rushed to the centre of the garden. As he stood in front of the dry fountain, Lachlan was dumbfounded. Leaves started to shake as if a storm was affecting it, yet, there was not even a wisp of wind. It was then…

“…!”