Published: August 15, 2025
Mr. Angelo’s wound had missed any vital points.
Most of the bleeding occurred immediately after the stabbing, right at the moment the blade was pulled out. The shock caused him to faint quickly, which actually turned out to be a good thing.
After stitching the wound with a needle and tightly binding it with clean ointment and cotton cloth, the bleeding finally settled down. Since Mr. Angelo was naturally strong, the diagnosis was that he would recover quickly.
For now, the doctor said, he just needed to rest quietly — and so he continued to sleep deeply.
Even though the doctor assured me this was for the best, my anxiety did not fade. I couldn’t help but wonder how long he would remain unconscious, or whether he might never wake up, leaving me feeling restless.
“Judging by his condition, it’ll be days before we can get any details out of him.”
Lord Cyrus sighed deeply.
What had happened that night, and how it all came to this... even Lord Cyrus didn’t have a clear grasp of it.
When he arrived, Mr. Angelo was already lying on the street, and Ms. Kaede was crying and screaming. The suspect was standing a little distance away, holding what looked like a knife.
When reinforcements arrived, the suspect panicked and fled. Lord Cyrus immediately gave chase but lost sight of him amid the darkness of the suburban night and his unfamiliarity with the area. Concerned for Angelo, he decided to return to the scene rather than pursue any further.
“I tried to get the situation from Kaede to assess the depth of the wound, but she was panicking and just crying. There was no choice but to think about transferring him to the royal palace,” Lord Cyrus said, sounding exhausted, while we had a late breakfast together in a private room of the Lord’s Mansion.
I was taken aback by the room itself, even more luxurious than the main consort’s chamber of the harem, but there was no time to be faint-hearted. No one cared anymore about the newlyweds not being able to share a room. The caretakers, both men and women, were running around in a frenzy, attending to Angelo’s treatment and care. The wedding preparations were put on hold, and we were now consulting like this because there was nothing else we could do.
“Kaede has been staying by Angelo’s side nonstop. She won’t leave the treatment room, and even when forced to speak, she’s too panicked to give a reliable explanation.”
“Lord Cyrus, do you know what the attacker looked like?”
“It was almost pitch dark under the moonlight... probably a man... maybe small in stature. That’s all the information we have.”
“I see. So the search for the culprit will have to wait until Kaede calms down, or until Angelo wakes up...”
“Yes. But if we persist with the investigation, we might get some clues. In a remote area like this, though, witnesses are unlikely…”
“If it wasn’t a random attack, it was probably a robbery. To sell the stolen goods, they’d head to the town’s antique dealers, right? What about questioning the shops?”
“Good idea. Then we should try to get the details of what was stolen from Kaede or Angelo—”
“No way, you just said neither of them can tell anything right now.”
The Ogran boy interrupted.
It was his first words since last night. He had been silent ever since, neither thanking anyone for concern over his injuries nor for being cared for in eating and lodging. His face was still pale, and he muttered softly.
“You guys are still confused, right? No wonder. Someone you knew was stabbed and nearly killed…”
“Come to think of it, you were at the scene too,” I said.
Ogran flinched violently, trembling like a frightened boy, his body shaking in small, rapid motions.
“I-I didn’t see anything! It was so dark, I couldn’t tell what was what!”
“Why were you with Kaede and the others?”
“That lady hired me. As a guide... to show her the way to the royal palace.”
Lord Cyrus cut in with a low voice tinged with anger.
“Why at such a late hour? Even for a local, walking in the suburbs at night with a woman is reckless.”