The Duchesses

Chapter 82 : Coming Back Alive

Hector enters the portal but ends up being teleported away from the Smith residence. Nightfall is approaching, and Natalie has yet to return. Maybe he should go to the Smith and meet her there. That's why the Marquess charges in, dragging his horse along with him hoping to find Natalie unharmed. If he didn't do that, he'd lose yet another ally.

At the Smith manor, a muscly man paces nervously in the blonde's office, concerned that the Duchess and Marquess haven't yet returned. Moonlight and starlight are all that remain now that the night has swallowed the day. Since the Duchess of Light had been absent all day, some servants like Daphne tried to get into the office, giving her a snack.

It is nothing out of unfit the situation since Natalie is a workaholic in the first place. However, after Duchess Valimos' death, she changed into someone she used to be, which concerns Daphne. She makes a fulfilling snack for the Duchess, so she would have time to eat while doing her work.

Her intentions are good, and Lord Apollo appreciates that, but some things are better left undiscovered. He's at a point in his life where he can safely claim that ignorance is bliss. The last time Daphne intervened in a crisis, she came dangerously close to losing her head on the guillotine. In response, he locked the office door and refused to let any helpers in.

"Why these two haven't they come back yet? It is night already."

The man goes out onto the balcony and peeks around corners, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two in the Garden or somewhere else visible. . A gust of wind from the nearby trees sends a man flying, and he lands on the balcony. Without even thinking, Lord Apollo's lightning reflexes cause him to swoop down and attack the figure.

"It's me, Hector," the man said, out of breath after riding the whole day, rushing to the manor and using his energy all day.

His purple eyes wander around, desperate to find a glimpse of the blonde woman, except she is never there. Instead, his heart pumps faster, pushing the adrenaline through his veins. Unsettling feelings begin to build up in him.

"Where is she?" Hector turns his head to another man, compelling Apollo to tilt his head to look at Hector.

"You didn't come with her together?" the grey eyes frown, asking the man back.

The purple eyes meet with the grey ones displaying a thousand questions beneath them. Apollo's eyebrows lowered to pull it down, narrowing its gaze towards Hector. Marquess Alwyn shakes his head from side to side.

"We were separated on our way to come back here," Hector briefly said, but Apollo crossed his hands on the chest, demanding more explanation from the Marquess.

"How?"

"We were attacked by a dragon. She stayed back because it was aimed at me. We were about to leave together when she stopped it, but it came back on me, and she opened the portal, transporting me to a location far from this manor," Hector's explanation makes Apollo freeze.

He tries to process the information, gaping his mouth.

"Did--Did you just mention a dragon? Pardon?" Apollo leans his face forward slightly to reconfirm what he just processed.

"Yes, the mythical creature, a dragon," Hector's answer caused a complex emotion to washes over him.

His eyes widen, vertical wrinkles form on his forehead, and Apollo's lips curl inwards for that answer. But, somehow, it didn't make sense and never be solved by him even in a thousand years.

"So you leave her with a dragon!" Apollo raises his voice, revealing his flushed face in dim light.

Marquess Alwyn lowers his head, feeling everything he is about to say evaporating and ashamed of himself. Even if Natalie asked him to go, it would have been better if he had stayed, although he probably died in that battle. Nothing could redeem or salvage whatever he did while he sensed the blazing glare burn into his skin.