Finding Lisa

S1 CH. 27

When she heard the destination that Jungkook instructed the coachman to take them to, she was not surprised. Her prediction that the end of this trip would end in Louvre had been correct. Lisa looked at Jungkook facing forward and visibly hunched her back, exaggerating the motion somewhat.

"Louvre. Is it the region I know?" She queried.

Hearing her fearful voice, he cast his eyes down, "Which is the Louvre you know?"

"What do you mean by which? I heard it is a place you should never go near. And that one shouldn't even think of stepping a foot in there," she hurriedly replied. Jungkook's expression remained calm. So calm that she didn't know what he was thinking. Lisa felt like her insides were burning from frustration. She didn't know what Jungkook wanted to see there, but she didn't like how he was going about things.

"Then do you know this? The town that you can see from your window, behind the Leon River, is Louvre."

"Is that true? That dark place is Louvre?" Lisa asked, pretending not to know. Jungkook nodded in response, and Lisa quivered as if frightened. She mumbled that she wasn't aware of this as she scanned the surroundings. And just in time to end the uncomfortable conversation, the coachman slowed down the carriage as he turned to look at the two.

Jungkook's eyes paused on the dark red bell tower, then returned to her. "Louvre starts from here. The empire's biggest mistake and shame. It is also known as Ataer's nuisance.

Mistake, shame, and nuisance, these words felt like they described her because she strongly sensed that she was born by mistake and felt like she brought shame to those close to her. In Cosoar, with no choice but to become an unmanageable nuisance, she was like the living example of Louvre. Light and shadow had to exist together. If Eunwoo was the light, then she was the shadow; the brighter Cosoar shone, the darker the shadow of Louvre became.

"I am scared," Lisa whimpered.

"Of what?"

"Everything."

Louvre was a silent, cold place, where it seemed that even the light that entered into the alleyways could not find a way out and was home to many people who hid themselves during the day. As if to show what an unpleasant area they were in, a stench wafted under her nostrils, and she dry-heaved when seeing a decomposing dog's body. Suddenly startled, she turned around to see a dirty-looking beggar with gaps in his rotting teeth, right next to them, asking for money.

As all of this was happening, the carriage slowed down and stopped at the north entrance. It was the exact spot from where she'd run away from Jungkook, only yesterday. A scruffy-looking tortoiseshell cat was disturbed from its nap, no doubt from the sound of horses hooves, and dashed across the road. In that instant, Lisa grabbed Jungkook's arm and buried her face in his shoulder. "Lord Jungkook, this place is not good. The smell is making me nauseous, and I'm scared."

"Still, have a look around. Even though the area is neglected, it is still a place where people live. Diverse people at that."

"I don't want to. Let's go back, please," Lisa whined.

"It is a shadow that is cast by bright light, is it not?" Jungkook stared at her shaking body and raised an eyebrow. Seeing his expression, enhanced by the shimmering decoration in the carriage, Lisa was sure she was being tested by the unreadable, and cunning Duke.

With her face still in his shoulder, she peeked only her eyes out, and they began to water. She knew Louvre was considered a danger zone. But she also knew that there was more to this place than danger. Because of this, tears welled up in her eyes in sorrow.

"I suggest that you don't go wandering around at night. Especially beyond the Leon River," Jungkook said, sounding almost as if he were accusing her of something.