Bailey manor was on fire.
Demian was the first one who realized it.
Despite riding the same trained horse, Demian's horse was running at a much faster speed. As soon as he saw the white smoke rising from afar, he uttered cuss words quietly.
He rode the horse like crazy.
He had never run so desperately like that on any battlefield.
'How dare he.'
Marquess of Bailey's face, whom he encountered at the banquet with Lara, came to his mind.
Demian had met nobles like him on the battlefield many times.
Those who were only obsessed with getting the honors after the battle, rather than boosting the morale of the soldiers, the outcome of the war, or honoring the fallen. Those who considered the lives of the thousands of soldiers as a tool for their honor, or just a scapegoat.
Demian had killed many nobles like them on the battlefield. He killed them all regardless of whether they were enemies or allies. The reason he attracted the attention of the Crown Prince of Tarragon was because of the rumor that a crazy slave had only killed the commander on the battlefield.
Marquess of Bailey was like those nobles that he killed.
'Lara.'
After putting his horse in front of the locked main gate, Demian crossed the wall with only a few leaps.
Then, he rushed to where the smoke rose.
The manor's employees were running about in confusion.
The servants and soldiers were carrying water buckets upstairs.
Demian looked up at the room on fire from outside the building.
'That must be Lara's room.'
Lara was an extreme woman.
When there was something she clearly wanted, she would do it by any means necessary. Which means she would set fire to her room to escape from this house without batting an eye.
Demian moved fast. In just an instant, he climbed up a tall tree in front of Lara's room. The flames had shot outwards, but Demian did not hesitate. When Demian was hanging from the tree and about to enter the room full of flames through the balcony, he saw something running fast.
It was just a silhouette at first.
A faint shadow pierced through the smoke and headed his way.
The shadow slammed through the half-burned window and jumped out.
It was Lara.
"Lara, come here!"
Demian instinctively threw himself at her with his arms open.
Lara's room was on the second floor, but it was as high as three stories. If she fell from that height, she could have been seriously injured.
Demian managed to grab Lara and hugged her, wrapping her head with his two arms.
There was a smell of acrid smoke.
"Demian-!"
Demian fell to the ground at the same time Lara screamed.
It was such a great shock that Lara, who was in Demian's arms, groaned in pain.
Hugging each other like one body, they could only stop after rolling over a few times on the ground.
"Demian… Demian!"
Lara grabbed him and shouted.
She called his name with a cracked and hoarse voice after coughing so much inside the house.
"Wake up, Demian!"
Her hair, which looked as fragrant as wet wood, was blackened all over and was in a mess with black ashes.
"…I'm fine."
As soon as Demian opened his eyes, he scanned through Lara thoroughly and mumbled while still lying down on the ground.
"I'm going to kill your father."
He was fine.
Because of the extreme shock, Demian could not get up right away. Nevertheless, he was safe without any serious injuries. Only then Lara dropped down to the ground, looking relieved.
It was not long before the wolves mercenaries ran towards them. As soon as they arrived at Lara and Demian, they shouted suddenly.
"Rookie, you good?"
"You nutjob! Looking from afar, I almost pissed my pants."
"Milady, are you out of your mind?!"
Even so, they helped Demian get up and checked to see if there were any injuries.
Then, they surrounded Lara to protect her.
They heard a shout from inside the manor.
"She jumped out!"
"Catch her! Get down there and catch her right away!"
Marquess of Bailey ordered the soldiers after finding out that Lara had escaped.
"Milady, don't worry."
One of the wolves grinned and pointed at the back with his thumb.
"Because Madam Isadora is coming right now."
Lara turned her head and looked at where he was pointing. Just in time, the carriage that brought Isadora had arrived at the manor.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Demian was determined to kill Marquess of Bailey.
But it seemed that he would not get the chance to do so.
After Demian rescued Lara, who jumped out of the window, Isadora arrived. Then, of all times, Marquess of Bailey also walked out of the manor.
Isadora ordered the wolves to catch that son of a b*tch right away. The wolves were loyal to their boss' order.
Slap!
A slap could make such a loud noise.
Those who were there were thinking of the same thing.
Slap!
Every time Isadora swung her hand, Marquess of Bailey slowly backed away.
His cheeks were swollen, and the delicate flesh around his eyes was torn. At first, he was mad about getting beaten, but now, he was at a loss, like a beast that ran away with its tail curled up.
He felt more shame than pain.
Slap!
Isadora did not seem to want to stop.
What was worse, not a word had been said since she faced Marquess of Bailey.
She just began to slap her husband as soon as she saw him, and now, even other people had kept their silence.
Slap!
It was the same for Lara.
When Isadora got off the carriage, Lara could not move. Because her mother's face was full of tears.
It was the first time.
In Lara's memories, her mother was someone cold and strict.
Tears dripped from Isadora's pale face. Then, she screamed like a beast and held Lara in her arms.
Isadora was trembling.
She hugged Lara tightly and mumbled, asking whether she was okay, or if she had gotten any injuries.
I'm okay. I'm not injured.
Lara wanted to say that.
But the moment she looked at her mother's messed up face, she also burst into tears. She was scared and anxious, she thought she was fine, but she was actually not.
Lara cried out in her mother's hug.
Slap!
Both Marquess of Bailey who was getting beaten and Isadora who was doing the beating were staggering.
The mercenaries, who were looking at her with worried faces, exchanged looks.
They thought it would be better to stop her.
Slap!
At this rate, Isadora would collapse first before Marquess of Bailey.
She had lost her energy now that it did not sound as terrifying as it was at first. She was just going to keep hitting her husband until she lost her rage.
"Mother."
Lara had no choice but to step up.
She approached Isadora with a face that was messed up with tears and black ash.
"I'm fine."
"No."
Isadora did not agree with Lara.
"You are not."
"Mother…"
"No daughter in the world can be fine after being betrayed by her father like that. Especially since you are the only family left for him."
Lara tried to say something, but she burst into tears again and just kept her mouth shut.
Finally, Isadora talked to Marquess of Bailey.
"I hope that, someday, when you die… there will be no one near you. Dying alone in a cold, dark street without anyone's sympathy. Painfully and miserably."
That was the end.
Marquess of Bailey was not Lara's father and Isadora's husband anymore.