Capítulo 25: Dukhe's defy
With Dukhe's arrival, Roran had been disturbed, but despite this, as a mere villager, he offered the noblest and most respectful welcome he could. The fat man with a monocle adjusted it, glanced at Roran without even responding, and proceeded to the dining table, where he began to wait. Lucia clasped her hands in front of her, bowed before the man, and said in the most formal tone possible:
"Welcome, Count Arkhar von Durean."
The man, ignoring Lucia as well, began drinking directly from the whiskey bottle he had brought with him, despite the glasses in front of him. Dukhe, following Lucia's greeting, immediately appeared by her side and clasped her hands between his own, casting a vile grin in Roran's direction. Roran grew even angrier at this but managed to hide his reaction. Noticing the tense atmosphere in the room, Aunt Layla offered a nervous smile and said:
"It seems the food is ready; let's begin."
With that, Dukhe gently released Lucia's hands and took a seat at the dining table, while Lucia and Roran began serving the meals. Once the serving was complete, the rectangular table was arranged as follows: Uncle Barty and Dukhe's father sat facing each other at the two shorter ends, while Dukhe's mother and Aunt Layla sat on one side. The remaining three, including Lucia at the center, sat opposite them. For a while, they ate in silence, and then Dukhe's father spoke in a deep yet oddly thin-sounding voice:
"Alright, dear Lucia, it's time for the adults to talk now. Off you go."
With that, Lucia silently nodded and stood up, heading towards the door. Roran quickly followed her, stepping outside with her. Just as he was about to speak, the sound of another door opening came from behind. Dukhe had arrived, quickly catching up to them and standing right beside them. As Roran opened his mouth to speak, Dukhe once again grabbed Lucia's hands and said:
"Oh, dear Lucia, have you still not managed to leave this wretched village?"
Hearing this, Roran clenched his hand into a fist, his face resembling that of an emotionless beast, though his anger was unmistakable. He raised his hand, ready to strike Dukhe, but stopped abruptly when he met Lucia's determined gaze. Instantly snapping out of his rage, he lowered his hand. Dukhe, meanwhile, watched the scene unfold with great amusement. After a moment, he released Lucia and, this time, grabbed Roran's hands, saying:
"So, you're really just a villager who resorts to violence at the slightest provocation, aren't you?"
Upon hearing this, Roran forcefully yanked his hands away. Dukhe tried to hold onto them, but Roran's strength prevailed, and he pulled his hands free in one swift motion. Dukhe staggered slightly but managed to regain his balance before he fell. Rubbing his hands together, he said:
"Since you're so confident in your strength, why don't we settle this with our own hands?"
Upon hearing this, Roran walked toward Dukhe, stopping just a few millimeters away. Standing tall, he looked down at Dukhe threateningly for a moment, while Dukhe's face wore nothing but a mocking smile. Suddenly, Roran felt a hand on the back of his neck. He quickly turned around, but seeing nothing, he immediately turned back to Dukhe, who then said:
"Then I'll take that as a yes."
Despite the strange feeling he had from the hand he had felt on his neck, Roran looked into Dukhe's eyes and, with a confident voice, replied:
"Yes, definitely."
After that, Dukhe turned his back to Roran and began walking back toward Lucia's house. As he walked, he slightly turned his head to look at Roran and said:
"Be at the cemetery by sunset tomorrow. Until then, Lucia can stay with you, but after that, she will no longer be yours."
Roran gritted his teeth, forcing himself to resist the urge to lash out at Dukhe. However, he calmed down when Lucia grabbed a part of his clothing with her hand. Then, Lucia said:
"Don't worry, you'll win. Even if you don't, I'll always be yours, not his."
At these words, Roran finally relaxed, though the indescribable anger inside him still burned with intensity. In silence, Lucia gently pulled him away and said:
"Let's go to your house for now. It seems you can't stay at ours any longer."
When Roran heard the mention of his house, he immediately felt a wave of tension. Since his father's death, he hadn't been back to that house. Moreover, he hadn't heard from Khazak either, though Khazak hadn't come to check on him. Roran's anger was clear, but he spoke in a quiet tone:
"Alright, you can be sure that bastard will regret it tomorrow."
After this, Lucia and Roran went to the old house. Roran slightly cracked the door open, and it creaked loudly as it swung open. Memories of the past flashed before his eyes like short videos, one after another. Roran then closed his eyes with one hand, kneeling in front of the door, as the memories collided in his mind, causing an unbearable headache. Suddenly, he felt a warmth under his arm, and all his thoughts, along with the pain, vanished in an instant. Lucia had wrapped her arm around his and was guiding him toward the bedroom.
When Roran saw the confident yet uneasy expression on Lucia's face, he felt a deep sense of regret, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. It was as if Lucia was the cure to all his troubles, the remedy for every illness, and the thought of losing her felt like a torment, almost like a hellish agony. It felt as though every cell in his body was bound to her.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Roran's eyes welled up with tears. Lucia finally helped him sit on the bed, and when she saw his tear-filled eyes, she cupped his face with both hands, gazing directly into his eyes. Their eyes, her forest green and his earth brown, locked in a long, silent exchange. Then, as Lucia's own eyes filled with tears, she kissed Roran gently on the lips. During the kiss, tears streamed from both their eyes. The kiss lasted a long time, and when it ended, Lucia, still holding Roran's face between her hands, pulled away. They gazed at each other, smiling, yet tears quietly flowed from their eyes.
After some time, Lucia laid Roran down on the bed, covering him with the blanket. She then joined him under the covers, wrapping herself around him. Roran responded, holding her close. Lucia, resting her head on Roran's chest, listened to his heartbeat. Roran, with his chin resting on Lucia's head, breathed in the scent of her thick, orange curls, overwhelmed with a sense of peace. They held each other so tightly that it felt as though, if the universe were to take their lives, they would still never part from each other.
And in this way, Roran and Lucia fell asleep.
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