The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 147

#147.

Meanwhile, the Javissian army surrounded Sarvan Castle, awaiting orders.

Zachary, having learned that the Sarvan Lord was in league with Navi and his gang, sent reinforcements.

Sarvan was a family with a fairly large private army, even by Northern standards.

Jerachiel and Ivan alone would have been a bit much, so the Javissian army was lying in ambush.

The plan was simple.

Cersia’s team would capture the Sarvan Lord, and Jerachiel would seize Sarvan Castle.

The Javissian army was already tailing Cersia’s group, who were tasked with capturing the leader.

Just then, a signal flare shot up from Sarvan Castle, signaling the start of the operation.

“Enter.”

At this, the Javissian army, which had been lying in ambush nearby, stormed Sarvan Castle.

In just 30 minutes, Sarvan Castle fell. Everyone felt a strange unease at the faster-than-expected surrender.

“It’s strangely quiet.”

Ivan looked around with a bewildered expression. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they had just robbed an empty house.

They had checked the number of soldiers and the layout of Sarvan Castle in advance, just in case.

It didn’t seem like this was the number of soldiers they had accounted for.

Jerachiel looked at the number of captured hostages and let out a hollow laugh.

It was clear that the Sarvan Lord had discovered their plan.

Otherwise, there was no way he would have left with so few soldiers, knowing that Jerachiel Rune Javissian was involved.

‘I’ll be good tomorrow.’

At that moment, Cersia’s words as she snuggled into his arms the previous night came to mind.

He couldn’t bring himself to push away the trembling white ferret, who seemed a little pitiful.

Then, when he belatedly realized she was shivering from the cold, Jerachiel shared his pheromones with her.

The image of her relaxing her hardened face and falling asleep, breathing softly, was still vivid in his mind after the cold had subsided.

On the other hand, he had stayed up all night. The scent emanating from her had become even stronger during sleep.

Even with a clear mind, he felt strangely hazy, as if he had taken a hallucinogen.

As Marina had said, he should have kept her close and observed her, rather than keeping her away.

Having finished his reminiscence, Jerachiel stared blankly out the window. It had already been two hours since Cersia had headed to the beach.

‘I guess she went that way.’

If so, Cersia might be in danger. Even if he followed now, there was a high possibility that she had already been captured.

Jerachiel casually told Ivan, who still didn’t understand the situation.

“It’s as if they emptied it on purpose.”

“Yes, that’s right. The fact that there are only half as many people as expected is suspicious…”

Ivan stopped speaking and opened his mouth wide. It was obvious where the remaining half of the soldiers who should have been in Sarvan Castle had gone.

Ivan’s anxiety was all but confirmed by Jerachiel’s next words.

“We’ve been had.”

Jerachiel massaged his heart, which had been beating rapidly as if it were broken since earlier.

His heart was pounding strangely.

As if foreseeing the tragedy to come.

Jerachiel, who knew what that meant, chuckled softly.

It was definitely fear. The anxiety that came from the possibility of something happening to that white ferret.

Jerachiel unconsciously washed his face at the unfamiliar sensation.

If he had known this would happen, he should have swallowed her in one gulp.

If he had just eaten her, he wouldn’t be suffering from this anxiety.

Jerachiel, sensing the crisis that his precious prey might be taken away by someone, was about to head to the beach when—

“I’ll follow Lady Cersia’s group right away.”

Ivan stood at attention as if to ask for orders immediately. Seeing this, Jerachiel grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

“No. You stay here. I’ll go.”

“Yes?”

“Either way, someone has to guard this place. Search this place for traces of Navi’s gang. If you determine there are no problems, then it’s not too late to come after me.”

Jerachiel left those words behind and left the scene. Ivan stared at him as he walked away, moving his lips.

“Could it be that he’s come to his senses?”

He hadn’t wanted to go near Lady Cersia for a while. It was amazing that he was now acting so fickle.

“Well, a married couple’s quarrel is like cutting water with a knife [meaning it quickly disappears].”

Ivan, who made it seem like the couple who had never fought had fought, hurriedly ordered the soldiers.

“Search every nook and cranny.”

At those words, the Javissian soldiers began searching Sarvan Castle all at once.

* * *

As the carriage stopped, the Sarvan Lord personally escorted me.

“Get off slowly. The carriage can’t go any further from here.”

As he said, there were many stones, so the carriage could no longer proceed.

I took his hand and got off, looking around.

Icebergs floated everywhere on the emerald beach. Fortunately, it was spring. I heard that this place is frozen for about 300 days of the year.

A strong sea breeze blew, shaking my braided hair in disarray.

As I tucked the cumbersome hair behind my ears, Eve asked quietly.

“Is it a little cold because it’s the beach?”

“No. It’s not as cold as I thought…”

I stopped speaking.

As Eve said, a cold wind was blowing near the sea. Nevertheless, I only felt refreshed rather than cold.

Considering that I used to suffer from the biting cold even when wearing layers of clothes, it was a familiar feeling.

‘Ah, Jerachiel, is it.’

Come to think of it, I haven’t felt cold since I slept with Jerachiel last night.

Until then, I didn’t let him come near me, so I endured the cold by wearing layers of clothes.

It seemed that he had used pheromones after seeing me shivering in the cold at night.

I smiled for no reason at the warmth that warmed my body.

The resentment I felt for him not saying a word all night disappeared like snow melting.

When I carefully snuggled into his arms, afraid of being pushed away, Jerachiel stayed still.

Remembering that I had the courage to fall asleep comfortably, I wanted to see Jerachiel even more.

‘I wonder if he’s doing well.’

Jerachiel was supposed to seize the castle and secure evidence while the Sarvan Lord was away.

He needed evidence to clearly show that he was part of Navi’s gang in order to have a justification for raiding the Sarvan Lord.

Of course, the Sarvan Lord was also scheduled to be captured here.

Perhaps Javissian soldiers, led by Ayla, were following him now.

At that time, Eve spoke, perhaps bothered by the fact that I had stopped speaking.

“Tell me if you’re cold.”

Then, she naturally tried to take off her scarf, but I gently stopped her.

“I’m okay, so don’t take off your scarf. You’re cold too, Mother.”

“I’m fine.”

“I’ll ask for it later when it gets cold.”

I smiled at Eve as I put the scarf back on her. Then, I started walking along the cliff path on the beach, following the Sarvan Lord.

The path became narrower and narrower. After stumbling over the stones several times, I saw a fairly large open space.

A wide space with a cliff in front and a beach behind.

The Sarvan Lord said.

“It’s here.”

“This is…”

In the place pointed to by the Sarvan Lord, there was a door that exuded a strange atmosphere that anyone could see.

A door placed out of nowhere, like the secret garden I saw in Javissian Castle.

The only difference was that, unlike the completely black door of the secret garden, it was as white as snow.

The door, which exuded an unusual atmosphere at a glance, had ancient characters engraved on it. Thanks to Larien’s memory, I immediately knew what it said.

[The Door That Reverses Everything]

‘What does it mean to reverse?’

There seemed to be nowhere to go behind the door, as it was blocked by a cliff. But I knew that a completely different place would unfold if I opened the door.

The secret garden in Javissian Castle was the same.

“How is it?”

At the Sarvan Lord’s question, I stared at the door.

It was a strange feeling. Just like when I first saw the door to the secret garden in Javissian Castle, I felt like I had to open that door.

I quietly felt my heart pounding. I couldn’t quite figure out why it was beating.

“Do I have to go in there alone?”

At those words, the Sarvan Lord’s expression brightened noticeably. At the same time, Eve tilted her head and said.

“Huh? What do you mean? There’s only a cliff here.”