The Military Doctor Excels at Being a Contracted Duchess - Chapter 80
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
【Chapter 80】
A sharp sound of cutting through air shattered the illusion that only the two of them existed in the world, ringing in their eardrums.
As Ebel instinctively turned her head, the garden bathed in bright sunlight embedded itself in her vision like a painting.
Banya, who was picking up the wind-up doll that Damian had dropped, and something flying toward her too fast to follow with the eyes…
“No!”
Thwack!
The sharply gleaming arrow pierced straight through the old woman’s nape.
Red blood scattered across the grass.
Everything seemed to move so slowly.
She could see Damian running toward Banya, who was falling like a doll with cut strings.
Ebel unconsciously reached out her hand and moved her lips.
No.
In an instant, everything before her eyes twisted violently.
With a scream, everything shattered. Victor’s face, the autumn sunlight settling on the garden, the eerily blue sky.
The world where she had existed fragmented into pieces and was swept away as if blown by wind.
Screeeech-!
A terrible sound like fingernails scraping against metal followed, then even that was crushed, and after a moment.
Ebel was once again in Victor’s embrace, kissing him passionately.
“Victor, the window is open. If people see us…”
No, wait a moment.
Trailing off, she turned her head sharply before Victor could say anything.
Under the brilliant sunlight, the large-framed old woman was crossing the garden.
‘Just now, Banya was definitely dead.’
Blinking her eyes, Ebel overcame her confusion and shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Banya, get down! Right now!”
Banya had said she received training in her younger days. So perhaps she could dodge it. Perhaps!
At the scream-like shout, Banya immediately crouched down. Simultaneously, a flashing arrow embedded itself with a crack.
Fortunately, this time it wasn’t Banya’s neck, but a tree.
Immediately grasping the situation, Banya ran toward where Damian was. At the same time, Victor pulled Ebel sharply and caught something.
All of this happened in less than 10 seconds.
“Ebel, inside!”
Growling as he shouted, he snapped the arrow he had caught in half. She immediately covered her head and crouched down, biting her lips at the gunshot that tore through the air like thunder.
‘Damian should be okay, right? What about Angelm?’
Acrid smoke tickled her nose as if the sweetness from moments before had been a lie.
“Your Grace!”
At the sound of consecutive gunshots, people came rushing in. Victor lifted Ebel protectively with a cold expression, gesturing with his chin.
Making sure not even a strand of hair was visible toward the window, completely sheltering her in his embrace.
“Track the blood trail. They couldn’t have gone far.”
“Understood.”
“Go downstairs and bring Banya and Damian.”
Of course, Banya would have already run indoors carrying Damian. She was quick enough to make her white hair seem meaningless.
‘So earlier… before time went back, it was just because we were caught off guard. Who would expect arrows here, not even guns. This isn’t 30 years ago.’
Ah.
That’s why.
Arrows are hard to trace.
They’re hardly used in this era.
They’re relics of a bygone age rotting in manor storage corners – who would think to use such things!
“I’ll leave Dominique behind, Ebel.”
Thick veins bulged on Victor’s hand gripping the door handle. Even now he remained composed, but sharp killing intent rippled around him.
This was the Victor from the battlefield that Ebel knew well.
“Come back safely. Please, be careful…”
“Don’t worry. I have a lead.”
From his low voice, Ebel realized that whoever fired the shot wouldn’t survive.
She could hear Victor giving Dominique some instructions after lightly kissing her cheek.
Soon Ebel was moved to the adjacent room.
Meanwhile, Dominique closed the windows with a stern face and even drew the curtains.
“My goodness, my heart nearly fell out! Such things don’t suit this old woman anymore.”
Eventually Banya came bustling in and set Damian down, with reddish marks remaining on her neck.
“Banya, that mark on your neck…”
“Oh my, my heart nearly fell out. This is, hmm. Was I bitten by an insect?”
Looking in the mirror and rubbing her neck, Banya greeted Angelm with a nonchalant expression.
“I heard gunshots just now, is everything alright?”
“Of course, everything’s fine.”
The children are here.
Forcibly calming her racing heart, Ebel smiled. It was her usual expression.
‘When Victor checked the bathroom yesterday, I thought he was being overly worried.’
It wasn’t excessive at all.
“Shall we finish reading the book we started earlier?”
“…Yes.”
Angelm, who had cautiously surveyed the surroundings, sat on the sofa pretending nothing happened. Banya deliberately made more of a fuss while tidying up, and Damian kept eyeing the window as if wanting to go out.
Reading the book slowly, Ebel recalled what had just happened.
‘Banya died. She was killed. But something like golden powder flew out from my hands.’
It must be the hourglass. The power that had made her regress.
But why did it suddenly activate?
‘I did desperately wish to turn back time at that moment.’
Judging by the marks left on Banya’s neck, when time is reversed, the person bears scars or marks where they were injured.
That was certain.
‘I can only use this power for others, for altruistic reasons.’
The conditions were met, but…
At least she was genuinely relieved that Banya didn’t die.
‘This probably wasn’t something that was destined to happen.’
The ‘forbidden items’ Baba Elpha mentioned probably meant not to try changing historical events.
‘It’s okay. Something like this won’t happen again.’
Ebel set her jaw firmly.
She had thought this power wouldn’t be used even if she had it. She didn’t even know how to use it.
But who knew it would burst out on its own.
While she was relieved that Banya lived, she wasn’t without worries.
‘I want to learn more about my power…’
Should she try visiting her maternal grandmother?
At the same time, in the darkest and most secret space of the Queen’s Palace.
An old woman who was collecting dead chicken blood in a bowl twitched her eyes.
“Why…”
Muttering in an unpleasantly murky voice, the old woman had a hooked nose with various growths covering her face.
The sight was so terrible that the maids standing around frowned.
However, their master.
The Queen with silver hair and pink eyes pressed the old woman as if nothing was wrong.
“So? Did you succeed?”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty the Queen. Unfortunately… an opposing force blocked it.”
“What? What does that mean? You said it would succeed if we killed sixty-six black chickens.”
As Minuette’s eyes flashed sharply with her pointed question, the old woman bowed her already bent back even deeper.
“As I mentioned before, the power I possess has an opposing force. They are like yin and yang, inevitably conflicting with each other, yet neither can be eliminated.”
“Ah, don’t give me complicated explanations. So what happened?”
“I failed. To attempt again… the protective force is too powerful.”
At the Old Woman’s declaration, Minuette’s beautiful face twisted into a scowl.
“It’s just one old man though. Who’s protecting him? You said an arrow fed with blood would be enough!”
“First, Grand Duke Victor von Bayern’s aura is far too powerful. As I explained, he possesses the fierce power of frozen seas, so ordinary malevolent forces cannot even approach.”
“I know that. But the Grand Duke wasn’t directly protecting that old man himself.”
“Yes.”
Swallowing dryly, the Old Woman glanced at Minuette’s expression and lowered her voice even further to whisper.
“The Grand Duke’s presence alone was overwhelming enough… but there was one more. Someone who has received an immensely powerful blessing… one who has saved countless lives.”
Her gnarled fingers scraped along the rim of the bowl containing blood.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————