Chapter 36
“Even Though You Don’t Even Know My Name”:
A few days later, the Royal Ascot event, which Cecil had been eagerly anticipating, finally took place. Cecil loved horses. She enjoyed betting large sums on races, and this time, she was especially excited to be seated close to Her Majesty the Queen.
Since Royal Ascot marked the beginning of the social season, it seemed that every noble lady had turned out for the event.
Among them, the most striking was the bride-to-be, Cecil Hobert. Her joy at having secured the most distinguished gentleman in society radiated through her every gesture.
“Elizabeth, if you keep dawdling, we’ll fall behind,” Cecil urged Lily. They had already taken several laps around the forest, though Lily had lost count.
Though they were supposed to be lightly riding horses, from the perspective of someone walking, it felt like a rapid trot.
“I’ll take one lap first, so you head to my seat afterward,” Cecil instructed.
“Miss Cecil, it’s cruel on a maid. She’s so skinny, she might snap,” Florence interjected.
“She’s stronger than she looks, Florence. Elizabeth, follow the shortcut through the forest, okay?”
Cecil pointed toward the dark woods without mentioning that it was the royal hunting grounds for fox hunts. In truth, it was probably more accurate to say she couldn’t think of a reason to warn Lily—the shortcut was simply the fastest route.
“There are marks on the trees, so you won’t get lost.”
“All right, Miss.”
As Lily trudged along alone, she soon drifted into a daze.
How long had she been walking? Suddenly, the cawing of a crow startled her, and she jerked her head up.
At some point, the ribbons tied around the tree trunks had disappeared, and the trees had grown so dense that sunlight barely filtered through.
‘Scary.’
Since Cecil hadn’t mentioned that the path had long been abandoned, Lily assumed she had simply lost her way. Noble ladies had a certain indifference, a cruel streak; they assumed maids were naturally tough and resilient.
‘Stay at your seat until the race starts.’
Recalling how she had lost track of Cecil at the fair, Lily, now anxious, began running along the leaf-strewn path.
However, the moment she stepped onto a particularly thick patch of leaves, a sharp pain shot through her ankle, and she collapsed to the ground.
“Ah…!”
At first, she didn’t understand what had happened and assumed a snake had bitten her ankle.
“Ugh, it hurts…”
She dug through the underbrush to find the source of the pain and discovered… a trap.
Steel teeth, jagged like shark’s, had clamped tightly around her slender ankle.
If it had been set for bear hunting, her ankle would have been severed on the spot. Fortunately, it was a fox trap, meant to protect horses or sheep. Lily turned pale as she struggled to free herself.
“Ugh, it hurts… Please, open…”
She tried inserting her hands into the gap, but the locking mechanism held firm. The attached chain was too heavy to drag along. The more she struggled, the deeper the trap dug into her flesh.
Bang!
A distant gunshot rang out, carried on the wind along with the roar of the crowd.
The race had begun.
That meant no one would pass by this path. Even if she screamed, no one would come. For the first time, the thought that she might die flickered through her mind.
‘Old man Morris was found as a skeleton… who would have thought a hunter of his skill could fall into his own trap?’
A terrifying story she had heard long ago echoed in her ears. She tried to pull her ankle free, but the trap only tore deeper into her flesh. The best protection was to stay still.
Lily sank onto the damp forest floor. The smell of mushrooms rising from the wet earth pricked her nose.
No one would come looking for her. More precisely, no one ever would. The sensation in her ankle was slowly fading; the cold steel felt unnervingly alien.
She clutched a rocket tightly and lay still. To minimize the pain, she had to keep her body as still as possible.
Bang—
Another gunshot sounded closer this time. The absence of cheers suggested it was a hunter. Lily tried to shout but stopped herself.
If the stranger discovered her, she might survive. If not… she’d give up. That thought somehow brought comfort. Letting go entirely felt strangely sweet. After all, she had been exhausted for some time.
‘Room 301’s guest is looking for you.’
For some reason, those words from the maid suddenly popped into her mind. Lily bolted upright. As her leg moved, the trap bit deeper, and she groaned involuntarily. At the moment she felt like giving up, she thought of that man.
“Bobby! Shh!”
Rustling leaves announced a swift movement. A large dog burst from the bushes, barking at her.
“I see you tried to escape, but you still ended up here.”
Lily blinked. Christopher had appeared, wearing hunting boots, trudging through the mud.
“What are you doing lying there?”
“I’m caught in a trap.”
His eyes fell on her ankle, and he quickly lifted her skirt. Lily, flustered, grabbed it to pull it down, but she had no strength against him.
“Please, just get my foot out. I can walk myself.”
Embarrassment outweighed the pain, and she pleaded through gritted teeth.
“That won’t do.”
He examined the trap seriously.
“Why not?”
“It’s rusty. You could get tetanus.”
“What happens then?”
Without answering, he began feeling along the surrounding underbrush.
“What are you looking for?” Lily asked anxiously.
With an “aha,” he produced a small metal prong and approached confidently.
“The key.”
He inserted it like a lever, pressed, and with a snap of the spring, the pressure and pain vanished instantly.
“They leave these around for people like you. Consider yourself lucky it hadn’t rusted completely.”
He tossed the prong aside and tore one sleeve of his coat.
“Endure the pain.”
“Ah, it hurts… gently…”
He gripped her ankle firmly, drawing blood. Lily turned her head, unable to watch.
“Now you can walk on your own.”
Foreseeing her next move, Lily tried to step away, but he lifted her effortlessly into his arms.
Her thoughts flashed back to that night, yet his expression remained unchanged.
“Don’t say nonsense. You’re not a rabbit. How did you even get caught in a trap here?”
“Looking for rabbits, I guess.”
“Too bad.”
“What’s too bad?”
“If it’s a rabbit, it would have been quite the prize.”
“Ugh—it hurts… slowly…”
“Does it hurt much?”
He adjusted his stride as they walked. The pain in her shaking legs eased slightly.
“Is the event over? Miss is probably waiting for her sandwiches.”
“Does it matter if Cecil Hobert goes hungry? You nearly died. This is royal hunting grounds; bears roam here too.”
Hearing Cecil’s name naturally come out of his mouth made Lily frown. No matter what, Cecil was under her care; could he speak so casually?
In the bright sunlight, his gray eyes glinted faintly blue.
With the sun behind him, Lily couldn’t see his face clearly. Her eyes fell on the mimosa boutonniere pinned to his chest.
“Don’t just stare at my face. Hold my neck properly, or I’ll have to hug you tighter.”
With that, Christopher embraced her firmly. Reluctantly, Lily wrapped her arms around his broad neck.
He was so big and she so small, she felt like a child nestled in his arms.
“Is this not with another meaning?”
Lily was thinking of the bracelet. Since returning from Avery, the thought had dominated her mind. She couldn’t fully express it, so the words slipped out awkwardly.
“Is that your way of saying thank you?”
With the tension easing, her ankle hurt more. She bit her teeth and groaned.
“Does Cecil Hobert bother you?”
The man asked quietly, in a voice as if he were a prince appearing at a critical moment to save her.
But he was a guest in the cheapest hotel room, and Cecil Hobert reigned from the highest floor. Even telling the truth would change nothing.
“Why do you think so?”
“You’re not denying it.”
Though he spoke neither kindly nor actively in her favor, Lily felt comforted. He saw her exhaustion that no one else could.
‘Lily, that man is after you.’
Timothy’s words still lingered like a stone, suppressing her fluttering heart. She forced her gaze elsewhere and said,
“Summer says your job is obvious. A penniless rake staying in the cheapest room, wearing the best clothes, trying to hook women for profit.”
He seemed to enjoy the statement sincerely. Though voiced through Summer, Lily understood. Perhaps he had a strange personality that enjoyed being sharply reprimanded; he even chuckled softly.
“You’ve been spying on me?”
His lips curved attractively.
“I didn’t try; I just happened to find out.”
“You don’t even know my name properly.”
“That’s…”
“Shall I tell you now? You enjoy making men think you’ll become a nun, even though you have no intention, and poor Timothy fell for it.”
Lily was flustered to hear Timothy’s name from his mouth.
“You don’t need to know about Timothy and me.”
“No, I’m very interested. Just as much as you’re curious about my love life.”
He no longer smiled.
“Imagine as you like.”
Now she knew she couldn’t use Timothy as a shield. Yet she wanted to let him misinterpret things.
“Do you want me to tell you what I imagined?”
He leaned his head close to hers, in a way that almost felt like a kiss, and Lily instinctively closed her eyes. His face angled delicately near her ear.
“You and he were never involved. I knew from the start. The moment I saw you.”
Lily, forgetting her pain, gaped. He had gotten the better of her.
“Ah, we’re almost there.”
She realized that he had deliberately distracted her with that moment to help her endure just a little longer.
