35. The Most Uncomfortable Meal in the World (3)
The meal concluded quietly.
During the dessert course, around the time Enrico briefly excused himself for an errand…
Karla stood alone on the balcony, enjoying the evening breeze.
Oppressed by the stifling atmosphere, Karla exhaled a long sigh as she gazed up at the night sky, feeling as if she might suffocate.
“Shouldn’t you be more careful, Lady Cascata? What if you catch a cold out here?”
A deliberately lazy voice rang out.
Without even needing to turn around, Karla easily recognized the speaker and let out another sigh.
Without waiting for her to respond, Lucas approached and stood beside her.
While Karla continued to gaze upward at the sky, Lucas leaned his arms against the balcony railing, appearing to have little interest in the heavens above. He gave her a languid smirk.
“Come now, Lady Cascata. Since we’ve agreed to honor the elders’ wishes… Don’t you think we need to spend some time together?”
“Disgusting bastard.”
“Now now, this isn’t going to work, you know.”
“I don’t care.”
“You should.”
“Not happening.”
“It is.”
Their banter continued, but this Lucas was unusually persistent.
The irritation welled up inside Karla’s chest. She clenched her fists, the urge to punch that smirk right off his face nearly overwhelming.
Her right arm wasn’t injured after all. If she were to land a solid punch…
But then a breeze fluttered her dress sleeve, bringing her back to reality.
Would she stand a chance against Lucas if she did? And what about the consequences?
Without her magical abilities and as a non-combative mage, Karla couldn’t be certain of victory when she couldn’t properly harness her magic – magic that was as much a part of her body as it was a part of her essence.
“Come on, let’s take a quiet walk together at least. Maybe if we talk, things will get better?”
A snake-like hand wrapped around her waist, filled with a grotesque sense of desire. Karla instinctively shied away, and Lucas’ smile widened as he pulled her tighter.
“Stop running away.”
“…I have no idea why you insist on this. Do you seriously think you have any right to do this to me?”
“It’s not like I don’t have any claim. Even as a Cascata, you’re a daughter, and I’m a Shaiskeil son. Our statuses are pretty comparable, wouldn’t you say?”
Karla’s frustration boiled over.
This crossed the line of acceptability.
“You shouldn’t be angry, Karla. Magic is just something you can abandon. Becoming the mistress of Shaiskeil means that sort of thing.”
Magic.
To Karla, magic was something that shouldn’t be treated so casually.
She had dedicated all her time to its pursuit, striving to become stronger and protecting those she held dear, even if she never openly admitted it.
And now, this despicable man dared to devalue it.
This was as good as him rejecting her entire lifetime of dedication.
“…Lucas. Lucas von Scheiskel.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“You are truly… beyond redemption. Trash.”
In that moment, Karla’s fist, crackling with electricity, struck Lucas across the face.
The punch sent his head snapping to the side, and another punch aimed for his stomach—though it didn’t quite land.
Instead, the heel of her shoe dug deep into his abdomen.
“K-keh!”
With a grotesque yell, Lucas was tossed across the balcony, crashing into the corner.
Karla, having lost her balance from the kick, tumbled and rolled across the ground for a couple of spins.
“Master!”
Kiara came rushing in with a scream reminiscent of their darkest nightmares. She initially glared at Karla with eyes filled with alarm but quickly ran to the corner where Lucas lay.
“Lady!”
Servants rushed to Karla’s side. A couple of maids hurriedly helped her up, dusting off her dress which had collected much dirt.
“Move.”
Karla threw off her broken high heels and stepped away from the balcony.
As her bare feet touched the cold marble floor, she felt a sharp, tingling pain—but she paid it no mind.
If anything, she found it relieving.
The pain radiating from her soles seemed to awaken her rising anger and frustration.
While descending the central staircase, Karla was momentarily captivated by the view through the window.
The dark night was illuminated by silver garden trees reflecting moonlight, the faint sound of an artificial waterfall in the distance, and countless stars dotting the velvet sky…
“Damn it…”
Clutching her teeth, Karla rushed down the stairs.
Upon reaching the ground floor, she kicked open the entrance door and crossed the garden until she reached the gate, where the startled guards awaited her.
“Open the gate! Now!”
The guards exchanged bewildered glances.
Karla’s tousled hair, dirt-smeared dress, and bare feet presented an unfamiliar sight, but they couldn’t ignore the intense aura in her eyes and quickly obliged, opening the gate.
Karla darted out of the estate.
The cold night air filled her lungs as she drew a deep breath, relishing in her newfound sense of freedom.
It felt like a confined bird finally taking flight.
She didn’t know where to go or what to do.
But in this moment, she didn’t want to think about anything.
She wanted to fully embrace this freedom, this liberation.
Her body cried out in pain and exhaustion, yet her mind gradually cooled.
Yes, this was her. Smash everything that bothers her, charge straight ahead—this was her.
Her essence was Carlo.
Carlo della Cascata—
She understood now.
There was never a reason to submit.
Even without an arm, she should’ve adapted somehow.
She shouldn’t have simply lain there, incapacitated.
Even without an arm—
Magic would have shown her the way.
It was supposed to show her the way!
Karla continued running for a long while.
Out of breath and exhausted, her sweat-soaked body and ruined dress didn’t stop her.
The scenery blurred as she passed by.
But Karla paid it no attention.
The only thing that mattered was moving forward, running toward freedom.
How long had she run?
Her body felt like it might collapse at any moment.
Finally, Karla slowed to a stop, gasping for air.
“…Where am I?”
Looking around, she recognized the unfamiliar yet familiar scenery.
The bustling market even at this late hour,
the raucous voices of people,
and the enticing smells tickling her nose…
Karla realized she had made it all the way to the market of the Cascata estate.
“The market. I’ve come this far…”
She exhaled deeply to steady her breathing.
After all these years of disciplined training, her body regained strength quickly—thankfully so.
“…Is there a place where I can get some water?”
She looked around.
An operating tavern, or a restaurant?
The tavern was out of the question, filled with drunken revelers making too much noise.
Deciding on a reasonably well-lit restaurant, Karla moved toward it.
Even though she had no money, her face was as good as an ID in this Cascata estate.
So without hesitation, Karla opened the door and walked in.
“Welcome sir… Oh!”
A male employee greeted her.
Her elegant dress, damaged from the long run, had lost its luster. Though her hair had been carefully styled, it now hung loose, a messy sight—but Karla was unaware.
“A glass of water, please.”
Walking past the employee, she sat down at the first available seat.
“Um, miss. But we don’t serve customers who don’t order any food…”
“What?”
Karla glared at the attendant. She couldn’t drink water if she didn’t order something?
“Then bring me anything. Water first.”
Any order would do.
Karla naturally requested “whatever” with her water, but the employee didn’t move.
“What are you waiting for? Bring me anything, even the most expensive thing, and water first.”
“…Um, miss, do you have the money?”
“What?”
Karla stared daggers at the man, astonished.
Dare he mention money—such an outrageous situation was new to her. But given her current disheveled state, it was understandable.
“You, don’t you know who I am?”
“Forgive me, but who might that be?”
He may have been in a terrible state, her hair was a mess, and she was drenched in sweat and grime, but there was an undeniable air of sophistication—clearly someone important.
The employee thought this but had no choice.
There were too many impostors around.
And there was no proof she was nobility.
“I’m Karla. Karla della Cascata. Don’t you recognize me?”
“Ca, Lady Karla?”
The employee’s wide-eyed recognition pleased her.
“Go bring anything and bring water first. I’m thirsty.”
“Ah, I… understood!”
If she claimed to be Lady Karla and it were false, the punishment would be severe.
Deciding this, the employee rushed to the kitchen, and as he disappeared, Karla fanned herself with her hand, looking around.
And—
She saw him.
A man watching her with a stretched neck.
“Hey, Karla! …Lady!”
It was Ivan.
Ivan Cantadino waved at her, then hurried over and bowed deeply.
“Here, at such a place, Lady Karla. What brings you here…”
He wanted to ask,
“How did you come to be in such a disheveled state?” – but he held his tongue.
