Forgotten Juliet

Chapter 150:

* * *

The group led by Duke Carlyle, who set out from the South, arrived at the capital earlier than expected.

“Why is there smoke…?”

Even before passing through the capital’s main gate, they realized there was a commotion in the direction of the capital.

A massive cloud of smoke obscured the sky, and people on the streets were screaming and running in panic.

“…What’s happening?”

They quickly entered the capital.

“Your Highness!”

Elliot, who had been waiting for them, rushed over with a worried look.

“Miss Juliet hasn’t returned yet! We’ll handle this side, so…”

Before he could finish, Lennox turned his horse toward the downtown area and began to gallop.

The arena had collapsed, and the beasts had been released, turning the square into chaos.

While the beasts were running amok and destroying structures, the swift evacuation of the citizens meant there were few casualties.

“Help, please…!”

However, some elderly and children found it hard to get out of the way.

Thud.

A beast that was charging at a pair of young siblings suddenly lost its balance and fell.

The city guards, who were rushing to save the siblings, immediately recognized the person who saved them.

“Duke Carlyle!”

The relief of him being alive, combined with the joy of having an ally, was short-lived.

Duke Carlyle urgently asked a captain of the guards:

“Have you seen Countess Monad?”

“…Who?”

The guard, taken aback by the unfamiliar name, asked back.

With the urgency of the situation, Lennox maintained his patience:

“Where is Juliet Monad?”

“She, she was near the square!”

Thankfully, someone who knew Juliet responded.

Without a moment’s delay, Lennox steered his horse toward the square.

But at that moment, a strange sight unfolded before them.

“…?”

“What is that?”

Krrrrr.

The beasts that had been charging at people suddenly stopped.

Even more astonishingly, they ignored the guards attacking them and instead focused on one direction: the ruined temporary arena.

One large beast with massive horns slowly approached the collapsed arena and kneeled.

Following this, other beasts also began to kneel one by one.

“What in the world…?”

Everyone was speechless, unable to comprehend the bizarre scene unfolding before them, unsure of their next move.

However, only one person knew what this all meant.

(Yes, the woman you’re looking for is over there.)

Because a black panther murmured calmly.

(It might be a bit late, but… )

Lennox, feeling half dazed, moved towards the rubble of the collapsed building.

“Your Highness! It’s dangerous! You need to retreat…!”

His attendants tried to stop him. However, the beasts around didn’t even glance at them.

Beneath the debris, Lennox found the woman he was looking for.

“…Juliet.”

Juliet was blankly staring into her hand, her hair hanging loose.

“Juliet.”

As he called her name again, Juliet slowly lifted her head.

“Your Highness.”

Lennox quickly approached Juliet to check on her. She was covered in dust, but seemingly unharmed.

Realizing Juliet was safe, relief washed over Lennox, but he was also filled with anger. He had many things to say, but the first words were out of concern.

“I told you to wait safely.”

However, when their eyes met, Lennox’s expression hardened.

“Why are you crying?”

Tears filled her blue eyes.

Her pale face wasn’t just blank; it was filled with fear.

“…The butterflies.”

He followed Juliet’s gaze.

On her palm were butterflies.

At first, it was hard to recognize them as Juliet’s butterflies. The faintly shimmering butterflies looked like pebbles.

(Still. Outside. There’s danger.)

(Run away.)

‘Before it comes.’

The butterflies, now the size of a fingernail, seemed to have lost their voices too.

“Will it come again?”josei

Juliet asked, but the butterflies didn’t immediately respond.

(The contractor. Has it.)

(So. It can be opened.)

‘…What?’

“Oh.”

After pondering for a moment, Juliet suddenly remembered and rummaged through her clothing.

She then pulled out all the possessions she had on her.

In one hand was the Fisherman’s ring, and in the other was a silver key.

Juliet pondered for a moment.

It seemed that the strange creature that had been stopped earlier was due to this Fisherman’s ring.

The moment the snake wearing Dolores’s mask tried to grab Juliet, a tremendous flame had erupted.

‘I guess it’s because of the sacred relic.’

However, the item the butterflies mentioned that can ‘be opened’ might be related to the silver key.

“If I have this key, can I go back to the way it was?”

(No.)

But when Juliet showed the silver key, the size and voice of the butterflies became very, very small.

(That. Later.)

(For the contractor.)

(Only the contractor. Can open it.)

(Inside the door…)

(Open and escape.)

(Snake. If you see it. Open it.)

For the first time, Juliet felt a heartfelt emotion towards the butterflies that mumbled awkwardly.

For some reason, the butterflies showed strong hostility towards the snake wearing Dolores’s mask. They bravely rushed to protect Juliet, and it was clear that it had been fatal.

“…You, from beyond your dimension, are said to be a great and evil being.”

That’s why they kept reappearing even when they were forcibly summoned back.

But somehow, this time she felt that the butterflies might disappear forever instead of vanishing in the blue flames.

(The yellow snake. Dangerous.)

(They took from us.)

With small voices, the butterflies tried to convey something.

Noise echoed around, but Juliet held her breath without even thinking of evading.

(Contractor.)

(Sorry…)

She just wanted to cry.

The voice that always echoed in her head was now so faint that she couldn’t understand it unless she focused.

Juliet felt it as some kind of omen.

“…Why did this happen?”

Lennox asked with a stern face, but Juliet couldn’t explain.

Although she had never voiced it out loud, ever since her return, Juliet had a bad premonition.

Maybe she might die again before autumn arrives.

Perhaps there’s a feeling of anxiety that she might lose all the beings by her side.

“Lennox.”

Instead of explaining to him what had happened, Juliet blurted out the words that had been spinning in her mind.

“…I don’t want to run away anymore.”

“Why are you running?”

Juliet looked at him with misty eyes.

In front of her was a man with an anxious look.

No matter what she said, he wouldn’t understand. Hasn’t she experienced it once before?

It was just like the past. The seasons changed, Dahlia appeared, and Juliet Monad would meet a miserable end, having lost everything she had.

‘If I’m destined to lose everything anyway…’

It was better to lay it all out and feel relieved than to keep running from that anxiety.

At least she wanted to talk directly with him before he met Dahlia and the situation surrounding them changed.

The man, with a worried look, approached and wiped Juliet’s cheek.

“Don’t ask why you’re crying.”

Only then did Juliet realize she had been crying.

Her cheeks were all wet.

“Your Highness, I have something to tell you.”

“…Alright. Let’s step outside first.”

“It’s now or never.”

Juliet grabbed the wrist of the man trying to get her up.

“I want to talk now.”

Juliet smiled just with her lips.

She stubbornly held onto him, thinking he might shake her off, but surprisingly, Lennox obediently knelt on one knee, leveling with her.

“Speak.”

“I’ve always been curious.”

Juliet cautiously reached out her hand.

“How does it feel to make the great Duke Carlyle kneel and receive all his affection?”

As her hand touched his cheek, Lennox’s eyes narrowed.

He let out a deep sigh and wrapped her hand without resisting.

However, Juliet’s next words made him visibly flinch.

“And when such a woman appears, how will I be discarded?”

“Juliet.”

“No woman is unaware of such things.”

Juliet chuckled.

After all, their relationship began with Juliet almost desperately clinging to it, more of a contract.

“That’s why I’ve always been scared and anxious about Dahlia appearing.”

Juliet had that intuition.

And now Dahlia had finally appeared. Different from the past she remembered, and Dahlia was after her life.

She survived this time, but in the future, they might not have an opportunity to converse like this.

So she wanted to lay it all out before leaving. That way, she felt she wouldn’t regret it in the long run.