chapter 2

The Hunter Returns to Arvis

The Arvis Estate had always been quiet.

But that morning, it felt different.

Not peaceful.

Not calm.

Something heavier lingered in the air, as if the estate itself was waiting for something to happen.

Something—or someone.

The Return of Matthias von Herhardt

A black carriage crossed the stone bridge leading into the estate.

Inside, a young man sat with one leg crossed over the other, staring out at the passing landscape.

Matthias von Herhardt had returned.

Twenty-two years old.

Recently graduated.

Heir to the Herhardt Duchy.

To most people, his return would have been an event.

Servants would have lined up.

Nobles would have sent greetings.

The estate would have stirred with excitement.

But Matthias preferred it quiet.

He disliked unnecessary attention.

He disliked unnecessary emotions even more.

His gray eyes moved slowly across the familiar scenery.

Forests.

Gardens.

The lake near the eastern wing.

Everything was exactly the same.

Nothing had changed.

Which, for some reason, disappointed him slightly.

“Welcome home, young master.”

The driver spoke carefully.

Matthias didn’t respond immediately.

After a moment, he said flatly:

“It doesn’t feel like home.”

The driver hesitated.

“Pardon?”

Matthias looked away.

“Forget it.”

The Mansion of Bill Llewellyn

At the eastern guest residence of the estate, William Llewellyn was having a very bad morning.

“No.”

A-Ning tilted her head.

“Uncle.”

“No.”

“It’s just a short ride.”

“No.”

“I already know how to ride.”

“Absolutely not.”

A-Ning blinked.

Then she smiled.

That smile.

Bill immediately felt danger approaching.

“You are not touching another motorcycle inside this estate without supervision.”

A-Ning nodded politely.

“Understood.”

Bill relaxed slightly.

Then she added:

“Can I have supervision?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to live.”

A-Ning sighed softly.

Outside the window, sunlight reflected off the garage where several motorcycles were parked.

She had already counted them.

Seven.

One was especially interesting.

A deep black model with silver detailing.

Fast.

Heavy.

Beautiful.

Bill followed her gaze.

“No.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking it.”

“I was appreciating engineering.”

Bill rubbed his forehead.

This was going to be a long day.

The First Rumor

By noon, something strange had already begun spreading through the servants.

A new girl had arrived.

Young.

Foreign.

Beautiful.

Too beautiful, according to some.

“She looks like she stepped out of a painting,” one maid whispered.

“She smiled at me and I forgot my name,” another admitted.

“She speaks very softly,” said a gardener. “But she thanked me for my work. No noble has ever done that before.”

The estate had seen many guests over the years.

Nobles.

Diplomats.

Wealthy families.

But this girl felt different.

Not because of her status.

But because of how she carried herself.

As if she did not realize the effect she had on people.

A Walk Through the Estate

That afternoon, A-Ning decided to explore again.

Bill reluctantly allowed it.

“With one condition,” he said.

“What condition?”

“No trouble.”

A-Ning smiled innocently.

“I never cause trouble.”

Bill stared at her.

A long silence.

“Uncle?”

“…Just go.”

The estate gardens were vast.

A-Ning walked slowly along the stone path, observing everything carefully.

Flowers were carefully arranged.

Fountains reflected the sky.

Statues stood between hedges like silent guards.

She paused near a rose bush.

A group of young servants were working nearby.

When she passed, they immediately stopped.

Not because they were told to.

Because they couldn’t help it.

A-Ning noticed.

She frowned slightly.

“Am I in the way?”

“No, miss!” one of them quickly answered.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, miss!”

She nodded and continued walking.

Completely unaware that every step she took left silence behind her.

Not fear.

Not discomfort.

Just attention.

The Horse Stable

A little farther away, the sound of hooves echoed.

A-Ning turned toward the stables.

Curiosity pulled her forward.

Inside, several horses stood calmly.

One black horse in particular caught her attention.

Strong.

Elegant.

Dangerous in a controlled way.

She approached slowly.

“Hello,” she whispered.

The horse turned its head slightly.

Then surprisingly leaned forward.

A-Ning smiled.

“You like people, don’t you?”

“Careful.”

A deep voice interrupted her.

A-Ning froze.

She turned.

A young man stood at the entrance of the stable.

Tall.

Perfect posture.

Cold expression.

Gray eyes that seemed to measure everything at once.

Matthias von Herhardt.

He looked at her first.

Then at the horse.

Then back at her.

“You should not approach that horse so casually,” he said.

A-Ning blinked.

“Oh.”

Silence followed.

Matthias observed her carefully.

Something about her felt unfamiliar.

Not her appearance.

Not her clothes.

Something else.

She didn’t behave like the people he was used to.

Most people in the estate reacted in one of two ways when seeing him:

Fear.

Or admiration.

This girl did neither.

Instead, she simply stood there.

Calm.

“Are you a servant?” he asked.

A-Ning shook her head.

“No.”

“Guest?”

“Yes.”

“Name?”

She hesitated for half a second.

“Wu A-Ning.”

Matthias repeated it silently in his mind.

Then nodded once.

“A-Ning.”

He looked at her again.

This time more carefully.

The stable fell quiet.

Even the horses seemed calmer than usual.

A-Ning suddenly felt slightly awkward.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

Matthias didn’t answer immediately.

Then he said:

“You’re new here.”

“Yes.”

“From where?”

“China.”

That made him pause.

China.

He had dealt with international families before.

But something about her didn’t fit the usual image he expected.

She didn’t act like someone trying to impress him.

She didn’t act nervous.

She didn’t act intimidated.

Instead, she seemed… uninterested.

That was new.

Very new.

The First Interest

Matthias stepped slightly closer.

A-Ning instinctively stepped back.

Not fear.

Just habit.

He noticed.

Interesting.

“You shouldn’t walk alone in the estate,” he said.

A-Ning blinked again.

“Why?”

A pause.

“Because it’s large.”

“I can remember paths.”

“That’s not the problem.”

“Then what is?”

Matthias looked at her for a moment.

Then replied:

“People get lost.”

A-Ning considered this seriously.

“I don’t get lost.”

For the first time, something almost like amusement flickered in Matthias’s eyes.

Almost.

“You seem confident,” he said.

A-Ning nodded politely.

“I just pay attention.”

A simple answer.

But Matthias found himself watching her a second longer than necessary.

The wind moved through the stable.

Her dark hair shifted slightly.

Sunlight caught her profile.

And for a brief moment, Matthias thought:

She doesn’t belong here.

Not in a bad way.

But in a way that made her stand out.

Like something rare placed in a world too ordinary.

He looked away first.

A rare thing for him.

“You should leave the stables,” he said.

A-Ning nodded.

“Alright.”

Then she walked away calmly.

No hesitation.

No lingering glance.

Matthias watched her leave.

And realized something strange.

He wanted her to look back.

She didn’t.

The Beginning of Something Unwanted

Later that evening, Matthias stood alone on the balcony of the main estate building.

The wind was cold.

The sky was turning dark.

Somewhere below, the estate lights began to glow.

He sipped his drink slowly.

Then, without meaning to, he thought again:

Wu A-Ning.

A name he had heard once.

A face he had seen briefly.

A presence that should have meant nothing.

Yet somehow…

It didn’t leave his mind.

Far away in the guest mansion, A-Ning was happily petting one of Bill’s cats while complaining about motorcycle restrictions.

Completely unaware that the future Duke of Arvis had just experienced something unfamiliar.

Interest.

And worse than that…

Curiosity.

And in his world, curiosity was always the beginning of obsession.

End of Chapter 2 🦚🌸🦅

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