°•♡Chapter 143~ The Count of Beads

《》Ronan’s POV

The tent was dimly lit, only the flicker of a single lantern burning between us. Lucien sat on the other side of the table, sharpening his sword in steady strokes. The sound of metal scraping stone had become so familiar I barely noticed it anymore. What weighed heavier was the silence between us, the kind that pressed down until someone was forced to break it.

“We’re almost at the end of the week,” Lucien finally said, his eyes not leaving the blade. “The Rogue still hasn’t shown. Maybe the bastard who took him lied.”

I rubbed a hand over my face and exhaled slowly. “Maybe,” I said, though my chest tightened at the word. It wasn’t just doubt—it was the sinking feeling that this was our last thread unraveling. If it snapped, we’d be blind in the dark. And worse, so would Aria.

I didn’t tell Lucien that part.

Instead, I nodded toward his leg. “How’s it doing?”

He set the sword aside and tugged at the edge of his trousers, revealing a bandage wrapped tight. “I’ll live. Ve