The sky had darkened compared to just a moment ago. Even the remaining sunlight had disappeared.
“Sigh, fine. Let’s do it that way.”
I accepted Kasion’s proposal. I thought it was the best way to get what I wanted.
“Smart choice.”
A long smile spread across Kasion’s lips. His sweet smile carried a unique sense of triumph. Little did he know that he would ultimately lose.
Not wanting to seem defeated, I pretended to be calm and lifted the teacup to my lips. Just then, the wind blew my hair. The wind that had grown stronger carried a hint of chilliness and a bit of moisture.
“It’s such nice weather for tea time.”
I had thought the weather was terrible earlier. But seeing the clouds quickly darken the sky lifted my spirits.
Today’s tea time ends here. As if on cue, raindrops began to fall from the sky one by one.
“Oh my, it’s raining. I guess we should wrap this up.” I spoke in an exaggerated tone, barely holding back a smile.
Kasion frowned as he looked up at the sky. “Your shoes haven’t arrived yet. Will you be alright?”
“It can’t be helped. As long as I can make it to the carriage.”
I actively showed my desire to part ways quickly. Kasion stared at me intently for a moment and then closed his mouth. The raindrops grew heavier.
“It seems you don’t need to check the contract before leaving.”
Hmm, would there be any point in checking it now when I couldn’t receive it anyway? After a brief thought, I nodded. “Alright. Then please write it in front of the witnesses.”
I should prepare for when he changes his mind later. Let’s have the knights I brought today act as witnesses. Although they admire Kasion, they are more loyal to Serhen than anyone else, so they’ll be helpful.
Kasion smiled smoothly again. That smile felt as sinister as the eerie wind.
Have I been tricked again?
“Alright, let’s do that.” He stood up from his seat, clearly pleased. And he got thoroughly soaked.
“Is it a sudden shower?”
With a loud crack of thunder, the rain started pouring down. It’s rare to have such a downpour in the autumn.
“Milady!”
The guards hurriedly approached me, looking flustered. They tried to cover my head with their hands, but that didn’t stop the rain.
I quickly stood up to take shelter inside the building. At that moment, Kasion’s eyes across from me grew very large. So did mine. It was because of his body that was revealed under the wet clothes. Indeed, it’s a body that would be in trouble if I got confined.
As I stared at his physique, which seemed to have trained every muscle except for the ones on his face, I had no idea where to look. Should I turn my head towards the knights instead? Since they’re wearing leather armor…
Just as I was about to slightly turn my body, Kasion suddenly shouted sharply. “Everyone, move aside.” The shout was directed at the knights.
Kasion came toward me. Although he was walking, it looked like he was flying in my eyes. His yellow eyes gleamed as if lightning had reflected in them. With the flashing black sky behind him, his appearance was somewhat frightening. That must be how he looks on the battlefield. The only way to explain the terrifying look in his eyes is to say that it was murderous intent.
“I said move aside.” He warned the knights once again before covering my body with his coat. “I’ll gouge out the eyes of anyone who dares to look at Ariel.”
Wow, listen to him. How can he say something so dreadful without even blinking?
“I’m sorry, Your Grace!”
“We didn’t see anything!”
Looking pitifully at the pleading knights, I glanced down at my body. My autumn clothes weren’t too thin, so even when they got wet, they weren’t too revealing. Kasion’s outfit was much more revealing than mine. Still, he tightly wrapped my body with his coat. Then, he picked me up in a princess carry.
The elevated view made me feel a little dizzy. But I must have gotten used to this. Or maybe I had resigned myself. I didn’t struggle and quietly let him lead the way.
* * *
Even though it was still early autumn, the fireplace in the duchy was burning brightly as if it were winter.
“Whose room is this?”
It was a large room. I used to visit the duchy often as a child, so I thought I knew the layout well, but this place felt unfamiliar. Since it was on the third floor, it couldn’t be the guest room.
There were three doors in the room. One was where I had just entered. The slightly open door over there seemed to lead to a bedroom, and the other one probably led to a bathroom or a closet.
“Is it a woman’s room?”
It had a soft atmosphere, unlike the overall stern mood of the duchy. Maybe it was just the furniture. After finishing my tour of the living room, which had no portraits or decorations, I crouched in front of the fireplace.
“My clothes aren’t drying well.”
Since it was autumn, I had worn clothes made of thick fabric. My skirt had multiple layers too. I wish I had worn an extra coat. Even though I wrung out as much water as I could with a towel, my clothes were still damp.
“The wedding is soon, so it would be troublesome to catch a cold again.”
Kasion, who said he would go find me some clothes to change into, was nowhere to be seen. I wanted to change clothes as soon as possible.
“Ariel, I’m coming in.”
Did he know I was talking about him? Kasion came back. I hurriedly covered myself with a nearby blanket.
Kasion entered the room, still completely soaked like me. He could have changed first. What he held in his hand wasn’t what I expected.
“Where are the maid’s clothes?”
“They were all discarded.”
“What?”
“Since there are no women in the duchy…” Kasion said with a troubled expression.
I stared at him, dumbfounded. “Wait, there are no maids in here?”
“There’s no one here who needs to be attended to.”
The cooks are men, and even the cleaning, dishwashing, and laundry are done by servants.
I heard there are some perverted nobles who deliberately have maids to bathe them.
Come to think of it, it was always the butler who attended to me.
“Why?” I remember there used to be maids around Kasion’s age when I was a child.
Kasion didn’t explain further. He didn’t seem to be in a good mood.
What could have happened while he was at war? There were rumors of embezzlement in the duchy, so maybe they were all fired because of that.
“Then what should I wear?” I asked with wide eyes.
“No one from the marquisate has arrived yet.”
“Didn’t you send someone to fetch the shoes earlier?” I looked at him with a puzzled expression.
At the same time, his image from the novel came to mind again. A scheming man with sinister plans. If I’d really fallen into Kasion’s trap, he might not have sent anyone to fetch the shoes. To keep me from leaving.
I wrapped my arms around myself in unease. A chilling description suddenly crossed my mind.
[Lireania was locked in a room on the third floor of the duchy. She desperately pounded on the locked door but eventually gave up. Instead, she carefully examined the room for an escape route. The room, which had no decorations, had three doors. The bedroom was dark because the curtains blocked the light.]
No way. Is this the room from the story? A foreboding feeling made me shiver.
“Forget the clothes, just write the contract. And call the knights, too.”
A spark ignited in Kasion’s eyes again. “In those clothes?”
He handed me a loose shirt and pants. “I found some clothes I wore when I was younger. Change into these for now, and then we can talk. If you stay in wet clothes, you’ll catch a cold again.”
He also handed me a cup of warm tea and a stew that the butler had been holding by the door.
“Stay by the fireplace and eat something warm until someone arrives from the marquisate.”
Kasion glanced at the arms I was tightly hugging. He sighed softly.
“It must be uncomfortable having me come in and out, so I’ll wait outside. Come out when you’ve changed.”
He’s telling me to come out easily, but why does that make me suspicious?
“Oh, and don’t go into that room.”
“Pardon?”
“The lock on the door is faulty, so don’t go in. Unless you want to get trapped.” With that, he left the room. Luckily, I didn’t hear the sound of the door locking from outside.
I quickly took off my wet clothes, set them aside, and changed into the ones he gave me. The clothes still smelled like Kasion. Despite being old and tucked away for a long time, they still carried his scent.
Did he spray perfume on them or something? Wrinkling my nose, I looked around the room again.
“Is that room the bedroom?”
I was about to leave the room when, strangely, that door caught my eye. It was probably because of the passage from the novel I remembered earlier.
Did he say the lock was broken?
I intended just to take a quick peek and then close the door, hoping it wasn’t that room.
“Gasp!”
Unfortunately, it was exactly as described. A room where the curtains were drawn so tightly that no light could penetrate. In the dimly lit bedroom, only ominous shadows flickered. This was the place where Lireania had been trapped. And now, it seemed like I might be the one to get trapped here.
“What the… Did he really prepare this room in advance?”
Did that sinister man send me to this room? He should have sent me to a guest room instead.
“Huh? But what’s that?”
Just as I was about to close the door, I noticed something familiar in the dim light. A stuffed rabbit, a portrait, and torn parchments scattered about? Those are…
I took a step into the room as if drawn by a spell. Of course, I didn’t forget to leave my shoe at the door to keep it from closing.
“Aren’t those all related to me?”
A memory flashed through my mind. These were the remnants of my childhood visits to the duchy, weren’t they?
“Ariel, are you done? You must have finished changing by now, right? I’m coming in. Serhen has come in person.”
Entranced by the objects in the bedroom, I didn’t notice Kasion’s voice. I was too absorbed in looking at the nostalgic items.
“Ariel!”
Then Kasion, looking flustered, entered the room, kicking away the shoe I had left at the door.
“Huh?”
As soon as he stepped through, the door creaked and started to move. Bang— the door then closed. And the sound of something clicking into place was an unwelcome bonus.
Oh no. Is this how the grand tale of confinement begins?
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