102

 

“…”

I bit my lip.

Seeing the sheer number of guards placed around me made it clear—Dante didn’t trust me at all.

‘I was foolish.’

What on earth did I think I had left to expect from Dante?

Why couldn’t I completely give up hope?

If he had truly treated me as an equal human being…

…I wouldn’t have needed to run away in the first place.

“Having this many people watching over someone like me… it’s a waste.”

“Is it?”

Dante shrugged and answered smoothly.

“Whether it’s a waste or not, I’m the one who decides that, darling.”

His voice was as soft as cotton, but the red eyes looking down at me were as dark as pitch.

“And isn’t it better to waste manpower than to not have enough?”

“…That’s…”

“If I lose you again this time…”

A slow smile crept onto Dante’s lips.

It was a cruel smile.

“…I might actually go mad.”

“…”

“It’s easier for them to deal with me when I’m sane, rather than when I’ve lost my mind, don’t you think?”

At the hint of sarcasm in his voice, the guards stiffened.

Dante glanced at them.

“I’ve put this many people on you, so you’re not going to just let her escape again, are you?”

“We, we’ll do our best!”

The guards, tense and nervous, raised their voices in response.

Dante shook his head lightly.

“That’s not it.”

His blood-red eyes gleamed ominously.

“I don’t care if you do your best or not. What matters is that she stays by my side.”

“…”

“…”

The guards stiffened even more.

“So, do your job well. Got it?”

After casting them a quick look, Dante gestured toward the door with his eyes.

“Shall we go inside?”

Clang―

The guards standing at the entrance moved in unison and opened the iron gate.

I felt my mouth go dry.

The moment I stepped inside…

All my efforts to escape from the boarding school in the past would be for nothing.

I would become Dante’s puppet once again.

‘What have I been doing all this time?’

Keeping my head low.

Watching my steps to avoid upsetting him.

Plastering a kind smile on my face.

Being cautious with every single step…

‘I hate it.’

Without realizing it, I took a step back.

Dante glanced at me.

“Darling?”

The grand mansion before me felt like the gaping maw of hell.

If I entered that place…

I’d never get out again.

“N-no…”

“You can’t.”

At the same time, Dante gently grabbed my wrist.

I reflexively tried to twist my wrist free from his grasp.

“No…!”

At that moment, a cold command came.

“Close the gate.”

Clang!

The iron gate slammed shut behind me with a deafening sound.

A sound I had heard countless times before.

…But a sound I never wanted to hear again.

‘I can’t breathe.’

It felt like someone was squeezing my throat.

My mind began to fade.

“Darling? Darling!”

Even the urgent voice calling my name grew faint.

My body lost all strength.

And in that moment.

Everything went dark.

* * *

Dante stared at the sleeping Elze with a face that was terrifyingly rigid.

A moment ago.

The doctor’s words lingered in his ears.

[She fainted due to excessive stress.]

The doctor, intimidated by Dante’s fierce aura, explained while trembling.

[There’s no major issue with her health… With enough rest, she’ll be back on her feet in no time.]

[Are you sure about that?]

[Of course, I wouldn’t dare lie about something like this.]

The doctor hurriedly bowed his head.

[However, her nerves are extremely sensitive. It’s important that she rests and recovers with peace of mind.]

[…Peace of mind.]

Dante mulled over those words, clenching his teeth, before dismissing the doctor.

[Get out.]

The doctor scurried away as if he had been waiting for the order.

Dante dragged a chair over to the bedside and sat down, gazing quietly at Elze’s sleeping face.

Her pale complexion, drained of all color, resembled a wax doll.

“…Damn it.”

Dante cursed under his breath as he reached out to touch her forehead.

Her hair, damp with cold sweat, was gently tidied by his fingers.

His touch, as if handling the most precious thing in the world, was soft and delicate.

“Darling.”

His fingers brushed across her forehead and slid down her cheek.

“You promised you’d love only me.”

His red eyes were filled with pain.

“I… I don’t need anything else.”

“…”

“All I need is you. Isn’t that enough?”

But Elze, deep in slumber, didn’t respond.

Dante, biting his lips hard enough to draw blood, carefully took her hand in his.

Resting his forehead against her fragile hand, he lowered his head.

It was as if he were a devout believer confessing to a god.

* * *

It felt like I was sinking into deep water, my whole body heavy.

But I didn’t want to open my eyes.

If I opened them, if I confirmed that I was truly trapped here…

It felt like even my last hope would be crushed.

“Darling.”

But reality was unforgiving.

Hearing his voice calling me, I deliberately kept my eyes shut.

Then, in a low voice, he spoke again.

“I know you’re awake.”

“…”

Slowly, I lifted my eyelids.

Under the dim, reddish light.

I saw the lavish room around me.

And standing in it, a man of stunning beauty that fit the luxurious setting perfectly, was looking down at me with a somber gaze.

I instinctively tried to sit up.

“I don’t want to be in the same place as the Marquis.”

As I placed my feet on the floor, my legs trembled like a newborn fawn.

But staying in the same room as Dante was far more unbearable.

I staggered toward the door.

Then.

“You can’t.”

His harsh voice rang out.

Bang!

A hand slammed against the door behind me.

Dante leaned in and whispered into my ear.

“You’re not allowed to leave.”

His voice was as sharp as if he were ready to tear into my throat.

“If you need anything, just say the word. I’ll get you whatever you want.”

“…Let go of me.”

I tried to open the door, but it didn’t budge.

“You say you’ll give me whatever I need?”

After shaking the doorknob for a while, I glared at Dante sharply.

“What I need right now is a space where the Marquis doesn’t exist.”

A soft laugh echoed in my ear.

“You really have high standards, don’t you?”

“Marquis.”

“You always seem to want the one thing I can’t give you…”

He trailed off briefly before continuing in a suppressed voice.

“But no matter what, that’s impossible.”

“What does that even…!”

I raised my voice instinctively.

But Dante remained unshaken.

“No matter how much I love you, some things just can’t be done.”

I looked up at him, bewildered.

He had me trapped, encased in his arms, unable to move.

His gaze slowly slid down my face.

“No one else will be allowed near you.”

“Marquis…”

“Only I can be by your side.”

Dante’s words were final.

“Only me.”

“…”

It felt like I had been slapped, my mind going blank.

Was he telling me to spend the rest of my life only looking at him?

That I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere without his permission.

That I’d never escape his sight.

A life as his puppet… again?

“No…”

A tear fell from my eyes.

Only then did I realize I was crying.

With a thud, I collapsed to the ground.

A guttural sob crawled up from deep within me.

“No, I can’t… I don’t want that.”

Tears streamed down my face.

When was the last time I cried like this?

Probably the day I escaped after half-destroying the boarding school.

It’s only been three years…

…but the meaning behind these tears is so different.

“…”

Dante couldn’t hide the pain in his expression as he carefully reached out to me.

I glared at him with venom in my eyes.

“Don’t touch me!”

“You can’t just stay sitting on the floor.”

Dante effortlessly lifted me up.

“Let go of me! Let go!”

I struggled to free myself from his grasp, but it was useless.

I hadn’t fully recovered from fainting, and my body was weak.

The tears I shed drained all the energy from me.

Dante carefully laid me down on the bed, his expression conflicted as he gazed at me.

“I’ll call the doctor.”

He stood up after saying that.

I shut my eyes tightly.

My head felt like it was swarming with hundreds, no, thousands of bugs.

…I felt like I was going to go mad.