103

A few days had passed.

It was a pitch-black night, with not even the moon in the sky.

I sat blankly, my eyes wandering around the room.

The wardrobe was filled with luxurious dresses, and in the shoe rack, high-heeled shoes were neatly arranged.

A jewelry box held expensive gems that rolled around like pebbles, and lavish meals were brought to me at every mealtime.

But all of this extravagant life was controlled by Dante.

If Dante changed his mind as easily as flipping his hand, all of these privileges could be stripped away.

There was nothing I could do of my own will…

‘It’s always been like this.’

The Lepherian Viscount family.

The Rosenkreuz boarding school.

…And now, this mansion.

Every time I thought I had escaped from one hell, a new one appeared before me.

‘I want to go back.’

I slowly closed my eyes.

To the small coffee house I used to run.

The warm aroma of coffee that lingered in the air.

The apple pie I baked clumsily, and the neighbors who smiled as they tasted it.

The freedom I enjoyed for three years now felt like a distant dream.

‘If only… I hadn’t known.’

If I hadn’t realized how happy I was back then, I wouldn’t feel this constant thirst.

I felt like a plant abandoned in the desert.

Drying up, unable to drink even a single drop of water…

‘So, are you just going to stay like this?’

I asked myself.

Living as a doll in a beautifully decorated house.

Living in constant fear, only paying attention to Dante’s mood.

“…”

Suddenly, my mind snapped awake as if cold water had been poured over me.

‘That’s…’

I clenched my teeth and stood up.

‘I absolutely refuse!’

Even if I get caught again and again, even if the road is blocked.

I have to escape somehow.

To live as “Elze” in this world, not as the “villainess”!

With a sharp determination in my eyes, I looked around.

Then.

I noticed the luxurious silver candlestick that was displayed in the room.

‘That should be enough…’

Couldn’t it break the window?

I strode over to the window, where the elegant lace curtains hung.

‘It looks possible.’

Beyond the tightly shut glass, I could see a tree with thick foliage.

The most promising thing was that a sturdy branch extended toward this side.

Although there was some distance between it and the window…

‘If I have a strong enough rope, it’ll be fine.’

I immediately opened the wardrobe.

Slam!

I yanked out the luxurious dresses inside and started tearing them into long strips, tying them together into a makeshift rope.

The fabric was as sturdy as you’d expect from such high-end dresses.

I pulled on the makeshift rope with both hands and nodded to myself.

‘Perfect.’

This should be strong enough to hold my weight.

As expected, sitting quietly and doing nothing wasn’t my style.

I tied the end of the dress-rope tightly around the silver candlestick.

Then.

With all my strength, I swung the candlestick toward the window.

Crash!

‘Ah, damn.’

I winced.

The sound of the glass shattering was louder than I expected.

It was late at night, and most people would be asleep by now.

But still, if I wasn’t careful, someone might hear.

I hurriedly moved.

‘I have to escape!’

That thought consumed my entire being.

The jagged, broken glass around the window frame looked too dangerous to climb over.

I dashed toward the bed.

Pulling the blanket off, I spread it over the windowsill and climbed up.

Though the thin summer blanket couldn’t completely cover the shards of glass jutting out, I didn’t have time to worry about that.

I gauged the distance between the window and the tree branch.

Just as I was about to throw the rope with the silver candlestick attached—

Bang!

The door flew open with a loud crash.

“Elze!”

It was Dante.

His red eyes were trembling violently.

“What do you think you’re doing? And what the hell is this mess?!”

“…”

Only then did I look down at myself.

The white blanket I was standing on was completely stained with bright red blood.

In my frantic movements, I had stepped all over the broken glass with bare feet.

Glass fragments had also scattered, leaving cuts and scrapes on my arms and legs.

As my mind slowly returned to its senses, the sharp pain finally registered.

The wound on my foot was burning as if it had been scorched.

Dante snapped at me furiously.

“What, are you trying to die?”

“No.”

I shook my head firmly.

“I’m doing this because I want to live.”

“What in the world…!”

Dante gritted his teeth, about to shout, but then restrained himself.

He started walking toward me cautiously.

“…Alright, I get it. Calm down, okay?”

At that moment, a powerful wave of fear surged through me.

‘No.’

If he catches me now, I’ll never be free again.

One day, he’ll choose the original female protagonist… and throw me away without hesitation.

‘In that case, I’d rather…!’

I spun around and tried to leap toward the tree branch.

But in that instant—

“Ugh!”

A sharp cry escaped my lips.

Dante had grabbed my wrist.

As my body swung backward, Dante urgently caught me in his arms.

I gritted my teeth and glared at him.

“Let go of me.”

“Let go?”

Dante looked down at me with cold, piercing eyes.

“You’re in this state, and you want me to let go?”

In that moment, his eyes turned wild.

“Damn it, darling.”

Dante cursed through clenched teeth, shouting.

“I told you I’d give you anything you want. I said I’d give you everything—except letting you leave!”

His hands gripping my arms tightened.

At the same time, the pressure on my cut sent a wave of sharp pain through me.

‘Ugh.’

I clenched my teeth, enduring the pain.

I didn’t want to show any weakness in front of Dante.

I’d rather bite my tongue and die than let him see me break.

“Is it so hard to just live quietly and comfortably? Huh?”

“…”

“Go ahead, keep throwing a fit. Let’s see if I let you go!”

With a growl, Dante roughly lifted me up.

Before I knew it, I was slung over his shoulder.

Bang!

Dante kicked the door open and marched out with heavy steps.

“Marquis!”

The startled servants hurried toward us.

Dante shot them a fierce glare.

“Instead of standing there causing a commotion, go get the doctor.”

The deadly aura surrounding him made the servants freeze in place.

“If the doctor doesn’t arrive in under a minute, every one of you…”

Dante ground his teeth at the terrified servants.

“…will find yourselves hanging from the roof.”

* * *

“So, how is she?”

Dante asked in a sharp voice.

The doctor, who had been focused on treating my foot, straightened up as if startled.

“Well… I’ve removed all the glass shards from her foot.”

I glanced at the doctor, who was drenched in cold sweat.

It wasn’t enough that he had been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, but now he had to treat me under the threat of losing his life.

It seemed like the doctor was also suffering a great deal from being involved with the male protagonist.

Of course, the person suffering the most was me.

“Luckily, there are no deep cuts. The wounds on her arms and legs are just superficial scratches from the glass.”

“Is that so?”

Only then did Dante’s expression soften slightly.

“But she shouldn’t put weight on her foot for the time being.”

“And how long is ‘for the time being’?”

I, who had been silent until then, asked the question.

If I couldn’t use my foot, it would hinder my plans to escape.

And Dante, as if reading my mind, caught on immediately.

“Why? Worried it’ll be harder to run away if your foot isn’t healed?”

“….”

I fell silent, realizing he had hit the mark.

“Hah…”

Dante sighed, rubbing his forehead.

He clamped his mouth shut and watched as the doctor continued to treat me.

There was something about him that made him seem like a ticking time bomb—on the verge of exploding at any moment.

After a while.

“Hey.”

“Y-yes, Marquis.”

The doctor, who was applying ointment and wrapping my foot in bandages, quickly straightened his posture.

“If a single scar is left on her body…”

The doctor flinched, his shoulders stiffening.

“You better be ready to offer your neck first. Got it?”

Dante flashed a chilling smile before turning and leaving the room.

Bang!

The door slammed shut violently.

I stared at the closed door for a moment before I closed my eyes slowly.

…I was utterly exhausted.