21.

The carriage began to move slowly. Beyond the window, the peaceful evening scenery, painted by the setting sun, started to fade into the distance.

As I gazed at the scenery endlessly, a rustling sound came from the pie box resting on my knees.

I lowered my gaze to the pie box.

‘This cherry pie… I’ll share it in half with Lucian and Brigitte.’

My rationality began to calculate.

After all, I had promised to buy a snack for Lucian when I returned.

‘I hope it suits their tastes.’

That way, I might be able to score some points with them.

Yet, for some reason, I felt short of breath.

“Phew.”

Unconsciously, I let out a long sigh.

* * *

I finally returned to Rose Cross boarding School, but something felt off.

For some reason, the school seemed oddly chaotic…

Just as a maidservant hurriedly passed me, I stopped her.

“What’s going on?”

“Um, M-Miss Elze,” the maidservant stammered, her face turning pale as soon as she met my gaze.

“Th-the special student in solitary confinement, that is…”

For a moment, I questioned my hearing. Could it be Lucian she was talking about?

“Why is there a special student in solitary confinement?”

I tried my best to maintain composure, but it seemed that I wasn’t entirely successful. My voice carried a sharp edge as I inquired.

“The student… he is under my supervision.”

“Miss Elze, it’s just that…”

The maidservant, her throat parched, cautiously continued.

I listened attentively to her explanation and reached a conclusion.

‘Victor, that damn scoundrel.’

I ground my teeth.

The maidservant might have tried to sugarcoat the situation as much as possible, but the circumstances were clear. While I was away, there was a clash between Lucian and Victor.

Victor dared to defy the steward, presumably over a dispute with Lucian…

“…and he introduced Nyx to the special student.”

I tightly suppressed the rising anger.

Nyx.

The drug named after the goddess of the night was a clandestine substance used exclusively within Rose Cross Residential School. This was not entirely surprising, considering that Nyx had originally been a substance used by Dante to subdue the members of the underworld.

To be more precise, it was a diluted version of the substance used on hostile organization members. When administered in lower doses, it induced drowsiness and obedience, while higher doses led to increased lethargy. In return, the person’s senses became extremely sensitive, causing them to experience pain more acutely during torture.

In many ways, it was an excellent drug for subduing individuals. However, it came with rare but severe side effects.

The most significant one being…

‘One could easily become a fool if Nyx is mishandled.’

Using it once or twice in a controlled manner was usually safe. But administering it regularly couldn’t guarantee the individual’s safety.

And people with an inherent resistance to Nyx could be severely affected even with just a single dose.

So at the school, they were extremely cautious with the use of Nyx.

‘Let’s calm down. It’s unlikely that Lucian suffered any significant harm.’

I took a deep breath.

The original Lucian had been administered Nyx multiple times by the original Elze.

He had repeatedly attempted to escape and had been quite confrontational with the school’s staff.

Yet, Lucian always came out unscathed.

So he should be fine this time as well.

‘Surely he’s fine… but what should I do? I feel like I’m about to explode in anger.’

Whether Victor had harmed Lucian, jeopardizing his life, or if Lucian just disliked the current situation, I couldn’t be sure.

However, one thing was clear: anyone who laid a finger on Lucian needed to be dealt with.

I squeezed my eyes shut and reopened them.

‘Alright, let’s start by assessing the situation with my own eyes.’

Watching the nervous maid quickly lower her head, I swiftly passed by her.

* * *

Armed with an antidote, I immediately headed for Lucian’s isolation chamber.

As I got closer to the vicinity of the isolation chamber, I could see more and more attendants gathering.

Their bewildered glances and hushed voices added to my unease.

I had one thing clear: anyone who had harmed Lucian would be dealt with.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before I entered the scene.

“Make way.”

I pushed through the crowd, which had been clearly taken aback.

And then…

“Oh, dear.”

I couldn’t help but exclaim.

I bit my lip until it bled.

The first person to come into my sight was Lucian, sprawled on the floor.

There was no trace of his usual vigilance, the sharpness in his gaze. His eyes were closed weakly, his face pale as if carved from marble, and his breathing shallow to an eerie extent.

Victor, who stood beside Lucian, turned to me with a bewildered expression.

“Lady Elze.”

However, I didn’t respond to his call.

More precisely, I was too furious to have the composure to answer.

Thump, thump, thump.

I approached Victor with heavy steps, and I struck his cheek forcefully.

Slap!

Victor’s head snapped around, and a trickle of red blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.

I growled lowly.

“How dare you administe Nyx to my special student without my permission?”

“That’s…”

Victor stammered.

“Up until now, I thought you crossed the line without knowing your place, but do you think this time you went too far?” Victor retorted, raising his head.

“I’m a steward too!”

Victor seemed genuinely wronged. His eyes brimmed with anger as he poured his voice out.

“This student rebelled against me!”

“And then?”

“That’s why!”

Victor’s defense was punctuated by spittle escaping from his mouth.

“A steward like you must be able to accept a student’s rebellion without any complaints?”

“When you punish, can’t you do it while ensuring the student doesn’t suffer a severe injury? Do you even have that much judgment?”

I rebuked Victor coldly.

“Just in case any side effects occur due to Nyx, I suppose you won’t be able to take responsibility with just your insignificant life?”

Staring directly into Victor’s bewildered pupils, I issued a command.

“Get lost, Victor.”

Victor gritted his teeth but couldn’t bring himself to refuse my order.

I added, “Furthermore, if anyone else has harmed my special student in any way…”

My voice in my ears was unnaturally calm, as if it was the calm before a storm.

I smiled brightly.

‘…They’ll never see the sun again starting tomorrow.’

The staff froze, then began to slowly back away, their eyes darting around to check their surroundings as they dispersed.

I approached Lucian.

His pale face kept catching my eyes.

‘In the original story, Victor didn’t particularly torment Lucian, so I thought it would be fine.’

It seemed like that wasn’t the case now.

And probably because…

‘I showed kindness to Lucian.’

Victor might detest anyone who shows me kindness.

Considering Victor’s inferiority complex toward nobles…

‘I definitely shouldn’t leave Victor alone like this.’

Thankfully, we had just concluded our deal with Benedict.

I opened the cap of the antidote in my hand.

Then I furrowed my brow.

‘Oh, I forgot the syringe.’

I had been in such a hurry that I didn’t have a chance to think about that.

I tasted the antidote, then gently frowned.

But it’s okay; I can work around it.

I administered the antidote orally and pressed my lips to Lucian’s.

 

---

22.

Rewinding time, a few hours before Elze returned to the boarding school.

Locked in his cell, Lucian gazed out of the window with tightly woven iron bars.

‘The sun is setting.’

The twilight world appeared as brilliant as if woven with gold and rubies.

Lucian’s hand reached toward the window reflexively, and he clenched his fist tightly.

The time when he could bask in the light of twilight and stand freely felt so distant now.

And…

‘Will she come today?’

Elze Lepérien.

The only woman who had extended her hand to Lucian in this dreadful boarding school.

‘Depending on the circumstances, it may take a while.’

‘Even so, I’ll try to come back as soon as possible.’

Elze’s uniquely soothing voice echoed in his ears.

Lucian suddenly imagined Elze standing under the twilight.

Perhaps she was smiling brightly as usual.

As always.

“…”

Elze’s smiles were so perfect and beautiful that sometimes he felt uncomfortable, as if they were hiding emotions and thoughts behind a mask-like, painted smile.

But…

When they finally escaped this dreadful boarding school and could freely stroll under that twilight, what expression would that woman make?

At that time… would she show her true expression to me?

Lucian suddenly became curious.

Clang, clank!

Just then, the sound of a lock being opened resonated.

Lucian snapped to attention, as if he had been splashed with cold water.

He tensely turned to the door.

Thunk.

The door opened, and a middle-aged man appeared.

“Duke Kalleid.”

The man Lucian had been looking at since morning.

The man who had sent the guards and crushed Lucian to the ground like a dog when he first attempted to escape.

It was Victor.

He placed a tray of food on the table.

“Dinner.”

“Never mind, I don’t have an appetite.”

Lucian shook his head.

It wasn’t a lie.

Being locked in this room and receiving meals regularly would naturally make his stomach feel upset.

“I wish I could go for a walk at least.”

Victor narrowed his eyebrows.

“Duke, this isn’t your mansion.”

“…”

What did he mean?

Lucian furrowed his eyebrows and stared at Victor.

Then Victor spoke curtly.

“It means that here, you can’t just do what you want and refuse what you don’t want.”

“…”

So, right now… is he reprimanding me?

Lucian’s expression stiffened.

But Victor continued as if he expected to be heard.

“This morning, you only had breakfast, and you skipped lunch, saying you didn’t feel well. You left more than half your breakfast uneaten.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Yes, it is.”

Victor exaggeratedly nodded his head.

“Frankly, we are genuinely concerned about your health, and we carefully prepare these meals, hoping for your well-being…”

Then he smirked.

A clear sneer.

“Why, do you think we might have put poison in this meal?”

“What?”

“Or is it something Elze told you to say?”

That woman?

Lucian’s face hardened.

“Elze told you to eat only the food she provides and not to touch the food we give you.”

“I’ve never said that.”

That was true.

He had merely told him to eat his meals even if he didn’t feel like it.

Moreover, Elze was not the type to force-feed meals, except for when Lucian had been starving in the beginning.

Forcing someone to eat was a form of torture in itself.

“But why aren’t you eating? There’s no reason not to eat unless you don’t want to eat, is there?”

With an attitude that seemed like he was grumbling to be heard, Lucian was momentarily annoyed.

“Fine.”

In the end, he sighed and picked up the utensils.

Elze had already been in difficult situations a few times because of Lucian.

Trying to escape on the first day, the letter from Marquis Craig, and more.

However, if he were to clash with Victor again here…

“That woman might have a hard time.”

Lucian suppressed his nerves that kept trying to sharpen and turned his gaze away from the food plate.

He sliced a thick steak and put a piece in his mouth.

The piece of meat rolled around in his mouth like grains of sand.

Mechanically chewing and swallowing one piece and trying to push the next piece into his mouth.

“Ah, this is truly different. Noble blue-bloods are something else.”

Victor, who was scrutinizing Lucian, spoke again.

“Just slicing a steak, but you are incredibly elegant.”

“…”

“This is just… When I see Duke Kalleid…”

Victor, who had been observing Lucian without a word, focused his gaze on Lucian, like a snake.

“About nobles, it seems as if they are educated and born with everything even in their mother’s womb.”

“…”

“Well, that’s because Duke Kalleid is one of the most renowned nobles in the Empire.”

It was spoken with a tone as if he were evaluating an item in a store.

Although it made Lucian feel uncomfortable, he managed to endure it.

“But why are Elze so obsessed with Duke?”

Until Lucian had murmured.

Lucian raised his head abruptly.

His eyes turned bright blue.

“Well, I do understand why the Marquis fell for Elze. She does have a unique look.”

But Victor kept dragging Elze into the conversation.

“Why, did Elze give her body to the Duke, perhaps…?”

Clang!

The tableware was slammed onto the food tray.

The chains were pulled, and Lucian screamed anew as he quickly got up.

Then, there was a gasp.

Victor swallowed the words he was about to say.

“Shut up.”

A dining knife was pressed against Victor’s throat.

Specifically, it was right on the carotid artery.

One wrong move, and he could die instantly from hitting this vital point.

Victor felt goosebumps all over his body.

“W-What is this…!”

“If a person had been patient, they would have known how to keep their mouth shut.”

Lucian lightly tapped the carotid artery with the knife while speaking.

“How did someone like you, a scoundrel, rise to the position of a steward?”

Then he twisted the corner of his lips.

It was a sharp, mocking smile.

“If you weren’t trying to rise to the position of a butler using those kind of tactics.”

“And what are you talking about?!”

“If not, how could someone like you, a scoundrel, become a butler?”

Lucian shrugged as if to say he couldn’t understand.

“I just don’t get it.”

“Anyone…!”

Victor’s face turned crimson with shame and fear.

Victor shouted frantically, “Is anyone there?!”

Instantly, Lucian’s pupils turned cold.

He was ready to forcefully silence this vermin-like fellow at any moment. But then he thought, ‘Elze, that woman could get into trouble.’

Crash!

The door swung open as if it were about to shatter.

The guards rushed into the room.

“Master Steward!”

“What is this?!”

Shocked, the guards immediately pushed Lucian to the ground.

Kudung-tang!

Lucian was easily subdued by the guards.

Only after confirming his condition did Victor cry out with outrage.

“How dare this caged brat behave like a beast!”

“That pathetic sight is your true self.”

Lucian sneered coldly.

“When you were deriding me as an aristocratic brat, you couldn’t even suppress me with your own strength.”

“What, what are you saying?!”

“You called a bunch of underlings to forcibly subdue me, and now you’re just running your mouth.”

Even though he was overpowered and couldn’t move, his icy gaze still showed his undying spirit.

“This bastard…!”

Victor, who had lost half his sanity due to humiliation, moved his arm roughly. At the same time, a sharp needle was pushed deeply into Lucian’s throat.

Lucian opened his eyes wide.

‘What on earth is…’

His vision became dizzy.

It seemed to be fading from the edge of his sight, but his entire body felt unusually clear.

Even though his body was merely pinned down, the weight of the guards felt like solid rocks.

“You… What are you doing…?”

Lucian glared at Victor while gritting his teeth.

Victor reached out and grabbed Lucian’s hair.

The pain, as if his hair was being ripped out from the roots, made Lucian grit his teeth harder.

“For a bleeding nobody like you to mock me as an aristocrat…”

Victor growled as he yanked Lucian’s hair.

“You ought to learn your place.”

He said while gritting his teeth.

“Furthermore, you should obey my orders!”

At the same time, Lucian’s vision turned pitch black.

* * *

There was a loud commotion.

People gathered and were making noise, raising their voices, but among them, one figure was particularly clear in Lucian’s blurry vision.

That was her beautiful, radiant hair.

‘Elze?’

It was Elze. She had an enraged expression on her face as she confronted Victor.

After a moment, the servants who had supported Victor fled in panic, like rabbits escaping from a predator.

Elze approached Lucian quickly.

‘My whole body feels like it’s on fire.’

Lucian muttered softly, gasping.

A persistent, relentless pain that felt like someone was constantly scraping his entire body with a knife.

His body was so heavy it felt like he couldn’t lift a finger.

Then, Elze lowered herself and kissed Lucian.

‘What is this?’

When her soft lips touched his dry ones, the dull sensations that were loosely held together suddenly intensified.

A thrilling sensation that felt like it was made up of only the most beautiful, precious, and wonderful things in the world.

Elze’s sweet fragrance tickled his nose.

He didn’t want to let it go.

No, he couldn’t let it go.

He knew it was an irrational impulse.

Nevertheless…

‘Don’t go.’

Unintentionally, Lucian clung to Elze.

 

---

23.

Strong arms wrapped around Elze, holding her tightly.

Elze appeared somewhat perplexed at first but soon reciprocated the embrace.

Their kiss deepened further. Lucian’s closed lips parted, and a soft tongue slipped between them.

Unconsciously, Lucian opened his mouth to welcome it.

A lukewarm liquid flowed into his mouth.

“Swallow.”

Elze whispered gently as their lips met.

Lucian swallowed, as if under some spell.

Elze kissed him even more passionately, and during the kiss, the liquid in his mouth traveled smoothly down Lucian’s throat.

“Ugh…”

Lucian shivered slightly.

The sensation of their breath mingling, tongues entwining, and Elze’s lips against his, it was electric and intense.

It felt amazing.

“Haa…”

After a while, Elze let out a long breath and pulled her lips away from his.

Lucian blinked his eyes.

With a blurry vision, he could see Elze gazing at him with an unreadable expression.

Perhaps this wasn’t a dream.

If that was the case, maybe he could be a little more honest.

“Sorry.”

An unexpected apology slipped out.

“For causing you trouble every time…”

Lucian pushed himself deeper into Elze’s embrace.

“You’re in a similar situation as me.”

“My lord.”

“I think I’ve been too harsh on you…”

After a moment of hesitation, Elze slowly ran her hand down his back.

Sensations that had forcibly awakened due to the drug were gradually returning to normal.

But still, the tiny hand comforting him felt incredibly affectionate.

“Stay by my side, alright?”

Lucian leaned against Elze’s knee like a child, touching his forehead to her.

He never wanted to lose this gentle touch.

* * *

‘Hmm?’

After finishing the antidote-dosing kiss, I slightly stiffened my shoulders as Lucian urgently clung to me.

“Sorry.”

A damp voice echoed.

“For causing you trouble every time…”

I was well aware of that.

Though my thoughts were somewhat cynical, I comforted Lucian. His day had been quite exhausting.

“You’re in a similar situation as me.”

Lucian mumbled softly.

It seemed like this increased sensitivity was a side effect of Nyx.

‘Well, it’ll be really embarrassing to remember this later.’

But since Lucian was the one accumulating this dark history, not me, I decided to accept his grumbling.

“I think I’ve been too harsh on you…”

Wait, what did he say?

For a moment, I blinked my eyes.

Why would we need this drug in the first place for the inter-organization war?

It was probably to obtain information.

So, that meant, Nyx was meant to elicit a person’s most innermost and honest reactions.

“Stay by my side, alright?”

With those words, Lucian finally fell asleep like a child.

I rapidly tapped my calculator-like mind.

And in the end, I came to a conclusion.

Finally, it seemed like Lucian had opened up to me just a tiny bit.

* * *

The next morning, Lucian desperately tried to recall what had happened the day before.

‘What happened yesterday?’

Lucian couldn’t bear it as Victor, that bastard, kept getting on his nerves. So he ended up drinking the mysterious shot Victor gave him.

After that, his memory became very hazy, and he felt like…

‘That woman… she was here.’

The memory of Elze’s unique vibrant hair lingered in his mind.

‘And it was painful.’

He whimpered, feeling like his whole body had turned into a soggy piece of paper.

Amidst that, his stomach was churning as if he had swallowed a fireball, to the point where he felt he might turn to ashes.

Lucian reflexively touched his lips.

The moment Elze’s lips touched his, the pain had completely disappeared.

Lucian couldn’t hide his perplexed expression.

‘Did I really kiss that woman?’

Sensations felt unfamiliar. The soft and moist touch of her lips, the feeling of her tongue confidently pushing into his mouth.

Running her tongue across his palate and tapping his gums, goosebumps had erupted down his spine.

With every swallow of her lips, his throat grew even drier, like he was drinking seawater.

Yet, he couldn’t stop.

A little more, just a little more…

A relentless and intense sensation.

But then…

Knock, knock, knock.

Startled, Lucian took a deep breath and turned to the door.

There was only one person who knocked before entering this dormitory school.

Elze Lepherian.

As the name crossed his mind, his stomach felt hot.

Click, clank, click.

The sound of unlocking and the door was gently pushed open, and Elze entered.

“Hello. Did you have a pleasant dream last night?”

As usual, she greeted him this way. But as soon as she looked at Lucian, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“Um, it seems like you’ve had trouble sleeping.”

“Suddenly, what’s with that remark?”

“Your eyes are really red.”

Answering like this, Elze added calmly.

In an instant, Lucian’s face changed abruptly.

“Mirror, mirror, where is it?”

He quickly tried to get up but staggered and sat back down.

“Ugh.”

His vision blurred momentarily.

Startled, Elze approached Lucian, saying, “You shouldn’t move so hastily. The effects of Nick’s drug may still be in your system.”

“Nick’s?”

“It’s the drug that Victor administered to you yesterday.”

“Oh, that.”

Lucian wrinkled his face.

“What is that drug exactly?”

His mind was foggy, and his rationality was loose.

It felt like he was floating through a dream.

Barefoot in the snow, consumed by hellfire, suffering from a piercing pain throughout his body.

Opposite sensations torturing his body intensely.

In addition to that, the unnaturally heightened sensations.

“I felt really awful.”

Lucian summarized all of it with a single sentence.

“Well, that’s what the drug does.”

“That’s the drug? Why would anyone create such a dreadful drug?”

“That… it wasn’t originally meant to calm students.”

Elze calmly added, “The Lord knows that too, right? The Marquis of Offenheir crushed the Empire’s underworld families to establish his power.”

“Yeah, no one can deny that.”

Dante De Offenheir.

In a good sense or a bad sense, he was an extraordinary man.

Dante was originally a bastard child of the royal family, and they tried to hide his existence since having him was an embarrassment to the royal family. The reason being that his existence itself was a disgrace to the royal family.

The Empress, Dante’s mother, was famous for her stunning beauty. It was said that she had such a dazzling beauty that her fame extended not only throughout the Empire’s aristocracy but also to foreign royalty.

However, that beauty was a curse for the Empress.

On the night of the imperial banquet, which was attended only by the most prestigious dignitaries, the Empress was touched by an impure hand.

At the time, the Empress was too shocked by the event to even remember the assailant properly.

Nevertheless, the Empress didn’t receive any protection from the Emperor.

Instead of protecting the illegitimate child of Dante’s mother, he chose to quietly cover up the problem because the political burden was too high to gather all high-ranking dignitaries in the empire and punish the guilty.

Ultimately, the Empress took her own life.

And the Emperor turned his back on Dante, the illegitimate child.

However, after enduring various hardships, Dante, who grew up alone, eventually gained power over the Empire’s underworld families.

The Emperor couldn’t ignore his existence any longer and included him among the nobility.

That’s the commonly known story.

But Elze revealed the hidden truth behind it.

“One of the elements that allowed Marquis Offenheir to reign over the underworld was this drug.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. At the school, it’s diluted and used to calm people down, but it was initially developed to extract information.”

Lucian made a disgusted expression instead of answering.

Having grown up as the sole heir of one of the most prestigious families in the Empire, he had no immunity to such immoral substances.

“Of course, even without this drug, I think the Marquis of Offenheir would still be able to gain control over the underworld.”

Elze shrugged.

“But it might have been a bit late for him to grasp power.”

Lucian kept silent, feeling a bit annoyed by Elze’s high estimation of the Marquis.

But the most twisted thing is…

Lucian couldn’t deny the fact that the Marquis’s abilities were extraordinary.

“Anyway, from now on, I think the Marquis should be a little more careful.”

Elze offered her explanation carefully.

“I’ve been looking after the Marquis so far, which was fine, but others might hope that the Marquis remains a bit more discreet.”

“Wait a moment.”

Lucian urgently interrupted Elze’s speech.

“You detoxified me? How?”

“Well, you were already in a poisoned state, and you couldn’t exactly take the antidote on your own.”

Elze glanced at Lucien as if wondering why he was asking the obvious.

“I administered the antidote orally.”

Simultaneously, Lucien’s face turned bright red.

---

24.

“Why are you so composed?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I mean… the kiss!”

A flustered Lucian even stuttered occasionally. But Elze still wore a nonchalant expression.

“Is that considered a kiss? To be precise, it was for administering the antidote, so unavoidable physical contact…”

Elze, who was explaining methodically, suddenly narrowed her eyes slightly.

“More importantly, Lord, your face is really red.”

In the blink of an eye, Elze closed the gap between them.

Lucian instinctively tensed.

“Wait, what…”

Her outstretched hand unexpectedly touched Lucian’s forehead.

With her slender and elegant hand covering his forehead, Lucian froze stiff.

A faint scent, almost like a rose fragrance, tickled his nose.

“It’s strange; there’s no fever.”

Elze mumbled, tilting her head.

“Could it be that giving you the antidote took too long? Still, after this much time has passed, you should have detoxified…”

Then she closely examined Lucian’s face.

“Do you feel uncomfortable or in pain somewhere?”

“…No.”

Lucian replied in a somewhat hoarse voice. Technically, he was feeling uncomfortable.

His skin seemed to be on fire every time Elze’s gaze landed on him, and his abdomen felt heavy.

The honey-colored irises stared at Lucian with concern.

“You don’t seem okay.”

“I said I’m okay.”

Lucian replied to Elze rather sternly.

Elze neatly took a step back.

“Understood. But if you ever feel uncomfortable later, please do let me know.”

Lucian couldn’t help but be slightly irritated by her attitude. “Why is she so composed?”

He didn’t like how he was constantly thinking about Elze. “I must be a fool.”

Lucian chewed on the tender flesh inside his mouth.

“Oh, and about the kiss.”

Elze happened to add matter-of-factly.

“It wasn’t done with any sexual intent, but if you found it unpleasant, I apologize.”

Lucian furrowed his brow. Above Elze’s unchanging eyes was a slightly perplexed expression.

She seemed unable to fathom why Lucian was so irritable today. It was a look that said she couldn’t even begin to guess the reason.

Unable to contain himself any longer, Lucian spoke.

“I didn’t find it unpleasant, so… well…”

Lucian hesitated for a moment but finally sighed. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“Oh…”

“You apologize too often.”

An awkward silence settled between them.

There was something deep inside him that felt like a tickling feather.

In the end, unable to suppress his unease, Lucian spoke up again.

“So, what about my snack?”

Elze’s eyes widened, and she replied.

“I haven’t forgotten.”

“…What did you buy?”

“It’s cherry pie. It’s from a famous shop in the capital, so I hope it suits your taste.”

“Give it to me.”

Elze stared at Lucian sternly as though he were a child throwing a tantrum.

“Once you’ve finished your meal.”

Lucian made a displeased expression but obediently picked up his cutlery.

The breakfast Elze had prepared was a light meal consisting of only simple dishes, without any additional items. So it was fairly edible.

When Lucian took a final bite of his salad, he glanced at Elze. She placed the pie in front of him.

The pie was filled with cherries soaked in sugar, releasing a sweet aroma.

Lucian couldn’t help but make an odd expression. He didn’t particularly like sweet foods.

Nevertheless, Lucian took the fork and cut a large piece of pie. When he put it in his mouth, the sweetness instantly spread.

“It’s sweet.”

Lucian furrowed his brow.

Elze reached for the pie plate in a hurry.

“If it doesn’t suit your taste, I can get you another dessert…”

The next moment, there was a loud clatter as the plate and utensils collided. Lucian had abruptly put the plate down.

“Enough, just leave it.”

“But if it doesn’t suit your taste…”

Lucian interrupted

“I said it’s fine.”

He didn’t like the way Elze was so nonchalant about it.

After nearly finishing a cup of tea, Lucian’s stomach began to settle a bit. He looked at Elze with a sidelong glance and began speaking after setting down his teacup.

“By the way, about yesterday… There are many things to thank you for. For stopping Victor’s actions, and…”

The moist feeling of lips barely remembered resurfaced briefly, and Lucian, his ears turning crimson, murmured,

“…for giving me the antidote.”

“Well, I am your personal student.”

Elze responded naturally.

“So I have an obligation to ensure your safety and…”

“And?”

“Besides, you and I… we’re comrades in trying to escape from this boarding school, right?”

Elze added with a faint smile.

“Comrades in trying to escape from the boarding school.”

Lucian contemplated those words.

She had said that as long as she knew the secret of Lucian being imprisoned in this boarding school, it would be pointless for her to escape. If Elze tried to escape, from that moment on, the Offenhiere Viscount would relentlessly pursue her and ultimately silence her, perhaps by killing her.

So, the only way she could be safe was…

“If I manage to escape safely and reveal the fact that I was imprisoned in this dreadful boarding school, using Caleidh’s power to protect that woman.”

Lucian glanced at Elze for a moment.

“The only reason I exist is to protect that woman.”

At that moment, Elze collected the food tray and dishes, indicating her intention to leave.

“Since you’ve finished your meal, I’ll take my leave.”

“Already?”

Lucian, who reflexively asked, clenched his teeth.

It was as if… Elze didn’t want to leave so soon.

Whether that was fortunate or unfortunate, it seemed she hadn’t noticed Lucian’s strange reactions.

With her usual indifferent expression, she nodded her head.

“Yes, your physical condition doesn’t seem too bad. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to stay by your side.”

Elze made a clear boundary.

Lucian felt his mood slightly deflating.

Although Victor had tormented him so much yesterday, it wasn’t necessary to treat him so indifferently now.

However, at that moment, Elze expressed concern with an anxious comment.

“As I mentioned earlier, if you feel even the slightest discomfort, please let me know. Alright?”

Lucian was momentarily stunned by his own response.

Just because she uttered that one sentence, his frozen heart seemed to thaw.

“Alright.”

Then, Elze stared at Lucian in complete surprise.

Her gaze seemed to imply, “Why is she acting so obedient all of a sudden?”

“Jeez.”

Lucian felt his mouth dry up.

But it was too late to back out now.

He decided to carry on the charade.

“See you later, Lady Lépherian.”

Elze silently bit her lip and studied Lucian from head to toe, as if trying to fathom the reason behind his actions.

“Come to think of it, you seem to have changed the way you address me.”

Considering the situation, it made sense.

Lucian typically called her “you,” “that woman,” or “miss.” So he shrugged casually and replied, “I thought it would be a good idea to show some basic courtesy to someone who might become a potential collaborator.”

He added with a sneer.

“Of course, I haven’t fully decided yet to cooperate with ‘Lady.’”

“Oh… Yes.”

Elze forced a hesitant smile but nodded her head.

 

---

25.

 

In this passage, Lucian was choked up for a moment.

“Why, should I not worry about you?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Elze looked momentarily confused but then calmly replied.

“I thought, since I am the caretaker of the boarding school, the Duke must naturally dislike me from his perspective.”

“Lady Lepherian.”

Lucian called her in a cold voice.

“I have judgment as well.”

“…That.”

“I know what kind of cursed boarding school this is, and I know how fearsome the Marquis of Offenheir is.”

Lucian hit the nail on the head.

“Lady Lepherian understands the reason why I cooperate with my escape.”

“Duke.”

“So, don’t just watch me and prioritize my feelings… Don’t endure it, even if it’s uncomfortable.”

Since the subject had come up, Lucian poured out his words.

“Furthermore, address you as ‘Lady.'”

“…”

“Why do other people call you ‘Lady,’ and Lady herself must know, right?”

Elze seemed unusually speechless.

It couldn’t be helped.

The daughter offered by the Lepherian author.

Just an insignificant lover of Dante, a woman who, through engagement or marriage, cannot legally secure her status.

That’s why everyone called her Elze, implying that her status was uncertain.

‘Lady Elze.’

He called her that way.

Elze, who was perceptive, couldn’t have failed to notice the secret mockery hidden in that title.

However, Elze never once had an issue with that part.

And Lucian was deeply bothered by her silence.

He would have preferred if she acted wickedly, in line with her reputation as a villain, rather than staying so quiet.

“And you used to regularly taste my meals in advance to prove they weren’t poisoned.”

His azure gaze stared directly at Elze.

“Why does Lady not care when she is suspected by herself?”

“…”

“When people are suspected, it’s natural to feel upset. Why don’t you get angry?”

For a moment, Lucian saw it.

The honey-colored eyes that had always been calm were trembling for the first time.

Like tossing a tiny pebble into a vast lake.

It was a subtle ripple that would never be detected unless closely observed.

But that tremor vanished in an instant.

Elze beamed her usual bright smile.

Lucian’s face contorted in response to that mask-like smile.

“Instead of smiling like that, you should get angry.”

“No, I… ”

“Point out my rude behavior and give me a good slap. You’ve done it before, haven’t you?”

Lucian shot back sharply.

“Seeing Lady behave like this, it turns everyone’s world upside down.”

“…”

Elze had a momentary pensive expression on her face.

Then she suddenly spoke.

“Thank you for your concern.”

“W-who is worried about you, I mean, Lady Lepherian?”

Lucian was so surprised that he stammered.

Regardless, Elze started collecting the dishes and cutlery.

As if she were going to turn and walk towards the door.

She glanced back for a moment.

“If there’s a next time when you need to be slapped, I’ll try to adjust my strength a bit.”

Laughter-filled eyes briefly brushed past Lucian.

“It seems like the Duke has taken quite an interest in me.”

With those words.

Thud.

The door closed.

Lucian stared at the closed door with a dazed expression.

“Could it be that this indifferent woman just made a joke with me?”

* * *

That afternoon.

I was reflecting on what Lucian had said to me.

[If people suspect you, it’s natural to feel upset, but why don’t you get angry?]

[Point out my rude behavior and give me a good slap. You’ve done it before, haven’t you?]

… He can be quite prickly.

I silently bit my tongue.

Still.

‘It seems like we’ve become somewhat closer, which is fortunate.’

It seems that blocking Victor and deciphering Nix had a positive effect.

Well, though.

Sometimes he gets overly excited…

[Why are you so indifferent?]

[Huh? What do you mean?]

[I mean… it’s a kiss!]

…Could it have been our first kiss?

For a moment, I felt a cold sweat run down my spine.

Lucian was the sole heir of the Kalleid noble family, the highest lineage in the empire.

He must have been brought up with the utmost care since he was young, and approaching him would have been difficult unless it was a lady involved in a marriage arrangement.

Moreover, until reaching adulthood, contact with women was even more restricted.

‘But you kissed an adult, right? At least I’m not a perverted adult who steals kisses from minors.’

I tried to calm my mind.

There was one more unexpected thing.

I reconsidered the title he had called me.

‘Lady Lefrian, yes.’

Among the people in this boarding school, no one had ever addressed me with such a title.

Honestly, even from my perspective, that title subtly contained a sense of humiliation.

But I didn’t care about such things, thinking it was none of my business.

‘I never thought someone like Lucian would get angry about my unfair treatment.’

But at that moment.

“Elze, ma’am.”

I abruptly regained my composure at the voice calling me.

“Oh, Countess Martin.”

Look, even Bridgette in front of me called me ‘Elze, ma’am.’

Of course, Bridgette is not malicious; she’s just following the lead of the people around her.

I gently struck up a conversation with Bridgette.

“Do you like cherry pie?”

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

Bridgette smiled faintly.

I pushed the pie plate closer to Bridgette.

“Have some more.”

“Aren’t you going to eat, Elze, ma’am?”

“I had some outside yesterday, so I’m fine.”

Lately, Bridgette had been treating me quite comfortably compared to when we first met.

However, it seemed she still hadn’t completely let her guard down.

“Well, it seems like my efforts are paying off.”

I self-satisfyingly thought.

To be honest, I felt embarrassed to call it “efforts.”

I didn’t do anything particularly special.

I just visited Bridgette regularly and spent time with her.

Moreover, when we talked, I listened more to Bridgette’s stories than talking myself.

Just that had brightened Bridgette’s expression significantly compared to before.

“Moreover, it seems like you’re not being harassed as much as before, right?”

Perhaps because the worst villainess in the boarding school had recently been hanging out with Bridgette, the people who used to harass her seemed to keep their distance.

In any case, it was a good thing.

“When do you think I can leave this place?”

Bridgette sighed at the right moment.

“Do you think I can leave?”

“Of course.”

Here is the translation of the Korean text into English:

“Yes.”

It was not a lie.

In the original work, Bridgette escapes the boarding school before it collapses.

But.

“Lie.”

Bridgette just smiled bitterly.

“My husband won’t let me leave.”

Then she looked at me with a mixture of longing and envy.

“Lady Lepherian… honestly, I think you’re truly amazing.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You refused a political marriage, didn’t you?”

Bridgette’s voice sank with self-pity.

“I couldn’t do anything and ended up like this, trapped in a boarding school.”

I recalled Bridgette’s background from the original work.

Bridgette married at a very young age. Her husband, Count Martin, treated her as a thorn in his side and lived with a concubine. The only reason Bridgette wasn’t divorced was that she gave birth to the heir to the family, a male child. Count Martin, who couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge his own son as a bastard, sent Bridgette to Rose Cross Boarding School under the pretext of refining her into a proper lady.

Naturally, her son was practically taken away from her. Then, one day, Count Martin and his concubine died in a carriage accident, leaving only their four-year-old son behind. The son needed a mother, and Bridgette became the new Countess Martin.

Although she initially struggled with the nightmares of the boarding school, she couldn’t establish her authority as the Countess.

“Let me think… how did the original heroine comfort Bridgette?”

After pondering for a moment, I softly said the line the original heroine used.

“Lady of the Manor, you’ve endured at this boarding school all this time. That alone is truly admirable.”

Bridgette’s pupils momentarily widened. Looking into those eyes, I continued.

“Furthermore, the Lady of the Manor, you’ll become an even more splendid woman in the future. Trust me.”

Having heard my words, Bridgette seemed at a loss, and then she shyly lowered her head.

“I hope so… I really do.”

It will definitely happen.

So let’s both take care of ourselves from now on.

I hid my turbulent emotions and smiled warmly.

* * *

A few days later.

I finally received the news I had been waiting for.

“The dispute over the Romdio family’s successor is over.”

Of course, Lady Romdio was the victor.

A cold smile formed on my lips.

It seems the time has come to remove Victor once and for all.