91.

Dante twitched his eyebrows.

“What?”

“Today… it was really enjoyable.”

He said sweet words out of habit, but his heart felt as if it had swallowed a block of ice.

‘How can I tell you that walking around in high heels is difficult?’

I’m not supposed to whine like that.

I’m just a pretty, obedient doll meant to soothe your long-standing loneliness, if only for a moment.

…I can’t be more than that.

“I didn’t want to ruin the good mood.”

“Even so, you were enduring this, even with your feet injured?!”

Dante, irritated, took off my shoes.

As the shoes that had been squeezing my feet disappeared, a cool yet sharp pain surged in.

Yet, the reason I felt so despondent was:

‘I can only take off my shoes with Dante’s permission.’

…Suddenly, I had that realization.

Like a slave with shackles on her ankles.

I felt as if I could only take off my shoes with the permission of the male protagonists…

At the same time, Dante turned his back to me and lowered his body.

“Get on.”

“Pardon? But.”

“You’re not planning to keep walking on those feet, are you?”

“……”

I looked down at Dante’s broad back with a confused gaze.

He had always treated me like a beautiful doll.

I just had to dress up prettily and smile beside him.

So why…

‘Why does he keep acting like he’s sincere towards me?’

At the same time, Dante narrowed his eyes slightly and called out to me.

“Sweetheart?”

“Oh, yes.”

In the end, unable to resist his urging, I climbed onto Dante’s back.

Carefully shifting my weight, I asked softly,

“Is it too heavy?”

“Heavy?”

Dante chuckled.

“Just hold on properly. What if you fall?”

Truly, being able to say such worrying words in that annoying manner was a talent.

I sighed and wrapped my arms around Dante’s neck.

Dante steadied me and began to walk.

“……”

I rested my chin gently on Dante’s shoulder.

His broad back was warm.

Suddenly, memories of the Offenheir townhouse came to mind.

Dante’s image of lifting me up effortlessly.

[Do you know? You might become the mistress of this townhouse someday.]

And his firm stance before the astonished servants.

I wanted to ask.

Is he really serious about wanting a relationship with me?

Even if, someday, a heroine were to appear.

Will he choose me…

‘Forget it.’

After all, there isn’t much time left before I part ways with this person forever.

There’s no need to leave unnecessary regrets.

‘…But still.’

I bit my lips until they bled.

Just this once.

Maybe, just this once, I could follow my heart’s desire.

Caught up in an irrational impulse, I lightly parted my lips.

“…Dante.”

It was the first time.

Since ‘I’ had awakened in ‘Elze’s’ body, calling Dante’s name.

Dante stiffened his shoulders and, with a mixed tone of amusement, urged me.

“Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Try saying it again.”

“Dante.”

“One more time.”

“Dante…”

I trailed off, burying my face in his back.

“Since when did you become so clingy?”

Dante spoke with a teasing tone.

His voice was so tender.

…I wanted to burst into tears.

* * *

A few days later.

“I’ll be going now, sweetheart.”

Dante kissed my cheek and flashed a smile.

“Be careful on your trip.”

I also smiled as I saw him off.

The carriage Dante was in finally started to move.

I stood there as if rooted to the spot, continuously waving my hand.

I kept waving until the carriage was completely out of sight.

And then.

“…”

I turned around with a blank expression.

I entered the boarding school.

Click, click.

The sound of my heels echoing against the marble floor sent shivers down my spine.

I went straight to my room.

Standing in front of the mirror, I saw the sparkling topaz necklace around my neck.

It was a gift from Dante at my debutante party.

I reached behind my neck.

Click.

The necklace clasp came undone.

Clink—

I picked up the falling chain and placed it in the jewelry box.

Among the many jewels in the box, the topaz pendant shone dazzlingly.

After giving the topaz pendant one last glance, I—

Snap.

Closed the lid.

The pendant, which had sparkled like a star, was quickly swallowed by darkness.

* * *

After that.

I continued with my usual routine.

Even though Dante had left the estate, he had left Liam behind at the boarding school.

Fortunately,

‘Liam doesn’t seem to suspect me at all.’

I glanced at Liam sitting opposite me.

At that moment, our eyes met, and Liam looked puzzled.

“Is there something you’d like to discuss?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

I shook my head and changed the subject.

“By the way, how is the landscaping budget proposal looking?”

“It seems fine to me.”

Liam, having neatly organized the documents, gave me a bright smile.

“Thank you for your hard work, Lady Elze.”

I felt a bit nostalgic.

I’ve really improved my work skills, haven’t I?

Who would have thought that even the strict Liam would commend my efforts…

“I’ll have the rest of the budget proposals completed and brought to you by the end of this week.”

“Thank you. Really, thanks to you, Lady Elze, I feel like I’m going to make it.”

Liam, almost as if he wanted me to hear it, jested.

Come to think of it, my relationship with Liam has improved a lot compared to before.

He used to look at me with contempt.

“Good work.”

With that farewell, I stood up.

I then headed straight to the veranda attached to my bedroom.

Flap.

As soon as the pigeon that had entered the cage on its own saw me, it flapped its wings a couple of times.

I smiled and gently patted the pigeon’s head.

“Good job today.”

A small note was tied to the pigeon’s ankle.

I checked the note’s content.

<Support available anytime you wish.>

‘Good.’

I gave the pigeon some feed and then returned to my room.

I opened a drawer and took out a matchbox.

‘Come to think of it, this matchbox…’

I had always carried it to light Dante’s cigarettes.

I bit my lips and struck a match.

As I burned the note cleanly, I wished that all these complicated feelings would also burn away.

I deeply hoped for it.

* * *

I visited the annex for the first time in a while.

“How is the special student’s health?”

“Very healthy. These days, he’s so robust that I’m not sure I could control him in an emergency.”

The guard who managed the annex answered politely.

He was the guard who had tipped me off about the tranquillizer issue before.

Since that day, I had assigned him to the annex entirely.

The guard had become my faithful eyes and ears.

“So where is the special student now?”

“Out for a walk.”

“I see.”

Nodding, I looked at the guard intently.

“I like things to be quiet. Understand?”

“Of course.”

The guard nodded and quickly turned his body.

He was preparing to fend off other guards protecting the grounds.

I took a leisurely walk toward the garden attached to the annex.

A garden for the special student’s walks.

It was a place I had managed to negotiate with Dante, along with the physical training room.

Even though the high walls and strict guards made it difficult for the special student to escape, it was still one of the few places where Lucian could experience the outdoors.

‘Come to think of it, when I first walked with Lucian… I had put shackles on him.’

Holding onto the end of the long shackles attached to Lucian.

I had walked into the garden filled with blooming red roses.

Lucian’s touch that lightly brushed past my hair.

[This rose is similar to the color of your hair, Lady.]

[Very… beautiful.]

And Lucian’s bright smile after pinning a rose in my hair.

All of these memories remained vividly within me.

Although it might have been one of the terrible daily routines for Lucian at the boarding school.

…For me, it had been one of the few peaceful moments.

“Lady Lepherian?”

In an instant, I came to my senses.

Lucian, who had approached without me realizing, was gazing down at me.

“What’s wrong?”

“Duke.”

I looked up at Lucian, even forgetting to greet him.

A faint smile spread across my lips.

“Really… there isn’t much time left.”

At that moment, Lucian’s blue eyes trembled slightly.