105. A Lie

Hesitating at the door, unable to step in immediately, a sharp gaze pierced through me. My back tingled. They seemed to think my movements were suspicious.

That’s right. I can’t back down now. Clenching the bracelet as if it were a lifeline, I steeled my resolve.

Determined, I hooked my fingers around the edge of the door and swiftly pulled aside the tent’s curtain.

* * *

Inside the tent, unlike the chilly air outside, it was warm, with a heavy atmosphere. The air was thick.

I heard the sound of the thick curtain falling behind me. The noise from outside was quickly muffled by the heavy fabric.

Soon, everything was silent except for the crackling sound of the burning logs. The interior of the tent gradually came into view.

There was a camp bed and a sofa used for travel. In the center, a large brazier was blazing.

At the far end, a dark silhouette of a person could be seen. Someone, presumably an officer, was bent over a desk, signing a pile of documents. The quill feather fluttered left and right with swift strokes.

“I thought I said I didn’t need any attendants.”

The person at the desk spoke. Without looking up, the one moving the quill muttered in a low voice.

It was a woman. Despite wearing armor, her thin and firm figure was noticeable at a glance.

My blurry vision, clouded by vague fear, cleared, and her face gradually came into focus. It was no illusion. The small face and features were distinctly feminine.

Finally, I could clearly see the person moving the quill from afar.

I feared she might have other intentions, but it seemed they truly needed a maid to attend to them.

I let out a small sigh of relief. My trembling body calmed down.

“How could they let an outsider into the officer’s quarters so recklessly? What are they thinking? This kind of system…”

She massaged her temple, deep wrinkles forming on her brow.

“They’ve picked someone as oblivious as they are. Can’t you speak? Or are your ears closed? Leave immediately.”

Her icy voice made my body stiffen.

But when I didn’t move despite her sharp words, she finally looked up. Her long hair, tied tightly, cascaded over her shoulder.

“The prisoner management is as poor as the system.”

She shook her head. A small sigh, filled with deep concern, escaped her lips.

I pulled up the bracelet that was wrapped around my wrist. The bracelet, hidden under my sleeve, came into view.

It’s a piece of jewelry made with worthless gems. Yet, because it bore the crest of the old duke’s family, it was my only means of survival.

Fixing the bracelet with my fingers, I took a deep breath. Then, I walked towards her with large strides.

Even though it was a narrow tent, the distance from the door to the desk felt far.

Seeing me approach instead of retreating under the pressure to leave, she stopped her pen.

Her eyes gradually widened. The head that had been fixed on the documents slowly lifted.

Approaching a noble despite being ordered to leave. Bold and impudent. It could result in immediate execution.

I knew what I had to do: I had to show her the bracelet.

Fortunately, there were no other soldiers inside the tent. If there were, I might have been stopped or forced to kneel before I could even reach her.

As I approached the desk, her gaze locked onto me. Her body remained rigid and tense.

She put down her pen with a sharp tap and leaned back in her chair.

“What kind of impudence is this? How dare you, without permission?”

Her voice was even lower now, and the chill in her words was palpable.

Up close, she was different from what I had imagined. Despite her youth, she hadn’t gained her knightly status by mere chance. Beneath the fatigue, a fierce demeanor emerged. Her aura was far more intimidating than her age would suggest.

“I have something to tell you.”

The pressure she exerted made it difficult to speak. I took a deep breath and forced myself to continue.

She responded with a brief, derisive laugh.

“You? A prisoner? If you’re here to beg for your family’s release…”

“No.”

I interrupted her, shaking my head firmly.

“I misspoke. It’s not something I want to tell you, but something I need to show you.”

Her brows furrowed further, her expression incredulous. Her glare was menacing.

Although she was sitting, making her gaze upward towards me, her posture did not seem lowly at all. The oppressive force she exuded overwhelmed my entire being.

“Discipline has certainly fallen apart. Where does a commoner get the gall to toy with a noble? Get out of my tent.”

“If you see this, your questions will be answered.”

“Is anyone out there? Get in here, immediately…”

She called out loudly for the guard outside.

I quickly unfastened the bracelet. Her eyes naturally followed my hand.

“Please, take a look. It won’t be too late to call the guards after that.”

I placed the bracelet firmly on the desk and pushed it towards her.

“What is this?”

“See for yourself.”

She glanced at me suspiciously before picking up the bracelet.

“As a noble and an officer deployed here, you must have worked in the capital as well. Surely, you can recognize this.”

She held the bracelet up to the light. She didn’t forget to cast a wary glance at me, doubting my intentions.

“Do you see this? This crest here.”

I pointed to the duke’s emblem illuminated by the lamp’s light. Her hand, which had been turning the bracelet, paused over the engraved crest.

“This is…”

Her mouth slowly fell open.

Gotcha.

I quickly dabbed at my eyes with my sleeve, pretending to wipe away tears.

“I understand you were in the capital, so you must recognize this crest. I am not originally a prisoner. I was merely passing through a village on my way elsewhere when I was captured. The soldiers who didn’t recognize me dragged me here.”

“You have some nerve. Imitating the crest of a high-ranking noble family is a grave offense.”

She narrowed her eyes, still skeptical.

“This is no imitation. I am well acquainted with the owner of this crest.”

Her tone, although still firm, had softened compared to earlier. Sensing an opportunity, I pressed on.

“This bracelet was given to me by its owner personally.”

Once I made up my mind, the words flowed smoothly. Even I almost believed my own story, as if I truly had some special relationship with Deon.

She straightened up. Her body leaned forward to scrutinize the bracelet more closely.

She still held onto her doubts, but her posture betrayed her growing interest.

I’ve got her now.

The stern expression on her face had eased slightly.

Instead of smirking, I let a tear fall, feigning sadness.

Finally, she spoke, albeit hesitantly.

“I’ve only been appointed recently and don’t know all the details, but this…”

As I expected, she looked troubled.

“It’s hard to believe based on a single crest.”

“Isn’t it even harder to believe that a commoner would know this crest? It’s an old emblem of the North, no longer in use.”

“That may be, but…”

“If you have doubts, you can take me with you.”

“Take you?”

“Yes. Take me and have it verified directly. If you find it hard to believe, release me and take me to the capital. The owner of this bracelet will pay my ransom.”

I felt a cold sweat break out along my spine as I uttered those final words.

There was no turning back now. I was standing on a cliff’s edge. If survival seemed unlikely, I might as well gamble on this bluff.

After all the times Deon had toyed with me, this was a small payback.

Somehow, I needed to get to the capital and find a chance to escape. The guards here were lax, escaping would be easy.

I might face execution for insulting the royal family, but that would only happen if I was taken to Deon and my identity was verified. My plan was to escape long before that.

“If I truly lived here, how would a mere commoner know the old duke’s crest?”

By now, she was listening intently. She had leaned forward completely, her back no longer touching the chair.

“Everything will be my responsibility. If it turns out I was wrongly captured as a prisoner, won’t it be your loss as the commanding officer? Especially if it becomes known that you ignored the truth even after I revealed it in your tent.”

At my words, she pushed back a stray lock of hair and let out a deep sigh.

“It’s not something I can decide hastily. I don’t see why I should take you with me.”

Perhaps my story wasn’t convincing enough. I needed to deliver a decisive blow to sway her completely.

Hopefully, Deon had secured a position in the capital by now. It was fast, but he was capable enough to do so in this time frame.

“You said your ransom would be paid? What is your relationship with the owner of this crest?”

Here it was. I tried to appear composed as I forced a trembling smile.

Simply claiming I owed him or had worked for him wouldn’t suffice. I needed to present myself as someone worthy of this bracelet, someone she would believe could receive a favor from Deon.

“I am…”

I took a small breath and began.

“I am the former lover of the crest’s owner. Or perhaps, still his current lover? We’ve never officially parted.”

I said this with a sorrowful tone, as if holding back tears.

Given my past, posing as a prince’s former lover seemed plausible. Many princes had numerous lovers, even in the Ajanti Empire. Claiming to be one of them would at least guarantee I was considered a noble.

In desperate times, I was willing to sell any story to gain my freedom.

Please, let this work.

She looked younger than I had initially thought. Surely, a newly appointed knight. Only a newcomer would be sent to such a remote area. They had likely assigned this young officer here, not knowing better.

Despite my best acting efforts, there was no immediate response. No further questions about my relationship, nor any accusations of deceit.

I glanced at her cautiously, half-closing one eye.

She stood there, mouth agape, staring at the bracelet as if time had frozen.