63. The Intruder of the Silent Mansion

Sweat started from my forehead and gathered at my chin.

The knight grabbed my arm. He tried to forcibly lift my arm.

I shook my head vigorously.

Just bending my body a little wouldn’t hurt the prisoner, so why was he being so persistent?

I shook off the hand that was gripping my wrist and scratched the man holding me with my nails.

“Leonie.”

At the familiar voice, my eyes snapped open. In front of me sat Deon, whom I had longed to see in my dreams.

“Deon.”

As promised, he arrived at the prison before the day was over. No, it seemed like only a few hours had passed.

It appeared he had broken in without the emperor’s cooperation or following legal procedures. I could see the knight grumbling behind him.

I staggered to my feet. My stiff body didn’t cooperate well.

“There’s a wolf nearby.”

I leaned on him and whispered quietly. Though I was happy to see him, those words came out first instead of a greeting.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know they put a wolf in there. If I had known, I would have done whatever it took to keep you out of prison.”

“It’s all right. So…”

I gripped his arm tightly.

“Deon, let’s get out of here quickly.”

I whispered softly to him.

“You always call my name only in emergencies.”

Something moist touched my forehead and then fell away. Warmth gently settled.

My unsteady breathing calmed down, and I felt a sense of stability. As I let my body go limp, he easily lifted me up.

I raised a hand to feel his cheek. Deon didn’t push my hand away and instead lowered his head closer, as if offering himself cautiously.

After touching his sharp nose, soft cheeks, and neatly arranged eyebrows, I finally felt relieved.

He’s alive. The empty space inside me filled, and I felt a deep sense of relief.

The expression on his face as he looked at me was quite… sad.

Why make that face? It almost looks like you truly love me.

Would you have that expression even if I died? Would you hesitate even in the moment of killing me?

My body had no strength. It was hard to support myself.

He pulled my arm and placed it over his shoulder.

My arm easily followed his lead. I obediently followed where he guided it. I grasped the decoration on his jacket firmly.

As we opened the prison door and tried to leave, a knight blocked our way. It was the same knight I had spoken with earlier.

“Your Highness, you cannot leave like this. We haven’t received permission yet to release the prisoner…”

“Prisoner?”

Deon responded coldly. Though faint, there was a more intense murderous aura than before.

“Who do you think is the prisoner here? How dare you in front of me.”

“Your Highness.”

“Tell Prince Ajanti. If he has any complaints about my methods, he should come to me directly.”

Deon repeated the knight’s words from the forest back to him.

I barely managed to hold onto my faint consciousness.

My vision blurred, and my eyes kept closing, but I forced them open to take in the sight of him.

His face slowly imprinted itself behind my heavy eyelids.

* * *

I woke up early in the morning. The capital, now in summer, had longer days, so the sky was bright early.

Although it wasn’t yet noon, the sunlight had already breached the curtains and reached the inside of the bed.

I rubbed my eyes. A languid warmth enveloped me. My back felt hot.

When I tried to move, something hard pressed against my back.

I turned my head to the side.

Deon was asleep with his hand on my waist. His arm was tightly wrapped around my waist. His black bangs had fallen over his face.

Carefully, I lifted his arm with both hands. I shifted my body to release his arm from my waist. His arm came away more easily than I expected.

After being freed from the prison, Deon had laid me on the bed. It was late.

I took a calming potion and tried to sleep. He stayed by my side until I fell asleep. It seemed he had dozed off as well.

The large bed was wide enough for four people. Turning away from the harsh sunlight streaming through the window, I moved closer to him.

His sleeping face was peaceful.

When I pressed near his eyes, he frowned. His brows furrowed, but his steady breathing didn’t falter.

Once he fell asleep, he didn’t wake easily. Despite being on the battlefield for a long time, I had thought he would be more sensitive, but surprisingly, he had a laid-back side.

I sat on the edge of the bed. It was noisy outside. The humming sound was coming from the ceiling.

I opened the door and stepped into the hallway. The source of the noise was upstairs. Workers were carrying loads up the stairs.

I retreated into the room to avoid them. The interior was cluttered. When I first came to the prince’s territory and wandered around with Suren to find a suitable room, this room had been vacant for a long time.

I moved around the piles of luggage.

‘What is all this stuff? They never mentioned moving rooms.’

I picked up a piece of pottery. It wasn’t suitable for holding flowers or tea. It was ornamental, with butterflies painted on it. The simple pattern didn’t match my room.

I glanced at the heap of unpacked luggage.

A large full-length mirror, a coat rack, shoes.

These were items a young lady might use. Some of the items were not new, which made them unlikely to be gifts.

It didn’t seem like these were bought for me.

A maid appeared among the workers moving the luggage.

“Miss, you’re awake? Shall I prepare a meal?”

She was one of the maids who helped me get ready for banquets.

“What are all these things?”

“…You didn’t hear?”

Her expression looked awkward.

“I thought you had been informed by His Highness, but I guess not. In a few days…”

She rolled her eyes nervously before speaking.

“Lady from the Snowa family is going to stay in the prince’s territory.”

“What?”

I dropped the pottery I was holding. It shattered into pieces as it hit the floor. Fortunately, I was wearing shoes that reached up to my ankles, so I wasn’t hurt, but the noise was loud.

I stepped back. A shard might have gotten into my shoe because my instep stung.

Damn it.

If what the maid said was true, then these items were from the Snowa family. I had touched and broken them without permission.

The sound of the breaking pottery made all the workers who were moving the items stop and look back.

I crouched and started picking up the pieces. The sharp edges almost cut my hand.

“Please step back. I’ll clean it up.”

A servant watching brought a broom.

I stared blankly at the sweeping fragments of pottery.

It was strange. Do guests who stay for a short time usually bring such decorative items? I had never mingled with nobles of my age, so I had no point of comparison.

Maybe nobles do. If they’re nobles.

I tried to calm myself. An unknown anxiety kept piling up.

“How long is she staying?”

“I don’t know. We haven’t received any clear information.”

I asked the maid, but she didn’t give a satisfactory answer. My throat felt tight.

I suddenly remembered the conversation between Deon and Isella that I had temporarily forgotten.

The secretive conversation that stopped abruptly as soon as I entered.

The “same feelings” they spoke of… could it really be about an alliance between their families?

I looked at the colorful rug spread on the floor. I hadn’t taken the time to look around the room’s interior, but the pattern was beautiful.

The maid took out a notebook. She was carefully checking the colors for a new bed and wallpaper.

“Can I see that?”

“Yes?”

The maid hesitated before handing over the notebook.

“Well, we don’t know the young lady’s taste, so it would be helpful if you could assist us…”

She trailed off.

It was understandable. It must have seemed odd for the unofficial woman next to the prince to be choosing furniture for a new arrival. It wasn’t a common sight.

I looked up at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The crystal had a slightly pinkish tint and looked splendid. Small candles were attached inside, making it seem like it would shine even more brightly at night.

Matching the chandelier, pink wallpaper might be beautiful.

“Maybe it would be better to change the wallpaper…”

The words slipped out unconsciously. I covered my mouth.

“Shall we do that?”

The maid picked up on my suggestion.

“Actually, we were discussing that.”

“No. Maybe it’s better to keep it green.”

I looked around. Pink and green really didn’t match.

* * *

Deon, who woke up only after noon, was reading through a backlog of documents.

In front of him were the usual desserts, newspapers, and magazines, but he couldn’t bring himself to touch them.

Everything in this room felt like it didn’t belong to me. Today, everything felt unfamiliar and made me anxious. My thoughts were completely focused outside.

The noise outside had quieted down, suggesting that the unpacking was mostly done. Only the occasional sounds of dusting and cleaning broke the silence.

It also bothered me that the newly furnished room was closer to his office. I had chosen my room for its view of the garden.

I dropped a sugar cube into my teacup. Using tongs, I added more sugar cubes from the bowl.

Only when the sugar cubes formed a pile that couldn’t dissolve anymore did I speak up.

“I woke up to some noise this morning and saw that they were moving in luggage. Who’s moving in?”

I glanced at his face. He looked as calm as ever.

“Lady Snowa is going to stay here for a while.”

Deon answered readily, looking completely unaware of what was wrong.

“Why?”

I numbly repeated his words in my mind.

Isella is staying at the prince’s residence? Why?

“We’ve decided to ally with the Viscount’s family.”
TL/N: Snowa failey is Viscount

“Do families usually move in right away when they form alliances?”

They aren’t even engaged yet. It’s too soon.

“Usually not, but we need her urgently.”

“I see. Then what about me…?”

Should I leave?

It felt strange that I was staying at the mansion.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of sadness.

I didn’t want to leave. Even though I hadn’t been in the capital long, the prince’s residence already felt warm and the names of the maids were familiar.

This felt like home. A place I could always return to.

I don’t want to leave here. I don’t want to run away.

Underground prison, magical shackles, threats.

He used various methods to keep me from leaving the North, but what truly kept me from leaving wasn’t any of those things.

With a single word—love, which was nothing more than a fleeting pretense—he easily ensnared me.

Deon’s expression as he read the documents showed no particular emotion. He let out a small sigh.

I thought my relationship with Deon had changed a bit since coming to the capital. That was just an illusion.

In the end, the result was the same.

Not being able to leave the room because of the surveillance of the blood unit, and not being able to leave the room because of the main Fiance. Ultimately, it was the same—being unable to leave the room.

And he will eventually marry Isella.

The tangled pieces of the puzzle were slowly falling into place.