76. To His Woman

The claim that the relocation had nothing to do with Isella was evidently a lie.

“Why? Why won’t he come back?”

My voice was high-pitched with agitation, my words echoing to the ceiling. The butler tried to calm me.

“Please, don’t be angry. It’s just…”

He fumbled for a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“The message was not from His Highness’s subordinate. It came from the imperial palace.”

His face was tense as he continued.

“He’s currently imprisoned in the palace dungeon.”

“What…?”

“A few days ago, there was a confrontation with Prince Azanti. We thought it was resolved, but perhaps because of that… I’m not certain of the details.”

A heavy silence weighed down the reception room.

“Where is Secretary Viter?”

Now that I thought about it, his closest aides were nowhere to be seen. I’d been sitting in the reception room for over four hours, yet no familiar faces had appeared. Even if I was an uninvited guest, someone should have shown up.

If Edan were here, he would be waiting outside the reception room, and Viter would have burst in, challenging my unauthorized visit.

“He left about a week ago and hasn’t been heard from since.”

He disappeared without notifying Daon? A sense of foreboding washed over me.

“What about Edan?”

“He’s on an assignment for His Highness, outside the capital. By now, he should be near the border.”

The border was several days’ ride away, even without stopping for sleep.

There was no one here to help him.

“And Lady Isella Snowa? She was staying here, wasn’t she?”

I hesitantly mentioned her name.

I was reluctant to bring her up, but Isella was also one of Daon’s closest confidants.

“Lady Isella left the mansion some time ago. For safety reasons, she returned to her family’s estate, the Snow Mansion.”

“Safety reasons?”

“There was an intruder in the mansion. Despite increased security, there were repeated threats after Lady Leonie left, so she decided it was safer to return to her family’s estate.”

I had assumed they were all together, but they were strangely scattered.

* * *

I got out of bed and pulled back the covers. The bedding was familiar. It hadn’t been washed; the pillow still carried the scent of my perfume.

The bedroom had been left untouched since I left. Even the half-burned candle in the candlestick and the trails of melted wax remained as they were.

This was originally meant to be Daon’s bedroom. It was surprising that it had been preserved, considering its desirability, but there was no time to dwell on such details.

I had spent the night at the prince’s domain as I had hoped, but the morning brought more confusion.

Servants gathered everywhere—in the dining room, the hall, the reception room, the garden—whispering about the situation.

Their nerves were on edge, as if ready to snap at any moment.

“Should we leave? If the sentence is severe…”

“Surely it won’t be execution, right?”

“Shh. Watch your mouth.”

Uncertainty and fear had permeated the mansion. Listening to them made me even more anxious.

I grabbed a maid who was passing by the kitchen.

“Do you have any news? Everyone’s talking about a sentence.”

The maid, with her hair braided in twin tails, leaned in and whispered softly.

“They’ve set a trial date. It’s in a week.”

“What?”

I stared blankly, processing her words, then asked again.

“So suddenly?”

“We’re all shocked too. How did things escalate so quickly? And according to a servant who visited the palace, Prince Azanti has officially accused His Highness. He’s threatened execution if he doesn’t voluntarily abdicate his claim to the throne.”

“For such a threat, there must be legitimate grounds for the accusation.”

“Prince Azanti claims to have a damning secret about Prince Daon, something so serious he won’t reveal it. If Prince Daon steps down voluntarily, he won’t face execution.”

I had hoped that everything would be better by morning, but things had only worsened.

“Wait a moment. I need to send a letter urgently. Can you get me some paper?”

The maid dashed off, her braids swinging. She returned shortly with a sheet of white paper. I grabbed a pen and wrote quickly.

It was a simple message, but Suren would understand and help.

**Suren,**

**Something has come up, and I won’t be able to return to the separate residence for a while. Please send all the dresses and the jewelry box I took to the separate residence back to the prince’s domain.**

I sealed the letter and handed it to the maid.

“Make sure this gets to Suren immediately.”

She nodded and hurried away.

I had to think quickly and act faster. The trial date was set, and I needed to find a way to help Daon before it was too late.

* * *

I had never imagined setting foot in the Snowa family estate. The mansion had a three-story structure with a golden arched roof, a garden surrounded by greenery, and a two-tiered fountain with a statue of a stag, the family’s emblem, at its center.

Staring at the stag, with its front legs raised and reaching toward the sky, I sighed softly.

With a heavy heart, I knocked on the door.

If Viter and Edan were unavailable, Isella was the last person I could turn to for help.

The door opened shortly after I rang the bell.

“I’m here to see Lady Isella,” I said.

“Did you have an appointment?” the maid asked.

“No, but… she’ll know who I am.”

The door hadn’t opened fully yet. I was worried she might shut it and lock me out.

Luckily, she asked for my name.

“Who should I say is here?”

“Leonie Sien.”

She paused upon hearing my name. Although it was my first visit to the Snowa estate and my first time seeing this maid, she seemed to recognize my name, her expression turning stern.

“Um… I’m sorry, but I think you should leave.”

The maid’s eyes darted nervously, and she began to close the door. I quickly wedged my hand into the gap to stop it from closing. I could have hurt myself, but if I left now, it would be difficult to return.

“I need to see her today. It will only take a moment. Could you please ask her?”

Despite my desperate tone, the maid remained resolute, blocking my view with her body.

“She’s not here. She’s away.”

That was a lie. If Isella weren’t here, she wouldn’t have bothered asking for my name.

I couldn’t waste any more time with obvious excuses.

“What’s the commotion here?”

A voice from behind the door interrupted us. It was the head butler of the estate.

She was a middle-aged woman in a butler’s uniform, looking very stern.

“She says she’s Lady Sien.”

“Sien?”

Her eyes narrowed sharply. At the mention of my name, her demeanor instantly turned hostile.

“Lady Sien, it’s troublesome for you to visit here. The situation is not favorable.”

“I know. I understand. But I urgently need to speak with her.”

“Please leave. Causing a scene here won’t be good for your reputation either. Word will spread quickly.”

“I won’t leave until you let me in.”

We stood at an impasse, with the door between us. The butler looked troubled, her lips pressed into a tight line.

I could feel the disdain in her gaze, but I stood my ground. The servants in the garden were all staring at me.

I even slipped my foot into the gap to keep the door from closing. My ill-fitting shoes made my legs ache.

“You say you understand? Do you know what kind of behavior this is? Visiting like this is not only harmful to Lady Snowa but also to yourself. Are you aware of that?”

Her eyes were filled with contempt. Seeing that I wouldn’t back down, the butler sighed shortly.

“Lady Sien… If you persist, we will have to take measures.”

As she began to speak…

“Let her in.”

A familiar voice came from behind the door.

Isella stood there.

“It seems there’s been some commotion while I was away. If it’s just for a moment, I can spare the time.”

“But, my lady,” the butler said sternly, but Isella ignored her and opened the door wide.

“Wouldn’t it cause more rumors to leave her standing out here? The commotion has already drawn onlookers around the mansion. It’s also not polite to keep a lady waiting outside for so long.”

With that, she led me inside.

I finally entered the mansion, my aching feet relieved. Sharp gazes followed me as we moved inside.

* * *

“Would you like some tea?”

I nodded. Despite feeling embarrassed, I grabbed the teacup as soon as she offered.

The maid serving the tea shot me a hostile glance, clearly determined to protect the Snowa family’s reputation.

It was usually an offense to glare at a noble, but I couldn’t blame her. I was an unwelcome guest here.

Despite the urgency of the situation, my throat was dry. I drank the tea quickly, not noticing that it scalded my mouth.

I had spent the morning wandering around to find Isella’s estate, which left me exhausted.

My legs hurt, my shoulders ached, and the chaos at the mansion had kept me from eating properly.

Seeing my empty cup, Isella refilled it. The warmth of the tea provided little comfort to my unsettled mind.

Isella poured the tea with elegant grace, too composed for someone facing her fiancé’s possible execution.

“I didn’t expect you to visit me.”

Breaking the silence, she spoke first.

“…Why?”

“I didn’t think this was a suitable situation for us to have a friendly chat.”

She smiled, her lips curling gently without revealing any emotion.