109. His House (2)

I spoke and then cut a piece of meat, placing it in my mouth. Despite the uncomfortable situation, I couldn’t remember the last time I had a proper meal. The texture of the meat and the crisp vegetables were refreshing on my tongue.

“Really? I see.”

He responded lightly, as if the previous question had been insignificant, before casually asking another.

“So, what is your name?”

“I’m Le…”

The man picked up his knife, its sharp blade glinting. He seemed focused on his food, but I sensed he was paying close attention to me.

“Linia.”

I almost slipped and gave my real name. I heaved a sigh of relief.

There was a brief silence. He said nothing after hearing my name.

He continued to leisurely cut his meat before placing the knife on the plate with a clink.

“Is that all?”

“Excuse me?”

“Your introduction seems incomplete. Just a first name?”

He lifted his gaze from the plate and looked at me intensely, a smirk playing at one corner of his mouth.

“What do you mean…”

“Don’t you have a family name?”

His sharp tone cut off my words. My hands, growing paler by the second, were hastily hidden under my sleeves. Fortunately, his eyes remained fixed on me.

“I don’t have one. I’m a commoner.”

“Why not?”

Did he suspect something? Anxiety tightened my chest.

“Because I’m a commoner.”

When I answered, his eyes narrowed further.

“Miss Linia.”

He called my name softly, but it sent shivers down my spine.

“For someone claiming to be a commoner, you handle a knife quite skillfully. Ordinary commoners usually fumble in front of a noble’s table, not knowing how to hold a fork or a knife properly.”

He dabbed his mouth with a napkin after speaking.

“Even seasoned mercenaries, who are used to handling weapons, freeze up when faced with a noble’s dining etiquette. They don’t know what to do with a small piece of meat, despite being able to butcher a person without hesitation. But you seem proficient, as if you’ve been doing this all your life.”

I looked down at my hands. Without realizing it, I had naturally held the knife in my right hand and the fork in my left.

“And most people hesitate with a lemon, often biting into it directly. But you moved it naturally to the plate.”

He chuckled.

I followed his gaze to the plate. The lemon was neatly placed atop the fish, a habit I hadn’t even noticed.

“If you don’t want to have a deep conversation with me, that’s fine. I won’t force you. Regardless of your status, you’re currently my guest and someone injured by my carriage.”

His tone was warm, as if understanding and considerate, but each word sent a chill down my spine. Every phrase felt like ice forming in my ears.

So, they’ve appointed a snake as a secretary. I had thought that with Viter gone, a more moderate person would take his place. How wrong I was.

Why did the Empire’s secretaries always seem to be such shrewd and ruthless men? Did they select them based on personality?

With his well-groomed hair, smooth skin, and perfectly tailored suit, he looked every bit the noble. But the man sitting across from me felt more like a coiled viper than a benefactor.

I had to get out of this mansion as soon as possible.

Before this cunning man discovered my true identity, before my dyed hair started showing its red roots.

“Really, it was an accident. I didn’t mean to run in front of the carriage. It’s my first time exploring the capital, and I was distracted and didn’t see the road for carriages. I’m sorry.”

I had to stick to my story and play the role of an ignorant commoner to perfection.

The moment Rian mentioned my name to Deon, my identity would be exposed. Additionally, there was still the bracelet I had not yet handed over to the knight. If Deon saw it, he might realize I was alive and in the capital. He might just think it was a lost item picked up by a random prisoner, but still, it posed a risk.

Would Deon even remember that crude and shabby bracelet made of rough gemstones?

I had shown it to him multiple times, but I doubted it would stick in his memory.

If he didn’t remember it, showing the bracelet to the Emperor might just make the knight look foolish for being tricked by a madwoman. If that were the case, I could stay in the capital for a while without much concern…

These unlikely thoughts kept nagging at me.

I gently placed the fork down and wiped my mouth with a napkin.

“I apologize for the inconvenience. I’m sorry I cannot repay your kindness. I’ll leave right after finishing this meal.”

“It would be difficult to move to another place with your injured ankle. Do you have someone you know in the capital?”

“Yes. Well…”

There was only one person in the capital I could turn to for help.

Deon’s guard, Edan.

<Even nobles may need a sword at times, wouldn’t they? I can wield a sword for you, my lady.>

Edan’s words as he kissed my hand when I left for the countryside echoed in my mind.

Right. He promised to help me. Given his nature, he didn’t seem like someone who would inform his master about me.

But I didn’t know his title or where he lived. If Deon had entered the royal palace, Edan, being his guard, would not likely be in the prince’s residence.

“If you just let me know, I can take you there.”

Rian spoke as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“It’s okay. I can find it myself.”

“No, as I mentioned earlier, I can’t let you go alone after you were hit by my carriage. It would trouble me greatly. Moreover, if your acquaintance cannot summon a doctor, I cannot just leave you.”

His tone was still gentle, but it was close to a threat. If I didn’t tell him the truth, he wouldn’t let me leave the mansion.

“Don’t worry. The person I know can afford to call a doctor.”

“Then I will accompany you to confirm. Consider it my final gesture of care as a noble.”

He spoke of his noble duty, persuading me.

“If it’s not a suitable place, I can’t let you go. Please understand my discomfort.”

He finished with a sly smile.

He was persistent. It seemed he wouldn’t let me go easily. I couldn’t think of a clear way to escape from him.

“Then I will accept your help one last time.”

I sighed lightly and finally spoke the name I had been holding back.

“Edan. Do you know Edan? My parents in the countryside mentioned he used to serve the prince.”

“Edan…”

He closed his eyes and murmured. The strong sunlight reflected off his long eyelashes, casting a faint shadow on his cheek.

The longer his murmuring continued, the more anxious I became.

Eventually, he opened his eyes and stared at me. A heavy silence settled around us.

“Edan? Are you saying you know him?”

His face grew serious, his lips twisting in a way I hadn’t seen before.

Could he have been ousted in a political struggle?

He stared at me and then let out a hollow laugh.

“Are you referring to Sir Beaumon? You know that officer? The commander of the city’s knights?”

Commander of the knights?

I hadn’t known Edan had been newly appointed.

I wondered if I should have mentioned a lower-ranking knight. Faces of the soldiers who had been with Deon and Edan flashed through my mind, but I couldn’t remember any names clearly.

“I know Sir Beaumon’s residence well, so it won’t be difficult. But what is your relationship with him?”

“…He’s a distant cousin. I’ve come up from the countryside.”

He crossed his arms leisurely, his actions clearly indicating that he found the situation intriguing.

“Then you must not know the city well. I’ll accompany you to his place.”

“No, just give me the location. There’s no need for you to—”

“Please allow me. Otherwise, I won’t let you go. I can’t just guide someone who might be harmful to his mansion. Especially when you seem unaware that your distant relative has been elevated to nobility.”

His smile remained pleasant, but his words carried a light threat.

Rather than letting a suspicious woman leave, he chose to keep me within the mansion. His confidence suggested that he could handle any threat I might pose, even if I were an assassin.

I deliberated briefly but had no real choice. He wasn’t going to let me go easily.

While Viter or Isella might be different, Edan wouldn’t hand me over to Deon like a sacrificial pawn. The Edan I knew lacked ambition and was straightforward, unlike others.

Meeting Edan through Rian and borrowing enough money to buy a small house before escaping the Empire seemed like the best plan.

“Then I’ll take you up on your offer.”

I gave him a polite smile while calculating my escape route.

If he refused to let me go, I had to be prepared to jump out at the first opportunity. I glanced at the window.

I had changed clothes and navigated through the maze-like mansion with the maids’ guidance to reach the drawing room. I didn’t even know which floor the room was on.

The window I saw was obscured by thick trees, making it difficult to discern the floor, but it was clearly high up. Judging by the height of the opposite building, it seemed to be around the third floor.

Why was the drawing room on the third floor? Guest reception rooms are usually on the first floor.

It felt like everything was designed to prevent easy escape. I couldn’t read his scheming mind.

The man who called himself Rian continued to smile calmly at me.

* * *

Shortly afterward, we left the mansion. Rian led me to another carriage, this one simpler than the ornate one I had first encountered.

Rian climbed in first, and I followed. He closed the door behind me and signaled the coachman to start.

The carriage set off smoothly, heading towards Edan’s residence.

As the carriage rolled down the streets, I mentally prepared myself for whatever might happen next. I had to find Edan, secure his help, and plan my escape from the Empire.

“Miss Linia,” Rian said suddenly, breaking the silence. “You never mentioned why you were in such a hurry to leave the countryside.”

His casual question made my heart race. He was still probing, looking for inconsistencies in my story.

“I had a disagreement with my family,” I replied, trying to sound casual. “I thought the capital would be a good place to start fresh.”

“A reasonable choice,” he said, nodding. “The capital does offer many opportunities.”

His eyes lingered on me, studying my face as if trying to peel back the layers of my deception.

I forced myself to meet his gaze, maintaining the façade of a naive country girl.

After what felt like an eternity, the carriage finally came to a stop. Rian opened the door and stepped out first, offering his hand to help me down.

“We’ve arrived,”

He said, gesturing towards a stately townhouse that stood in a quiet, affluent neighborhood.

“Shall we?”

Taking his hand, I stepped down from the carriage. I looked at the townhouse, hoping this would be the beginning of my escape rather than another trap.