The Tyrant’s Leash Is Held by a Maid

Ch. 17:

Liana shivered as she listened to her fate being sealed. None of it felt quite real. To die like this… it was just too simple.

As her clouded thoughts ran through her mind, the yellow eyes behind the black mask reached for her again to hold the maid in place. The sword, briefly hidden in its scabbard, revealed its sharp edge once more.

Slowly, as if time were coming to a stop, Liana watched the woman’s arm come down. But there was no fear in her eyes, even as she saw the knife point at her throat.

She hadn’t realized it until now, but life and death were just a game of dice played by the gods. It was as easy as rolling an odd number and dying or rolling an even number and living. That life continued at all was merely a series of coincidences- Liana knew it well from the times she had narrowly avoided death.

It was almost embarrassing. She hadn’t expected to predict her own death or anything, but she hadn’t thought it would happen so abruptly!

‘If I had known this would happen, I would have visited my hometown at least once before I died.’

Her mind was filled with thoughts of the graves she’d left behind when a presence she’d momentarily forgotten returned with a vengeance.

‘Phoebe!’

Liana’s eyes widened as she remembered her young niece’s face. Phoebe, who she had promised to protect, was only eight years old. They were the last two members of their family still alive- if Liana died here, she would be all alone.

Just as Liana had to close her sister’s empty eyes after she had passed, Phoebe would have to close Liana’s with her tiny hands.

‘No!’

At the thought of that child being alone at her funeral, all the fear she had suppressed flooded in.

This couldn’t be happening. Liana’s mouth opened in a silent scream as she watched the blade descend towards her neck.

‘Help me, please.’ Liana prayed again to the god who had always turned away from her. ‘Please, please save me.’ Tears flowed down her pallid cheeks.

Just as the knife was about to meet Liana’s throat, there was the sharp metallic sound of blades colliding. A low voice rang out, “You must really want to die.”

The Crown Prince and the Marquis had been walking back into the darkness, but this stopped Lennox in his tracks. That cheeky tone… Lennox turned to look, eyes wide and mouth pursed.

As he turned, blood spattered on his face.

“Don’t move. The poison spreads quickly.” The man who had thrust the knife into Vanessa’s shoulder sounded as carefree as ever.

Lennox wiped the blood off his cheek and glared at the man.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the man twisted the blade. The horrible sound of her bone crunching made Vanessa’s eyes widen in horror behind her mask.

“I should have worn all black too. I’m all dirty now,” he said jokingly. He walked as silently as a ghost.

Lennox’s fists tightened with each step the man took into the darkness, haloed by the lights of the building. When he finally stepped fully into the shadow, his face was finally visible- ironically, it had been hidden by the backlight.

“It must be nice to have a younger brother to keep you in line like this, hm?”

“…Illyd.”

Unlike Lennox, whose face was tense, Illyd wore his usual relaxed expression. “Don’t look at me like that, brother. Anyone who saw you would think I was about to commit murder.”

Illyd lifted one corner of his mouth in a slight smile and looked down at his brother. Lennox was not a small man, but he was no match for Illyd.

Lennox stared at him, remembering the day Illyd had surpassed him in height. A cold breeze blew past, tousling the blond hair of his father’s beloved second son.

A twisted grin tugged at the corners of Lennox’s mouth as he looked at the shining strands, still bright in the darkness of the night. “Thank you, Illyd.”

“For what, brother?”

“Were you following me?”

“Oh, you know my morals wouldn’t let me do something so nasty.” Illyd shrugged, then turned his gaze to the ground. His eyes landed on the maid, who was breathless and white-faced in terror.

“I got curious because my lover’s maid disappeared into the dark and didn’t return,” he added, not taking his eyes off of her. “I thought she might be having an affair.”

“You were that concerned about your lover’s maid?”

“I know, right? What a delicate and affectionate suitor I am.” Turning his head, Illyd took a handkerchief out of his pocket gracefully and wiped his hands. “And what a generous sibling I am to overlook my brother’s crimes.”

“I don’t know what you think you saw, but this is a misunderstanding.” Lennox smiled mechanically, but there was a clear hostility in his light blue eyes that contrasted with his friendly expression. “I was merely discussing trade business with Marquis Owen when this maid showed up and tried to interrupt.”

“Yes, yes, of course. But this business talk- did it really have to take place somewhere as suspicious as this?” Illyd glanced at Marquis Arnold Owen, who was hiding in the dark.

Wiping the sweat from his bearded face, Arnold bared his teeth in an attempt at a grin. “Your highness, I’m only…”

“Well, anyways, you should meet somewhere with more light in the future. If someone saw you, they might misunderstand and think you’re in an inappropriate relationship.”

Was he implying they were having an affair or something? Lennox kept smiling at Illyd and said lightly, “The nobles are like hyenas, and they all want a piece of Marquis Owen. I had to find a place for us to meet that wasn’t crowded.”

Lennox’s expression returned to its usual impassive state as he strode out of the darkness. Approaching Illyd, he stared at the man before him.

His brother, Illyd Orpheus Kadogan, wore the emblem of the Imperial House like a badge of honor. Bright blonde hair like their father’s, a color that had run in the imperial family for generations. Eyes the color of the clear blue sea, the shade most Manish possessed.

Those who stood in the light never needed to look at those who were trapped in darkness. But those who stood in the shadows would always have to see those in the sunlight.

Lennox spoke, unable to shake the inferiority complex that had been engrained in him. “Be careful, little brother. There are many enemies in the dark.”

“Thanks for the advice, Len.”

Their eyes met briefly.

As Lennox began to walk past him, Illyd said calmly, “Since I’m grateful, let me give you some, too. There are some people in this world who couldn’t care less about the throne.”

“…….”

“Why are you so stressed out about your inheritance? I don’t even think about it.”

Anger, like a blue flame created by striking flint, flashed in Lennox’s eyes and then disappeared. He smiled, lowering his gaze, and said, “Thank you, little brother.”

“No problem.”

Lennox stalked away, not looking back.

“Ugh… I could have gotten into a lot of trouble for that,” an exhausted-looking Marquis Owen muttered as he followed the Crown Prince into the brightly lit hall. “I didn’t realize the second prince would show up while we were talking… If I’d let my guard down just a little bit, it could have ruined everything.”

Despite his reputation for debauchery, Illyd was a member of the imperial family. He may be acting like a heartless fox now, but he had once been the center of attention in Kadogan for his intelligence and charm. If he discovered the smuggling operation that could harm the empire… Arnold didn’t even want to imagine it.

“It’s a real relief, right?” Arnold Owen muttered, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with an already damp handkerchief.

“I wonder if that bastard truly doesn’t know…”

“What are you saying?” Arnold looked up with a puzzled face to see Lennox’s twisted expression, as terrifying as a demon at the gates of hell. A murderous spirit burned in those sky-blue eyes.

“Not interested in the throne?”

The rage in Lennox’s face made it clear he wanted to tear his brother to pieces. Arnold slowed down and took a step back.

He began smuggling to gain money and power, not to gamble his life in a fight between two apex predators. He vowed to himself that he would get out of this business as soon as he had his hands on Natasha, and shoved his now-soaked handkerchief back into his pocket.

***

Liana watched the shoes approaching her with mixed emotions.

‘Why can I only see his shoes with my head down?’

Liana, who pondered this for a moment, realized that the answer to her question was obvious. She could see them because her head was at the same level as his feet.

“Are you okay?”

Illyd’s hand reached out to Liana, who looked at it blankly. It was calloused from holding a sword, but the back of his hand was smooth, as though he had never done anything difficult in his life.

After a moment of hesitation, Liana staggered to her feet on her own. “Thank you for your help, your highness.”

The prince withdrew his hand, but she could feel his eyes on her, even with her head bowed.

“I don’t know how to thank you…” As she stammered out her thanks, she felt a sudden pull on her arm and looked up at him, startled.

After studying her face for a moment, his own expression blank, Illyd looked at Liana’s wrist where he held it in his hand. The rope used to tie her up had cut deep, and there were dark red marks wherever it had touched.

“These bruises are going to be pretty bad.”

“It’s alright. It won’t keep me from using my hands, so…”

“As long as you can still do things with your hands, everything’s fine?” Illyd asked, smiling in disbelief.

Liana hastily tried to hide her wrists behind her back, but this time too she failed to escape.

“Did Lennox grab your wrist as well?”

 

 

TL/N: I have questions… When did Liana get tied up, and when were the ropes cut? WHERE DID VANESSA GO AFTER BEING STABBED? Sorry, I really can’t get over that glaring plot hole. Like, is she dead? Did she run away? Is she just laying there…? ლ(ಠ益ಠლ) Only Author-nim knows -_-‘