Episode 2
After twelve years, a period both short and long, Cliff Moore, a slave who had fled from Count Crawford like a chased rat, returned as one of the most great and noble men in the kingdom.
“Long live Cliff Moore!”
He saved the king, who had been dealing with barbarians at the border with outstanding performance, and soon after, he subdued the hostile nations that were constantly attempting invasions.
The king bestowed a new title upon him, fully restoring the Moore family, which had disappeared, in recognition of his efforts to reclaim lost territories and establish the kingdom as the most powerful nation on the continent.
He was now one of the only three marquises in the kingdom and the head of the king’s direct personal guard.
Anyone could easily guess the boundless trust he had from the king, considering he was the only noble allowed to have private soldiers under the king’s permission.
“Our black lion, who saved the kingdom from crisis and restored its great glory!”
The title “lion,” which he was often called, had an ambiguous meaning.
It could refer to a brave lion with black paws protecting a noble king, or it could refer to a lion of the battlefield, raining down the dead in his path. Either way, he was a formidable opponent that made everyone’s hair stand on end.
The Black Lion finally drew his sword on Crawford. My father had grown too old and weak to fight against the excessively large enemy.
He may not have wanted to admit it, but I thought that perhaps the fight had already been decided from the very beginning.
Perhaps the severe persecution against him was actually the fear that my father could never overcome.
“Open the door. It is the king’s order.”
On the day of our reunion, he made a triumphant entrance onto Crawford estate.
He immediately stormed into my father’s office. No one knew what they talked about, but it was evident that it was never going to be good for Crawford.
“How dare you! Do you think things will change? A beast from the gutter tries to bite its master! The sound of the whip lashing you is still so vivid!”
The sound of the office furniture breaking and loud shouting were clearly heard.
My father’s trembling shout amusingly resembled the desperate cry of prey in the presence of a hunter.
Like a prey that bares its teeth to avoid the arrows aimed at it, but the more he did, the more he seemed like prey unable to escape its fate.
Perhaps it was because he, my father, and I already knew who the winner of this fight would be.
I ran away, my heart pounding as if I had been running for tens of minutes.
I crawled into the farthest closet and storage room of the Crawford estate, where I often hid.
I clutched my chest and waited for my panting to subside. I could hear the sound of his armored knights moving around the house.
“Why are you taking those documents? Those are the family’s secret ledgers! They have nothing to do with what you’re talking about!”
“That’s something we’ll have to investigate.”
“Are you saying a mere knight doesn’t trust the heir of the great Crawford family? Insolent- hey! get your hands off of that! It’s just a record of the manor’s revenues, I won’t let you get away with this!”
“You’re brave enough, considering you are accused of human trafficking and drug distribution, which His Majesty himself has prohibited. This is enough to turn any noble house upside down. Gather everything, don’t leave a single document behind. We need to show it all to our lord.”
“It’s Moore! He’s manipulating His Majesty! No! That must never-! What are you doing? Stop them! Quickly! Butler!”
“His Majesty has granted permission to punish anyone who tries to obstruct the evidence collection. Don’t hesitate.”
I could hear my brother’s furious shouts mixed with the hesitant murmurs of the household staff.
Human trafficking and drugs. Is that why my fiancé’s family was a wealthy aristocracy with overseas connections?
I let out a bitter laugh. It wasn’t surprising to me that my family could be involved in such deeds.
He had grown so dazzlingly in all those years, and the Crawfords hadn’t changed a bit, I couldn’t help but laugh.
When the clanking sound of armor ceased.
I carefully crept out and dashed towards the stairs.
On the top floor of Crawford Castle, in a library rarely visited by anyone but me and the occasional book-eater mice, I had hidden funds for my escape.
It was a pittance compared to what my brothers might scoff at, but over time it had grown to an amount that could at least support a commoner.
After confirming the money was still there, I started to leave.
As I glanced out the window, I saw him.
His jet-black hair fluttered in the wind, his blue eyes gleamed, and an air of aggressive intimidation radiating from his entire body.
I froze in place.
Immediately, I turned away and hid my body against the wall, but I couldn’t control my pounding heart.
‘He might have seen me.’
I held my breath. Even though I knew he couldn’t hear my breathing from that distance, I covered my mouth and held my breath as if he were right in front of me.
“Ezen! Where is this bitch when the house is like this, Ezen!”
My father’s shouting reached my ears. I knew I had to move.
If I didn’t respond quickly, my brothers would call for me next, and they were far less restrained than my father.
The memory of my scalp aching from when they had grabbed me flashed through my mind, and I winced. At least he won’t be touching anything that shows through my clothes.
“Ezen!”
My father’s shout came again. It was time to move. I took another breath and peeled myself away from the wall.
My eyes instinctively glanced out the window again to confirm his presence.
I met the blue gaze that was still pointed in my direction. Panicking, I tore myself away from the window and fled.
As I ran down the corridor, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he would grab my ankle at any moment and bring me crashing down.
*
“Ezen, remember, we need strength right now. That bastard Cliff has not only cut off our funds but also frozen all our assets. Whether we bribe witnesses, cover things up, or run away, it’s all useless without him. Do you understand how serious our situation is?”
My brother squeezed both my wrists and growled. The pain seeping into my wrists would soon leave blue marks.
However, Father did nothing to stop him. It wasn’t hard to guess that my current situation, being dragged to a secret room in the opera house while wearing a shockingly revealing dress, had originated from his mind.
“Remember, even if you have to use your body, hold onto Nigel. Right now, your fiancé is the only one who can save us.”
I was pushed into the red room. My mind went blank, and my wrists, which my brother had gripped, ached.
I knew what I had to do. But I wouldn’t do it.
The downfall they were so desperate to avoid was something I had always wanted.
So I would do nothing…….
“Lady Crawford.”
My fiancé, who had been leaning back in a comfortable chair, stood up. I stopped my solitary, determined whispering.
“I’ve been waiting for you, the opera is about to begin, come this way.”
He escorted me with a courteous hand.
He said nothing about the scandal engulfing the Crawford family or the stares from other guests at my revealing attire. His serene face revealed nothing.
“You have nothing to worry about, my lady. The Donovan family is with you.”
He said the words my father had been waiting to hear.
I stood by his side without a response. My brother’s voice buzzed in my head while a beautiful soprano’s high notes echoed from the stage.
”I will remain a bystander until the end. Just like you did, I will do nothing. And when everything of yours falls apart…….’
I looked down. It was quite high. High enough to dream of flying away.
The song was nearing its end when the commotion started behind us.
“Do you know where you are……!”
I heard my father’s suppressed shout. It was unusual. He rarely raised his voice like that unless at home.
Then, suddenly, the door swung open.
I gasped at the large silhouette that appeared behind the door, casting a shadow at my feet. It might have been a harbinger of things to come.
