I looked around the grand and spacious room.
Claudia’s room was already quite large and well-decorated for a child, but this place couldn’t even be compared.
‘This must be Veronica’s room.’
I recognized it immediately.
The antique furniture with deep wood tones, the red sofa, the sparkling chandelier, and the lights that looked like they were made of crystal…
For a moment, I wasn’t sure if I was inside a room or standing in the ballroom of an aristocratic mansion straight out of a novel.
“So… are we leaving immediately…?”
“But… Dia’s body is still…”
“…”
Veronica and Sophia’s voices came to me in fragments.
Fortunately, it seemed that Sophia wasn’t seriously injured when that bastard Cedric pushed her. She was probably the one who had managed to pass on my situation to Veronica.
Even though I pretended not to listen, I kept my ears pricked. I needed to understand what was going on.
“Then why don’t we wait for a reply from the Duke’s family?”
“And risk Cedric doing something else to Dia in the meantime?”
“Hmm…”
The problem was that my body hadn’t fully recovered yet. And since they had already sent a letter to the Duke’s household, it would take time for a response to arrive.
On top of that, who knew what Cedric might do next if he lost control again?
It was good that Veronica had resolved to divorce Cedric. But now that she was actually trying to leave the mansion, there were too many obstacles.
After thinking for a moment, I spoke up.
“Mom.”
“…Huh?”
Veronica, who had been whispering with Sophia, turned to me with a puzzled look.
As soon as she realized I had called her, her face went pale, and she quickly approached me.
“What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
“No, I’m not hurt anymore.”
“But your shoulder…”
“It doesn’t hurt at all. So I can leave.”
“…!”
Veronica’s eyes widened in shock. I met her crimson gaze with a calm expression.
The sooner we left this mansion, the better. Dragging things out would only increase the chances of Veronica running into the female lead.
However, Claudia’s frail body was a problem. It was the middle of winter in the Empire. If we weren’t careful, something terrible could happen. It wasn’t unreasonable for Veronica to be worried.
‘But if not now, then never.’
If we lingered too long, we might get caught up in the original story. If that happened, everything would be for nothing.
Even if it meant my death, Veronica had to get out of this mansion.
Determined, I looked at her with a serious expression.
“My little one wants to go outside and play, huh?”
“…!”
“But not yet. If you go out in the cold wind, you might get sick again.”
“That’s not what I—”
Veronica completely misunderstood and shook her head playfully.
No, that’s not what I meant.
I opened my mouth to explain again, but at that moment—
“My, my lady!”
“…?”
The door suddenly burst open.
Both Veronica and I turned toward the entrance.
“What is it?”
“Well, the knights outside…!”
“What?”
Veronica, startled, hurried toward the door.
I also sneaked closer and peeked outside.
“…What is the meaning of this, Sir Haven?”
“…”
Beyond the open door, knights stood guard.
At the forefront was a towering man with a large scar across his face. That scar alone told me who he was.
Haven Lockwood.
The commander of the Deborah Knights, who served the male lead.
His dark brown skin, unusual for an imperial citizen, and the scar running across his face made him unmistakable.
Haven was originally a foreign slave. He first met the male lead on the battlefield, where he had been used as little more than a human shield by his own country. Captured as a prisoner, his exceptional skills caught the male lead’s attention, and he was recruited into the knights.
Many knights initially opposed his appointment because of his background. But once they saw him single-handedly slaughtering enemy soldiers, they had no choice but to accept him.
For Haven, following the male lead was far better than serving the homeland that had treated him as disposable.
And it paid off—he rose to become the commander of the knights, a trusted aide to the male lead, who held military power over the Empire.
Of course, some nobles still whispered about his origins, but neither the male lead nor Haven paid them any mind.
Now, Haven’s dark gray eyes regarded Veronica indifferently.
After a brief silence, he spoke in a calm, steady voice.
“This is His Grace’s command.”
“What kind of command justifies surrounding my room like this?”
“His Grace has ordered that my lady must not leave.”
“Hah…!”
Veronica let out a dry laugh, as if she found it utterly ridiculous. And I felt the same way.
That crazy bastard—he wanted a divorce, but now he was locking Veronica up? Was he a complete psychopath?!
Veronica’s rising anger showed in her voice as she snapped at Haven.
“What right does he have to imprison me?”
“I am merely following His Grace’s orders.”
“Stand down at once.”
“…”
But none of the knights moved. Haven remained silent, as did the rest of them.
There was no way out. Unless Cedric rescinded his order, the knights would continue to guard this place. They would ensure we never left the mansion.
“My lady, it’s dangerous to go near them.”
“…”
Sophia gently led me back inside, preventing me from watching any further.
But I already knew how this confrontation would end.
Veronica couldn’t take on an entire order of knights—especially not the infamous Deborah Knights, who had built their reputation on the battlefield.
‘If this continues, we’ll be trapped in this mansion.’
As I hugged the teddy bear Sophia had given me, I racked my brain for a way out.
Veronica had sent a letter to the Duke’s household.
But she wouldn’t have mentioned in the letter that we were being physically detained.
The Duke’s family might get suspicious if they received a reply with no response from Veronica, but by the time they decided to investigate…
‘It’ll be too late.’
That would be after the female lead and her child arrived at the mansion. And I had no interest in watching the original’s twisted story unfold.
I needed to find a way to escape—no matter what.
As I narrowed my eyes in thought, my gaze landed on the bracelet Veronica always wore around her wrist.
And in that moment, I smiled to myself.
Late at night.
I awoke quietly, careful not to disturb anyone.
What I was about to do had to remain a secret.
My small body desperately wanted to sleep, but I resisted. That was why I had taken a long nap during the day—to prepare for this moment.
“Hoo…”
I let out a slow breath and carefully surveyed my surroundings.
Knights were still standing guard, so I had to avoid making any noise.
“…Mmm…”
“…!”
Veronica was sleeping soundly beside me. A little further away, on a sofa almost as big as a bed, Sophia was also fast asleep.
I cautiously shifted my body to avoid waking Veronica. Unlike Claudia’s child-sized bed, Veronica’s was an adult’s, meaning it was much higher off the ground.
“Ngh…”
After much effort, I finally managed to climb down. Sweat poured down my back like rain.
I had to stay focused—my task wasn’t done yet.
I moved toward my target as quickly as I could. Of course, given my small body, I wasn’t exactly fast.
“…Hmm…”
I reached Veronica’s dressing table but immediately faced a problem.
It was much taller than I had anticipated. Even the chair was more than half my height.
‘I can do this!’
Clenching my tiny fists, I placed my hands on the chair and tried to climb up. My arms trembled with effort.
‘Almost there…!’
Just as I thought I had made it, my arms gave out. My weak limbs couldn’t support my weight, and I lost my balance.
“Ah…!”
I instinctively reached out for something—anything—to steady myself.
“Hoo…”
I barely managed to grab the dressing table in time, preventing a fall. But the sudden movement caused the furniture to rattle loudly.
“…”
Did the knights hear that?
The windows rattled loudly in the winter wind, masking the noise.
Relieved, I turned back to the chair—
“Huh?”
Something on the floor sparkled in the dim light.
Curious, I approached it.
