The carriage continued to race forward. True to the rumor that Franz possessed a tremendous amount of magic stones, second only to the imperial family, it seemed the carriage consumed an enormous quantity of magic stones to stay in motion.
The speed of the passing landscape outside the window was astonishing. It felt similar to the luxurious magic stone train I had taken from Urentum to LaHart.
At this speed, we should have already arrived in LaHart. Yet, the carriage kept racing toward some unknown destination.
I had expected this, but we were really not headed to LaHart. The fear I had tried to suppress reared its head once more.
“We’re almost there.”
After a long silence, Franz finally spoke. Arrived? I glanced outside again, but I couldn’t figure out where we were.
Where on earth has this man brought me? Meeting my puzzled gaze, Franz reached out and uncoupled the reins.
As his hand brushed my face, I instinctively flinched, but I forced my shoulders back and straightened up at the sound of his breath, smirking mockingly.
Someone like you doesn’t scare me at all. I repeated this to myself.
“Curious where this is?”
My lips, freed at last, felt awkward. I fluttered them and tried to move the tense muscles of my jaw. My cheeks, pressed by the reins, throbbed with discomfort.
“You’ll find out soon enough, Celly.”
Why does he keep pretending to be friendly? Whenever he treats me coldly, like an archenemy, and then suddenly speaks kindly, it sends chills down my spine.
Is he a split personality? Multiple personalities? Whatever it is, it was clear he wasn’t normal.
After all, a sane person wouldn’t commit such cruel acts and go on living. I turned my body away, trying to escape the breath of Franz that brushed past my ear.
Perhaps finding my reaction amusing, his snicker was particularly irritating.
“Even a timid rebellion like that must be good for your pride.”
“…….”
“Didn’t Count Louisette claim from the very beginning that I served you? It’s been less than a day since you said that, and now you’re acting all crooked; that’s troubling. When did I change my mind and decide to kill your daughter and all your knights? Celly.”
How can one hold another’s weaknesses and still smile so nonchalantly? The face that once looked so handsome now appeared utterly vicious. This must be what it looks like when a devil manifests.
“Get down.”
The carriage door opened. Franz, moving his long legs, stepped out of the carriage and looked back inside. His hands were tied behind him, making it difficult to stand and move.
As he rose and staggered, Franz furrowed his brows and reached out his hand. I didn’t want his help, but resisting was hard with my hands bound.
Franz, impatient with my slow steps, irritably grabbed my arm and pulled me along. What was this, assistance or a rough shove?
Being dragged out of the carriage, I noticed the surroundings were entirely brighter compared to when I was first ambushed by them.
At a glance, the barren land and rocky cliff immediately caught my attention. It was a place where no one could possibly live. Why have they brought me to such a place?
“My daughter.”
“What?”
“Return my daughter first. I need to ensure her safety.”
I braced myself against Franz’s pulling grip, trying not to be swayed by his strength. A feeling of anxiety washed over me, as I feared that if I moved any further away, I might never see Valerie again.
It felt like I was at the critical point of being able to rescue Valerie. Reflecting on how my anxious feelings had come true in the past, I realized I had to see Valerie again, no matter what.
“You seem to be under some misunderstanding; you can’t assert anything here.”
“……”
“It means you’re a prisoner. Do you know what that means? A prisoner can only tremble in fear and beg for their life. So don’t provoke me further, and just walk quietly with your mouth shut.”
“If you return Valerie to me, I will cooperate fully.”
Franz let out an annoyed sigh. The audacity I had was not solely due to maternal instinct.
Rather, it was a vague intuition that Franz, in his demeanor and tone, seemed unable to abandon Celeste completely.
If he truly wanted to, he could have dealt with me at any moment; yet, time and again, it felt like he spared my life at the last moment.
Even now, while subtly threatening that he could kill me whenever he wanted, he ultimately left me unharmed. He even added a kind explanation, saying that if I left him, I would die.
It seemed he worried that I, having lost my memory, might leave him and end up dead without realizing the truth.
Of course, this was only my vague speculation. However, I knew well from the original story how long Celeste and Franz had built a bond with each other.
Although the original story depicted Franz as being in love with Layla, it was clear that he held a special affection for Celeste as well.
Now that the original has been twisted, it’s hard to pinpoint where his emotions lie, but I hope at least a fragment of my heart still remains.
No, it must remain. If it were only a desire for revenge against Karl, wouldn’t he have captured and killed me immediately?
“Please. I beg you.”
Franz was silent for a moment. I wondered what thoughts were racing through his mind.
It was a brief silence, but I trembled inside at the fear of what he might say next. I tried hard to present a calm facade, though I wasn’t sure how long I could hold it together.
Perhaps due to stress, my stomach began to ache. My condition wasn’t great… That’s right, the baby. Remembering the existence of the child inside me brought a different kind of fear.
Franz doesn’t yet know that I have a child. Would revealing that information help? Or hinder? I quickly calculated in my mind but could find no certainty in either direction.
It didn’t seem like Franz had the compassion typical people show toward women with children, but with Celeste, it might be different. I don’t know. My head felt too cluttered and chaotic.
“Stilikov.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Bring the child.”
“Pardon?”
“Quickly.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Surprisingly, Franz complied with my request without protest. As one of his aides gestured to someone, an armed knight descended from a carriage, cradling something in their arms. Valerira.
“Ma, umma…”
The child had cried so much that their face was a mess. With a bright red face stained with tears and snot, they spotted me and let out a thundering wail as if the world was ending.
How scared they must have been, with the carriage overturning amid a huge noise and suddenly being grabbed by strangers.
“Valerie!”
I snatched Valerie from the knight’s arms and held her tightly. Even then, Valerie continued to cry for a while longer. I held her snugly and whispered, “Shh, it’s okay, Mommy’s here,” several times, and gradually her cries subsided.
“Alright, let’s walk.”
Having given what she wanted, I expected her to listen to me now. Despite the touching reunion between mother and daughter, Franz, indifferent, simply tapped the ground with his feet, prompting my movement.
What a heartless fellow. But still, I was relieved to be reunited with Valerie. I followed him without complaints. After all, staying here would lead nowhere.
After walking for a while, we arrived at a mansion that seemed to be shrouded in darkness, despite it being bright daylight outside.
The huge mansion, likely situated somewhere between the castle and itself, seemed built from stacked stones but lay in the shade, devoid of sunlight.
Still, there were no explanations. I felt scared about where we were and whether we could enter, but Franz said nothing. I followed him into the mansion, almost being forced to keep walking.
Valerie gradually calmed down and nestled into my arms. She gripped my clothes tightly with her small hands as if vowing never to let go. Feeling sympathy for her, I tightened my embrace.
Inside the mansion, it was even darker. It truly felt like a lightless void. Rather than a mansion, it could more aptly be described as a prison.
If it weren’t for the immense scale and the scattered luxurious furniture and decorations, I might have genuinely thought it was a prison.
Franz walked through the corridor and ascended the central staircase. I followed him, with my aide Stilikov and a group of knights behind me. The knights looked ready to draw their swords at any moment if I hesitated to go.
We climbed the stairs, layer by layer, and entered another corridor. I diligently stored the path we had taken in my mind just in case.
However, it was too dark and the corridors all looked similar, so I wasn’t sure if I could retrace my steps if I found myself alone.
“We are here to see Your Highness the Duke.”
Upon reaching the end of the corridor, a large door appeared. A sentry, seemingly aware of Franz’s arrival, respectfully bowed his head in greeting.
“Open it.”
“Yes.”
With a creaking sound that sent chills down my spine, the heavy door swung open. Inside was an abyssal darkness, completely devoid of light.
“Enter.”
Without imagining what I might see inside, I stepped into that terrifying darkness.
