Chapter 8
Upon waking from her dream, Odette struggled to recall the details and began sketching the mountains and rivers in a crude, uneven manner.
“Will anyone even be able to find it using this?”
She sighed at the childish-looking map, but then suddenly remembered the name of the village and scribbled it down.
“Now, finding the mine is Caesar’s problem.”
Without wasting any time, she called for a maid and asked to be dressed as beautifully as possible.
Once she was fully prepared, Odette headed to the dining hall.
Caesar was sitting by the window, light streaming behind him. He had just picked up an apple when his gaze lifted to meet hers.
“Why is he half-dressed this early in the morning?”
His shirt was unbuttoned three buttons down, revealing his sculpted chest muscles without reservation.
A rush of heat bloomed across Odette’s face.
“D-Did you sleep well?”
“So, the medicine I personally fed you worked after all. Come here.”
Caesar stretched out his arm, gesturing to the seat beside him.
“Ugh!”
Sitting so close to him, Odette immediately felt the weight of his presence.
A tingling sensation spread from the nape of her neck, curling through her entire body.
“You must be quite sensitive. Your reaction is rather telling.”
“I-I’m not! I’m actually quite dull to sensations— Ack!”
Without warning, Caesar leaned in and exhaled softly against her ear.
“Still think you’re dull?”
“I-I’m sorry!”
Odette trembled, clutching the hem of her skirt tightly.
Caesar simply smirked and offered her a forkful of finely cut meat.
“Eat. You need to recover quickly. You still haven’t comforted your husband, who just returned from war.”
“Comfort?”
“That’s right.”
“But… I’m not Lady Amelia.”
“You’re my wife.”
Caesar’s lips curled into a slow, teasing smile.
At that moment, Odette realized once again—Caesar had no intention of letting her go.
She had to change her approach.
“Y-You’re right. My husband… That’s why I want to protect your wealth.”
Caesar tilted his head, resting his chin on his hand as he studied her.
“My wealth?”
“I often saw Count Anderson handling strange gemstone ores and secretly selling them.”
Odette stole a glance at him.
Caesar’s expression shifted slightly.
“He’s interested!”
Encouraged, she lowered her gaze and continued.
“Once, while cleaning the office, I accidentally came across a document… and I thought Lord Caesar Maes should know about it.”
“First, you tell me that my butler and head chef are Anderson’s spies. Now, you’re saying my wealth is being stolen?”
“Well, I care a lot about money. My dream was to marry a rich husband and live in luxury.”
“And your dream has come true, hasn’t it?”
Caesar gestured for her to continue.
Odette licked her lips and pressed on.
“I saw a document stamped with the seal of the Maes family. It looked important, so I wondered—why was such a document carelessly left on a desk?”
“…….”
“I thought I should put it away properly and inform the butler. But when I opened the drawer, I found beautifully colored stones inside. They looked like uncut gemstones used in noblewomen’s jewelry.”
“So, by coincidence, you found a land deed belonging to my family… and that land happens to contain a mine?”
“Yes! It seems that way.”
“Now, hurry up and go after Count Anderson. While you’re distracted, I’ll make my escape!”
“And you even know where the land is?”
“Yes! Here it is!”
Odette pulled out the hastily drawn map she had made as soon as she woke up and handed it to him.
But Caesar didn’t even unfold it.
“What’s wrong?”
A sense of unease crept over her as she hesitantly spoke.
“Y-You should take the army and seal off Count Anderson’s office immediately. Secure the evidence!”
“Right now?”
“Yes! Lord Anderson has been stealing jewels from land that rightfully belongs to you. If the Emperor finds out, he will be greatly disappointed in him.”
“…Do you really think there’s a need to rush?”
“W-What do you mean?”
Caesar casually stabbed a piece of meat with his knife before looking at her.
“If Eric dies, and then the Count follows… who do you think will inherit the title?”
Eric was Amelia’s older brother.
He had once been engaged to Caesar’s sister, Andrea, but after Andrea’s death, he remained unmarried.
“W-Who will become the next head of the family?”
“No one. The title will simply—disappear.”
With a soft pop sound, Caesar spread his fingers open and grinned.
“Ah… So you’re planning to take everything after that happens?”
“Exactly.”
“All that effort, losing sleep to gather information through my dreams… and it was all for nothing.”
Odette slumped in defeat.
“Still… the gemstones were pretty.”
She muttered gloomily, her excitement completely drained.
“Do you like jewels?”
“What woman doesn’t? A diamond the size of a fist is truly dazzling.”
“Do you want one?”
Caesar looked as if he would march to the mine himself and bring back an entire hoard if she said yes.
“I absolutely do! And I’d love rubies and sapphires the size of marbles, too.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll get them for you. But in return… give me a kiss.”
Odette regretted her loose tongue immediately.
“If I kiss him, I’ll end up bedridden all day.”
Caesar had a way of draining her energy and stamina.
Whenever he touched or kissed her, she felt weak, her body growing sluggish and dazed.
But refusing him was not an option.
“Let’s just think of this as the last kiss.”
She had already planned everything for her escape while Caesar was away at the mine.
Odette squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her lips against his.
It was just a light kiss, yet it felt like flames had ignited within her chest.
It was as if her entire strength was being pulled into his lips.
“He’s draining my energy completely.”
Her body melted like wax, and she collapsed onto his shoulder.
“Hngh! P-please… spare me…”
“That’s my line.”
She felt Caesar’s smirk against her lips, sending a shiver down her spine.
“Ahh… my bones!”
Her mind turned hazy, her spine going weak, and soon, Odette went completely limp.
Late at night, Caesar finally left for the mine, taking his knights with him.
Odette hurried to pack her things.
The cabin where she and her mother had once lived deep in the mountains was far off the beaten path—Caesar would never find her there.
“Judging by the map, it should take at least a week or ten days to reach it.”
She needed extra clothes and an extra pair of shoes.
Luckily, before leaving Count Anderson’s estate, she had secretly asked Emma to gather all the money she had saved.
That had been a wise decision.
Odette placed her stash of gold and silver coins—now dull with grime—into a leather pouch.
She also packed a few pieces of jewelry, just in case.
“This is the real challenge!”
To escape, she had to cross through the estate grounds.
She tossed her bag over the back veranda. Unlike the well-maintained front courtyard, the back was covered in thick autumn leaves. The bag landed without a sound.
“Good. That’s done.”
The hallway was eerily silent. Moving on tiptoe, she descended the stairs and made her way to the kitchen.
As a former maid, she knew the back door would be unlocked.
Sure enough, the door swung open silently, allowing her to slip out without alerting anyone.
The lack of guards made her uneasy, but who in their right mind would dare steal from Caesar Maes’s estate?
She retrieved her bag and ran.
She ran until the estate’s outer wall loomed before her.
With a swift motion, she hurled her bag over the wall and climbed a tree.
The beech tree’s branches stretched beyond the estate walls, providing a path over.
Once she reached the other side, she gritted her teeth and jumped down.
“Ugh!”
Pain shot through her ankle upon impact.
It wasn’t broken, but she had twisted it slightly.
“It’s fine. At least I didn’t break my leg.”
She grabbed her bag and limped forward. By dawn, she would be able to board a hired carriage.
“Mother, just wait a little longer. I’ll bring flowers and visit your grave soon. I miss you.”
Thus began Odette’s first escape.
