Chapter 28
Finally, Cashwood granted permission. It was surprisingly difficult to commission his services, even with payment.
“Who are you looking for?” Cashwood’s attitude had noticeably softened once he knew Aiden had introduced her.
“A woman named Helen. I heard she was the daughter of the Barony of Maklar. She recently worked as a maid in the Ergen Duchy.”
At the mention of the Ergen Duchy, Cashwood’s eyebrows slightly raised, but he said nothing further. Instead, he pulled out a piece of paper and began jotting down Helen’s details.
“First, tell me her age and appearance.”
Raylenne recalled Helen’s features. “She has brown eyes and curly red hair.”
“And her face?”
“It’s somewhat round with a slightly hooked nose. She has quite a few moles on her face.”
After describing her build and personality in detail, Cashwood nodded. “This should be sufficient.”
His confident demeanor instilled a sense of trust in Raylenne.
“How long will it take to find her? It needs to be as soon as possible.”
Cashwood held up a single finger.
“A month…? A month is too long.”
At Raylenne’s worried tone, Cashwood shook his head. “A week will be enough.”
* * *
Cashwood was indeed reliable.
‘What a subordinate.’
Raylenne imagined Aiden, mounted on a horse, commanding his subordinates. Given her initial encounter with him, where he appeared frail and on the verge of collapse, it was hard to picture a robust Aiden. However, his broad shoulders and solid build would have made him look quite impressive wielding a sword and riding a horse.
‘What am I even thinking…’
Raylenne quickly dismissed her thoughts. Aiden, seen in a favorable light, felt dangerous. Her intuition warned her of this.
Upon returning to the mansion, Raylenne quietly entered her room. It wasn’t long before a knock was heard and Janie came in.
“I was worried since you returned so late, my lady.”
“I went for a night walk.”
Raylenne replied curtly, and Janie hesitated before speaking.
“Please take me with you next time. It’s dangerous for you to go alone.”
“It’s just a walk around the duchy.”
“But still…”
Helen would have quickly read the mood and stayed silent, but Janie, seemingly unafraid of Raylenne, continued to speak. Considering she had only served as a maid for a week long ago, and with her fierceness having softened considerably, Raylenne found this somewhat inconvenient, as it required more unnecessary conversation.
“I prefer to be alone.”
Raylenne said decisively.
“Yes… I understand.”
Janie’s face fell slightly, and she nodded. Raylenne scrutinized her carefully. She was suspicious of Janie’s sudden interest in accompanying her.
Though Caverion trusted Janie, Raylenne herself wasn’t fully convinced yet. However, seeing Janie’s dejected expression made it hard to believe her actions were just a façade.
Raylenne lowered her guard a bit and asked, “Did anyone look for me while I was away?”
“Not exactly… Master passed by and noticed the lights were off in your room, so he asked where you were.”
“My father?”
Janie nodded. “Yes. When I told him I’d let you know he was looking for you when you returned, he said it was fine.”
Despite being told not to relay the message, Janie dutifully informed her. Clearly, she didn’t harbor ill intentions.
‘But why was the Duke of Ergen near my room?’
Her room was in a secluded part of the castle, with little reason for him to be there. Could it be he had something to discuss regarding her marriage? Yet, since he didn’t ask to see her again, it didn’t seem urgent.
Raylenne furrowed her brow at the Duke’s odd behavior.
“You don’t look well, my lady.”
“Leave me be.”
Raylenne waved her hand wearily, and Janie responded with a soft “Yes…” before leaving the room.
Flopping onto her bed, Raylenne’s long hair spread out haphazardly over the white sheets. She stared at her dark navy hair, then her gaze shifted to the night sky.
The night sky, which should have been pitch dark, was illuminated by the bright moonlight, making it look similar to her hair. Raylenne, having set aside her thoughts about the Duke, blankly gazed at the round moon.
‘The moon is bright.’
Soon, the full moon would rise.
That was when she needed to get Aiden out of the cell.
Despite the upcoming challenging task, the thought of Aiden enjoying the fresh air after so long brought a sense of anticipation as if it were her own. A faint smile appeared on Raylenne’s lips.
* * *
Finally, the night of the full moon had arrived. Raylenne had been busy inspecting the area near the underground prison the day before. She needed to find a place for Aiden to stand in the moonlight after taking him out of the cell.
Conveniently, there was a small forest behind the underground prison.
“Perfect.”
She decided that she would bring him there. Although the guards would patrol the area after Haele left the underground prison, this particular spot was not included in their patrol route. Even if someone did come by, the thick trees provided ample cover.
Raylenne eagerly awaited the evening and the rise of the moon. She intentionally did not visit Aiden during the day, as she would see him later in the evening anyway. However, she had not yet thought of an important detail.
“…What should I say to Aiden?”
This was, in fact, a great favor she was doing. She was taking a risk to bring him outside the cell. This made it even more complicated. Aiden already had feelings for her, which was problematic enough, and taking him outside might only deepen those feelings.
She couldn’t tell him the real reason.
‘If I said, “You’re about to awaken, and I need to check your aura in the moonlight to gauge the timing,” he would definitely find it strange.’
Furrowing her brow and stroking her chin, Raylenne came up with a plausible excuse: gratitude. After all, Aiden had introduced her to someone who helped her get closer to finding Helen. Even though Helen hadn’t been found yet, it was much better than waiting idly for Caverion to find her.
“Yes.”
Approaching it as a gesture of reciprocation would seem human, but Aiden wouldn’t perceive it as her acting out of personal interest.
As twilight darkened the barren land of the duchy, Raylenne donned her robe and left her room. She moved stealthily and glanced at the entrance to the underground prison, where Haele was just leaving. He exchanged pleasantries with someone who appeared to be a patrol guard before leaving in high spirits.
There were three guards patrolling the area, just as she had seen the previous day. They didn’t stay in one place; two of them patrolled the vicinity in turns while the third remained at the outer entrance of the underground prison. Thus, she had to enter through the back door. Although she could have entered through the main entrance as Aiden’s watcher, Raylenne wanted to keep her visit a secret.
While hiding and waiting for the right moment to slip through the back door, she overheard the guards’ conversation.
“I saw a carriage leaving earlier. Wasn’t it Helis again?”
“Where does he go so late?”
“He claims it’s for land inspections, but who knows? Maybe he’s seeing a woman.”
Eavesdropping, Raylenne tilted her head in confusion.
‘Helis left at this hour?’
It was strange. It sounded like he had done this more than once. Suddenly, she recalled what a drunkard had said in an alley.
[Recently, I saw someone with hair exactly like yours…]
The drunkard had mentioned seeing someone from her family in the alley. Could it have been Helis?
It was too early to be sure, but given his tendency to procure strange items like Hayashin, it was possible he had connections to such places.
‘If Helis has gone to the back alleys again tonight, he must be up to something…’
Raylenne decided she would keep a closer eye on Helis.
After the guards finished their idle chatter and dispersed, Raylenne stealthily approached the back door of the underground prison. She inserted the key she had brought and turned it. The door creaked open, releasing a shower of rust particles as it had not been opened for a long time.
Covering her mouth and nose with her hand, Raylenne slowly entered. She went to the drawer managed by Haele and retrieved the key to Aiden’s cell. Standing in front of Aiden’s cell, she took a deep breath. The iron door looked more intimidating and cold at night.
‘He’s been alone in this place all day…’
Caught in a brief moment of melancholy, Raylenne quickly shook it off, realizing she had no time to waste. She inserted the key into the door. As the iron door creaked open, she cautiously peered inside.
“Huh…?”
Aiden was nowhere to be seen. The cell was dark, and there was no sign of anyone inside. As Raylenne stepped into the cell in confusion, a startled voice came from the side.
“Raylenne…?”
In the dim light, she saw Aiden pressed flat against the wall. He had wrapped his shirt around his hands, seemingly ready to defend himself. He must have thought an intruder had come at this late hour.
As she had noticed before, Aiden was extremely sensitive to any signs of intrusion, likely a result of his recent experiences in the long war and the numerous enemies he had faced. It was clear that if a hostile intruder had entered, they would not have survived Aiden’s defensive stance.
“I was startled, wondering who would enter the cell at this hour,” Aiden said, unwrapping the shirt from his hands.
“Why are you here so late?”
His eyes glinted in the darkness. Raylenne started to answer but then closed her mouth. There was something she needed to address first.
“…Put on your clothes first.”
