Chapter 41
Aiden’s punch had left a deep dent in the iron wall.
‘Was it always like this…?’
Raylenne alternated her gaze between Aiden’s hand and the iron wall. The dent, shaped exactly like Aiden’s fist, seemed to have formed just moments ago when he had struck it. Holding Aiden’s hand, she stared at the wall in silence.
‘Is this even possible…?’
If Aiden had indeed caused such damage to the iron wall, his strength was extraordinary. His rapid movements, almost like teleportation, and now this… Raylenne couldn’t understand it, but Aiden sometimes exhibited powers that surpassed human limits.
The crucial point was that Aiden himself seemed unaware of the source of his strength. Even now, if she asked him if he had always been this strong, she knew he would react with confusion. She wanted to check for the faint light that sometimes appeared around his body, but it wasn’t visible now. She would have had to observe at the moment he threw the punch to be sure.
Giving up on her speculation, Raylenne packed the disinfectant and stood up.
“I have to go now. I’ll come back in the evening with my brother.”
Before leaving, Raylenne warned Aiden.
“And when we return, you’ll need to speak respectfully. My brother won’t let it slide.”
Earlier, Aiden had spoken informally and referred to her as “you.” While Raylenne sometimes pretended not to hear such slips, Caverion would not tolerate such disrespect.
[Are you going to stay here without me?]
[Don’t go. Please don’t leave me alone…]
She recalled Aiden’s desperate plea, his earnest eyes and heart-wrenching voice. Thinking about it again made her feel strange, as if her face was heating up.
* * *
As darkness enveloped the duchy, Raylenne prepared to descend to the underground prison again. She was going to meet Caverion and Aiden. The thought of their meeting made her heart pound with tension, but she wasn’t entirely anxious. She knew Caverion had changed.
[…I’ve also thought about whether Aiden deserves the treatment he’s been receiving.]
Caverion had said this, surprisingly. She didn’t know what had caused his change of heart, but she was sure it was a significant step forward that he was now able to view Aiden’s situation objectively.
‘The fact that he wants to talk to Aiden first…’
While pondering these thoughts in the underground prison, Raylenne awaited Caverion’s arrival. Soon, he appeared, looking surprisingly relaxed for someone who had evaded the patrol to get there.
“Brother, did you manage to evade the patrol?”
“I sent them off by making them think they heard a noise on the opposite side, then came here.”
With just a word from Caverion, all the employees moved accordingly. How convenient, thought Raylenne, reaffirming Caverion’s influence within the castle.
“How long does Father intend to keep us from meeting? It’s not like he can hide the sky with his palm.”
“Until my engagement or marriage is confirmed. He thinks it will be harder for me to interfere then.”
Caverion gently caressed Raylenne’s cheek. His calloused palm was rough from swordsmanship practice.
“So, it’s crucial to hear what Aiden has to say about Harbian today.”
“Yes…”
Caverion gave a warm smile and then walked towards Aiden’s cell. He stood before the iron door and opened it.
Thump, thump.
Raylenne watched their encounter with a nervous heart. The door creaked open, revealing the dark space inside. Before entering, Caverion glanced around the cell. His eyes fixed on the ceiling.
“There’s a light.”
“…I thought it was necessary, so I installed it.”
This was the first time Caverion had seen the changes in the cell. Besides the light, he would also notice the cleaner cell, Aiden’s tidy clothes, and the thicker blanket. Raylenne had briefly considered how to explain these changes before coming, but decided to be straightforward. She believed Caverion would understand if she explained well.
Without asking further about the light, Caverion turned it on. The previously dark space instantly brightened, revealing Aiden leaning against the wall. The sudden light seemed to hurt his eyes, making him squint. Their gazes met through the cold air.
“…”
“…”
Raylenne swallowed hard, alternating her gaze between Caverion and Aiden. It was Caverion who spoke first.
“You’ve recovered quite a bit.”
His tone was emotionless. Unlike his usual warm voice, the lack of inflection made it sound rather cold. On the other hand, Aiden remained silent. Ignoring Aiden’s silence, Caverion continued to inspect the cell. Raylenne felt her mouth go dry.
“The cell is cleaner.”
“It was too dirty, so I had Aiden clean it.”
In truth, she had helped as well. But she knew Caverion would be furious if she admitted that she had cleaned the filthy cell herself. As expected, Caverion didn’t seem pleased with her explanation either.
“You had him clean?”
Caverion’s eyebrows arched.
“As you know, brother, I can’t stand filth. Since I visit this place daily, I had to clean it to some extent…”
“And Aiden obediently cleaned?”
Raylenne stopped her excuses at Caverion’s question.
‘He finds that strange…,’ she thought.
Reflecting on it, Aiden had been slapped twice by Caverion for not answering his questions before. Even then, he had refused to speak and had been punished with starvation.
Raylenne struggled to come up with a response, knowing it would be hard for Caverion to believe she had managed to make Aiden clean. As she hesitated, Aiden spoke up instead.
“She told me that if I didn’t listen, she would take away the light.”
Caverion turned his gaze to Raylenne, as if asking if it was true. Raylenne calmly affirmed Aiden’s explanation.
“Yes, that’s right. One of the reasons for installing the light was to keep Aiden compliant. He wouldn’t want to lose something he had gotten used to.”
Raylenne silently praised Aiden for his quick thinking. This explanation solidified the justification for installing the light.
“You’re doing a great job as a warden,” Caverion said, patting Raylenne’s head.
Raylenne felt a pang of guilt and forced a smile, noticing Aiden’s expression had hardened slightly. He seemed displeased but turned his head without saying anything.
“Aiden,” Caverion called.
“I came to talk to you about Crown Prince Harbian.”
Aiden nodded slightly. His indifferent response made Raylenne’s palms sweat, but Caverion seemed unbothered.
“Soon, Raylenne will be marrying Crown Prince Harbian. But as you know, he isn’t suitable as a husband.”
“…”
“I don’t want my precious sister to marry such a man.”
Aiden silently listened to Caverion’s words.
“To prevent this marriage, we need to find a secret about the Crown Prince that could be used against him. Something that would annul the engagement.”
Caverion looked directly at Aiden.
“In short, I need your help.”
“…”
“I want to hear what you know about Crown Prince Harbian.”
Raylenne could see Caverion making an effort. He was trying to engage Aiden in conversation without being authoritative or threatening. Considering their original relationship, it was hard to believe they were now talking face-to-face.
‘Caverion is doing this to stop my marriage,’ Raylenne thought, feeling grateful once more.
Responding to Caverion’s effort, Aiden spoke in a calm voice.
“Harbian is a snake.”
Both Raylenne and Caverion focused on Aiden.
“He acts like a rogue but never leaves any traces. Maintaining a clean image is not difficult for him.”
“Then are you saying there’s no way to expose him?” Caverion asked, narrowing his eyes.
Aiden paused before speaking firmly.
“It’s not impossible, but it won’t be easy.”
“I never expected an easy way to deal with the Crown Prince.”
The tension in the cell was palpable. Raylenne held her breath, listening intently to their conversation. Aiden finally spoke again.
“Find the second daughter of Marquis Beltvis.”
“Are you referring to Miss Lavita?” Caverion asked, immediately recognizing the name.
Despite his infrequent attendance at social gatherings, Caverion’s exceptional memory allowed him to remember even the daughters of noble families.
“Yes.”
“What happened between her and Crown Prince Harbian?”
“As you might already know, the Crown Prince enjoyed many women in secret. Miss Lavita was one of them.”
Caverion’s expression darkened.
“Harbian has been with countless women, but it’s always been kept quiet. He made sure they remained silent. So, what’s different about Miss Lavita?”
Aiden let out a low breath.
“Miss Lavita had Harbian’s child.”
A chilling silence filled the room. Raylenne was too shocked to speak, thinking to herself.
What…?
‘He’s even more of a scoundrel than I thought!’
