Chapter 49

Raylenne’s eyes narrowed slightly.

‘Is that even possible?’

Though she had recently seen some rust on the chains, they weren’t something a person could break with sheer force. There were no tools in the cell that could have done it either. Breaking the chains with pure strength was simply out of the question. So how did Aiden break the chains?

“Is Aiden still in the cell with the broken chains?” she asked.

“Yes… We couldn’t reattach them,” Haele replied, scratching his head again.

“And there’s one more strange thing…”

“What is it?”

“Aiden went back into the cell by himself,” Haele said, tilting his head to the side in confusion. “I’m not sure if it’s because he knew the guards at the main gate were too tight for him to escape, but it was surprising to see him go back in voluntarily.”

Raylenne knew Aiden would stay put, but Haele wouldn’t have expected that. He glanced at her briefly.

“It was also surprising that Aiden went to save you, Lady Raylenne. As soon as the chains broke, he disappeared like the wind.”

When Raylenne remained expressionless, Haele quickly waved his hands.

“Oh, of course, I’m grateful for that. Thanks to Aiden, you were safe, Lady Raylenne.”

“Haele,” Raylenne called softly, and Haele straightened up reflexively.

“Yes…?”

“You have my gratitude this time.”

Although her words seemed sudden, Haele shook his head so vigorously his cheeks jiggled.

“No, it’s not like that…! I should have stayed by your side and protected you instead of running for help.”

“If you had disobeyed my orders, I would have reprimanded you,” Raylenne said sternly, making Haele clench his fists nervously.

“Ah… I see.”

“I mean you did well.”

Haele’s wandering eyes met Raylenne’s, and she smiled gently.

“Because you ran and freed Aiden, I am safe.”

“Lady Raylenne…” Haele’s eyes shone with emotion at her praise.

Although there was another reason for her praise, she genuinely wanted to acknowledge Haele’s contribution.

“Haele.”

“Yes…!”

“I am truly grateful and want to give you a small gift.”

Haele shook his head rapidly again.

“I just did what I had to do; there’s no need for a gift…”

“Is there anything you need?” Raylenne insisted.

“No, I don’t need anything.”

“Then I’ll decide on a gift for you.”

Haele’s hands hovered awkwardly in the air, unable to find words to refuse her firm stance.

“You don’t need to go this far… I’m the one who should be thanking you, Lady Raylenne, for risking yourself as bait in that dangerous situation…”

His voice trailed off, and he seemed emotional at the memory. Raylenne found his reaction endearing, but maintained a solemn tone.

“Haele, you are now one of my people.”

At the words “my people,” Haele’s eyes sparkled.

“One of your people…”

“I sincerely thank you. I look forward to working with you.”

Her kind words made Haele’s ears turn red.

“Of course! If you need anything, just let me know!”

Raylenne smiled at his enthusiastic response.

“Then, can I ask you one favor?”

“Of course!”

Haele’s voice echoed through the underground prison. Raylenne spoke with satisfaction.

“I don’t want anything that happens in this cell to leak outside.”

Haele looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“I mean things like Aiden saving me or escaping from the cell.”

Raylenne placed a hand on Haele’s shoulder.

“I know you might be curious about Aiden’s actions. But all I can say is that I treated him humanely.”

“Humanely…”

Raylenne laughed softly at Haele’s murmuring.

“Why? Does it seem strange that someone from the Ergen family would treat Aiden humanely?”

“No, it’s just surprising…”

Raylenne gazed at the dimly flickering lights of the underground prison as she spoke.

“Everyone is born with a noble life.”

“Lady Raylenne…”

Haele’s eyes sparkled in the dark prison, moved by her words. With a firm voice, he declared,

“As you wish, I will take what I have seen and heard here to my grave!”

“Thank you.”

Raylenne smiled and patted Haele’s shoulder.

“Next time, I’ll come with a gift.”

* * *

Raylenne silently laughed as she recalled Haele’s bright, eager eyes. ‘Like a bear that’s lost its wildness,’ she thought. Her smile faded when she stood in Aiden’s cell, remembering what he had said.

[In the future… I will repay this favor.]

[I will remember that.]

There was another person besides Haele to whom she owed a debt. ‘How should I repay Aiden…?’ With a troubled expression, Raylenne opened the cell door. Aiden was leaning against the wall.

As he stood closer than usual, her eyes naturally fell to his feet, where broken chains dangled from his shackles. Without his feet being bound, he moved more freely around the cell, which is why he could stand so close to the door now.

“Aiden,” she called. He looked at her, his eyes softening.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, stepping away from the wall and closing the iron door behind her. It was a strange sight—someone who was imprisoned closing the door themselves. Moreover, with his shackles no longer attached to the wall, he could easily run if he wanted to. But Raylenne knew that Aiden had countless opportunities to escape and yet always chose to stay. Knowing the reason behind this made her throat feel dry.

‘…It’s my fault.’

She should have been more detached. She had been too kind to Aiden, letting her emotions get the better of her and even receiving his help for personal matters.

As Raylenne reproached herself, she noticed Aiden’s face was slightly flushed. From his eyes to his cheeks, a faint reddish hue spread. Was he embarrassed again? She scrutinized his expression, but he didn’t seem embarrassed. They had just met, so there was no reason for that yet. Did he have a fever…? Puzzled by his blush, Raylenne spoke.

“Your face is red.”

“I’m fine,” Aiden replied casually, quickly changing the subject. “Did you handle Helis?”

“Yes. Helis will no longer set foot in this estate,” she replied, still curious about his blush but answering readily. Aiden must have been very concerned about Helis’ fate. His eyes momentarily sharpened.

“So, he wasn’t severely punished for his actions? Was that the Duke of Ergen’s decision?” Aiden’s swift deduction that Helis received a lenient punishment from her ambiguous answer was correct.

“It wasn’t my father’s decision; it was mine,” she said, meeting his gaze. His raised eyebrow demanded an explanation. “I asked for leniency because of something I did in the past.”

Aiden said nothing, though he clearly disapproved of Helis not being severely punished. However, since Raylenne had requested clemency, he couldn’t argue. Watching his tense expression, Raylenne pondered whether to explain further, but she dismissed the thought, feeling uneasy about something else.

“Aiden. How many times have I told you to be careful with your words when referring to the Duke of Ergen?” Even though she knew no one could hear them in this secluded place, she was frightened. If Aiden’s disrespectful remarks reached the Duke’s ears, he might face severe punishment—far worse than going hungry in a cell.

In a serious voice, she continued, “You might think it’s just a careless remark, but the consequences could be severe.”

“…”

“You could be whipped dozens of times for a single word. Then you’d be left to suffer here alone again.” Despite her heartfelt plea, Aiden remained silent, his dark pupils reflecting her anxious face, showing how much her worry affected him.

Realizing she was pleading with such an expression, Raylenne quickly took a step back. Her back hit the cold iron door as Aiden stepped closer, placing his arm beside her. Before she could register the proximity, she felt his warm breath near her ear.

“Are you worried about me?”

Raylenne shoved Aiden’s shoulder with a loud slap. Though her strength wasn’t enough to push away a grown man, Aiden stepped back willingly, a faint smile on his lips.

‘He’s been acting strangely sly recently,’ she thought. While he stood straight and proper like a scholar, he approached her stealthily like a snake, wrapping around her. She glared at him.

“Worried? I’m worried that my father will scold me because of you!”

“Yes. I wouldn’t want Lady Raylenne to be scolded because of me. So, I will be careful with my words.”

Surprised by his immediate compliance, she found herself at a loss for words. Yet, remembering the earlier awkward situation, she quickly found something to say.

“One more thing, don’t come closer to me than a certain distance.”

Aiden tilted his head, giving her a sideways glance.

“I refuse.”