Chapter 50
“Y-you refuse?” Raylenne stammered.
Aiden ran a hand through his hair, his smooth forehead drawing her attention unnecessarily.
“I told you I would never do anything to make things difficult for you.”
“…Yes.”
“I won’t leave even if the cell door is open,” he said. This was already proven; Aiden had the opportunity to escape but never took it.
“And if Duke Ergen commands me to kneel, I will.”
It was surprising to hear Aiden say such things. The Aiden who had glared at Caverion was now willing to comply. Sensing her surprise, Aiden let out a deflated laugh.
“I can do more. If told to lick the floor, I will.”
The extreme example made Raylenne’s throat dry. “Why… to such an extent?”
Aiden stepped closer, gently pulling at her long hair. “As I said, I don’t want to cause you any trouble. That’s all.”
With a low voice, Aiden kissed her hair softly. “So, at least let me come closer.”
His deep eyes held no deceit. Raylenne felt as if she were being pulled into the depths of Aiden’s heart, drowning in an overwhelming tide. But the reality that Aiden needed to escape from here quickly resurfaced in her mind, making her mouth taste bitter.
The Aiden who followed her blindly like a baby bird would forget her once he left. That was his destiny, his path. The realization hit her like cold water, clearing her mind.
“Aiden,” she said, her voice icy.
“I’ve been too lenient with you.”
“…”
“This is an order. Do not come near me.”
Raylenne’s expression was as cold and hard as the cell floor. “If you don’t obey, I’ll ask for a new guard.”
Aiden’s expression stiffened. “Why…”
“It’s true that I’ve received a lot of help from you, and I’m grateful. But that doesn’t mean I hold you in any special regard,” she said, maintaining a surprisingly cold demeanor.
“For subduing the intruder, I’ll reward you with food. I’ll ask my brother to provide you with warm meals three times a day instead of bread.”
Aiden stared at Raylenne, his sharp eyes narrowing dangerously. “I don’t need that kind of reward,” he said, veins pulsing at his temples.
He closed his eyes as if avoiding her gaze, looking pained. Raylenne’s hand instinctively moved towards his cheek, but she stopped herself.
Aiden’s eyelashes quivered before he opened his eyes, revealing a murky gaze filled with deep sorrow. “What am I to you?”
The ambiguous question felt like a blade at her throat. Raylenne herself didn’t know what Aiden was to her. However, she knew what she had to say in this situation.
“You are my prisoner,” she said, hoping Aiden wouldn’t notice the tremor in her voice.
“That’s all you are.”
* * *
“Oh my, Miss!”
Janie rushed over when she saw Raylenne slumped over the table. At Janie’s loud voice, Raylenne slowly lifted her head, her long hair covering her face like a scene from a horror movie.
“Are you alright…?”
Janie gently brushed Raylenne’s hair aside. Despite her usual beautiful features, her skin was pale as a corpse.
“Are you feeling sick again, as if you’re going to faint?”
Janie’s worried tone was almost frantic. It seemed like she was about to fetch a doctor when Raylenne shook her head from side to side.
“…No, it’s not that I’m sick.”
“Then why do you look so pale…?”
Raylenne felt the urge to confide her complicated feelings to Janie. She was that confused and upset, all because of Aiden.
[You are my prisoner.]
Aiden’s crumbling expression after those words was unbearable. She wanted to hold his face and apologize, to explain that it wasn’t what she meant. But she couldn’t do that, and she had no words to define Aiden.
That was the nature of their relationship: prisoner and guard. Of course, her feelings towards Aiden weren’t as cold as a mere prisoner-guard relationship. Seeing him confined yet unyielding, she felt pity, admiration, and even found him… cute.
‘Cute…?’
Raylenne swallowed hard. This was dangerous. Lately, Aiden had seemed more dazzling, more handsome. These signals were not good. She knew better than anyone what fate awaited Aiden. He would leave this castle, and their bond would be severed.
“I’m just not feeling well.”
Raylenne frowned as she spoke, and Janie refrained from expressing further concern. Instead, she quietly placed a beautiful envelope in front of Raylenne.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a reply to the letter you sent to Countess Shablin.”
Janie answered while observing Raylenne’s reaction. Raylenne now remembered. It was a reply to her request to attend the tea party of Countess Shablin, a central figure in social circles.
‘I sent that letter.’
She had been so preoccupied with Helis’ matters that she had momentarily forgotten. To approach Lavita, who bore Crown Prince Harbian’s child, she first needed to attend social gatherings. She planned to get close to Lavita through casual conversation.
Raylenne opened the elegant envelope, which contained a dried rose petal and a letter written on fine paper.
<To Raylenne,the unfading black rose of the Hamnebu Empire, it would be an honor if you could attend my tea party. I plan to hold an outdoor tea party in our newly planted dahlia garden. Your presence would make it perfect. ―Shablin Hamilton―>
The meticulously written letter showed the Countess’s determination not to miss a valuable guest. The tea party was scheduled for this weekend.
‘Things are progressing faster than expected.’
Yet, her heart did not race with excitement. Her mind was filled with the image of Aiden’s resentful gray eyes.
“I should go now…”
Janie, sensing Raylenne’s dark mood, started to back away when Raylenne grabbed her wrist.
“If you have time, sit with me for a while.”
Raylenne felt the need to confide in someone to release her pent-up emotions. Otherwise, she might explode soon.
Janie, caught off guard, sat down opposite her. Her round eyes darted around awkwardly. Raylenne sighed deeply and began to speak.
“I have a dilemma.”
Janie nodded, indicating she was listening.
“What is it?”
Raylenne hesitated. She couldn’t openly admit her worries about Aiden, so she needed a metaphor.
After some thought, Raylenne spoke. “Actually, I’ve been secretly feeding a stray dog.”
“What?”
Janie’s voice rose in surprise.
“How could a stray dog get into the heavily guarded castle…?”
“Is there any wall without a single hole?” Raylenne replied evasively. Janie seemed to believe in the stray dog’s existence.
“A stray dog… Isn’t that dangerous?”
Raylenne thought of Aiden. ‘It would be a lie to say it’s not dangerous.’
“It’s not tame, but it listens to me well because I feed it and pet it.”
“I see… But what’s the problem?”
Raylenne placed her hands on the table, fiddling with her fingertips. “I found out that the dog isn’t actually a stray. One day it brought me its collar, so I knew it had an owner.”
“Did the owner come and take it away?”
Janie asked, looking genuinely concerned.
“Not yet, but it will happen soon.”
“Oh… That must be hard for you.”
Raylenne nodded. “I’m torn. Should I keep getting attached to it even though I know we’ll be separated soon?”
Her blue eyes lingered somewhere on the table.
“In fact… I’ve already pushed it away once. I thought if I kept showing affection, the dog might mistake me for its owner.”
“…”
Janie was silent, deeply contemplating Raylenne’s words. After a while, she spoke.
“Miss Raylenne, are you sure the dog’s owner hasn’t shown up yet?”
“Yes. If it had met its owner, it wouldn’t be lingering around the castle.”
Raylenne had to admit that Aiden hadn’t met the female protagonist yet.
“Then why not take care of it until its owner appears?”
Raylenne looked at Janie, surprised by her suggestion. “Take care of it…?”
“Yes. The owner might never show up, and even if they do, there’s no need to push it away so soon.”
“But if I keep feeding it and it mistakes me for its owner…?”
Janie shrugged. “Then you’ll have to become its owner.”
“And if the owner shows up and the dog leaves me?”
“It’ll be painful, but you’ll have to let it go.”
Janie’s seemingly nonchalant answer narrowed Raylenne’s eyes. She hadn’t expected Janie to be so straightforward.
Janie continued, looking a bit guilty under Raylenne’s sharp gaze. “Honestly, I feel sorry for the dog.”
Janie seemed deeply empathetic towards the dog. “Think about it. If a dog loses its owner and becomes a stray wandering around the mountains… If even you abandon it, it might starve to death.”
Death…
The dark word lodged itself deeply in Raylenne’s mind.
