Chapter 83

Caverion looked down at Raylenne, who was kneeling, and spoke in a subdued voice.

“How…”

Raylenne’s head shot up.

“How can I help you?”

As Caverion spoke with a resigned tone, Raylenne’s eyes grew red.

“Thank you, Brother!”

Raylenne embraced Caverion tightly. He sighed and gently patted her back.

When they pulled apart, tears were welling up in Raylenne’s eyes.

“All you need to do is not pursue Aiden. I can handle his escape on my own.”

“So what will you do afterward? Father will blame both you and me.”

“I will make sure that you are not implicated.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“No, I’ll take full responsibility for whatever happens.”

Raylenne had indeed thought deeply about this issue.

After Aiden escaped from the duke’s castle, she would be the one to deal with the duke’s wrath alone. 

If the duke chose to blame Caverion, Raylenne planned to admit it was her fault.

Of course, she needed to have a countermeasure ready for when Duke Ergen’s fury would be directed at her.

That countermeasure was the diary. 

She had to find and grasp the hidden truth within the diary to exploit Duke Ergen’s weaknesses.

Therefore, investigating the contents of the diary had become extremely important.

“I have a countermeasure in place. So let’s focus on Mother’s diary for now.”

Raylenne reassured Caverion. 

If she had no plans, Caverion might not assist with Aiden’s escape out of concern for her.

Raylenne took a deep breath and began to relay the contents of the diary.

As Caverion listened, his expression grew increasingly grim. 

By the time she finished, his face had become menacingly cold.

“It seems that Father intended to kill Mother.”

“There’s no certainty yet, but I do have that suspicion.”

Caverion shook his head.

“No, it’s clear that the decisive accident involving Mother in the park was intentional. He did try to kill her.”

Raylenne couldn’t understand why Caverion was so certain.

Perhaps seeing Raylenne’s puzzled expression, Caverion added:

“Raylenne, when Mother was ill, I saw things you were too young to see.”

Things she hadn’t seen…?

Raylenne asked, “What are those things?”

Caverion wore an enigmatic smile that seemed more like a forced attempt to restrain his anger, making it appear colder.

“I can’t tell you yet. But as you uncover the truth about Mother’s death, you’ll naturally come to understand.”

Raylenne felt an odd sense of déjà vu from Caverion’s words.

‘Ah…!’

In her dream, the original Raylenne had said something similar to her. Though not the exact same words, the nuance was very similar.

‘It’s troubling, but for now, that’s not the most important thing.’

She needed to quickly use the diary to investigate Nadia’s death.

Raylenne looked at Caverion.

“Brother, first, I want to meet Mother’s primary physician. Do you remember who it was?”

“I was too young to remember, but the head maid should know.”

“Then, please ask the head maid. It would be more natural for you to inquire as if you are looking for a new family physician.”

“Understood.”

Raylenne stood up from the bed.

“Thank you for calmly listening to me despite the suddenness of today…”

Caverion pulled Raylenne’s hand.

“Raylenne, wait a moment.”

“Yes?”

Raylenne was pulled back to the bed.

“There is something you must do for this plan to proceed.”

“What is it?”

“It would be unwise to maintain a cold war with Father. Not just for Mother’s matters, but also for Aiden’s.”

Raylenne thought she understood what he was getting at.

In fact, she had felt Duke Ergen’s piercing gaze during the memorial service today.

Caverion sighed deeply, covering his mouth with both hands.

“I heard Father say he would put a guard on you. Though it may not be pleasant, it would be best to apologize to Father and lower your profile for a while.”

“…”

“You need to put on a façade to reassure Father.”

Raylenne wiped her face. She really, really didn’t want to approach Duke Ergen and bow to him first, but Caverion’s advice was sound.

If a guard was placed on her, her actions would be restricted, and she wouldn’t be able to monitor Aiden’s situation as closely.

Conversely, by acting warmly and pretending to be on her side, she might gather information on when and how Aiden might be killed.

It wasn’t a matter for her to ponder further.

Raylenne got up from her seat.

“……Understood.”

* * *

After finishing her conversation with Caverion, Raylenne returned to her room feeling uneasy.

‘To think I have to apologize to the Duke first…’

She wondered how Duke Ergen would react. Honestly, she hadn’t expected him to accept her apology easily. Although he might be angry with her for her defiance, he would eventually understand that reconciling with her would be essential for Caverion to change his stance. The recent friction with Caverion was entirely her fault, and Duke Ergen would surely realize this.

However, bowing her head first, even if it was a pretense for future purposes, did not sit well with her.

Before going to see Duke Ergen, Raylenne decided to visit Aiden briefly. She thought that seeing him might help lift her spirits a little. 

When she opened the door, Aiden, sitting on the bed, looked up with slightly widened eyes upon recognizing her.

‘Seems like a small reaction, but…’

Aiden was known for his lack of expressive changes in his demeanor.

“The rain has stopped, so am I going back to the underground prison now?”

As Aiden pointed out, the rain had indeed ceased today. It was quite remarkable how the raindrops stopped right after the memorial service.

“No, you will stay here.”

A hint of confusion crossed Aiden’s face.

Raylenne had been contemplating how to explain the situation, given that she couldn’t reveal the horrifying truth about Duke Ergen’s intention to kill him. 

“The underground prison is old and needs repairs,” she said. 

“…”

“I decided to repair it alongside the castle walls. So for now, you’ll remain here.”

Aiden might or might not believe this lie, but one thing was certain—he wouldn’t question her words or actions.

“Understood.”

As expected, Aiden nodded without further questions. Raylenne gazed at him silently.

‘Aiden… He probably has no idea what’s going to happen next.’

Seeing Aiden made it even more unsettling to deceive him about the sinister plans unfolding behind the scenes. She had come here to gather strength, but instead, it seemed to drain her.

Though she was doing everything she could to save Aiden, she was ultimately the daughter of a cruel man like Duke Ergen. She would have to apologize to that cruel man once she left this room.

“You look upset.”

As Aiden moved, the heavy chains attached to his ankles clanked loudly. Standing before Raylenne, he reached out and touched her cheek with his hand. Compared to the time in the underground prison, his palm felt notably warm. 

Despite the warmth of his touch, Aiden’s eyes were filled with worry.

Raylenne recalled Caverion’s gaze earlier. It had been similar to Aiden’s—full of concern.

‘Both of them are so troubled.’

To save this worried stray, Raylenne knew she needed to find strength within herself. Instead of pulling Aiden’s hand away from her face, she placed both of her hands on his face, cradling it gently. 

With a little pressure, Aiden’s thin cheeks puffed out slightly against her palms.

“Aiden.”

Yet, his handsome face remained unchanged, which was remarkable.

“I will make sure to succeed.”

Her self-affirming words made Aiden look puzzled. However, Raylenne did not offer any further explanation and withdrew her hands from his face. 

Aiden looked slightly dazed, but Raylenne merely smiled faintly.

‘My lost stray. I will definitely set you free.’

Raylenne reaffirmed her resolve inwardly.

* * *

After seeing Aiden, Raylenne’s steps toward Duke Ergen’s room were resolute. 

Upon hearing from a maid that Duke Ergen was currently in his study, she moved swiftly in that direction. 

Standing outside the room, Raylenne cleared her throat and gently knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

“Father, it’s Raylenne.”

Despite the certainty that he was inside, there was no immediate response. 

However, the door soon swung open, revealing Duke Ergen standing there with a frosty expression, as cold as midwinter’s frost.

“What is it?”

“I have something to discuss with you, Father.”

Duke Ergen stared at Raylenne for a while before swinging the door wide open.

“Come in.”

Raylenne walked into the Duke’s study. Despite the lights being on, the room had a strangely dark atmosphere. 

She thought it was due to the Duke’s presence and subtly shook her head. Just then, Duke Ergen suddenly turned around.

Raylenne quickly composed her expression.

“What brings you here? You acted as if you would never see me again.”

“Actually… I came to apologize for that incident.”

The Duke’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of an apology. 

Raylenne had anticipated this reaction. He had been so defiant earlier, but now he was turning into a docile lamb.

“I was indeed quite rude to you that day.”

Despite Raylenne’s polite tone, Duke Ergen’s gaze remained cold.

“You seemed out of your mind. To be so aggressive over Aiden’s matter.”

“I understand that you were shocked. However… I really… didn’t want anyone else in the castle to die.”

“So now you seek forgiveness? Didn’t you say you had changed? You said things would not go as I wished.”

Raylenne lowered her gaze, looking pitiful.

“It was because I was not in my right mind. You knew how shocked I was after Mother’s death… I even fabricated contents of a non-existent diary.”

Raylenne referred to the diary’s contents from the past to show she had once defied the Duke. 

She mentioned the diary as a fabrication to break down his suspicion.

“That’s why I acted so out of line. Even if it’s Aiden Bedeusian, I detest the idea of anyone dying in this castle.”

Raylenne’s impeccable performance seemed to have softened Duke Ergen’s gaze.

Raylenne relaxed her tension and continued her act.

“I thought about it after our argument and returning to my room. I realized, would you really enjoy staining your hands with blood?”

“…”

“I came to understand that killing Aiden is ultimately for my benefit and for Caverion’s as well.”

Duke Ergen’s eyebrows furrowed.

“I have already said this. Everything I do is for your benefit.”

“Yes, but at that time, I couldn’t accept it due to my overwhelming emotions. I was very foolish.”

Raylenne spoke regretfully and brushed her hair behind her ear, appearing very pitiful.

Of course, inwardly, she was hoping that Duke Ergen would fall for her act.

Duke Ergen looked down at Raylenne with his arms crossed for a while. 

As Raylenne pondered whether to continue her act, the Duke spoke in a somewhat displeased tone.

“Enough. It’s fortunate that you’ve come to your senses at least now.”

Raylenne barely managed to hold back a smile.