“Yes, I understand.”
So Jenna follows Sarah out.
Bang.
As soon as the door closed, my shoulders slumped, releasing the tension.
“She should deliver the note to Isaac.”
Judging from her actions just now, she wasn't a clueless kid, so she would have immediately figured out who the man I was talking about was.
I lay down on the sofa, looking tired, and closed my eyes. Hoping that Isaac would receive the note as soon as possible.
But contrary to my wishes, there was no reply from Isaac.
“Why haven’t I heard anything..."
It's already been two days since Sarah visited the palace.
I had expected to hear news by this morning at the latest, but contrary to my expectations, there was no news.
"Ha..."
Feeling frustrated, I had just come out to go for a walk.
Fortunately, no one specifically tried to stop me from leaving.
'Do you think I can't run away? Or do you think I have no intention of running away?'
In the days after the rebellion, I felt as if I was locked in my room, and I worried that I would be watched when I went out.
But contrary to my worries, no one was watching me.
'That's fortunate. It would have been uncomfortable if Jenna had followed me wherever I went.'
It was then that I let out a soft sigh again.
I stopped walking and looked around.
'More than that.'
“Solerian is huge.”
Is it because it is the Emperor's palace?
It seemed to be three times the size of the Lily Palace where I had taken training to become the Crown Princess.
When Carsis returns to the palace, will we be staying here together?
When I was having such trivial thoughts.
I entered a familiar hallway.
“This is...”
There it was again.
A place with a creepy basement.
I guess I came here because I was walking unconsciously.
At that moment, I was about to quickly turn around when an unpleasant memory suddenly came to mind.
I heard a strange sound.
'Did I mishear?'
Now that the Emperor is gone, there can't be anyone trapped there.
Thinking that it must be a mistake, I tried to walk again.
As if I hadn't misheard, someone's voice was heard again.
'There really is someone.'
I, who had swallowed dry saliva, looked around.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I was the only person passing through here.
'What should I do?'
It's kind of scary.
I, whose last memories of that place were never good, was troubled.
I was so scared that I even thought that it might be the sound of a ghost who had died unjustly at the hands of the Emperor.
But it was too loud to just pass by.
A man's voice asking to be saved.
How much did you worry about that?
I who had been hesitating while standing in the middle of the hallway, clenched my fists as if I had made up my mind.
Then I cautiously walked down the stairs leading to the basement.
'I guess I'll have to check to see who's there first.'
Who would have thought that I would come down here again on my own two feet?
After discovering the Emperor's body, I thought I would never come back here even if I died.
I, who thought it was ridiculous even to myself, started to act crazy.
And as I descended the stairs one by one, the hazy voice became clearer.
“Isn’t there anyone there?”
The voice, presumably male, was hoarse from how much he had been screaming.
Could it be that someone from the Emperor's side is trapped?
If so, should I save him?
Or just pretend I don't know?
It was when I was alone and thinking about different things.
“There’s no one here!”
Strangely enough, the man's voice sounded familiar.
'This voice is...'
And from the moment I realized that fact, a bad feeling gripped my ankles.
I have a feeling that the owner of this voice is someone I know.
'No way. It can't be.'
It shouldn't have been.
The person I was thinking of should have almost arrived at the estate by now.
I prayed like that in my heart over and over again.
Please, I hope I'm mistaken.
But, God did not listen to her will.
Squeak.
The door opened with an eerie sound.
Then, a familiar man sitting behind iron bars in a corner of the basement room caught my eye.
And he is.
Duke of Cretian, Elizabeth's father.
"...Father?"
“Ellie...?”
The Duke's eyes opened wide as he met my gaze.
Then he reached through the iron bars.
“Ellie!”
He cried out in frustration as if he couldn't believe that he had met me here.
“Oh, you’re alive!”
“Father, why are you here...”
I too moved my frozen body and approached the Duke.
'And what on earth is this appearance!'
My eyes trembled as she looked at Duke Cretian.
That was understandable, as Duke Cretian's behavior was out of the ordinary.
His hair, which was always neatly slicked back, was disheveled and covered in dust.
Where had all the neat and classy clothes gone? He was wearing tattered and torn rags.
“Ellie! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Who is worried about whom now?
It was obvious to anyone that the Duke's situation was worse than mine.
But the Duke didn't seem to think so and looked at me with wet eyes.
“...I’m fine. But why are you here...? Didn’t you leave the palace because there was a fire in the mansion? What about my mother?”
I let out a torrent of questions that were floating around in my head.
“There was a fire in the mansion. So I went back to the mansion with Hazel. And just as I was putting out the fire in the mansion... I heard that there was a rebellion in the palace.”
Up until that point, everything went according to my plan.
But why on earth?
“Then why are you in the palace? Someone might drag my father out of the mansion...”
“No. I came back on my own feet.”
“Why! If you had known that there was a rebellion in the palace, you should have run away with my mother!”
“How can that be?”
Through the iron bars, the Duke stroked my hand.
The Duke's clean hands, which looked like they had never done anything dirty, were covered with small scratches.
“I know you are here, how could I run away and leave you behind?”
A short sigh escaped my lips.
'Then, because of me... because I stayed here.'
But I overlooked one important fact.
The middle-aged man holding my hand and shedding tears is the father of a child before becoming the head of a family.
And that he loved Elizabeth enough to go to great lengths to save her, even though he knew his own life might be in danger.
"Father..."
Tears began to fall from the moist corners of my eyes.
I had underestimated myself too much.
People with the name Parents.
Sometimes parents are people who make foolish choices for the children they love.
If I had known this would happen, I would have asked them to kidnap the Duke and Duchess instead of setting fire to the mansion.
Regret and regret. And the hot water that was piercing my heart soon turned into tears and flowed down my cheeks.
I looked at the Duke who was fiddling with my hand.
On his wrist was still the beaded bracelet from his wedding day.
After that, I went to see the Duke whenever I had time.
For the Duke who couldn't eat a proper meal, I also gave him some bread that I had secretly hidden away.
And I was wondering how to get the Duke out of there.
'First, I have to find the key.'
The door leading down to the basement wasn't locked, though.
So Jenna follows Sarah out.
Bang.
As soon as the door closed, my shoulders slumped, releasing the tension.
“She should deliver the note to Isaac.”
Judging from her actions just now, she wasn't a clueless kid, so she would have immediately figured out who the man I was talking about was.
I lay down on the sofa, looking tired, and closed my eyes. Hoping that Isaac would receive the note as soon as possible.
But contrary to my wishes, there was no reply from Isaac.
***
“Why haven’t I heard anything..."
It's already been two days since Sarah visited the palace.
I had expected to hear news by this morning at the latest, but contrary to my expectations, there was no news.
"Ha..."
Feeling frustrated, I had just come out to go for a walk.
Fortunately, no one specifically tried to stop me from leaving.
'Do you think I can't run away? Or do you think I have no intention of running away?'
In the days after the rebellion, I felt as if I was locked in my room, and I worried that I would be watched when I went out.
But contrary to my worries, no one was watching me.
'That's fortunate. It would have been uncomfortable if Jenna had followed me wherever I went.'
It was then that I let out a soft sigh again.
I stopped walking and looked around.
'More than that.'
“Solerian is huge.”
Is it because it is the Emperor's palace?
It seemed to be three times the size of the Lily Palace where I had taken training to become the Crown Princess.
When Carsis returns to the palace, will we be staying here together?
When I was having such trivial thoughts.
I entered a familiar hallway.
“This is...”
There it was again.
A place with a creepy basement.
I guess I came here because I was walking unconsciously.
At that moment, I was about to quickly turn around when an unpleasant memory suddenly came to mind.
I heard a strange sound.
'Did I mishear?'
Now that the Emperor is gone, there can't be anyone trapped there.
Thinking that it must be a mistake, I tried to walk again.
As if I hadn't misheard, someone's voice was heard again.
'There really is someone.'
I, who had swallowed dry saliva, looked around.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I was the only person passing through here.
'What should I do?'
It's kind of scary.
I, whose last memories of that place were never good, was troubled.
I was so scared that I even thought that it might be the sound of a ghost who had died unjustly at the hands of the Emperor.
But it was too loud to just pass by.
A man's voice asking to be saved.
How much did you worry about that?
I who had been hesitating while standing in the middle of the hallway, clenched my fists as if I had made up my mind.
Then I cautiously walked down the stairs leading to the basement.
'I guess I'll have to check to see who's there first.'
Who would have thought that I would come down here again on my own two feet?
After discovering the Emperor's body, I thought I would never come back here even if I died.
I, who thought it was ridiculous even to myself, started to act crazy.
And as I descended the stairs one by one, the hazy voice became clearer.
“Isn’t there anyone there?”
The voice, presumably male, was hoarse from how much he had been screaming.
Could it be that someone from the Emperor's side is trapped?
If so, should I save him?
Or just pretend I don't know?
It was when I was alone and thinking about different things.
“There’s no one here!”
Strangely enough, the man's voice sounded familiar.
'This voice is...'
And from the moment I realized that fact, a bad feeling gripped my ankles.
I have a feeling that the owner of this voice is someone I know.
'No way. It can't be.'
It shouldn't have been.
The person I was thinking of should have almost arrived at the estate by now.
I prayed like that in my heart over and over again.
Please, I hope I'm mistaken.
But, God did not listen to her will.
Squeak.
The door opened with an eerie sound.
Then, a familiar man sitting behind iron bars in a corner of the basement room caught my eye.
And he is.
Duke of Cretian, Elizabeth's father.
"...Father?"
“Ellie...?”
The Duke's eyes opened wide as he met my gaze.
Then he reached through the iron bars.
“Ellie!”
He cried out in frustration as if he couldn't believe that he had met me here.
“Oh, you’re alive!”
“Father, why are you here...”
I too moved my frozen body and approached the Duke.
'And what on earth is this appearance!'
My eyes trembled as she looked at Duke Cretian.
That was understandable, as Duke Cretian's behavior was out of the ordinary.
His hair, which was always neatly slicked back, was disheveled and covered in dust.
Where had all the neat and classy clothes gone? He was wearing tattered and torn rags.
“Ellie! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Who is worried about whom now?
It was obvious to anyone that the Duke's situation was worse than mine.
But the Duke didn't seem to think so and looked at me with wet eyes.
“...I’m fine. But why are you here...? Didn’t you leave the palace because there was a fire in the mansion? What about my mother?”
I let out a torrent of questions that were floating around in my head.
“There was a fire in the mansion. So I went back to the mansion with Hazel. And just as I was putting out the fire in the mansion... I heard that there was a rebellion in the palace.”
Up until that point, everything went according to my plan.
But why on earth?
“Then why are you in the palace? Someone might drag my father out of the mansion...”
“No. I came back on my own feet.”
“Why! If you had known that there was a rebellion in the palace, you should have run away with my mother!”
“How can that be?”
Through the iron bars, the Duke stroked my hand.
The Duke's clean hands, which looked like they had never done anything dirty, were covered with small scratches.
“I know you are here, how could I run away and leave you behind?”
A short sigh escaped my lips.
'Then, because of me... because I stayed here.'
Not if you're a Duke. Duke Cretian was rational, and I knew he wouldn't make a foolish decision.
The middle-aged man holding my hand and shedding tears is the father of a child before becoming the head of a family.
And that he loved Elizabeth enough to go to great lengths to save her, even though he knew his own life might be in danger.
"Father..."
Tears began to fall from the moist corners of my eyes.
I had underestimated myself too much.
People with the name Parents.
Sometimes parents are people who make foolish choices for the children they love.
If I had known this would happen, I would have asked them to kidnap the Duke and Duchess instead of setting fire to the mansion.
Regret and regret. And the hot water that was piercing my heart soon turned into tears and flowed down my cheeks.
I looked at the Duke who was fiddling with my hand.
On his wrist was still the beaded bracelet from his wedding day.
***
After that, I went to see the Duke whenever I had time.
For the Duke who couldn't eat a proper meal, I also gave him some bread that I had secretly hidden away.
And I was wondering how to get the Duke out of there.
'First, I have to find the key.'
The door leading down to the basement wasn't locked, though.
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