(16) Rachel's Trick (2)
She thought the small, black thing that had fallen was a mouse, a resident of the dungeon. However, it was a bit too large and motionless for a mouse.
She stared at the black lump that had fallen beside her feet, then carefully picked it up.
It was a leather water jug. It was quite heavy, as if it were filled with water.
"Hunger is bearable, but thirst is not."
Ariana straightened her back at the soft voice from outside the bars. A large, black shape loomed outside the bars.
"It seems your work at Bronte's is never-ending."
"I thought you'd finished your work and gone, but why are you still here?"
Instead of answering, Ariana looked down at the leather water jug.
With a click, the lamp came on, and Cyrus, dressed the same as yesterday, appeared.
Although this was already their fourth meeting, she couldn't get used to his face, which was so strikingly beautiful. Was that really a human face?
She didn't want to accept Cyrus's kindness, which she couldn't fathom, but her thirst was too intense. She looked away from his face and back down at the water bottle when Cyrus said,
"I'm not a petty man who thinks a few sips of water is enough for a favor. Don't worry."
"Why does Your Excellency show me such kindness?"
In that moment, Ariana found herself smiling without realizing it. It was a wonder Cyrus remembered her pointless words.
Cyrus silently admired the faint smile that spread across Ariana's face. The smile that had appeared silently vanished without a sound.
"A man would cut off his own ear with a sword just to see a woman's smile."
"Is that true, Your Excellency?"
"I don't know."
Cyrus straightened.
The handsome face beneath his gleaming silver hair instantly transformed into that of an arrogant monarch. Red eyes beneath his dark ash eyebrows stared piercingly at Ariana.
"But I understand that your smile will become your weapon."
"My weapon?"
"If you can master your smile, you could conquer the world."
"Like Your Excellency?"
A smile spread across Cyrus's lips, a soft and beautiful smile like the moon.
"You learn quickly. But I haven't conquered the world yet."
Cyrus disappeared, as silently as ever.
Swallowing a sigh, Ariana noticed a package lying where Cyrus had stood. She reached through the bars and picked up the small package.
Inside were two loaves of bread, a slice of ham, and a slice of cheese.
"He didn't bring them for himself and forget them, did he?"
He must have brought them for Ariana.
Cyrus had said he didn't care how many days Ariana would be imprisoned. But who would have thought he'd bring her not only water but also food to fill her stomach?
She was hungry, but she couldn't bring herself to eat.
The bread, ham, and cheese tasted even better, but she still had doubts about his intentions.
"He wouldn't be kind to me without a reason."
Everyone who had shown Ariana kindness harbored an ulterior motive.
'He must be kind to me because he wants something from me.'
She hadn't met him before she died, but she'd heard many rumors about him. Women renowned for their beauty, women known for their intelligence, had all been used by him. They hadn't won a single piece of his heart.
'But I wouldn't have gained anything from it.'
If she had instead left the West and sought refuge with the Eastern Duke before approaching, she would have thought he was offering kindness to use Ariana, who sat in the position of Princess of the East.
But it was too early.
The pitiful Second Princess, confined to the ducal palace, unable to do anything she wanted, not even allowed to wander the garden. A wretch who was beaten and imprisoned for speaking her mind at a party.
Cyrus had been watching her all this time, so he must know Ariana's plight. Why would he be showing her such kindness?
"Did he sense I was planning to leave for the East? But how? Did he let it slip without me even realizing it?"
No. Ariana was cautious even when alone.
"Whatever his intentions behind this kindness, it wouldn't do me any good."
Ariana pushed the package and water jug he had brought into a corner of the prison.
The sight of food brought back a forgotten hunger, and the sight of water made her thirst worse, but she resolved not to touch anything he had brought.
Cyrus left the dungeon only after confirming that Ariana had not touched the bundle or the water jug.
The soldiers guarding the east tower were completely oblivious to his presence, as he moved stealthily and made no sound.
The maids' cries continued in the dark east tower. Their reaction was normal.
A place filled with the stench of the dead and the aura of death. In such a place, Ariana showed no sign of being shaken.
No matter how accustomed one was to being confined, being locked in a room was different from being locked in the east tower.
He wondered how she could remain so calm, considering that not even a single glass of water had been brought her since last night—meaning they could kill her without even letting her out.
As he entered the forest leading from the Bronte dukedom, two figures emerged from the shadows of the trees and blocked Cyrus' path. A woman with short red hair and downturned eyes, giving him a kindly air, and a man with dark hair who looked charming. The man with dark hair spoke.
"My lord."
"Did you confirm?"
"Yes, the nobles of the capital left in a hurry this morning, and the others left around the same time. A few nobles remain, but there's no sign of them wanting to meet with the Eastern Duke."
The two men were the captain and vice-captain of the Black Knights led by Cyrus. Louis was the female captain, and Noah was the male vice-captain.
Noah continued,
"Judging by the Eastern Duke's lack of interest in this party, it seems this is truly a party prepared to lay the groundwork for the First Princess's debutante."
"Yes."
“Oh, and Isaac is locked in his room drinking, saying he’s bored.”
“There’s nothing to report on what he’s doing.”
Louis and Noah, who should have disappeared again after finishing their report, were looking at Cyrus with suspicious eyes. Cyrus narrowed his brows slightly and asked,
“Is there anything left to report?”
“When are we going back to the North?”
“Not yet.”
Noah gave Louis a quick wink. He seemed to want Louis to say the next thing, but Louis’s tightly shut lips showed no sign of opening.
Finally, Noah asked, seemingly helpless,
“Is it because of the Second Princess of Bronte?”
She thought the small, black thing that had fallen was a mouse, a resident of the dungeon. However, it was a bit too large and motionless for a mouse.
She stared at the black lump that had fallen beside her feet, then carefully picked it up.
It was a leather water jug. It was quite heavy, as if it were filled with water.
"Hunger is bearable, but thirst is not."
Ariana straightened her back at the soft voice from outside the bars. A large, black shape loomed outside the bars.
"It seems your work at Bronte's is never-ending."
"I thought you'd finished your work and gone, but why are you still here?"
Instead of answering, Ariana looked down at the leather water jug.
With a click, the lamp came on, and Cyrus, dressed the same as yesterday, appeared.
Although this was already their fourth meeting, she couldn't get used to his face, which was so strikingly beautiful. Was that really a human face?
She didn't want to accept Cyrus's kindness, which she couldn't fathom, but her thirst was too intense. She looked away from his face and back down at the water bottle when Cyrus said,
"I'm not a petty man who thinks a few sips of water is enough for a favor. Don't worry."
"Why does Your Excellency show me such kindness?"
"To talk about kindness over a few sips of water? Your life is truly harsh."
The calm voice settled into Ariana's heart.
In contrast to his cold gaze and chilling body temperature, his few words were warm.
The fact that someone recognized this harsh life, this life of accepting a few sips of water as an excessive kindness, almost shook her heart.
At that moment, she thought of Third Prince Harold Blenwit.
His kind eyes and gentle smile, the warm hand that caressed Ariana's cheek. The sweet, sweet words that flowed from his lips.
“It must have been so hard, Ariana. Why doesn’t everyone recognize you, so smart and beautiful?”
“Ariana, I need you. Only you can help me.”
“How could I have gotten this far without you? I’m so glad you’re here.”
It was all a lie.
She learned too late that words can create anything, even fabricate emotions.
Ariana, longing for the affection of others, believed the Third Prince’s kind words without question, and that’s why she died.
Looking back, the Third Prince only spoke kind words, but he never actually did anything for Ariana. He drove Ariana to her death with sweet words.
Her heart, which had nearly softened, hardened again.
Ariana pushed the water bottle toward the bars.
“I think it would be better to show this kindness to a woman who wants it. There must be a woman in this mansion who wants your kindness, too.”
“Oh, you mean the woman who has my portrait hanging?”
“You already know, so all that remains is your kindness. She is the most cherished Princess of the Bronte dukedom. There is nowhere she cannot go and nothing she cannot say in this secluded territory, so she will be of great help to the Duke of the North.”
“Well, I guess I can at least find out where she got my portrait.”
“What will you do with that knowledge?”
“To kill the one who painted it, the one who sold it, the one who bought it, and the one who admired it.”
It was said as a joke, but the sincerity felt so real that it sent a chill down her spine.
Meanwhile, Cyrus had been talking to her like a normal man, making her forget about the rumors surrounding him for a moment.
Ariana quietly lowered her head.
-“I heard a peddler from the north came into the east street. He is secretly selling portraits of the Duke of the North. Go and buy the largest and best-painted one. I need to see how handsome he is.”
A month ago, an excited Helena had summoned Ariana and given her an order.
East Street was a place where the poor, even the lowest of the low, lived, and it was dangerous, plagued by thieves and kidnappers.
Helena couldn't send her maids or servants to a place where no ordinary noblewoman would pass, so she sent Ariana.
Ariana had no choice but to wrap a worn blanket around her and head down East Street. It was scary, but she was even more afraid of being beaten and imprisoned for disobeying Helena's orders.
Trembling through the dangerous streets for an unarmed girl, Ariana found a vendor and safely purchased the portrait of the Northern Duke.
The gaze of Cyrus, who threatened to kill anyone who bought the portrait, was more terrifying than the gazes of the poor as she fearlessly walked the streets alone.
'I don't think you know I bought it, do you?'
Ariana bit her lower lip.
"You're suddenly silent."
Although startled by his voice, Ariana calmly replied.
“I’m usually reserved. I’ve heard that Your Excellency, the Northern Duke, is also reserved.”
“Does that mean I should just shut up and go away?”
“The clever Northern Due keeps twisting my words and asking me questions, so I don’t know what to say.”
“If it’s not a misunderstanding, can I just accept everything you’ve told me?”
“Of course, Your Excellency.”
“And that the hearts of women who look at me beat endlessly?”
“Of course.”
“Does your heart beat that way too?”
“Of course.”
Cyrus bent down and met Ariana’s eyes.
“You really can’t lie. If you lie about your heart beating, it would be nice if you could at least make a suitable expression.”
“It’s just that I haven’t grown up like a woman, so I can’t make a proper expression. My heart is beating fully.”
“Because if your heart stops beating, you’ll die?”
The calm voice settled into Ariana's heart.
In contrast to his cold gaze and chilling body temperature, his few words were warm.
The fact that someone recognized this harsh life, this life of accepting a few sips of water as an excessive kindness, almost shook her heart.
At that moment, she thought of Third Prince Harold Blenwit.
His kind eyes and gentle smile, the warm hand that caressed Ariana's cheek. The sweet, sweet words that flowed from his lips.
“It must have been so hard, Ariana. Why doesn’t everyone recognize you, so smart and beautiful?”
“Ariana, I need you. Only you can help me.”
“How could I have gotten this far without you? I’m so glad you’re here.”
It was all a lie.
She learned too late that words can create anything, even fabricate emotions.
Ariana, longing for the affection of others, believed the Third Prince’s kind words without question, and that’s why she died.
Looking back, the Third Prince only spoke kind words, but he never actually did anything for Ariana. He drove Ariana to her death with sweet words.
Her heart, which had nearly softened, hardened again.
Ariana pushed the water bottle toward the bars.
“I think it would be better to show this kindness to a woman who wants it. There must be a woman in this mansion who wants your kindness, too.”
“Oh, you mean the woman who has my portrait hanging?”
“You already know, so all that remains is your kindness. She is the most cherished Princess of the Bronte dukedom. There is nowhere she cannot go and nothing she cannot say in this secluded territory, so she will be of great help to the Duke of the North.”
“Well, I guess I can at least find out where she got my portrait.”
“What will you do with that knowledge?”
“To kill the one who painted it, the one who sold it, the one who bought it, and the one who admired it.”
It was said as a joke, but the sincerity felt so real that it sent a chill down her spine.
Meanwhile, Cyrus had been talking to her like a normal man, making her forget about the rumors surrounding him for a moment.
Ariana quietly lowered her head.
-“I heard a peddler from the north came into the east street. He is secretly selling portraits of the Duke of the North. Go and buy the largest and best-painted one. I need to see how handsome he is.”
A month ago, an excited Helena had summoned Ariana and given her an order.
East Street was a place where the poor, even the lowest of the low, lived, and it was dangerous, plagued by thieves and kidnappers.
Helena couldn't send her maids or servants to a place where no ordinary noblewoman would pass, so she sent Ariana.
Ariana had no choice but to wrap a worn blanket around her and head down East Street. It was scary, but she was even more afraid of being beaten and imprisoned for disobeying Helena's orders.
Trembling through the dangerous streets for an unarmed girl, Ariana found a vendor and safely purchased the portrait of the Northern Duke.
The gaze of Cyrus, who threatened to kill anyone who bought the portrait, was more terrifying than the gazes of the poor as she fearlessly walked the streets alone.
'I don't think you know I bought it, do you?'
Ariana bit her lower lip.
"You're suddenly silent."
Although startled by his voice, Ariana calmly replied.
“I’m usually reserved. I’ve heard that Your Excellency, the Northern Duke, is also reserved.”
“Does that mean I should just shut up and go away?”
“The clever Northern Due keeps twisting my words and asking me questions, so I don’t know what to say.”
“If it’s not a misunderstanding, can I just accept everything you’ve told me?”
“Of course, Your Excellency.”
“And that the hearts of women who look at me beat endlessly?”
“Of course.”
“Does your heart beat that way too?”
“Of course.”
Cyrus bent down and met Ariana’s eyes.
“You really can’t lie. If you lie about your heart beating, it would be nice if you could at least make a suitable expression.”
“It’s just that I haven’t grown up like a woman, so I can’t make a proper expression. My heart is beating fully.”
“Because if your heart stops beating, you’ll die?”
In that moment, Ariana found herself smiling without realizing it. It was a wonder Cyrus remembered her pointless words.
Cyrus silently admired the faint smile that spread across Ariana's face. The smile that had appeared silently vanished without a sound.
"A man would cut off his own ear with a sword just to see a woman's smile."
"Is that true, Your Excellency?"
"I don't know."
Cyrus straightened.
The handsome face beneath his gleaming silver hair instantly transformed into that of an arrogant monarch. Red eyes beneath his dark ash eyebrows stared piercingly at Ariana.
"But I understand that your smile will become your weapon."
"My weapon?"
"If you can master your smile, you could conquer the world."
"Like Your Excellency?"
A smile spread across Cyrus's lips, a soft and beautiful smile like the moon.
"You learn quickly. But I haven't conquered the world yet."
Cyrus disappeared, as silently as ever.
Swallowing a sigh, Ariana noticed a package lying where Cyrus had stood. She reached through the bars and picked up the small package.
Inside were two loaves of bread, a slice of ham, and a slice of cheese.
"He didn't bring them for himself and forget them, did he?"
He must have brought them for Ariana.
Cyrus had said he didn't care how many days Ariana would be imprisoned. But who would have thought he'd bring her not only water but also food to fill her stomach?
She was hungry, but she couldn't bring herself to eat.
The bread, ham, and cheese tasted even better, but she still had doubts about his intentions.
"He wouldn't be kind to me without a reason."
Everyone who had shown Ariana kindness harbored an ulterior motive.
'He must be kind to me because he wants something from me.'
She hadn't met him before she died, but she'd heard many rumors about him. Women renowned for their beauty, women known for their intelligence, had all been used by him. They hadn't won a single piece of his heart.
'But I wouldn't have gained anything from it.'
If she had instead left the West and sought refuge with the Eastern Duke before approaching, she would have thought he was offering kindness to use Ariana, who sat in the position of Princess of the East.
But it was too early.
The pitiful Second Princess, confined to the ducal palace, unable to do anything she wanted, not even allowed to wander the garden. A wretch who was beaten and imprisoned for speaking her mind at a party.
Cyrus had been watching her all this time, so he must know Ariana's plight. Why would he be showing her such kindness?
"Did he sense I was planning to leave for the East? But how? Did he let it slip without me even realizing it?"
No. Ariana was cautious even when alone.
"Whatever his intentions behind this kindness, it wouldn't do me any good."
Ariana pushed the package and water jug he had brought into a corner of the prison.
The sight of food brought back a forgotten hunger, and the sight of water made her thirst worse, but she resolved not to touch anything he had brought.
***
Cyrus left the dungeon only after confirming that Ariana had not touched the bundle or the water jug.
The soldiers guarding the east tower were completely oblivious to his presence, as he moved stealthily and made no sound.
The maids' cries continued in the dark east tower. Their reaction was normal.
A place filled with the stench of the dead and the aura of death. In such a place, Ariana showed no sign of being shaken.
No matter how accustomed one was to being confined, being locked in a room was different from being locked in the east tower.
He wondered how she could remain so calm, considering that not even a single glass of water had been brought her since last night—meaning they could kill her without even letting her out.
As he entered the forest leading from the Bronte dukedom, two figures emerged from the shadows of the trees and blocked Cyrus' path. A woman with short red hair and downturned eyes, giving him a kindly air, and a man with dark hair who looked charming. The man with dark hair spoke.
"My lord."
"Did you confirm?"
"Yes, the nobles of the capital left in a hurry this morning, and the others left around the same time. A few nobles remain, but there's no sign of them wanting to meet with the Eastern Duke."
The two men were the captain and vice-captain of the Black Knights led by Cyrus. Louis was the female captain, and Noah was the male vice-captain.
Noah continued,
"Judging by the Eastern Duke's lack of interest in this party, it seems this is truly a party prepared to lay the groundwork for the First Princess's debutante."
"Yes."
“Oh, and Isaac is locked in his room drinking, saying he’s bored.”
“There’s nothing to report on what he’s doing.”
Louis and Noah, who should have disappeared again after finishing their report, were looking at Cyrus with suspicious eyes. Cyrus narrowed his brows slightly and asked,
“Is there anything left to report?”
“When are we going back to the North?”
“Not yet.”
Noah gave Louis a quick wink. He seemed to want Louis to say the next thing, but Louis’s tightly shut lips showed no sign of opening.
Finally, Noah asked, seemingly helpless,
“Is it because of the Second Princess of Bronte?”
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