“What did you say?”
My heart trembled with anxiety. He escaped? Why? Was it to get revenge on me?
Countless thoughts flooded my mind.
But unlike me, who was deeply shaken, Edmund remained calm. He simply gestured toward the dining table.
“Have you finished your meal?”
I nodded absentmindedly. Edmund pushed back his chair, stood up, and reached out his hand.
As if mesmerized, I took his hand and followed him out of the dining room. When we reached the brightly lit, empty hallway, he finally spoke.
“He is currently on the run, and the knights are tracking him. Additionally, my private soldiers will assist in the search, so don’t worry.”
“But… that’s strange. Last time, his request for temporary leave was denied because he was considered a flight risk.”
Edmund hesitated, as if debating whether to tell me something.
“It’s okay. Just tell me.”
When I lightly grasped his shirt sleeve, he sighed and spoke seriously.
“He apparently got married to a woman named Verita—your former sworn sister. She was recognized as his legal guardian and submitted the necessary documents for his release.”
I was speechless. Not just shocked, but completely outraged.
Where did his last lover go? And how did he suddenly end up marrying Devon?
“What kind of documents?”
“A written oath stating that she would take full responsibility if he ever escaped.”
I let out a dry laugh, pressing a hand to my forehead. The sheer absurdity of the situation made my head throb.
I recalled the last time I saw Verita—sitting on a terrace, sobbing pitifully.
‘I had a feeling she’d cause trouble sooner or later, but this is beyond imagination.’
Groaning, I racked my brain, then suddenly widened my eyes.
“Wait, wouldn’t it be easy to find him? Prisoners wear escape-prevention chokers.”
Edmund shook his head grimly.
“He was an exception. Those with medical conditions are sometimes exempt.”
“A medical condition?”
Devon had an illness? I suddenly recalled glimpsing him during his trial—his frail, sickly appearance had startled me at the time.
“But I never heard anything about him being ill. Did something happen to him in prison?”
Maybe my warning—about behaving himself or facing serious consequences—had come true.
As I murmured to myself in confusion, Edmund cleared his throat at just the right moment.
He was hiding something. Covering his mouth with his large hand, he averted his gaze.
“Anyway, he couldn’t have gone far. The knights will track him down soon.”
I reluctantly dropped my suspicions.
“…That would be a relief.”
“Until he’s caught, you must not leave the mansion.”
“I understand. I just hope he’s caught before the jewelry store opening… It would be frustrating to delay everything because of him.”
“I’ll personally escort you that day, along with my soldiers.”
“An escort? Isn’t that a waste of manpower?”
“Don’t feel burdened. It’s for my sake as well. This is the first step toward commercializing Lebron.”
“That’s true.”
Better to be overly cautious than regret it later. If something happened, it would already be too late. And who’s to say he wouldn’t come looking for me?
I nodded in gratitude. As I did, my gaze met Edmund’s. With the sunlight at his back, his deep eyes watched me intently. I looked back at him.
“What is it?”
“If I can’t protect you, then nothing I have means anything. Your safety comes first, now more than ever.”
“…Th-thank you.”
“No need to thank me.”
The silence that followed felt suffocating, so I quickly changed the subject.
“Oh, right. The samples should arrive today. Once they’re complete, I’d like to give one to each knight. Would that be okay?”
“In that case, send the bill to Rail—”
“No.”
I frowned and cut him off firmly.
“This is a token of appreciation for the knights’ cooperation. Please just accept it. The Duke of Mipedian already covered the Tower’s costs from the Buell estate incident last time. Consider this a gesture of gratitude.”
Edmund chuckled, as if he had no choice.
“Alright.”
“Then, can I invite the knights to a banquet that day?”
“If it puts your mind at ease, go ahead. You’re not the type to live with unpaid debts.”
“Oh my, you know me well.”
I smiled and shrugged.
After we parted ways to tend to our respective tasks, I walked alone to my bedroom. But I stopped in front of a portrait hanging in the hallway. It was the one I had placed in a prominent spot after receiving it as a gift.
I met my father’s faded green eyes and stared up at him.
I had hidden my worries from Edmund so he wouldn’t be concerned, but deep down, I was uneasy.
‘I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! How could you ruin me like this?!’
The memory sent a chill down my spine, and I rubbed my arms. If I told Edmund, he would undoubtedly get angry, as if it were his own problem.
I didn’t want to trouble him with my past—especially not the man who had confessed his love for me.
Where could he be now, Father?
Leaving my unanswered question behind, I sighed deeply and returned to my room.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A rhythmic tapping on the door.
Devon shivered under a thin blanket before cautiously opening the shabby wooden door.
“Hurry inside, quickly!”
A musty, moldy smell filled the air, making Verita flinch at the threshold. Once she stepped inside and shut the door, Devon lit a lantern.
The dim light revealed their exhausted faces.
“I… I brought some bread.”
As Verita took out the food she had carefully prepared, Devon snatched it with both hands and devoured it greedily.
Verita hesitated, covering her nose. Ugh. He stuffed his mouth full, chewing noisily—completely different from the ideal man she had once loved.
His hair was matted, tangled with cobwebs. His clothes were ragged and filthy, as if he hadn’t bathed in days.
When she accidentally met his sharp, glinting eyes, she quickly lowered her hand and forced an awkward smile.
But Devon’s mood had already soured. Scowling, he threw the bread aside and scratched his back roughly.
Verita glanced at the discarded bread.
She had sold her few remaining valuables to secure this hideout after they lost their home. She had risked everything to buy that food.
And yet, he discarded it so easily.
Her expression darkened, but she swallowed her frustration and picked up the bread again.
‘At least… I’m not alone anymore.’
That thought gave her comfort.
Forgetting, even for a moment, that she was now a fugitive.
Being with Devon—who carried traces of Etricia—made her feel like she was with her sister again.
“…Did you meet the man who was expelled from managing the Buell estate?”
“Yes. Just as you said, he agreed to meet when I reached out. And when I gave him your note, he handed me this.”
Verita carefully pulled out a small glass bottle and a note from her pocket.
“Give it to me!”
Devon snatched them with a crazed look in his eyes. He read the note, grinned sinisterly, then stuffed it into his mouth and chewed it.
Then, pressing his lips to the glass bottle, he swallowed hard.
Verita gulped nervously.
“What… what are you planning?”
Devon chuckled; his pupils unfocused as he stared at her.
“You said you wanted to go back to the past, didn’t you?”
“…Yes.”
But that was impossible. Her sister no longer wanted to see her. Verita’s eyes welled with tears.
Then Devon whispered with a devilish grin.
“Then go meet Etricia.”
Verita’s eyes widened.
“I… I can see my sister again?”
“Of course. She’s opening a jewelry store soon. That’s when you’ll lure out that wretched woman who betrayed me.”
“L-lure her out?”
A strange sense of dread crept up her spine.
But… if she could really return to the past…
“I’ll do it, Devon. I’ll do it.”
“Good. That’s how it should be.”
Devon grinned maniacally, stroking her head like a pet.
“Everything will go back to the way it was.”
