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Chapter 15
She couldn’t just stay silent, nor could she give up the documents.
In the end, El reluctantly gave a small nod.
“…Yes.”
Seeing El’s tiny nod, Felix became excited and moved closer to the mansion wall.
The mansion wall…?
El’s eyes widened slowly, and she quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
A nobleman was climbing a wall. And doing it extremely well.
In the blink of an eye, Felix reached the balcony where El was standing and lightly leaped over the railing, landing right in front of her.
“Whew, here are your documents… hmm?”
Felix glanced around at El’s lavish room, tilting his head. He felt like he had seen a place like this before.
“Th-thank you for picking them up for me.”
El hurriedly snatched the documents from his hand and expressed her gratitude.
At that, Felix suddenly snapped out of his daze and extended his hand with a friendly smile.
“The honor is mine. So, may I ask your family name, my lady?”
“…I’m sorry.”
She couldn’t reveal it. There was nothing to reveal.
She had no noble family, no background to speak of.
“Well, there’s no need to apologize. I was just curious about one thing.”
“……”
“Are you… the woman in the rumors?”
“…The woman in the rumors? I don’t know anything about that.”
El tensed up again.
“They say there’s a woman who keeps the great Caron Pheros tied to his mansion. But from what I see… you’re not quite a noble lady, since I—who pride myself on handling the most information—have never seen you before. And yet, you don’t seem to be a maid either, considering the respect you’re shown.”
“……”
El flinched.
Felix was right—her position in this mansion was ambiguous. At best, she was just a long-term guest.
But the rest of what he said was completely wrong.
Caron was not the kind of man to stay in his mansion because of a mere woman.
He only remained here because he found it necessary.
Even if El spent her entire life, she would never win even the smallest piece of Caron’s heart. That much she was sure of.
“So, I thought maybe you’re that woman. Am I wrong?”
“Isn’t it obvious, seeing me spending the night alone?”
When El snapped back, Felix burst into laughter, his expression genuinely delighted.
“Ha, ha ha! So you’re saying Caron has his eyes on some other woman? And you have nothing to do with it, my lady?”
“Whether the Duke has a woman or not, I don’t know. But I can assure you—I am not that person.”
El calmly retorted and turned her body, heading into the room. But Felix lightly reached out to stop her.
“Wait.”
“I’ve said all I need to say. Please leave.”
“Reveal your family name, my lady.”
His voice suddenly dropped low, chilling her shoulder like ice. El clenched her teeth and forced herself to answer in a steady tone.
“I cannot say.”
Felix tilted his head slightly.
“Cannot say? Then it must be one of two things.”
A lazy smile spread across his face.
“You’re either hiding a secret affair…”
“……”
“Or you have no family at all.”
“……”
“Oh. That look—you’re rattled.”
Felix chuckled softly and tapped her tight lips with his fingertip.
Fire sparked in El’s eyes.
“Don’t touch me!”
She smacked his hand away hard and quickly stepped back.
Instead of anger, Felix’s face showed surprise. He looked between his reddened hand and El, and then his eyes gleamed—like a child discovering something fun.
Once again, Felix reached out quickly.
But this time, El crossed her arms, grabbed his hand, and spun him around in one swift motion—a technique used on the streets to fend off harassers.
“Ugh!”
Felix let out a grunt, unable to pull away. At her firm move, El released his hand with a sharp flick.
“So, you are the woman Caron’s been hiding away, aren’t you?”
He must have realized she was a commoner with no noble family.
And indeed—nothing about El’s reactions resembled the conduct of a noble lady.
“……”
When El stayed silent, Felix thought for a moment, then spoke with playful mischief.
“Then how about joining my family instead?”
“…What?”
El’s face twisted in disbelief at the sudden proposal.
Felix laughed at her reaction, then extended his hand politely.
“Come to my family. The Marquisate of Terler. You’ve heard of it, haven’t you?”
As El hesitated at his offered hand, the sound of a lock clicking echoed from the door.
Felix’s teasing expression instantly turned cold.
“…You’re locked in here?”
“That’s not what it looks like.”
El tried to protest quickly, but Felix cut her off harshly.
“What do you mean it’s not? Someone just unlocked the door from the outside. Are you insane? You accept this?”
“It’s my choice.”
The door opened, and Ena entered, roughly setting down a tea set on the table. She immediately stepped in front of El, shielding her.
But El signaled with her eyes that she was fine, gently pulling Ena behind her instead.
Felix, watching El’s tense figure, finally spoke.
“At least tell me your name. What’s your name?”
“…El.”
“…What?”
“My name is El.”
Her bright brown eyes met his. Felix saw in them a devotion that bordered on blind loyalty.
Though his friend Caron was a reckless scoundrel, when it came to women he had always been cold—so cold that Felix sometimes wondered if something was wrong with him.
“What on earth is he thinking?” Felix muttered in disbelief.
Caron was insane. Truly, completely insane.
“No, but really… why go this far? Wait. Is your name truly El?”
“Yes.”
“And your family name?”
“As you guessed, I am not a noble.”
“…What the…”
Felix stumbled back, retreating step by step. Without another word, he vaulted over the railing and disappeared as if fleeing.
El stared quietly in the direction he had gone and finally spoke.
“Ena… do nobles really act like that?”
“Nobles are people too, my lady.”
“…People.”
El whispered. Yes, nobles were still people.
But commoners—especially those like her, from the slums—were rarely treated as people at all.
Even when she was found, it had been in the forest.
She had never truly lived a human life. So how could she call herself human?
A vision flashed before her again: the little child whose bones had been shattered, lying dead.
She should have at least given that child a pretty name. Instead, she had let them be called by some odd nickname.
“More importantly, are you all right? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“I’m fine. He even returned the important documents to me.”
“That’s a relief. Still, you must be cautious with him. Unlike the Master, who wields a sword, he wields a pen.”
“A pen?”
“In noble society, the pen is often more dangerous than the sword. Of course, our Master is the exception. Even His Majesty the Emperor fears his sword.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
El smiled faintly.
Ena studied her quietly, then spoke without thinking.
“You really do seem like a noble lady now.”
“……”
“I—I’m sorry!”
“No, it’s fine. Thank you. That was a compliment.”
El dropped her gaze with a bitter smile.
But her thoughts were elsewhere.
Why had Felix reacted so strongly to her name?
She wanted to ask—but she lacked the courage.
She feared the answer would only wound her.
* * *
At dawn, Caron summoned El.
“…Why is he calling me?”
“I’m not sure myself,” the old butler admitted as they walked down the hall.
But El had one guess.
The Marquis of Terler.
Perhaps he had said something to Caron.
El shrank her shoulders nervously.
“Master, I’ve brought the lady.”
“Let her in.”
Caron’s voice from within sounded no different than usual.
When the door opened, El saw him seated at his desk.
Blue hair, jet-black eyes.
“El. Come here.”
At his words, El quickly approached him.
“Why did you call for me…?”
“Do I need a reason to see you?”
“……”
True enough. Until the Marquis had arrived, she had seen Caron every day, usually at meals or during tea time.
“El. In this mansion, nothing should happen without my knowledge.”
“…Yes.”
“Tell me.”
“I dropped some important documents. The Marquis of Terler picked them up and we exchanged a few words.”
“Good. Clear and concise. But, El…”
“…Yes?”
Was it her imagination, or was there a chill in his gaze?
Caron rose slowly and approached her. He stopped only when her bowed head touched his chest.
“Your Grace…”
“El. The Marquis said he wants to take you with him.”
“…What?”
Caron tilted her chin upward, forcing her to meet his eyes.
He smiled languidly, his gaze half-lidded.
He was always breathtakingly beautiful—so much so that El could barely breathe in his presence.
“So, will you follow after the Marquis?”
If she did, she would surely die. That’s what his dangerous smile told her.
“I’ve already sworn to you, Your Grace. Until you cast me aside, I will never leave your side.”
“Yes. You did say that. Not that I would’ve let you go anyway.”
As he withdrew his hand, El quickly stepped back. Watching her, Caron asked calmly:
“Am I frightening to you?”
“No, my lord.”
“Then… am I still difficult for you?”
“For as long as I live, Your Grace will always be difficult for me.”
After a short silence, Caron changed the subject indifferently.
“So, your decision.”
“…Decision?”
“On that important document the Marquis returned. Will you sign it?”
“Ah.”
The title deed. She still carried it in her bosom.
Just as El was about to respond, the office door swung open and a familiar man strode inside.
(To be continued in the next episode)
