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Chapter 10 ….
“Fish…”
She had stayed up all night again.
The scenes from last night with him kept swirling endlessly in her head—
whispered words of love, forced kisses, and those pitiful eyes.
It hadn’t been as if he’d done it hoping for something in return.
Rather, his face had been filled with thirst.
“Haa…”
She was confused.
His eyes were brimming with longing.
“As if he knew me…”
Lying absentmindedly on the bed, staring at the window, Elena suddenly let out a derisive laugh.
“As if that’s possible.”
Knock knock—
“My lady, I’ll prepare your bath.”
“Okay.”
It had already been days since people had started calling her “my lady.”
It had felt strange at first, but now she was quite used to it.
“It’s like I’m playing princess.”
The maid repeatedly went back and forth, carrying buckets of hot water and filling the large tub.
Soon, the white bathtub was full of clear water, and the pink bath salts spread out like watercolor.
“It smells nice.”
“The Archduke personally chose the bath salts. I hope they suit your taste.”
“I really like them. Thank you.”
Once the formal conversation ended, the maid quietly left as usual.
Since Elena had stubbornly refused help with bathing, it seemed the maids had adapted as well.
But Elena didn’t immediately undress. She held her breath until the sound of the maid’s footsteps faded completely.
“Is she gone?”
She pressed her ear to the door, listening closely.
Then, clutching her pounding heart, she slowly turned the doorknob.
The faint squeak between door and floor made her flinch, but luckily there was no sign of anyone, so she boldly threw the door open.
“No one’s here.”
She stood on her tiptoes and crept forward, one step at a time.
She looked exactly like a thief sneaking in to steal something.
“Hurry, hurry.”
Elena gathered all the thin sheets she could see nearby and tied them together.
Once a long rope was completed, she secured it tightly to the curtain rod.
“Done.”
She took a deep breath and cracked the window open.
“I won’t die… right?”
After mentally running through the simulation last night, she’d concluded she wouldn’t die.
But now that she was actually about to jump, fear took hold.
“I can do this.”
There was only one way to escape him now—
to flee this terrifying Archduke’s mansion on her own.
If she kept sitting around like this, she really felt like he’d devour her whole someday.
So this was the plan she came up with.
It was reckless, but for someone driven to the edge of a cliff, what was there to fear?
“I can do it. I can do it.”
Repeating it like a spell, Elena grabbed the makeshift rope and climbed onto the window sill.
Looking down from a height of about a third floor apartment made her dizzy.
“Ha… I can’t do this…”
She hadn’t even been able to bungee jump during her high school retreat—she’d cried her eyes out.
What on earth made her think she could jump out of a window?
“No, this isn’t it. I’ll think of another way.”
“My lady!”
At that moment, she realized just how rotten her luck in life was.
Just as she was about to step back from the window, Jane’s urgent shout was followed by the heavy bang of the door bursting open.
“My lady…?”
“Kyaa!!!”
Startled by Jane’s sudden entrance, Elena lost her footing and slid straight down the rope.
“My lady!!!”
The fear was worse than falling into the deep sea.
She had no idea how terrifying it was to have your feet dangling in the air.
“Save me!!! Jane!!!”
Jane lifted her skirt and ran frantically toward the window.
But pulling up someone weighing over 50 kg was nearly impossible.
Panicked, Jane looked around for something she could use to help.
And then—
Creak—
The window directly below swung open.
“What is this now…”
A deep, low voice floated up. She cautiously looked down.
Beneath her dangling feet was the last face she wanted to see.
But this wasn’t the time to be picky—
one slip and she could be saying goodbye to life.
“Um… Could you… help me…?”
At her pitiful plea, he closed his eyes tightly and let out a deep sigh.
“Come here.”
He extended his arms wide, cupping them like a basket.
“H-how…!”
“Trust me and jump.”
But her trust in him was zero percent. Far from feeling safe, she was overflowing with distrust.
“I can’t!”
“Just close your eyes and jump once. It’ll be fine.”
She knew it was too late to keep being stubborn.
Her grip was weakening fast—she couldn’t hold on anymore.
Elena had no choice but to let her trembling hands slip.
“Ah…!”
The moment she landed on his arms, the cushiony feeling erased all the terror like melting snow.
Peeking open one eye like a newborn chick, she saw his annoyed face.
As she flailed in panic, he swiftly tilted his body and climbed back into the room.
“Seriously, you…”
Dekarus let out a dumbfounded laugh.
Then he turned and set her down on the solid wooden floor.
Clack—
He closed the window and locked the brown latch firmly.
The sharp sound of metal made her whole body freeze.
“Haa…”
He let out a deep sigh without even looking back.
From the way he rubbed his face, he clearly had mixed feelings.
Inside, Elena felt a petty sense of triumph.
“I should commend you for doing something unexpected.”
He finally turned to look at her.
His face revealed nothing, still as unreadable as ever.
He slowly approached and pulled her slender shoulders toward him.
Elena ended up nestled against his chest, unusually docile.
She didn’t dare resist this time—who knew what he’d do if she did?
“This is as far as my leniency goes.”
His dark, low voice brushed against her ear like a clouded sky.
The soft hairs on her ear tingled where his lips hovered.
“I get it, so… let go.”
She clenched her fists and pushed against his hard chest.
He chuckled and brushed a hand through her wavy hair.
Her hair slid through his fingers like silk.
“From now on, you’ll sleep in my room.”
“…What?”
She frowned, thinking she must have misheard.
But his serious expression told her he meant it.
“No way. Why would I?”
“Because you keep causing trouble every day.”
Dekarus sighed deeply and returned to his desk.
Papers were piled high like a mountain, almost obscuring his handsome face.
“Take that back.”
“……”
“Dekarus.”
“I like it when you say my name.”
He stamped a document like a machine, his voice completely devoid of emotion.
“I said, take it back.”
“……”
Frustrated, Elena hovered around his desk like a puppy, but he didn’t spare her a glance.
After pacing restlessly for a while, she finally blurted out what had been bottled up inside her.
“Do you know you’re actually really annoying?”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He didn’t even flinch at her insult. She wanted to smack him.
No matter how much she called him or tried to provoke him, he didn’t react.
Eventually, she just stood there with a sullen face in silent protest.
Even under her fiery stare, he kept stamping red seals onto papers.
Biting her lip in frustration, Elena finally made a desperate threat.
“If you don’t, I’ll bite my tongue and die right here!”
Dekarus shut his eyes tightly, as if her tantrum gave him a headache.
For a long moment, he sat motionless in his chair, like someone turned to stone by Medusa’s curse.
Thinking he might be about to sleep, Elena stepped closer, but he didn’t move an inch.
Still, it seemed like her words had reached him, so she pressed on.
“I-I-I’m serious! I mean it! If I say I’ll do it, I’ll really do it!”
Her mouth went dry as she lied to his face.
But she couldn’t back down now.
With his eyes still closed, Dekarus covered his face with both hands and exhaled slowly.
Then he rose from his seat and walked toward her, his shoes clicking.
“Do you hate it that much?”
“W-what? Why are you saying that all of a sudden…”
How was she supposed to understand a sentence without a subject?
He really had zero sense of consideration for others.
Elena instinctively stepped back as he approached.
“Do you really hate me that much?”
Maybe he was just an idiot—
how could he say something so obvious so seriously?
She let out a short, incredulous laugh.
“Why don’t you try using that brilliant brain of yours to think for a second? Would you like it if our roles were reversed?”
She tapped her head with her finger.
He smiled at her sarcastic tone.
And then suddenly, he lifted her hand and kissed the back of it.
“W-what are you doing?!”
Elena yanked her hand back in shock—
but her body was pulled toward him like a magnet.
“Ah…!”
Suddenly finding herself face-to-face with him at close range, she widened her eyes.
She couldn’t even close her mouth from surprise.
His beautiful crimson eyes sparkled like jewels as he smirked.
“Even after seeing such a handsome face?”
“…What?”
Did she just hear him say he was handsome?
Elena furrowed her brow and let out a small sigh.
Judging by his confident tone, he was dead serious.
Her captured hand brushed against his lips.
“…W-why are you doing this.”
“It seems you don’t recognize my worth yet.”
He tugged her hand roughly against his firm shirt.
The solid muscles beneath felt like stone.
“I’d say I’ve got better qualities than most.”
“Let… go! I’m leaving.”
Smack.
She yanked her hand free and headed for the door, her cheeks burning red.
Just as she reached for the doorknob, he spoke in a low voice.
“There are guards outside.”
What, was that supposed to mean he’d have them kill her?
She turned to look at him, papers still in hand.
“What, are you going to kill me?”
“No, why would I?”
His head poked out from behind the papers at a slanted angle.
“If anyone should be punished for letting you out, it’s the guards.”
He’s insane.
This man is absolutely insane.
She was stuck in a room with someone who didn’t even think like a normal person.
“You… you’re crazy.”
“Yes, for you.”
His sudden confession froze her like a snowman.
In this absurd situation, all she could do was let out a helpless laugh.
“Ha… Fine, you win. Do whatever you want.”
The more she talked to him, the more drained she felt.
She trudged over to the bed.
“As I please?”
“Yes, as you please.”
“You shouldn’t say things like that so carelessly, Elena.”
Thud—
She lay down on the bed, turning her back to him, as if she didn’t hear a word.
Like a wrung-out towel, she buried her face into the pillow.
“What’s he up to this time…”
“You told me to stay still. So I will. It’s better than dying.”
There was nothing she could do now.
Even if she jumped out, what good would it do?
She hadn’t known the floor below was his office.
And what good was learning to read,
when now he was going to teach her anyway?
“Haa…”
Elena let out a long, heavy sigh, as if the ground were sinking beneath her.
She felt completely drained.
“I’m planning to hold the wedding next month.”
“My head hurts, so stop saying things like that.”
“Then shall we do it this month?”
“No—next month.”
“Alright, next month it is.”
“You…!”
The more she talked, the more she felt like she was being led into his pace.
She couldn’t even escape this place—
what was she doing letting herself be swayed by him?
“What? You just said next month. Don’t tell me you suddenly have complaints now.”
“Haa. Fine… I give up. I lose.”
She lay there in defeat, staring blankly up at the grand ceiling mural.
The painting was stunningly beautiful, at least.
“I don’t think you’ve ever won against me.”
“I’m not in the mood for word games.”
“I enjoy just talking to you like this.”
“I don’t like you.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Silence fell.
Only the ticking clock and the thump of the stamp echoed through the room.
After a while, he spoke again.
“We’ll hold the ceremony in secret.”
“Do whatever you want. It’s not like I have a say anyway.”
“You understand well.”
But then, his sharp hand—about to stamp another document—froze in midair.
“By the way… Who is this Aiden?”
