MTEF 14

Chapter 14

‘Even though it’s only a portrait, she looks alive. Who could this noble lady be?’

As though he had read Ronin’s thoughts, Conrad, who was standing behind him, spoke.

“The former Grand Duchess.”

There was unmistakable affection in his voice. Ronin replied sincerely.

“She’s beautiful… The painting feels incredibly warm as well.”

“You can tell. Yes, Her Grace was considered one of the greatest beauties in the North. Whenever she came out into the garden to read a book, everyone would find an excuse to wander past, hoping to exchange even a few words with her. She was kind even to the servants.”

Conrad’s gaze grew distant, as though he were reliving those memories.

Even if he hadn’t heard that she had been a kind person, Ronin would have believed it anyway. Conrad’s face shone like that of a young boy as he recalled those days.

He, too, must have been one of the people who had sincerely cherished the former Grand Duchess.

‘But the Grand Duchess… I heard she had been frail and returned to God’s embrace at a young age.’

No matter how isolated Ronin had been, he knew that much. After all, on the day the news arrived, his father had celebrated by popping open a bottle of champagne.

The former Grand Duchess had originally been the eldest daughter of a noble family from the capital. She had awakened as an Omega, and her future had already been decided for her. Yet she had chosen her own fiancé.

Leofric.

Ronin had heard that the decision caused considerable conflict, but through the Grand Duchess’s efforts, the relationship between the two families had gradually begun to improve.

Their only grandson—Callion Leofric—had also served as a bridge between them.

But in the end, she closed her eyes before she could finish what she had started, leaving behind her young son.

The only family that benefited from her tragic death…

…was Alistair.

“The daughter of Count Basley died in the land of barbarians! The furious Count has declared he’ll cut off every bit of support to the Leofrics. Hahaha! What wonderful news!”

On the day he uncorked the champagne, Ronin’s father had been in such high spirits that, for once, he allowed Ronin out of his room.

Then he had poured poisonous words into his ears.

Mining rights.

Gold coins.

Political struggles.

Alphas.

And Omegas.

Remembering that day made Ronin’s stomach churn.

His head lowered on its own.

For some reason, it felt as though the former Grand Duchess in the portrait was silently condemning him.

Fortunately, Conrad seemed to come back to himself at that moment and remembered his duty. He had successfully escorted Ronin and Pam to their room.

Before the door had even fully closed, Pam pouted and complained.

“What is this gloomy room? It’s huge, but completely useless!”

The room certainly was spacious.

However, the wallpaper had faded into an old gray color, and the small window was hidden behind heavy curtains.

‘I heard people in the North use thick curtains to keep out the cold, but I didn’t think they’d be this ugly!’

Once she noticed one thing she disliked, everything else began to bother her as well.

There was nothing but a bed, a table, and a dresser.

Even those pieces of furniture were made from weathered wood, making the entire room feel dark and heavy.

Even the rug spread across the floor lacked any sort of pattern.

The room was well maintained overall, but it felt cramped and joyless.

Though Ronin quietly agreed with Pam’s opinion, he spoke with gentle restraint.

“Pam, people live in the North too. They are citizens of the same Empire. Speaking about them like that is…”

“Yes, yes, I knooow. I’m going to take a look around the castle, so you stay here and behave yourself, Ronin.”

Pam casually dropped their luggage onto the floor and turned to leave.

Startled, Ronin quickly grabbed her.

“W-Wait, Pam! What if you get lost…”

“Hmph. Do you think I’m you, Ronin? I already memorized the way here!”

Smack!

Pam brushed Ronin’s hand away and walked out, shutting the door behind her.

Bang!

The sound of the closing door felt like a heavy stone dropping onto Ronin’s chest.

‘She memorized the route… Well, she was always a clever girl. Clever enough to think her way out of dangerous situations.’

He felt ashamed.

Ashamed that even a young maid had memorized the path while he had not.

Ashamed that he had confidently thought he would be the one helping her.

But more than anything…

He was now alone in this enormous room.

‘Alone… Here…’

Thump.

Thump.

Perhaps because he had spent so many years confined to a room, Ronin hated being left alone.

Until now, he had always found one excuse or another to call Pam into his room.

Sometimes, however, even that wasn’t possible.

Like now.

Whenever that happened, Ronin would desperately repeat the same words to himself.

“Pam has her own work to do. Once she’s finished, she’ll come right back to this room. It won’t take long. She’ll return as soon as she’s done. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Normally, that method worked.

Today, it didn’t.

The moment he realized there wasn’t a single sound besides his own voice…

The moment he truly realized he was alone in the room—

“Gasp!”

Panic overwhelmed Ronin almost instantly.

The anxiety he had desperately ignored came crashing over him like a tidal wave.

‘But what did she leave to do? What if it’s something important? What if it’s difficult? What if it takes days to finish? Or… what if she suddenly becomes sick of all this? What if she’s tired of serving a useless master who couldn’t even become an Omega? What if she regrets following me all the way to the North? What if she decides to quit and return to the capital? Then… then what will happen to me…?’

Logically, he knew the truth.

If he simply pulled back those thick curtains, sunlight would pour into the room.

The air inside hadn’t changed at all.

Yet he felt utterly isolated.

As though he had been locked inside a silent prison.

Shaking with anxiety, Ronin squeezed his eyes shut.

He tried to block out every bit of stimulation by force.

Whoooo—

Clatter. Clatter!

“Hngh!”

Even that failed.

Ronin jumped up from the edge of the bed and began pacing around the room.

One lap.

Then another.

With every circle, his heart pounded harder.

‘What do I do? What if I really have been left here alone? What if no one comes to save me? Am I going to die here? Alone… in this unfamiliar, freezing land… without knowing a single person…?’

He knew someone who had died that way.

He even knew how that pitiful Omega had met her end.

Again and again, the silhouette of a woman throwing herself from a tower appeared before his eyes.

Her face was hidden behind her loose hair.

But Ronin knew exactly who she was.

“I curse you, Alistair!”

“Eek!”

At last, Ronin fled the room.

His already pale face had turned completely white.

He desperately ran farther and farther away.

He passed the portrait he had admired earlier, but in his half-panicked state, he didn’t even notice it.

Or rather…

He avoided it.

Deep down, he was terrified of meeting those warm eyes again.

He feared that the ghost would become even more vivid…

…and come to seize him simply because he was an Alistair.

Ronin wandered through the castle’s maze-like corridors without stopping.

He no longer knew where he was.

Nor where he was going.

He simply kept running from the ghost that haunted his mind.

Step by step, he drifted toward the parts of the castle where even the faintest traces of people disappeared.

The architecture of the corridors changed.

The surroundings changed.

But Ronin noticed none of it.

Eventually, he arrived at a floor forbidden not only to outsiders…

…but even to the castle’s own servants.