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Chapter 06
Meanwhile, Celine set down her utensils and carefully wiped her mouth.
“Is there anything I should know before going out today?”
Anna’s gaze sharpened. So it wasn’t just a casual walk—she meant to leave the castle. Without hesitation, Anna replied as if there were no other option.
“I will accompany you.”
Though Anna lowered her eyes and spoke politely, the atmosphere carried no room for refusal.
Celine decided she would go out with Anna today.
Baras had remained shut in his office all morning. It felt as if his mind had stopped working altogether. He tried to think, but nothing came to him.
He needed a reason to justify keeping her confined. Of course, he could imprison her without one, but doing so felt… like treating her as an object.
Even while recognizing his own hypocrisy, he still wanted a justification. Yet nothing came to mind. All he could recall was the woman who had been humming lightly beside him yesterday.
A moment later, the door to Baras’s office swung open forcefully, then closed slowly.
His steps toward Celine’s bedroom halted.
Something outside the window caught his eye.
Celine was sitting at a table in an unused corridor, with Anna standing guard beside her.
After exchanging a few words, Celine stood up.
Baras turned back the way he came, matching her movements through the window, before realizing she was heading toward the outer gate.
His pace quickened. His mind spiraled with the thought that she might run away.
Anna was with her, so she should be safe—but what if something happened? What if she slipped into a crowd and evaded Anna?
Under normal circumstances, he would have dismissed the idea entirely. But now, he could not think clearly at all.
As the corridor ended and the light disappeared, his walk turned into a run.
When he reached the end of the stairs and bright light flooded in, he saw her stepping out of the inner castle.
It looked like she was fleeing him.
His mood sank instantly.
Once outside, she brushed her hair back in the cold breeze, looking almost content.
He wanted to turn her around immediately, drag her back roughly, and throw her into her room.
And with that thought, he approached her.
Ignoring Anna’s bow, he reached for Celine—only to pause when he heard her humming.
That soft, fragile sound felt like it was her.
Celine didn’t notice his presence at all.
Baras slowly regained his composure. He knew Anna, a royal knight of exceptional ability, would never lose her in a crowd.
There was no “what if.”
The probability of Anna failing was essentially zero.
He signaled Anna to leave her alone for now. Anna complied silently and stepped back.
Now nothing stood between him and Celine.
As long as he kept watching, he could reach her in an instant. The realization soothed him.
She couldn’t go anywhere.
Jart, the house steward and heir of the Ogas Marquis family, was a vassal of Duke Baras Bellias and a loyal man who had fought alongside him as a deputy commander.
He was able to spot his lord even from a distance.
Seeing him running as if possessed startled him greatly.
He followed Baras for a moment, then stopped when he saw the Duchess.
Understanding seemed to dawn on him, and he decided to continue on his way.
The duke’s twisted expression briefly bothered him—but that was just his usual face anyway.
Baras’s pace gradually slowed until he was walking alongside Celine’s speed.
It almost felt like they were walking together, even though there was distance between them.
Still, he kept watching in case she suddenly tried to run.
He thought—absurdly—that if she showed even a hint of escape, he would have to catch her and tie her to the bed.
A perfectly justified reason to confine her might appear that way.
Strangely, that thought made him feel slightly better.
Celine could only marvel at how detailed and coherent this world was.
The market connected to the outer city was crowded but full of life. It felt like stepping into a medieval fantasy film.
She wandered through the crowd until she reached a square with a large fountain.
People were eating snacks, chatting in groups, enjoying their time.
Celine sat on the edge of the fountain.
Anna stood silently beside her, vigilant.
Celine gathered her thoughts.
The original story she remembered was no longer very useful. Baras was not as terrifying as described—if anything, he had been almost kind.
The memory of his steady arm from yesterday made her smile unconsciously.
Maybe… she was at the beginning of something like a romance with him.
But she quickly suppressed the thought.
That would be a foolish dream.
At best, she was simply allowed to walk outside without being confined.
That didn’t mean his nature had changed.
Realizing she kept thinking about Baras made her feel uneasy.
She had begun to feel some level of affection for him—on her own.
With a mix of unease and a faint excitement, she stood up. It was already getting late; she should return soon.
Baras had been silently watching her the entire time.
It didn’t bore him at all—which was strange in itself.
Only when she stood up and began walking back did he realize how late it had become.
He followed her at a steady pace.
People in the streets bowed instantly as he passed. No one dared to lift their heads.
His build and his scarred left eye were enough to identify him anywhere.
The people of the duchy were both reassured and terrified by his presence.
Baras noticed their fear but ignored it.
His attention remained fixed solely on Celine.
That evening, while Anna was bringing dinner, Celine finished bathing in warm water and stepped out wrapped in a soft towel.
The cool air felt refreshing against her heated skin.
She considered opening the window slightly and did so.
Fresh air filled her lungs.
A knock came at the door.
“Anna here.”
Celine froze.
If that was Anna… then who was already inside?
Before she could turn, a heavy voice spoke.
“Come in.”
Baras.
She flinched.
The door opened, letting in more cool air—but she could no longer enjoy it.
Anna entered quietly, placed the meal on the table by the window, and left again.
Celine stood frozen, gripping the towel tightly.
She couldn’t turn around. She couldn’t move.
Celine was not the only one caught off guard—Baras was just as affected.
He had waited long enough for her to finish bathing.
He had even bathed and eaten himself during that time, and prepared jewelry as a gift for her.
He entered after hearing her voice telling him to come in.
The sight stopped him.
Her pale gold hair moved in the wind from the window, and her slender shoulders were intermittently revealed beneath the towel.
Her exposed thighs were so pale they seemed almost luminous.
He thought of the faint sweet scent he had once caught when he caught her after she fell.
What kind of scent would she have there…
