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Chapter 10
As he returned to the inner castle, Varas was in a terrible mood. “Terrible” wasn’t even enough to describe it. It was a complete, indescribable mess.
Zart, who was following behind him, felt like he was about to die.
It was obvious that the north wind of his lord’s temperament had replaced what had earlier seemed like a gentle spring breeze. That kind of violent temperament belonged on a battlefield—it was nothing short of a ticking bomb here.
There were no enemies or prisoners of war here to vent that “killing instinct” of his lord.
Zart followed him all the way to the bedroom and stood silently by the door. He was the only one who could restrain his lord if he suddenly snapped. So from this moment on, he had to monitor him closely.
Varas seemed to have calmed down somewhat, returning to his usual expression, but Zart did not relax.
His lord had been lucky to grow up on battlefields; otherwise, he would have become a notorious mass murderer. Even when he looked calm like this, if he snapped for even a moment, there would be no stopping him.
“Zart.”
Zart carefully answered his lord’s call.
“Yes, my lord.”
A faint smile appeared on Varas’s lips. He had just thought of a good idea.
“Release that man into the inner castle.”
Zart quietly left the corridor and headed down to the underground cells. The man named Robin. If that man alone could ease his lord’s rage, Zart felt like he could even pray in gratitude to the heavens.
On his way down, Zart happened to meet Anna. He asked her, in a hurry, to guard the lord’s bedroom door for a while, then quickly descended into the dungeon.
He opened several doors along the way.
It was to adjust the escape route that Robin would likely take about an hour later, once he regained consciousness after the Abelanon drug wore off. That path led to a small room beside the inner corridor.
If that man couldn’t withstand Abelanon’s drug, then he would indeed be the man Selene once loved—or still loved. A man she had once chosen to love.
Perhaps they had even promised to meet again and fulfill that love someday. Even if she had been dragged away like livestock and sold off by her father for money, perhaps they had sworn to never forget each other.
How convenient. He would erase that sprouting possibility right here.
He would shatter hope into pieces, leaving no place for her heart to return to.
Varas stood up, thinking about what to do, and slowly walked toward the window.
He thought he had just heard Selene’s laughter from the courtyard.
Whether she liked having meals in the corridor or not, Selene often came out like that, basking in the sunlight and smiling.
Varas stood by the window, silently watching the quiet courtyard for several minutes.
Watching her was never boring, no matter how long it was. Even just looking at the back of her head as she sat still made time pass easily.
In the barren courtyard, Selene noticed a butterfly.
A small white butterfly drifted about, pushed by occasional gusts of wind. With no flowers here, it had to struggle to cross the castle walls and fly beyond.
Selene couldn’t take her eyes off it for some reason.
It felt like herself—always being thrown into new environments, regardless of her own will, from birth through childhood and even now as an adult.
The white butterfly, swaying in the wind yet still rising upward, eventually disappeared beyond the castle wall.
Selene clenched her fist.
It felt like fate was whispering to her:
“You will also reach happiness in the end.”
She shifted her gaze from the wall the butterfly had crossed to Varas’s bedroom window.
She thought she could vaguely see a figure standing there. Probably wearing that usual expressionless face.
She didn’t know why she had been thrown into this world, but she felt she might find happiness. Like that small white butterfly crossing the high walls in search of flowers.
From the window, Varas watched as Selene stared at the courtyard. Even when her gaze turned toward his direction, he knew it was just an illusion—there was no way she could actually see him from there.
He barely managed to control his rising rage.
She was twenty years old. An age where, in noble families, she might already have been married and raising children. An age old enough to understand love.
Had she ever whispered love to that man? Had she flushed red, ears and neck turning crimson, as she confessed her feelings in a soft voice?
Varas forced himself to breathe steadily, trying to calm down, but it didn’t work. He didn’t even understand where this anger came from. He just felt furious—so furious he wanted to destroy everything in sight.
The only reason he restrained himself was her gaze toward his window.
Selene.
Selene.
Selene Belias. My bride.
How should he kill that man in front of her? He would destroy him so thoroughly he could never speak the word “love” again.
And if—just if—she still had even a fragment of longing for him left…
He would scatter his bones for beasts to devour.
The shadow in Varas’s window faded. Selene still stared for a while longer, thinking of the cold, silent man who might be inside that room.
When she finally turned away at the sound of footsteps, Anna approached with warm tea and cookies.
But Anna’s expression seemed more tense than usual.
“Anna?” Selene called.
“Yes.”
Her tone was always disciplined, but today she seemed unusually stiff. And behind her stood a large shadow.
Varas.
He sat across from Selene, staring at her expressionlessly. Selene thought, absurdly, that he was the same as always—but also not.
Anna placed the tea and stepped back.
Selene didn’t know where to look under his unusually intense gaze.
He simply sat there, watching her like a boulder.
From Varas’s perspective, Selene kept brushing her hair back, sipping tea with both hands, moistening her lips, stealing glances at him, then pretending not to notice. Whenever their eyes met, she smiled awkwardly and quickly looked away, returning to her cup.
She raised her skirt slightly and showed him her shoes.
“I wore these today. Want to see?”
Even though, in his opinion, the dress and leather shoes didn’t match at all, she didn’t seem to care.
“Are they comfortable?”
“If I wear them, walking is much easier. And they’re pretty.”
He thought to himself: That won’t be enough.
To escape this castle, she would need to run, not walk.
“Would you like to go out today?”
“Where?”
“Anywhere. It doesn’t matter. Anywhere is fine.”
She had only been outside the Belias castle twice, both times only as far as the fountain.
Varas tilted his head.
“From today, I intend to close the inner castle.”
Selene’s smile vanished.
“I…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
“I will remain here?” she asked silently.
“Yes.”
Anna quietly left after finishing serving.
Selene looked at Varas, completely unable to read him.
Varas exhaled.
“It is only temporary. No longer than a week. After that… we can go riding together.”
At that, Selene smiled again, relieved.
“Alright.”
Perhaps she would end up resenting him for the rest of her life.
It didn’t matter.
He had no intention of sharing even a grain of sugar dust from her hands with anyone else.
Even emptiness was fine. Sadness, depression—anything was fine.
But not love for another man. Especially not if that man was still alive.
Once she saw him die in front of her… then perhaps he could take her somewhere to breathe. To the Lavelaberg Forest.
Maybe she would like the stars. The night sky there was famously beautiful.
Just then, the door to a small room beside the corridor slowly opened.
Varas turned his gaze toward the unfamiliar presence.
Selene also turned.
From that room, Robin would appear.
Varas carefully watched her face, waiting for what expression would emerge.
His eyes gleamed strangely.
