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Chapter : 22
“Hmm? Why did he do that?”
“I don’t know! I even checked a mirror to see if something was on my face. He’s such a strange man, isn’t he?”
Lucy grumbled about how uncomfortable it felt. Then she remembered something and pulled out an envelope from her pocket, showing it off proudly.
“Marquis Marcus sent you a letter!”
Anna stared at the envelope in Lucy’s hand. The wax seal clearly showed the roaring wolf—the symbol of the Marcus family from the west.
Lucy tilted her head, surprised Anna wasn’t moving.
“Miss?”
“…Alright.”
Finally, Anna reached out and took the envelope. She slowly broke the seal and opened the letter.
*The days are getting warmer. On days like this, I remember sitting with you by the window, watching flowers fall like rain. Do you remember that too, Anna? I hope so.
You said you would visit the embroidery teacher you’ve known since you were young. I wonder if you enjoyed your trip. I’ve been so busy with family matters, so I hope you found time to relax.
My heart is already running to your side, but my body is stuck here with so much work. If you write back and tell me how you’ve been, it will comfort me.
I’ll be happy with just a few lines, even just a few words.
Your Raiden*
Anna’s eyes trembled as she read the letter, which was as gentle and sweet as five years ago.
It felt like she’d been hit on the head. Anna put the letter on her lap and pressed a hand to her chest.
She felt embarrassed for judging him so harshly just a moment ago. She realized she’d tried to see him as cold just to protect herself.
‘I was wrong about him.’
With the guilt came a quiet happiness. Raiden did love her after all.
‘I shouldn’t blame Raiden for everything. I’ll just… completely cut off my father, and end it there.’
The thought hurt her, but she knew it was necessary.
“Lucy, I need to write a reply.”
Lucy’s eyes lit up.
“Will you tell him what happened yesterday?”
“…I’ll think about it a bit more.”
Lucy, disappointed, handed Anna paper and a quill she had already prepared. Anna smiled and took them.
Suddenly, Anna’s whole body felt prickly.
“!”
She dropped the quill. Lucy quickly picked it up, looking worried.
“Miss? What’s wrong?”
“Didn’t you hear something just now?”
Lucy shook her head with her already-big eyes wide open. Then, footsteps ran down the hallway.
“Huh?”
Anna, feeling uneasy, stood up. At that moment, a knight burst in.
“Miss, you must hide!”
Before Anna could even react, more knights and servants rushed in, surrounding her to protect her. Then Henry appeared, hurrying in with his usual calm voice.
“Miss!”
“Henry!”
Seeing him, Anna finally relaxed. Lucy, who had been frozen, also started to move again. Henry quickly explained.
“We just found signs that strangers entered the mansion.”
Anna and Lucy’s eyes grew wide. Lucy covered her mouth, shaking with fear. Anna tried to calm her, and nodded at Henry, signaling him to keep going.
“We think there were three intruders. Two ran away, and we’re still looking for the last one. Please stay with the knights until we find him.”
“I understand.”
Henry then came closer and whispered in Anna’s ear.
“The intruders used a secret passage only direct members of Evercline know about.”
Anna froze, her hand pausing on Lucy’s back. Henry looked very serious and mouthed the words:
‘Trust no one.’
Anna barely nodded and held Lucy’s hand tightly. Lucy hugged her, hiding Anna from everyone’s eyes.
Anna buried her face in Lucy’s arms and sighed.
‘Father…’
The trouble ended only at dawn. The last intruder, who had hidden inside, escaped through the back door during a staff shift. In the end, they lost all of them.
“Miss, please eat something.”
The incident was over for now, but Anna felt more anxious than ever. She sat at the table because Henry and Lucy insisted, but she couldn’t eat and pushed the bowl away. Lucy looked at her, worried.
“I’m not hungry. I’ll eat later.”
Trying to comfort Lucy, Anna got up and went to her room. Henry followed her quietly and closed the door. He spoke seriously.
“Even this mansion isn’t safe anymore.”
Anna bit her lip and nodded. She felt the same way.
‘It has to be Father. Who else would know about the secret passage?’
She had learned about the secret passage from her father, John. She couldn’t just block all the entrances with knights and servants—then it wouldn’t be secret anymore.
‘Even if I block all the ones I know, what if there’s a passage only my father knows?’
The conclusion was clear: nowhere in Evercline was safe now.
“Maybe I should stay at the villa for a while…”
She rubbed her forehead, trying to think. But Henry didn’t look confident.
“If the Count really is behind this, even the villa won’t be safe.”
“…You’re right.”
She felt numb. After all that had happened since yesterday, Anna felt heavy, like her whole body was underwater.
‘So what do I do now?’
She didn’t have a single safe place in the world. She blamed herself for having no real friends because she’d always been stuck close to her father.
Just then, someone knocked. A servant brought a message from the gatekeeper.
“Marquis Marcus is here to see you.”
“!”
Anna jumped up, shocked. How did he know? She blinked and stared at Henry.
He nodded.
“Yes. I sent him a message.”
Henry admitted it right away.
“This place is too dangerous for you.”
Anna let out a long sigh and ran a hand through her hair. But she wasn’t angry—she actually felt relieved.
“So you were here.”
Raiden appeared, bringing in the cold air of early morning. Anna saw the worry on his face and suddenly felt like crying.
“How did you…?”
She wanted to run to him and hug him, but she held herself back. Instead, she politely bent her knee in a formal greeting.
“Marquis Marcus.”
Raiden’s eyebrows went up, then down in annoyance. He replied with a short, formal gesture and spoke bluntly.
“Let’s not waste time. Get up. This place isn’t safe.”
Anna was confused. Where did he want to take her? Then she guessed.
‘Maybe he knows a secret safe house?’
She took his hand and stood up.
“Where should I go? Is it far from the capital?”
“It’s not far. It’s on Royal Street.”
“…Where?”
Anna stopped thinking about what to pack and stared at him. Royal Street was the most expensive area near the palace, where only the highest nobles had homes. Even the Evercline family had never lived there.
‘Why would someone like us go there?’
She wondered if Raiden planned to leave her with another noble family.
“No.”
Raiden cut her off quickly. His answer was so sharp, Anna flinched.
“Then why are we going there…?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
Raiden waved for Lucy to pack. Lucy quickly stuffed Anna’s things into three big trunks.
“I’ll go get ready too!”
But just as Lucy turned to leave, Raiden stopped her.
“No need. Only the young lady is coming.”
“What?”
Lucy’s eyes went wide. Anna was surprised too.
“Raiden? What do you mean?”
“Just what I said,” he answered coldly. Then he spoke sternly to Lucy.
“I’ve already talked to the butler. Don’t make trouble.”
