Tok. Ttok. Tok. 

The sound of groundwater dripping from the ceiling was eerie. The air in the windowless space was damp, and moss covered the floor. Beyond the thick iron bars, there was nothing but a thin wooden plank with a thin cloth on top and a small side table.

Daniel, now completely sober, stiffened. He looked up at the nameless knight who had personally placed handcuffs on him.

“H-Hey. I am the Duke’s younger brother. Did my brother really order you to imprison me here?”

“Throw him in.”

The knight did not respond.

He handed Daniel over, almost tossing him, to another man standing in front of the prison. Daniel, who had never once held a sword and had lived a life of luxury, was helplessly passed from one man’s hands to another.

Like an object being placed into a box, Daniel was shoved into the open prison. In an instant, he became nothing more than livestock trapped behind iron bars.

“Hey. I am still the son of Count Reten. Besides, isn’t there a principle of presumption of innocence in this country?”

Until the trial, he should not be treated as a criminal.

“Do I really deserve this treatment just for toying with a mere woman? Summon my brother. Get my brother here!”

His booming voice echoed through the underground prison. However, the knights neither restrained him nor ridiculed him.

Like ghosts crawling up from the abyss, they stood still, staring ahead in silence. They resembled wooden puppets devoid of emotion or sensation.

After what felt like hours, a weak voice spoke from nearby.

“It’s useless.”

Daniel flinched. With no candle to light the space, he hadn’t even realized someone was beside him. He hastily straightened his slumped posture.

“Who… are you?”

“It’s me, Young Master Reten.”

At first, Daniel didn’t recognize him.

The man’s eyelids were sunken, his cheeks hollow, and his hair dry and brittle. Most of all, his eyes were lifeless. He looked like a man on the verge of death.

A chill ran down Daniel’s spine, but only for a moment. Then, noticing that the man had the same brown hair and violet eyes as the Duchess, Daniel gasped.

“L-Lord Lawrence?”

Calix weakly nodded. Frothy saliva dribbled from his lips.

Daniel wrinkled his nose at the sight, finding the display repulsive. However, he dismissed it as the result of hardship and raised his voice.

“Who dared to imprison you here, my lord? Was it my brother?”

Completely ignorant of the situation, Daniel finally concluded that his brother had gone mad.

It was outrageous enough that he was being treated this way just for harassing a fallen noblewoman, but regardless of Calix’s crimes, he was still Elicity’s older brother.

Alex should not have treated his wife’s brother in such a manner. Furious, Daniel shouted.

“This is unacceptable. Once I get out of here, I’ll immediately inform our mother and father. I’ll even tell the Harrington Weekly that my brother has lost his mind!”

“Is that so.”

A voice murmured emotionlessly behind him. The whisper was barely audible, yet it sent chills down his spine. He felt as though his entire body was being pierced through.

Daniel turned his trembling gaze toward the voice.

As expected, his half-brother had approached without him noticing.

Under the dim, flickering light, his brother’s gaze was calm and rigid. He looked as if he were observing nothing more than a worthless insect. Without realizing it, Daniel shuddered and stepped back.

“B-Brother.”

“Is that really what you’ll do?”

His half-brother’s low voice asked again. Daniel felt as if he could hear the unspoken word ‘dare’ lurking behind the question.

“That…”

Shallow breaths escaped through his barely parted lips. He had spoken only a single word, yet it felt as though an invisible hand had seized his throat.

His half-brother had always been this way. Even without doing much, the natural pressure he exuded engulfed Daniel like a tidal wave.

Daniel had lived his entire life in his half-brother’s shadow. It would be a lie to say it never bothered him, but no one could deny that his brother was overwhelmingly competent. The privileges he received in return had kept Daniel content in submission.

However, moments like this were utterly terrifying. It was more than just fear—it was a visceral dread.

At that moment, Calix crawled on his knees, pressing himself against the iron bars.

“Y-Your Grace.”

“…”

“Please, I beg for your mercy. I was blinded by anger for just a moment… Please, have mercy, for the sake of your sister…”

But Alex remained silent.

The polished heel of his shoe crushed the moss on the floor.

The flattened green moss looked so pitiful that it evoked a vivid sense of impending death.

Daniel was foolish, but he knew one thing for certain—this situation was entirely unfavorable for him.

Moreover, his half-brother had the power to sever the lifelines of everyone on the continent of Romancia. And the power to justify it.

“B-Brother!!”

Daniel hurriedly buried his face to the ground, mimicking Calix.

“Please forgive me, Brother.”

“……”

“I didn’t realize how important that tutor was to you. It was a mistake! People make mistakes, don’t they?”

“A mistake, you say…”

At Daniel’s words, Lowen clicked his tongue inwardly.

If anyone embodied the phrase, “The more you speak, the greater your sin,” it would be Daniel Reten.

The cunning Calix, however, remained silent. He had wisely chosen to keep his mouth shut to avoid further provocation.

“Your Grace, what do you intend… to do?”

Growing anxious, Lowen glanced at Alex’s face.

To be honest, this was no place for nobles to be imprisoned.

The duchess had ordered her brother to be confined in a prison that was at least more sanitary and dignified—a facility designated for nobles.

Yet, without his wife’s knowledge, Alex had locked both of them in the lowest-class prison. It was impossible not to feel uneasy.

“Your Grace, the Marquis of Cambly is set to begin Calix’s trial. If the accused were to disappear… wouldn’t the duchess find it strange?”

The mention of Elicity made Alex’s eyebrow twitch slightly. Then, the corners of his well-shaped lips curved into a faint smile.

“Of course, Calix will stand trial.”

A sigh of relief escaped Lowen’s lips.

“Yes, after all, Calix will be sentenced to life imprisonment and will never leave Capone Prison—”

“But whatever happens after that.”

“Pardon…?”

‘What does that mean?’

“Would my wife find out?”

The voice, barely more than a breath, sent chills down his spine.

Now that he thought about it, what happened inside Capone Prison remained unknown unless someone managed to get out and talk.

If someone were to die, all it would take was fabricating a cause of death.

Lowen hesitated, parting his lips as if to speak, then silently bowed his head. If things had reached this point, persuasion was futile.

Still, this was excessive. No matter how he thought about it, he didn’t believe the two had committed a crime deserving of death.

‘Is there another reason?’

Lowen cautiously lifted his gaze. Beneath the dim light, the red eyes before him seemed to boil with bloodlust.

***

Back in her room, Lorraine sat on the edge of her bed for a long time, staring into space. She had reassured the duke and duchess that she was fine, but her heart was still pounding.

Not because of Daniel, but because of the prince. The moment she closed her eyes, his face surfaced effortlessly.

The first time she had met him, he had seemed the very embodiment of joy and idleness.

His pale face was always adorned with a smile, and he had the habit of saying, “Let’s just take it easy.”

But as Lorraine grew closer to Helios, she began to catch glimpses of arrogance.

A chilling gaze that occasionally flickered through his expression, the haughty curve of his lips, his bold decisions—each of these revealed, unmistakably, that he had been wearing a mask all along.

‘Those were things only a prince could have.’

She should have distanced herself the moment she realized. So why had she become his friend?

‘…And why did you assign a shadow knight to me, Helios?’

For what reason? Surveillance? Protection?

She wasn’t important to him. She couldn’t be.

No matter how much she questioned herself, no answers came easily.

Then, she recalled the blue eyes she had met by the lake. His gaze had been warm, like a spring breeze—undeniably filled with affection.

Whether it was the affection of a friend or something else, she didn’t know.

How long had she been lost in thought? A knock suddenly sounded.

It was nearly midnight. After the incident with Daniel, it was natural for her to be on edge. Lorraine’s voice trembled as she asked,

“W-Who is it?”

“Lady Lorraine, His Grace has instructed me to deliver this to you.”

A letter slid under the door.

“Please don’t misunderstand. His Grace is only passing it along.”

She didn’t even have time to retort before the presence vanished completely. No sound, no trace—it was as if no one had been there at all.

Lorraine glared at the letter that had been unceremoniously pushed into her room.

She didn’t want to make assumptions, but she had a feeling it bore his seal.

Lorraine curled up on her bed, hesitating for a long time.

But then, a gust of wind slipped through the open window, rustling the letter. Panicked, she swiftly tucked it into her chest.

‘It’s because… I mustn’t let anyone else see the prince’s letter…’

And because ignoring the prince’s letter was a grave offense.

As if convincing herself, she settled on that conclusion and carefully unsealed it.

As expected, Helios’ insignia was pressed into the wax. Inside, the letter read:

<Lorraine,
I heard you went through a terrible ordeal.
I won’t explain why I placed a shadow knight by your side—at least, not yet.
I heard you’ll be attending the Charante cruise party. I’ll see you then.
I’ll tell you everything.

Your friend, Helios.>

The word “friend” had been repeatedly crossed out.

Lorraine was not oblivious.

A prince wouldn’t assign a shadow knight to a mere tutor. A prince wouldn’t make time to attend a cruise party for a fallen noble.

‘No way.’

The truth she had long ignored was now stepping right in front of her.

Her heart began to race with an unsettling intensity.