Chapter 6.1

Feroza, having left the Archenna Mansion, headed straight for the Imperial Palace.  

He was going to see Rozelia, who was locked up in the palace prison.  

Descending into the underground prison, Feroza wrinkled his brow slightly at the stinging smell of blood.  

Going to the innermost, most poorly maintained cell, he saw Rozelia collapsed on the floor.  

Perhaps she heard footsteps approaching, for she slowly lifted her head.  

Upon seeing Feroza, she sprang up, crawled over, and clung to the bars.  

“Fe, Feroza! I’m innocent! I didn’t do it, I swear!”  

“……”  

“As you know, I have no grudge against Lady Archenna……”  

Tears welled up in Rozelia’s eyes and began to fall, drop by drop.  

She looked so frail and pure that most men would have felt sympathy for her.  

However, Feroza’s expression did not change at all.  

“And there’s no evidence……”  

Rozelia was certain there was no evidence.  

She had planned everything so that no trace remained.  

If she were caught, she had even set things up so that Diena would take the blame.  

At the mention of “no evidence,” Feroza smiled faintly and spoke.  

“Who said so? That there’s no evidence.”  

“…What?”  

“I never told you there wasn’t any evidence, Lady.”  

He tilted his head to the side.  

Rozelia spoke in a trembling voice.  

“After I was caught, they must have searched my room and the mansion thoroughly, but they found nothing.”  

“That’s right.”  

Feroza nodded calmly.  

At those words, Rozelia’s face brightened a little.  

“So, so then―”  

“You’re far too sure of yourself, Lady.”  

“What?”  

“You believe so strongly that there’s no evidence. As if it’s only natural.”  

She flinched.  

“T-that’s because I didn’t do it! Of course I’m innocent!”  

Rozelia bit her lip tightly.  

Feroza, staring at her, took something out from inside his coat.  

“I thought I’d break that belief, so I brought this myself.”  

“What…”  

Rozelia blinked, staring at what Feroza held.  

It looked like a pendant, but she couldn’t guess its purpose.  

As he fiddled with the pendant, he spoke.  

“It’s a communication stone. I ordered it directly from the Mage Tower to contact Ellie. Didn’t know Ellie had contacted me, did you?”  

“No way…!”  

Rozelia’s eyes widened.  

Come to think of it, after the slave traders took Ellie, something similar had fallen to the floor.  

The gem was broken, so she just thought it was an ornament that had fallen from Ellie’s body and left it.  

Feroza activated the communication stone and spoke.  

“This stone also has a recording function. I had it added because I wanted to hear Ellie’s voice again and again…”  

The communication stone glowed softly, and a voice came out.  

—What do I want? Obviously, I want you to disappear.  

Rozelia’s voice came through clearly.  

She breathed heavily, staring at Feroza.  

The argument she had with Ellie at the mansion played, and finally, with a crackling sound, the audio cut off.  

Feroza put the communication stone away and spoke.  

“I’ve also obtained someone else’s confession, so don’t think you can get out of this easily.”  

“……”  

“Well, even if you do get out of this, there are other things you won’t escape, so give up any hope of leaving here alive.”  

“O-other things? What do you mean, other things? What are you talking about?”  

Rozelia’s face was consumed by fear.  

“Well. You’ll find out soon enough.”  

“Wait, wait! Feroza! Please, wait!”  

As Feroza turned away, Rozelia screamed.  

But he did not stop and walked away.  

Her shrill cries echoed behind him, but a faint smile lingered on Feroza’s lips.  

* * *

The next day, when she woke up, Ellie asked Roni for the newspaper that came out today.  

“Here it is, Miss.”  

“Thank you.”  

While Roni prepared the wash water, Ellie looked through the newspaper.  

The first thing that caught her eye on the front page was an article stating that the Azenne and Rokcheta families had plotted treason, and summary judgment had been decided.  

“…Treason?”  

Her eyes widened at the word “treason.”  

Her own story wasn’t in the paper, but it did mention briefly that Rozelia Azenne of the Azenne family had committed other crimes as well.  

Only then did Ellie realize why Feroza was so sure Rozelia wouldn’t get out alive.  

‘Still, I didn’t expect him to frame her for treason.’  

It seemed Feroza wasn’t just dealing with Rozelia, but intended to erase her entire family.  

Come to think of it, this method felt familiar.  

Holding the newspaper, Ellie pondered for a moment before realizing it was the same method the “Feroza” in the original story used to punish the villainess.  

“That’s right, in the original, Feroza wiped out the villainess’s family entirely.”  

Since the villainess hadn’t bothered her, she survived, and Rozelia ended up in her place—what irony.  

Besides, to turn a family into traitors in just one day—should that be called skill?  

‘Normally, something like this would take a long time to prepare, wouldn’t it?’  

After thinking for a bit, Ellie shook her head, deciding it didn’t matter.  

The important thing was that Rozelia would disappear, so it was a good thing.  

Still, there was one thing she wanted to ask her.  

Why was she so obsessed with the original story?  

Of course, no matter the reason, Ellie had no intention of pitying her.  

Just then, the door opened and Roni entered with the wash water.  

But Ellie couldn’t wash her own face, since her hand was injured.  

“Excuse me, Miss.”  

“Mm.”  

In the end, Roni washed her face for her, which was a bit embarrassing.  

“All done, Miss.”  

“Thank you.”  

Wiping her face with a soft towel felt refreshing.  

“I’ll bring your meal soon.”  

“Okay.”  

Roni hurried out with the wash water.  

Ellie sat on the bed, swinging her feet, when there was a knock at the door.  

“Come in.”  

Thinking it was Roni, she looked up, but the person entering was Feroza, not Roni.  

“…Feroza?”  

“Ellie.”  

She rubbed her eyes, thinking she must be seeing things, but Feroza did not disappear.  

With a blank expression, she stared at him as he came closer.  

Feroza smiled gently and spoke.  

“Did you sleep well?”  

“Why… are you here?”  

“I said I’d come tomorrow, didn’t I?”  

“I didn’t think you’d come this early!”  

Realizing she was still in her pajamas, Ellie jumped up belatedly.  

She’d meant to change after breakfast!  

At least she’d washed her face, but she was still embarrassed.  

“I just wanted to be with you from the morning.”  

“Then you should have contacted—oh…”  

She remembered the communication stone was broken.  

Feroza knelt on one knee in front of her and spoke.  

“I’ll make another communication stone for you.”  

“That’s nice, but… What are you doing?”  

“I’m checking to see if your wound has gotten worse.”  

He very carefully held her foot and examined it.  

After checking the foot wrapped in bandages, Feroza put it down and stood up.  

“Fortunately, it hasn’t gotten worse.”  

No sooner had Feroza stood than there was a knock, and Roni entered.  

“Miss, your meal— Oh!”  

Apparently not expecting him, Roni’s eyes widened.  

Feroza approached Roni and took the tray from her.  

Roni, glancing between Ellie and Feroza, spoke.  

“Please call me if you need anything, Miss.”  

She bowed her head and left the room.  

Feroza set the tray on the table, then came over and lifted Ellie up.  

“Wait! I can go by myself!”  

“Your foot hurts.”  

“It’s only a few steps!”  

In truth, the table wasn’t far from the bed.  

She wanted to protest his overprotectiveness, but Feroza gently set her down on a chair.  

Watching her pick up the spoon, Feroza spoke.  

“Should I feed you?”  

“That’s really not necessary.”  

“Alright.”  

Feroza shrugged as he stepped back.  

Ellie could sense his disappointment but didn’t show it.  

Breakfast was an omelette and bacon, and it was delicious.  

But every time she took a bite, Feroza stared at her, making her feel pressured.  

“…Could you look somewhere else?”  

“Why?”  

“It’s uncomfortable when you keep staring at me like that.”  

“It’s because you’re cute.”  

He shrugged his shoulders.  

She figured he wouldn’t listen even if she asked him to stop, so she just ignored him and started eating.  

“So cute.”  

“……”  

“Look at your puffy cheeks. I want to poke them.”  

“I’m eating, so could you not interrupt?”  

“I was just talking to myself.”  

When Ellie glared at Feroza, he smiled playfully.  

“What do you want to do after breakfast? Shall we take a walk?”  

“That sounds nice, but I have a favor to ask.”  

“What is it?”  

“I want to meet Lady Azenne.”  

As soon as she finished speaking, Feroza’s brow furrowed slightly.  

“Why Lady Azenne?”  

“There’s something I want to ask her.”  

“No, it’s dangerous.”  

Feroza replied immediately.  

Ellie looked at him with the most earnest expression she could muster.  

“I’ll keep it short. Please?”

“Ellie.”  

“She’s already confined, so she can’t do anything to me.”  

Still, Feroza looked dissatisfied.  

“I’m not going to ask you to cancel her punishment after hearing her out.”  

“……”  

“I just genuinely have something I want to know.”  

Ellie looked straight into his eyes as she spoke.  

Feroza let out a deep sigh and replied,  

“You can’t go alone. And you’ll go only when your wounds are completely healed and you can walk by yourself.”  

“Alright. But I want to talk to her alone.”  

She was going to bring up the original story, so Feroza couldn’t hear that conversation.  

He looked at her, still not pleased, but eventually nodded.  

“Fine.”  

“Thank you, Feroza.”  

Ellie smiled brightly and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.  

Feroza turned to look at her and tilted his head.  

“That’s all?”  

“What else are you hoping for?”  

“No…”  

“I need to finish eating, so please don’t interrupt.”  

He let out a hollow laugh.  

Ellie hummed softly as she scraped up the rest of her food.