Could it have been that Raphael, who grew up like a spoiled brat, made a mistake with him?

After a brief pause, he began to explain carefully.

“…The prince and I had mutual interests. He wanted to place the returned prince on the throne, and I wanted to ensure your safe escape.”

“Considering the prestige of the Lawrence family, it makes no sense for me to be captured by a mere noble of the principality.”

“That’s not all there is to it… Hah.”

He trailed off, suddenly sighing and rubbing his face as if frustrated.

“Is there another political reason you can’t talk about? If that’s the case, you don’t need to explain any further.”

Sensing his hesitation, I shrugged. Leopold lowered his eyes slightly, seemingly choosing his words carefully.

His eyelashes, darker than shadows, formed a soft curve, shading his eyes. My heart started pounding again, heedless of the situation. Hoping my voice would mask the noisy thumping, I quickly spoke up.

“Did His Highness the Prince bring Raphael along?”

“No, at the place where I thought I would meet the prince, he showed up alone. He must have wanted to test his son’s abilities.”

“His Highness is colder than he seems. No matter what, it’s his son he hasn’t seen in years, yet he sends him into danger.”

“He trusted… his blood.”

The gaps between his words suddenly felt poignant. Although I told myself it was just my imagination, it was a feeling hard for me to fully grasp, having never had biological parents. I couldn’t completely understand what he had endured under the guise of blood ties. I suddenly felt sorry for Leopold, who must have endured a harsh childhood with festering wounds on his legs. Was this aching feeling pure sympathy?

Trying to shake off my thoughts, I spoke brightly again.

“Anyway, Raphael has already become a respectable heir. Didn’t he worry about me at all? I even attempted an escape because of him.”

“…He didn’t say much.”

“Really, like father, like son—they’re both so ungrateful.”

“You seem quite close to him, even joking around.”

His tone was so stiff that it made me feel as if I had misspoken. It seemed like anything I said in response would come off as an excuse, so I tried to maintain a calm tone as I replied.

“I think of him as a younger brother. And now that you’re here, I feel a bit more at ease.”

Yet, why did my heart always contradict my mind? I was merely expressing what I felt, but it suddenly felt like I had made a grand declaration of love, heating my insides. Awkwardly, I fidgeted with the note in my hand and asked a question that seemed obvious.

“Does the marquis know nothing about this?”

“Of course not. He thinks I’m helping him.”

Fortunately, Leopold answered seriously.

“Oh, I didn’t even know! I was so desperate earlier. So, the royal family knows all about the marquis’s plans and is prepared? Raphael will be safe, right?”

“…You continue to worry about him.”

Once again, his reaction was unexpected. It was as if a man who usually only spoke necessary words was acting jealous, which caught me off guard. Perhaps it was just my imagination.

Rationally speaking, I could understand Leopold’s irritation. If it weren’t for Raphael, none of this would have happened, and Leopold wouldn’t have had to come all the way here and go through this trouble. But such hypothetical scenarios offered no real help.

“Well, I saved him when he was on the brink of death. I helped him regain his memories, his identity, and his family. So, I just hope he lives well. There’s no other special meaning.”

Why was I making unnecessary explanations? What did it matter if he misunderstood? Whoever I met had nothing to do with Leopold…

With various thoughts swirling in my mind, I barely managed to swallow a sigh and asked, “So, what should I do now?”

Instead of answering, Leopold gently took my hand that was holding the note. Goosebumps rose on the back of my hand where his fingers touched, and the skin that made contact suddenly felt warm.

It was as if he had cast a spell on me; an irresistible force seemed to emanate from him. Perhaps it wasn’t my will that kept me from pulling away…

“For now, you need to hold out here. To avoid arousing the marquis’s suspicions, I have no choice but to leave you here. He believes I’m cooperating with him. In two days, before dawn, fake smoke will rise from the palace. Jayden will come here with the soldiers at that time, so follow him.”

“…And you?” I asked.

“I plan to attack the marquis with the kingdom’s army. I wish I could come to get you myself, but my strength is needed to stop Aaron’s forces. It’s too much for the current kingdom’s army to handle systematically trained elite soldiers.”

I wanted to dissuade him. He had once lost consciousness from a minor injury; there was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen again…

But my lips, which parted slightly several times, eventually closed tightly. Watching me, Leopold slowly began to speak.

“But if you want… you can come with me now. Honestly, I wish you would.”

In the floating silence, various questions followed one after another. He surely knew what it meant to abandon everything and follow him. Why would he wish for something so unreasonable?

Could it be solely for my safety? Was he worried or concerned about me?

The thought was so absurd that it snapped me back to reality. No matter how different he seemed from the past, Leopold Lawrence was not someone who would cherish me. Surely, he had another hidden plan to swallow up the entire principality. It would be more convenient for him if I left the principality behind. Otherwise, his suggestion didn’t make sense, and in this case, my answer was clear.

“I can’t risk arousing suspicion and ruining everything. I want to be helpful too.”

“I knew you would say that,” he said with a light laugh, as if he hadn’t expected anything else. He didn’t even know me well…

“Just wait a little longer, Hazel.”

Leopold held my hand again. His soft lips briefly touched it. It was just a small friction, yet it felt unfamiliar, as if it was a sensation I had never experienced before.

As I watched him slowly rise from his seat, I was bewildered by the desire to hold onto his departing hand. What was it that I wanted to do?

“…Please be careful.”

His back looked so resolute that I couldn’t bring myself to say anything else and lowered my head. The sound of his footsteps suddenly stopped.

“Let me ask you one thing. Why did you tell Raphael… that we were married? You and I haven’t even signed a marriage contract.”

It was an unexpected question. Flustered, I explained to his back, “To keep Raphael away. He was showing interest. Saying I was married was the easiest way to turn him down. If it becomes a problem, I’ll correct it later.”

Even though it was a small lie, I was momentarily seized by anxiety, wondering if it had become a variable that complicated the situation.

Soon, his low voice reached me. “It’s not a problem. Now, get some more sleep. It’s still far from morning. I’ll let the marquis know that you understood the situation well.”

Eventually, silence returned to the place where he had disappeared. For some reason, I couldn’t move my gaze from the empty space.

Leopold, who had always been so cold, was sometimes affectionate and kind during the time he had returned. The amusing thing was that it didn’t feel out of place at all, as if he had always been that kind of person.

Perhaps that’s why.

The warmth emanating from him kept touching my heart. I thought I had no more heart to give after being hurt so many times by his indifferent back, yet it seemed I had forgotten all the pain already.

***

Two tense days passed. Marquis Aaron no longer kept me confined. The knights who had been in front of my room withdrew, and only the maids came by turns. Their curious glances lingered, but it seemed they had been instructed to keep silent, as no one asked me any questions.

The marquis’s wife, whom I had expected to visit at least once, never came to see me, nor did I encounter her in the long corridors or the tea room.

Judging by the outward situation, I was no longer a hostage but an ally, so I thought she might at least apologize for her rude behavior. If she came, I planned to ask if she had prepared for the worst-case scenario and, if not, suggest that she come with me. Being originally from the empire, seeking asylum wouldn’t be difficult, and I couldn’t pretend not to know that death awaited her. But my thoughts remained just thoughts as the day of reckoning arrived.

Unable to sleep, I spent the night looking out the window, waiting for the fake smoke Leopold had mentioned. Finally, as a deep crimson glow spread over the black buildings, I saw something like smoke rising high through the clouds.

So it was fake, and it appeared to be a huge steam cloud, with no soot mixed in at all. If it was that flimsy, the marquis would quickly notice something was amiss. I sighed with worry.

As I paced by the window, unable to tear my eyes away from the outside scenery, there was a commotion outside the door.

“Ma’am! Ma’am!”

Before I could respond, the door burst open, and Jayden rushed in. The soldiers who followed him surrounded me in an instant, providing cover.

“Jayden!”

“What on earth is going on? No, explain later. Let’s go now. Time is of the essence. This place is too dangerous.”

He gestured urgently, sweating profusely. I hurriedly grabbed the cloak I had left on the sofa and followed him.

“What about the knights of the mansion? Can we get out with just this force?”

Jayden, who kept glancing around, whispered urgently.