Chapter 2 (Part 2)

After leaving the Danverton estate, Kayev had heard that she was engaged to the young heir of a Marquis family. Though the news of her engagement unsettled him for no reason, he thought it fortunate that she might at least be safe if she were married before the complete collapse of her family.  

Unfortunately, Prince Jacob’s purge began before her wedding could take place.  

Kayev witnessed the destruction of the Danverton family and their trading company with his own eyes. He watched as Earl Danverton collapsed in despair and succumbed to death, and as Celestia’s two older brothers were transported to the distant penal colony of Gwen. He observed it all with a detached heart.  

But he could not bring himself to stand idly by as Celestia, now a commoner, was sold into servitude to a noble family. The thought of her enduring humiliation and disgrace, as he once had, stirred a bitter taste in his mouth.  

Kayev attributed this to his last shred of conscience.  

Having experienced humiliation before her, he could clearly foresee what awaited Celestia. The fate of a beautiful woman who had fallen from grace was as precarious as a candle in the wind.  

Unable to bear it any longer, he impulsively brought up the matter to his master one day.  

‘Your Highness, I have something to say regarding the daughter of the House of Danverton.’ 

Having known Kayev since childhood, Prince Jacob was quite intrigued to hear a woman’s name mentioned by him.  

‘Well, this is unusual. For you to bring up a woman… Come to think of it, you did spend time at the Danverton estate, didn’t you? They say the daughter is quite a beauty. Did you fall for her?’ 

‘…Regardless, she was the first lady I ever served as a knight. It would be a lie to say I feel nothing. At the time Earl Danverton was active, his daughter was still young. Would it not be possible to show her some leniency?’

Amused, the Crown Prince responded with a curious expression. Kayev, invoking chivalry, spoke earnestly. Though the prince did not seem to fully believe him, Jacob, who had always been favorably disposed toward Kayev for his assistance during difficult times, entertained the request.  

‘I’ll consider it. Though leniency would likely mean only sending her to a more decent noble family.’  

For the moment, Kayev was satisfied with that. He vaguely thought that if she could avoid anything too dreadful and keep her head down, her fiancé might eventually rescue her.  

But Celestia’s fiancé completely abandoned her, and Kayev’s torment began anew.  

The last time he had seen her was when they were both eighteen, as he was leaving the Danverton estate. The image of the girl clinging to him, crying and begging him not to go, lingered in his mind for a long time, tormenting him.  

A fragile woman whose hands had likely never held anything heavier than a silk parasol. A pampered young lady who probably had never even paid for anything herself. The thought of her working as a maid somewhere, struggling to survive each day, twisted something inside him.  

After much internal conflict, Kayev decided he had to see Celestia for himself.  

And today was the day.  

Though he had initially resolved only to check on her well-being, seeing her in person softened his resolve even further. Her situation was far worse than he had imagined.  

Her room was a tiny, dark basement with barely enough space to move. The only piece of furniture was a worn-out bed. Celestia Danverton, once the brightest jewel of Panien, had been reduced to a pale, wretched maid.  

Kayev could easily guess how her past six months had been. The grief of losing her family and the despair of her family’s downfall were etched deeply on her pale face. He had experienced something similar himself during the years after his family’s ruin.  

In truth, for the direct child of a traitor, working as a maid was hardly considered severe suffering.  

Yet Kayev couldn’t stop thinking about the woman before him. The contradictory emotions rising within him made him clench his teeth.  

It was always like this. Kayev Ruden, who was a figure of fear to many, always found himself softening in front of Celestia Danverton.  

And that fact irritated him. He had a good idea why he acted this way.  

***

Celestia firmly believed that Kayev hated her, but that wasn’t true. Of course, during his time at the Danverton estate, Kayev himself had never acknowledged his feelings.  

After leaving the Danverton estate, Kayev realized that he liked Celestia Danverton far more than he had thought. But he had never once shown it. On the contrary, he had only ever displayed signs of dislike toward her.  

He believed himself too rational to harbor feelings for the daughter of his enemy. But his true emotions moved in a slightly different direction.  

Though he had long denied it out of habit, he already knew that he softened significantly in her presence. Despite his usual temper, which flared at the slightest provocation, he could never truly push her away, even when she hovered around him.  

Frankly, no man with eyes could dislike her. Celestia’s beauty had been devastatingly impactful even from a young age.  

But Kayev’s feelings for her weren’t solely because of her appearance.  

‘Kayev, how are you feeling today?’

‘The spring flowers have bloomed. It would be so nice to see them with you…’ 

‘I like you, Kayev. I really, really like you. No matter who you are or what you’re like… Just stay by my side, and that’s enough for me. I truly like you, Kayev.’ 

At first, her words were troubling and infuriating. It felt like she, just like her father, was mocking and humiliating him.  

But Celestia’s feelings were genuine. The affection she showed him at the time was not something that could be faked. Her pure passion, directed solely at Kayev, had the power to melt even the coldest of hearts.  

The hellish life he endured at the Danverton estate had been somewhat bearable because of her. She had been both the leash tightening around his neck and the only source of air keeping him alive.  

Her unyielding display of love, despite his stern rejections and cold demeanor, was still vivid in his memory.

Kayev often wondered even now. Why on earth had Celestia liked someone like him, who had nothing to offer, so much? He had never properly responded to her confession, nor had he ever reciprocated the gifts she so frequently gave him.

He had his excuses. At the time, Kayev wasn’t in a position to love anyone, let alone accept the affection bestowed upon him. Especially not if that affection came from the daughter of the House of Earl Danverton.

But what about now? Could he respond to her feelings?

It was a question he couldn’t easily answer. For one, he didn’t know if Celestia’s feelings remained the same as before. In truth, Kayev didn’t hold much hope. It had already been three years since he left that mansion, and she even had a fiancé.

Yet, regardless of such peripheral facts, Kayev couldn’t turn away from Celestia. Putting aside the emotions between them, his conscience as a knight wouldn’t allow it. Of course, Kayev deliberately ignored the fact that invoking his conscience was merely an excuse.

The truth was that he still clung to her. She was the only person in that mansion who had shown him kindness, the woman who had extended her heart to him when he had nothing. He couldn’t just leave her like this.

Since his actions had caused the downfall of her family, he felt he had to uphold at least the bare minimum of responsibility.

Once again, Kayev suppressed his tumultuous emotions in that manner.

“Come with me.”

Even as he struggled with his own confusion, he blurted out those words abruptly.

It was time to act on the plan he had kept only in his head until now. Kayev intended to take Celestia under his protection.

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll be working as a maid at the Ruden estate. If you have any belongings, pack them now.”

Although Celestia seemed visibly shaken by his unexpected words, it didn’t matter. The most urgent task was to get her out of this mansion, where maids were treated poorly.

However, from Celestia’s perspective, his words were a rather startling proposition. Forgetting her surprise, she stared blankly at him and asked:

“R-Ruden estate? Where is that… and who is the master there…?”

Even though the answer was obvious, her dazed mind led her to ask a foolish question.

“Who else would it be? Of course, it’s me.”

Celestia blinked at him, who spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Could this be his revenge for the past? Did he want to put me, the daughter of the family that had humiliated him, in the exact same position he had once been in?

That assumption seemed to be correct. After all, Kayev must have harbored hatred for the House of Danverton and Celestia all this time.

She felt a twinge of sadness. But at the same time, she was relieved to escape this hellish place. No—more honestly, she was happy to see Kayev again, and even more so to be able to see him in the future. It was an attachment and obsession so persistent and wretched that even she found it unsettling.

For a moment, their gazes intertwined in the air. Kayev’s icy gray eyes contrasted with Celestia’s frightened blue ones.

As before, Kayev thought her eyes were incredibly unique. The deep, ocean-like blue was speckled with golden flecks, glittering like jewels.

Looking directly into those eyes, Kayev felt as if he had been transported back in time. Back to the days when she was an untouchable noble lady, and he was a knight in miserable circumstances.

Even with their statuses reversed, the feeling of being utterly insignificant before Celestia remained unchanged. Perhaps it was because of her pure and honest gaze, which had not changed at all.

And secretly, Kayev was grateful for that. His dull, ash-gray eyes, perpetually clouded like a gloomy sky, still yearned for the sunlight captured in her gaze.