28.

As time passed, it was early morning. I reluctantly lifted my eyelids.

‘Ugh, I’m tired.’

After capturing Victor in the underground prison in the early hours of the morning and finishing the letter to report the incident to Dante, I barely had a couple of hours to sleep.

‘Nevertheless… I should prepare breakfast for Lucian.’

After all, I couldn’t just let the male lead starve, right?

I groaned and got out of bed, washed up, changed my clothes, put on heavy makeup, and lastly…

“…”

I stared blankly at the pair of Mary Jane high heels placed in front of me.

The original Elise was strictly a fan of shoes, especially high heels. And I couldn’t help but find Elise’s shoes, especially the high heels, somewhat annoying.

The glittering shoes, shining like stars, and there were so many high-end shoes inside the shoe cabinet.

‘You can never escape the fate of being a villain forever.’

It felt like they were mocking me.

“No,” I said, gritting my teeth and sliding my foot into the shoe. The sensation of the shoe tightly hugging my foot was uncomfortable.

Click.

As I fastened the strap around my ankle, it felt like someone had just put a leash on me, restricting my movements.

These high heels were like a relentless romance fantasy world closing in on me. Uncomfortable, painful, and restraining my movements.

Click.

The heel of the shoe struck the ground, emitting a sharp sound. I left the room, crossing the long corridor where I felt people’s gazes relentlessly following me.

Their gazes were filled with fear and apprehension. I had, after all, imprisoned Victor, the de facto ruler of this dormitory, in the underground prison. It was inevitable that rumors would spread.

“…”

“…”

Ignoring the numerous prying eyes trailing behind me, I kept walking. But I couldn’t help the feeling of breathlessness from those persistent stares.

Finally, I arrived in front of Lucian’s cell. I let out a long sigh.

“Hah…”

It’s quite strange. This is supposed to be Lucian’s solitary confinement cell, which would eventually lead to my demise, and yet, simply breathing here felt comfortable.

Thud.

I opened the door.

Lucian, who was sitting on the bed, pretended he had been expecting me.

“Welcome, Lady Lepherian?”

I blinked silently. You, or rather, Lady? I still wasn’t used to this respectful title.

At the same time, a faint worry appeared in Lucian’s blue eyes.

“Are you looking a bit tired today?”

“Ah…”

I instinctively brushed my hand over my cheek. I had tried to conceal the shadows under my eyes with heavy makeup, but apparently, it wasn’t enough.

Lucian inquired again, keenly observing.

“Did something happen last night? It seemed quite noisy.”

Smart, as always.

I ran my tongue over my dry lips.

But anyway, Lucian and I were in the same boat. At least until we managed to escape from the school, we had to maintain a harmonious relationship. So, there was no reason to hide information that would soon become public knowledge.

I placed a food tray in front of Lucian and began to speak.

“Last night, I captured Victor and put him in the underground prison.”

Lucian’s gaze sharpened for a moment.

“Victor? The caretaker who administered Nyx to me?”

“That’s right.”

I nodded.

“It seems he was in contact with a suspicious outsider.”

“A suspicious outsider?”

“I’ve never seen this person before, but Victor seems to have been meeting with him regularly.”

Lucian raised an eyebrow.

“Do you know why they were in contact?”

“I’m not sure.”

I left out the part where I had intentionally plotted to obtain evidence proving that Lucian was imprisoned at Rosenkreuz Academy to blackmail Lord Craig. It was a rather sensitive issue, and I was hesitant to explain.

“Well, I don’t have the authority to extract information,” I continued.

This was true. While I held the title of Dante’s lover, giving me more authority than a typical caretaker, I was far from being free of responsibility. So, it wasn’t my place to get deeply involved in such sensitive matters.

Perhaps if I were to arbitrarily torture Victor for information…

‘Sweetie, I really dislike overzealous women,’Dante declared, and then, without mercy, would dispose of me?

“Maybe Lord Offenheir would personally interrogate Victor,” I suggested.

“That…,” Lucian’s expression darkened momentarily.

“The word is that Lord Offenheir will be returning to the academy soon.”

Lucian clenched his jaw.

Well, Dante’s return wasn’t exactly good news for us. While Dante was present, we had to be even more cautious. Our actions would be restricted.

The only positive aspect was…

“But this is just my speculation, but Lord Offenheir won’t stay at the academy for long.”

“Why?”

“Lord Offenheir is a very busy man, and his temperament is somewhat free-spirited.”

Well, he was somewhat ‘capricious.’

I couldn’t blatantly insult Dante, so I sugar-coated my words.

“Lord Offenheir runs various businesses outside the academy. He can’t stay at the academy forever.”

“That… makes sense.”

Lucian appeared to agree.

From casinos, horse racing, hotels, to other businesses that were challenging to speak of openly, Dante had his hands in numerous ventures. His activities were vast and different from the more dignified Duke Kalleid’s.

Duke Kalleid had inherited vast, thriving territories and businesses, making him a prominent figure in the empire for a long time. A prestigious family with both wealth and honor, you could say?

On the other hand, Lucian had seemingly lost his appetite when Dante’s return was mentioned. He pushed the food around his plate and then put the cutlery aside.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Well, considering Lord Offenheir’s return, how could I have an appetite?”

Lucian retorted with a pout.

“Besides, I’ve been confined for a while.”

I gave Lucian a brief look, and he grumbled as if he wanted to be heard.

“I guess I can’t digest well because I can’t move.”

“Then shall we go for a walk?”

“A walk?”

It was a suggestion that Lucian hadn’t even thought of, and he looked at me with wide eyes.

Well, I hadn’t impulsively suggested it either. Nevertheless, taking a walk was a reward I had thought about for a long time. Even when trying to tame a speechless beast, it took both a whip and a carrot.

Being locked up like this had to be stifling for a young adult with so much energy, especially reaching adulthood.

Moreover, once Dante returned, Lucian would have to exercise even more than now.

Who knew when we’d have the chance for another walk?

“But the shackles are the problem.”

I glanced awkwardly at the shackles I had placed on the side, feeling a bit perplexed.

Recently, I had kept Lucian’s shackles unlocked. He had become quite obedient compared to before, and I was concerned about leaving them on too long, fearing it might harm his skin.

“But I suppose it’s better to chain you back when we go for a walk.”

If someone happened to witness us, there would surely be all sorts of rumors. Lucian had already attempted an escape. It was hard to believe they wouldn’t protest against letting Lucian go outside with at least minimal safety measures.

It was awkward to tell Lucian, “I need to put the shackles back on to go for a walk.”

“But it hasn’t been long since I unlocked the shackles.”

From Lucian’s perspective, it was natural that he wouldn’t like it. Besides, it could be difficult if he misunderstood that I still distrusted him due to the shackles.

“You can just put the shackles on.”

What?

I looked at Lucian in surprise.

Lucian had an indifferent expression.

“Instead of Lady having a hard time because of me again, it’s better to just chain me and go for a walk.”