8.

I took a deep breath.

If I didn’t calm myself down like this, I felt like I might really lose my temper.

“That’s right, I’m in a position where I have to save Your Grace by any means necessary.”

After a moment.

I opened my mouth as calmly as possible.

Lucian is my only lifeline.

So I must not let our relationship completely fall apart.

Don’t forget that I have to rely on him somehow.

“But the reason I want to save Your Grace is not solely to be loved by Marquis Offenheir.”

While desperately comforting himself like that.

I calmly questioned Lucian.

“I’m more curious about something else. Why do you think you have to live for only one reason, to be loved by someone?”

“….”

Lucian looked somewhat surprised as he met my gaze.

I bit my lips slightly.

In truth, I know.

‘Elze’ is nothing more than a villainess brought in for the sake of the novel’s plot, to enhance the kind and affectionate female protagonist.

However, no matter how much of a villainess I am.

Still.

…I can have hope to live the way I want to.

“I want to live.”

I spat out the words.

“I don’t want to live as a crazy woman obsessed with Marquis Offenheir or an arrogant villainess who commits all sorts of mischief in this boarding school.”

To suppress the emotions welling up inside me, I clenched my fist.

My well-groomed nails pierced into my palm, causing a slight pain.

“I just want to… live as Elze Lepherian.”

“….”

His blue pupils trembled intensely.

Facing his piercing gaze, not knowing what to do.

I stumbled through my words with a suppressed voice.

“And, to live as Elze Lepherian, to achieve my dreams.”

“…You.”

“You have to be alive for now.”

I bit my lip until it bled.

“Not worrying about seeing the sunrise tomorrow, not being tied to anyone, just… living day by day.”

I took a deep breath.

“…Is that such a big desire?”

It felt like my insides were turning upside down.

I couldn’t bear to look at Lucian’s face any longer.

I swiftly turned around and left the solitary cell.

* * *

Bang!

The door to the solitary cell closed as if it would break.

Clang, clang.

The rough sound of locking the door echoed.

Tok, tok, tok.

Beyond the thick door, the sound of footsteps in heels walked roughly, faintly audible.

Lucian gazed at the closed door with a complicated expression.

[I don’t want to live as a crazy woman obsessed with Marquis Offenheir or an arrogant villainess who commits all sorts of mischief in this boarding school.]

[I just want to… live as Elze Lepherian.]

Lucian recalled the image of Elze he had seen just now.

It was the first time.

Elze, who always seemed calm and composed, had shown her emotions so openly.

Her pumpkin-colored eyes, which were always filled with a sweet smile, looked deeply disturbed.

Her restrained speech was the same, yet it felt as if her nerves were visibly tense.

The Elze at that moment was like a sandcastle that would collapse with just a touch of a finger.

Strangely fragile…

‘But so what?’

Lucian sneered briefly.

No matter what pain Elze might be going through.

Even if she wants to live not as a villainess, but as an individual named ‘Elze Lepherian…

Honesty, Lucian knew that all along.

‘Why should I care about other people?’

Lucian’s sarcasm was directed more at himself than Elze.

The current situation, where he was dragged to this dreadful boarding school and trapped here, unable to do anything, was unbearable.

Nausea welled up inside him.

[Are you really willing to starve to death?]

Elze’s cold question stung him again.

Lucian lay on the bed, clutching his head with both hands.

His head was throbbing with pain.

‘…I don’t know anything.’

In truth, Lucian didn’t feel like dying right away.

Refusing to eat was simply because he didn’t want to.

Of course, he didn’t have any desire to feed the people in this wretched boarding school either…

‘I feel like vomiting.’

More accurately, every time food was placed in front of him, he felt a surge of revulsion.

He felt like a beast forced to put on his own leash, being fed at regular intervals like an animal…

The incoming food felt like animal feed…

‘How long do I have to be trapped in this boarding school?’

‘Is escape really impossible?’

‘Can’t I ask anyone for help, no matter who?’

Beneath the surface of his anger, numerous questions began to intertwine.

Those questions grew larger and eventually overwhelmed even his anger.

Now, Lucian was simply bewildered.

Among those questions, the one that tormented him the most was…

‘…Did my brother really abandon me?’

His kind and trustworthy brother.

His smiling face was always gentle.

Ever since they lost their parents, Lucian had trusted and followed his brother like a parent.

‘…Was the kindness I saw from him all a lie?’

At first, I thought all of Elze’s explanations were lies.

I wanted to believe that my brother had betrayed me, and I was ready to retaliate for what I had endured.

However, deep down, I considered my presence in the boarding school to be some kind of mistake.

I believed that my brother would come to find me soon enough, so I didn’t doubt it.

But what is the reality now?

Lucian is still…

Isn’t he still stuck alone in this dreadful cell?

“Whatever, I’m just tired now.”

The pounding headache seemed to spread throughout his entire body.

Lucian curled up his body and closed his eyes.

He slipped into what felt like a faint and deep sleep.

* * *

Some time passed.

As I returned to my room, I felt an overwhelming sense of self-reproach and wanted to bang my head against something.

‘What should I do about this?’

I had spoken too much in front of Lucian, saying things that didn’t need to be said.

[I don’t worry about whether I can see the sunrise tomorrow, not being tied to anyone, just living each day.]

[..Is that such a big ambition?]

Even though I tried my best to suppress my anger, I must have been quite agitated back then.

To have blurted out such embarrassing words so casually.

‘Really, if I could, I would just disappear from this world…’

But it was already spilt milk, and I was the one who had to resolve this situation.

I had to somehow pull myself together.

I needed to find a way to alleviate the current situation where Lucian had lost all his motivation and was refusing to eat.

In the short term, I could forcibly feed him food through his throat, but there were limits to that as well.

In that case.

‘I need to find a way to reignite Lucian’s will to survive…’

As I was thinking about it, my pupils slightly dilated.

There it was.

The most effective way to revive Lucian’s will to survive.

The method was…

* * *

Thud.

The door opened.

Inside the dimly lit cell.

Lucian, who seemed even drier than when I saw him earlier, turned to look in my direction with a pale face.

I hadn’t cared whether I entered the cell or not yesterday.

I should consider it fortunate that he reacted even a little.

“Hello, Your Grace.”

After placing the tray of food I had prepared on the table,

I approached Lucian cautiously.

“I apologize for the rudeness earlier.”

“…”

“You seemed upset and showed a distressing sight. I’m truly sorry.”

“…”

No matter what I said, Lucian just stared back at me with empty eyes.

He didn’t say anything in response.

However…

“Can he remain so quiet even after seeing this letter?”

From my embrace, I took out a letter and placed it in front of Lucian.

On the luxurious envelope, the sender’s name was written in elegant handwriting.

Arthur Craig, Marquis Craig.

Lucian’s cousin and elder brother.

“…What is this?”

In an instant, a flickering flame ignited in Lucian’s blue eyes that had previously shown no sign of life.

I pointed at the letter envelope with a slight gesture of my chin.

“Marquis Craig… In other words, a letter from Your Grace’s cousin.”

Veins rose on Lucian’s clenched fist, gripping the letter.

I spoke in a calm voice, “Please check the recipient.”

“…”

His blue eyes seemed to devour the letter envelope with intensity.

Then, Lucian’s dry lips trembled.

“Dante…”

His voice squeezed out from his throat as if it were crawling out from the deepest depths of hell.

“Dessaby Offenheir.”

The person Elze, the original protagonist, was obsessively attached to.

The owner of the Rose Cross Academy.

And currently, the man with the highest probability of trying to kill me.

Hearing that name, I smiled brightly.

“That’s right.”

To revive Lucian’s will to survive, I had chosen a method.

And that method was none other than the desire for revenge.