Chapter 19
‘Think. I need to find a way to get out of this place.’
For days on end, I stayed buried in bed, agonizing over it again and again. But no matter how hard I racked my brain, no proper method came to mind.
In my heart, I wanted to just bolt. But that wasn’t an option. They kept a semblance of supervision here, regularly checking in to see if I was still present and asking if I needed anything. If word spread that Luén of House Aloha had run away, I wouldn’t be able to return home and would end up a wanted fugitive, unable to live comfortably anywhere.
‘There has to be a good way.’
Then I suddenly recalled a conversation I had overheard not long after I first arrived here.
‘Didn’t they say the Duke expelled his concubines?’
The Duke’s expulsions.
To me, it sounded like rain in the middle of a drought.
If Duke Fiar drove me out, I could go back and seek shelter with House Aloha.
‘Even if the family won’t accept me…’
The Duke wasn’t a petty man—he simply gave no heart. I’d heard that even if he expelled someone with his own hand, he would still shove a decent sum of money into theirs.
For me, that was the perfect condition.
‘I’ll make the Duke angry enough to drive me out.’
That way, I could survive.
I didn’t want to commit a blunder that would cost me my life. Which is why I investigated carefully.
I began mingling with others, nothing like the reclusive Luén Aloha who had shut herself away in her room.
‘Quickly gathering information and putting it into action is my only way out.’
There was no one who could tell me if this plan was right or wrong. From the planning to the revisions, I had to do it all alone. So I threw myself at it without looking back.
— This isn’t the first time, you know. The Duke has already cast out so many concubines.
— At this point, you couldn’t even count them all on two hands. Ten? He’s long surpassed that.
— I heard a rumor. Apparently, all the ones who were expelled…
I stumbled upon a scene where several young ladies were whispering together. Normally, I would have passed by pretending not to see or hear a thing. But this time was different.
“May I join in?”
I confidently took a seat among them. At first, they looked startled, but when I maintained a natural demeanor, I slipped into their circle with ease.
“Perfect timing, my lady. We were just talking about how…”
“The Duke apparently drove away every concubine who became pregnant with his child.”
“No matter what, isn’t that too cruel? To cast aside someone carrying his own blood.”
And in their chatter, I found the clue I had been searching for.
‘Pregnancy. The Duke despises women who cling to him claiming to be carrying his child.’
According to the statistics I had pieced together, that seemed to be the case. He even cast aside women who begged him not to see other women and to give them his love.
For those staying in the guest residence and desperately trying to speak even once with the Duke, expulsion was the harshest punishment imaginable.
‘But for me, it’s exactly what I want most.’
So, I decided to take the reckless route. The Duke kept so many concubines that he couldn’t possibly remember if I clung to him.
In fact, the conditions were ideal. Even if my lie was exposed, it wouldn’t matter.
‘A woman who falsely claimed pregnancy just to win the Duke’s affection.’
That was exactly the type he would loathe most. And in case his anger wasn’t enough, I prepared how I would act.
First, I would shed tears. If needed, I’d bite the inside of my mouth hard or pinch my thigh until it bruised.
— I only lied because I wanted the Duke’s love. Please, understand my heart.
The Duke despised people who begged for affection. Someone once explained that he had become this way because of an unhappy past, but whatever the reason, he hated it.
‘As long as he drives me out, I don’t care.’
After gathering all the pieces I needed, I shut myself away in my room again. I had to act convincingly enough not to tremble when standing before the Duke and his physician.
‘It’s so humiliating.’
What made it worse was that the Duke was my favorite character in the original story. Just imagining myself throwing myself at him with a fake pregnancy was unbearably embarrassing.
‘Surely, other people will be around too.’
Knights stationed outside his office, the mansion’s maids.
I knew from experience how fast and mercilessly rumors spread within this mansion. And once they started circulating here, they would inevitably leap over the high walls. Soon, I wouldn’t be able to show my face in the Duke’s lands.
‘I’ll leave for another region. Live quietly as if none of this ever happened.’
That was the only way to avoid getting swept into the great tides of this world.
So, swallowing my embarrassment, I practiced. I even rehearsed tripping over to look pitiful. I practiced crying so much that now I could shed tears in mere seconds whenever I willed it.
‘Should I go to him now? …No, maybe I should rehearse just a bit more.’
I needed time to steel my heart. But the days flew by.
‘I can’t delay any longer.’
The imperial banquet—where the Duke and Sophia would meet—was approaching. I had to settle things before then.
‘I can’t stop rumors, but I hope as few people as possible see me.’
So I chose the evening hour. My stomach growled loudly from the meals I had deliberately skipped to make myself look frail.
‘I have to look as pitiful as possible.’
And then, suddenly, the Duke was before me. My curiosity urged me to look up and see his face properly, but I resisted. Now was not the time.
Instead, I lowered my gaze meekly.
“I came because I have something to say, Your Grace.”
When I opened the entrance to the secret passage, a staircase appeared. Lying flat, I carefully lowered my feet onto the steps. Slowly, I descended until I could finally stand upright.
I reached up and pulled the entrance shut above me. Once the door was closed, no one would be able to tell where I had escaped. Even if they discovered it, it would be long after I had left Fiar territory.
‘It’s been… entertaining. I wish you happiness.’
With that final farewell, I pushed hard. With a clattering sound, the entrance closed completely.
The faint light that had seeped in vanished entirely, plunging me into pitch darkness. I couldn’t even see my own hands. That was when I pulled out the lamp I had prepared.
It was small enough to carry in my arms, but its brightness was remarkable.
‘Better be careful not to slip on these stairs.’
After all, I was fleeing to live—I couldn’t afford to die here.
Step by cautious step, I descended. One hand trailed along the wall while the other held the lamp steady.
‘Just how long does this staircase go on?’
Grumbling, I continued until suddenly the stairs ended. Expecting more space, I stretched out my foot—only to touch the floor immediately and stumble slightly.
“Let’s rest… just a bit.”
I had descended from my room on the third floor all the way down to the underground by stair alone. My legs trembled violently, protesting that they could go no farther. Sweat trickled down my face as I wiped it away.
In the middle of the escape passage, there was an emergency refuge. Stocked with simple supplies and a couch, it wasn’t as comfortable as a bed, but it was a place to rest.
“This sofa is surprisingly soft.”
I sank into it, nearly overcome by exhaustion. If I fell asleep here, everything would be ruined, so I fought to stay alert.
‘Time to think ahead.’
This escape passage had been built so that important figures of House Fiar could flee during emergencies. At its end, it opened near the edge of the forest surrounding the mansion. That forest connected closely to nearby villages, which meant there would be plenty of people.
That was exactly what I was counting on.
‘I’ll blend naturally into the crowd.’
Then I’d head to the guild, hire a coachman, and make a swift escape from these lands. Even the Duke couldn’t interfere in another noble’s domain.
‘If I go to another country entirely, he’ll never find me.’
Though perhaps he wouldn’t bother looking at all. Still, given his obsession with his children, it was safer to be cautious.
“All right. Rest’s over. Time to move again.”
I hadn’t fully recovered, but there was no more time to waste. The lamp was small, and its fuel was limited. I needed to get out before it went out.
“…Huh?”
Through the wall, I heard a commotion. It was the voices of knights—I had heard them often enough before to recognize them.
— Over here…
— Keep searching… now…
Several men were running around, searching for something. I pressed my ear tighter against the wall.
— Don’t tell the Duke yet…
— Not until…
Duke Fiar’s name was mentioned. Maybe it was just paranoia, but—
‘Are they looking for me?’
Gasp.
Goosebumps prickled my skin as I held my breath. I had to get out of the mansion quickly.
‘If I’m caught escaping, who knows how the Duke will react?’
Lately, he had seemed calm, but his reputation was that of a butcher. On any battlefield, he was said to always bring victory. He swung his blade without distinction between ally and enemy, drenched in blood until he was more monster than man.
‘What if that happens to me?’
Sometimes, I had seen glimpses of his obsessive streak. If I was caught escaping, I didn’t even want to imagine how he would treat me. He might lose control and cut me down.
Clutching the lamp, I quickened my pace, almost running. This mansion was nothing but harm to me.
“Huff… huff…”
Just when despair at how much farther I had to go began to overwhelm me, I finally saw the exit. Desperation lent strength to my body, driving me faster despite my exhaustion.
‘Rather than barging out blindly, I should check first.’
Climbing the ladder, I pressed my face against the door. Fortunately, no sounds came from outside. Still, I didn’t let my guard down, listening intently for a long while.
I had long since tucked away the lamp. They say that in complete darkness, faint sounds carry better.
‘I think it’s safe now.’
One hand clung to the ladder while the other pushed at the door. My arm trembled, nearly at its limit, but I forced more strength into it.
‘I can’t fail here.’
The old, rarely used door creaked open inch by inch. A sudden flood of light made me squint.
I left just a small gap, listening again.
‘Silent… good.’
It seemed they were still only searching inside the mansion. After all, I had only recently moved into the main residence—they would never suspect I had escaped through a secret passage.
Hardly anyone even knew such a passage existed. Which meant I still had time.
‘Good. Let’s go.’
Shoving the door open with all my strength, adrenaline surged through me. The heavy, grass-covered door creaked as it swung outward.
