Chapter – 28
Perhaps back then, and even now, it might have been better for Leo to just ignore that voice.
But he didn’t.
The young Leo found a groove in the wall and used the sword attached to the wall to pry it open.
The groove, made too narrow even for a finger, seemed to be something that could only be opened by using a specific tool.
And so, the young Leo discovered a girl trembling in the secret space he had opened.
Leo recognized from her attire that it was the young Luiza.
However, since she was in the darkness, she couldn’t see Leo’s face.
But even if she had seen his face, it was uncertain whether Luiza would have recognized him.
Around ages nine or ten, Luiza had no interest in children like Leo.
Even back then, Luiza was only interested in boys her own age or handsome older boys.
... Arnaud? Is that you, Arnaud? Come here quickly. Save me. I really didn't steal it. This was originally mine, Arnaud.
Calling her fiancé’s name, Luiza sniffled.
Leo, finding it absurd, spoke.
'Liar.'
'You're not Arnaud?'
'I saw it. You stealing your cousin's things. So, you shouldn't have stolen in the first place.'
'Ha.'
Luiza laughed as if it was ridiculous.
Simultaneously, a hand reached out from the darkness and grabbed the hem of Leo’s trousers.
Luiza’s face was half-revealed in the light.
Leo flinched and stepped back.
'Don't talk nonsense. Everything that enters this chateau is mine. I have the right to have these things.'
Clutching the shoes greedily in her arms, Luiza spoke.
'I am the Messéna heir. Do you know how I ended up in this position? Do you know why I got engaged?'
'Why would I know about such things...'
'After my parents died, I became the most useful "object" in this family. I have the right to have these things. All of these things... are the price for my parents' lives.'
Price for their lives.
For some reason, Leo felt a chill from her face.
Luiza’s ankles were visible as she sat crouched, and there were large bruises on them.
'That...'
Leo tried to ask something, but Luiza didn’t answer.
But seeing how things were going, he could roughly guess.
Even if this child was a troublemaker, no family would inflict such beatings on a young girl like this.
Moreover, the fact that they were done in a place deliberately hidden from view suggested that to the Messénas, this child might indeed just be a ‘useful object’.
Even in his youth, Leo astutely grasped the situation.
'Anyway, since you helped me, I won't forget this favor.'
The moment he made eye contact with Luiza’s bright red eyes, Leo grimaced.
'You don't even recognize who I am.'
'I do recognize you. Your Highness, the Crown Prince.'
'......!'
Quickly switching to formal speech, Luiza smiled wickedly.
'I recognize all beautiful things, Your Highness. Because they will all become mine.'
Although Luiza had said that, he never really thought she would recognize him.
'Nineteen.'
Still, he had been wary just in case, but Luiza wore an expression that suggested she didn’t recognize him.
He thought that if Luiza had recognized him, she would have threatened him, bringing up his identity immediately after buying him from the slave auction.
Demanding secrets.
Or maybe she would have demanded other things… but in any case, she wouldn’t have said things like she’d let him go willingly, or that he should become an actor for money if he wanted…
'I judged her on my own.'
It was a misjudgment.
Without even knowing Luiza well.
Without knowing what kind of woman she was, what dreams she had, why she was so obsessed with beautiful things, and without even trying to know.
The moment Leo saw Luiza trembling, he realized.
'You definitely recognized me.'
Thinking back, there wasn’t just one or two strange things.
The fact that she never once asked for his name, even though she knew people were whispering around them.
'The Lady Duchess still calls 'that child' a slave. She really is the troublemaker Duchess.'
The fact that she never asked where he learned swordsmanship, even after seeing him handle a sword while playing the role of Romeo.
'I learned how to handle a sword from Romeo.'
The fact that she saw him displaying perfect table manners and speaking with an aristocratic accent, yet only intended to use it for the ‘Prince’ role.
'You like it too, don't you.'
Clues were scattered everywhere, but he ignored them.
To be precise, he ignored Luiza.
'Anyway, since you helped me, I won't forget this favor.'
Because he wanted to believe she wasn’t the kind of person worth repaying a favor to.
Because he wanted to think she couldn’t be that kind of woman, and thus it was okay to use her with peace of mind.
“Liar.”
The moment Leo said that, Luiza bit her lip hard.
As expected, she didn’t deny it.
Just as Leo was about to say something more to Luiza—
Luiza hurriedly scrambled backward. Or rather, she seemed to be fleeing, but then she fumbled under the carpet and pulled it aside.
“……?”
“…Here… The sound is different only here.”
Luiza muttered something incomprehensible, removed a floorboard hidden under the carpet, and pulled out a leather pouch stored there.
Inside was an old notebook.
Miraculously, it seemed to have been kept well from moisture; though he only saw it by candlelight, it showed no signs of decay.
Luiza hugged that leather pouch tightly and looked at Leo with venomous eyes.
Just like when she had stolen Jeanne’s shoes and was locked up here.
“Let’s make a deal.”
“……!”
“Let’s trade lives. This… is the price for my life.”
Price for a life.
Why is this woman so obsessed with that phrase? Has she always had to pay a price just for being alive?
As Leo closed his mouth, feeling an inexplicable irritation, a presence was felt from outside.
Leo hid the notebook Luiza was holding behind his back. Simultaneously, the moment his eyes met Luiza’s—
The door to the passage leading to the room opened.
Luiza turned her head as if the light was dazzling. But then, she turned her head to look at the woman standing at the door.
“Jeanne.”
“…Sneaking into someone else’s storage like a rat. What were you trying to steal this time?”
Jeanne looked down at Luiza with a pitying expression.
Luiza was flustered.
She caught her breath and stood up.
Then, Jeanne pointed at Leo with her characteristically languid eyes.
“Ah, so it wasn’t to steal, but to do something lewd.”
Luiza hesitated for a moment, then stepped out through the passage Jeanne had opened. To buy time for Leo to hide ‘that thing’ deep within his clothes, and also to confirm something.
“Why are you here?”
“Do I have to explain even that?”
Jeanne spoke as if annoyed, naturally avoiding eye contact.
Luiza looked around at the naked man filling the room and said.
“You probably didn’t come to see this.”
“…Of course not.”
The moment Jeanne flushed as if it was absurd, Luiza became certain.
“Then what did you come to find?”
“That’s why would I tell you, Sister—”
As Jeanne furrowed her brow, Luiza tilted her head slightly toward Jeanne and pointed at herself.
“Me… for instance.”
Watching Jeanne’s face instantly flush red, Luiza became sure.
‘She came looking for me.’
Thanks to me buying time, Leo disappeared through the back door.
Fortunately, that bought me time too.
‘Damn it.’
I was caught. Leo himself now knows that I know his identity.
But once he checks that notebook, he will know that I have indeed paid the price for my life.
Inside that notebook is irrefutable evidence that the Emperor poisoned the previous Emperor.
‘Of course, using that evidence to immediately attack Callinan is impossible, but…’
It was an item that would have become crucial evidence someday.
Moreover, since I entrusted such an item to Leo, I should be able to prove my sincerity to some extent.
‘It seems I’ve avoided this death flag for now…’
Thinking that, I looked at Jeanne sitting in front of me.
“I knew that you often got locked up in here.”
What Jeanne said was unexpected.
So, the Duke of Messéna went as far as locking me up here.
“…Interesting.”
At my response, Jeanne’s brow furrowed.
“You know, at times like this, you really seem like an emotionless doll.”
“……”
Ah. Do I look like that?
I often heard that I looked emotionless in my past life, but this time the circumstances were a bit different.
This time, I didn’t feel anything because it wasn’t really my business.
“I hope you understand… that I didn’t have the power to help.”
“I never asked for help. A mere branch family member like you couldn’t possibly defy Grandfather, right?”
At the natural dismissal, Jeanne’s expression twisted slightly.
“You still look down on people as easily as breathing.”
“It’s the reality that you are beneath me.”
“……”
Jeanne nodded as if she accepted it immediately.
She looks plenty emotionless too.
“How much do you trust the Count?”
Then, Jeanne, who had been quietly looking at my necklace, suddenly spoke.
How much do I trust him? Well—
“I don’t trust him. It’s just that we judge each other as useful for now, that’s all.”
I have no reason to trust the Count.
We’re bound by a strategic engagement, and we’re just traveling together temporarily because of a debt relationship.
“Well, that’s good then. The Count won’t marry you anyway. You know that, right? Marriage isn’t for people who are just useful for a little while, but for people who will be useful forever. If you need a source of money, you should grab another line.”
Jeanne spoke plainly, stating only facts without emotion.
It wasn’t shocking since I already knew.
“Well… For instance, me?”
But her following words were a bit shocking.
