Chapter 5
Elicia swallowed hard without realizing it.
Her small throat bobbed slightly.
Eden didn’t react at all to her presence. He just kept staring into space.
What is he looking at?
Curious, Elicia followed his gaze—her expression slightly tense.
On the wall was a large, empty picture frame. No painting inside—just a shell.
Her curiosity faded quickly.
There was nothing else in the annex except a large bed, a thin blanket, a broken clock, and a fireplace prepared for winter.
It wasn’t much better than a storage room.
“Hey.”
Elicia stood in front of Eden, her voice trembling as she forced herself to speak.
She didn’t dare say his name, so she addressed him vaguely.
Eden remained dazed.
The spell used during his capture must not have worn off yet.
Feeling guilt for something her father had done, Elicia lowered her eyes.
That’s when she noticed his neck.
A thin collar—like a restraint—was tightly wrapped around it.
Her brow furrowed.
She looked down further—and saw his ankles.
A narrow shackle bound his ankle and was chained to the bed.
Even for Elicia, who tried to stay rational, this sight was beyond comprehension.
‘He’s still just a kid…’
Her thoughts shifted.
‘How much of his memory was erased? Can he even speak?’
She wasn’t even sure he could hear her.
“Hey!”
She called again, louder.
Still, Eden didn’t answer.
But this time, he slowly turned his gaze from the frame to Elicia.
That alone was progress.
“Are you really looking at me?”
His pale purple eyes were pointed her way—but she didn’t feel like they saw her.
Maybe it was because they were unfocused.
She waved her hand in front of his face.
“Can you talk?”
“Can you understand me?”
Nothing.
It felt like she was talking to a wall. Elicia hit her chest in frustration.
“This is so frustrating…”
According to what she remembered, the spell would fade soon after Eden was brought here.
That’s one reason she came early—to see him before he fully woke up.
When his mind cleared, Eden would be left alone here with only his name.
He’d spend an entire year in this annex, eating the food left for him, not understanding anything.
Even for an adult, that would be unbearable.
How could a nine-year-old endure that with a sane mind?
He couldn’t.
As time passed, Eden became increasingly traumatized. He flinched at even the smallest noise.
And that wasn’t the worst of it.
One day, when the bars on the window glowed orange like the first day he woke up…
Instead of the usual cold-faced knight, a new girl came in carrying a tray.
That girl was Elicia.
She threw the tray on the floor.
“Eat it.”
Eden just stared as food splattered everywhere.
That spilled meal was his one and only meal for the day.
‘She said “Eat it” the moment she saw him…’
Elicia remembered that line from the novel and couldn’t help but admire how intense it was.
‘Well, I guess it makes sense she was angry—being forced to feed a boy who looked like a beggar every day.’
Still, any decent human would feel pity after seeing Eden’s condition.
Even she, who didn’t consider the Duke her father, felt sorry just looking at him.
Elicia’s face went pale.
‘No wonder we all died.’
Everything that happened to Eden in the Duke’s house planted seeds of revenge.
And the one watering them was Elicia herself—both then and now.
The difference now? This time, the flower must not bloom because of her.
‘I have to treat Eden well. It’s the only way I’ll survive.’
As she looked again at the shackles on his ankle and the collar around his neck, her resolve hardened.
Eden, unaware of her thoughts, just stared at her blankly.
“Do you remember your name?”
Elicia asked the obvious, without much hope.
Eden tilted his head slightly.
His messy white hair swayed with the movement.
“If you don’t tell me, I can’t call you anything.”
She couldn’t keep calling him “hey.” And pretending not to know his name was exhausting.
She hoped he’d at least say his name.
“…E…den…”
“Huh? Did you say Eden?”
Eden slowly blinked and barely moved his lips, saying his name.
He didn’t know it was a fake name.
Elicia, pretending to be surprised, responded cheerfully.
At least that part was settled.
Eden said nothing more. That seemed to be his limit for now.
‘What am I supposed to do with a kid who can’t even talk?’
Feeling overwhelmed, Elicia ran her fingers through her bangs.
Eden kept silently staring at her.
His gaze was so steady, it made her uncomfortable—and she looked around the room.
But there was nothing to focus on.
The room only had one window, and felt oddly suffocating.
“I’ll come back tomorrow.”
She came today just to check on his condition, so there wasn’t much more to do.
Even if they could talk, it wouldn’t change that.
As mentioned before, Elicia never finished the novel.
She stopped reading right after villainess Elicia was executed by Eden.
To be honest, even though Ariel was the main character, the story had been most exciting because of Elicia.
Her bold personality and overwhelming presence made the story entertaining.
And there was another reason.
Eden wasn’t a very exciting male lead.
Elicia hadn’t read many romance novels, but even she could tell Eden was the classic “sweet guy.”
Kind and gentle, Eden was almost too perfect for someone who had lost his memory and been locked up.
He comforted Ariel, healed her broken heart, and cared for her deeply.
Except when it came to things involving the Duke and Elicia.
To Elicia, Eden was too kind to be interesting.
That’s why she always paid more attention to the villainess—herself.
Elicia in the novel mocked Ariel for chasing after the Duke’s love and treated her like a traitor.
When that version of Elicia was executed, the story lost its excitement.
With the “obstacle” gone, the drama vanished too.
‘Eden was just too bland.’
If she had to point out his flaw, it was that he didn’t show any jealousy or obsession.
Ariel was described as stunning in the novel, and many men were drawn to her—including the crown prince.
That says it all.
But even then, Eden never got jealous.
He acted more like her therapist—always focused on her well-being.
‘That’s not interesting at all.’
By her reader standards, Eden wasn’t an appealing male lead.
‘Well, now that he’s going to be my sister’s boyfriend, I guess being kind is a plus.’
Being a reader and being a sister were two very different perspectives.
As Ariel’s older sister, Elicia now truly wanted her sister’s boyfriend to be kind.
This world had become her reality.
The moment the Duke brought Eden into the mansion, the novel had officially started.
If it followed the original plot, Elicia would meet Eden a year later.
When the Duke could no longer trust the staff, he would hand Eden over to her.
Even though he never truly trusted her either.
So if meeting Eden was inevitable, she might as well step in early and make his life less painful.
‘If someone has to die, let it be the person who caused it all.’
On her way back to her room, the sun was beginning to set.
Thinking about how she’d have to treat Eden’s bruised face tomorrow, Elicia walked slowly—with heavy steps.
