PBAOM ★ CH 06

Chapter 6

The Tower’s Wise Captive Life (2)

“Prince, huh…”

Deoki said as he threaded the pieces of meat onto an iron skewer.

“In this country, there’s no shortage of men claiming to be princes.”

He placed the skewer over the fireplace, and the venison began to sizzle, releasing a dangerously tempting smell.

He wasn’t wrong— the current king had many sons. Including the illegitimate ones, there were probably more than ten.

It was clear Deoki had no intention of revealing who his client was. He didn’t seem like the type who’d be tricked by a few clever questions anyway.

I hesitated with my hand still on the doorknob, then asked,

“When do you plan to kill me?”

“When the time comes.”

“Then why am I still here? You have no intention of negotiating with my family anyway!”

The words burst out of me in desperation. Fear and hopelessness filled my mind.

Even if he was holding back now, I was certain that someday, Deoki would kill me. The thought of death wrapped around my chest like chains.

Was there even a chance I’d make it out of here alive?

Had my father and brothers… already given up on finding me? No, they couldn’t have. Even if I was the least favored daughter, I was still family! Damn the Mermandi family!

‘No, get it together. The only one who can protect me now… is me.’

I was trembling and crying when Deoki spoke again.

“Still… your family must’ve made a lot of enemies. Everyone seems pretty eager to see you dead.”

…Well, that was true. Too true.

The Duke of Mermandi’s house stood with the Queen’s faction. Naturally, we had plenty of enemies because of that.

The First and Second Princes, along with the King, banded together to keep an eye on the Queen and her allies.

The Duke of Longbeville loathed us over a long-standing territorial feud.

The Bahal Merchant Guild had suffered huge losses ever since my father monopolized the textile industry in Ardel— they’d been sharpening their knives for revenge ever since.

But the biggest problem was…

“A bastard-born prince could never bring prosperity to this kingdom. If the deposed Queen’s son ever took the throne, it would be our ruin.”

My father, the Duke, had constantly insulted the First Prince, Chris—the male lead in the original story—and kept raising death flags for himself.

Even though the heir, Prince Nicholas, was still alive, Father continued to unofficially support the Fourth Prince.

He’d tried to keep our family out of the succession war, but it was all in vain.

“Mm.”

As I sat there lost in thought, Deoki suddenly cleared his throat right in front of me. He pointed behind him and said,

“I caught that deer this morning. Think of it as your last meal—enjoy it while you can.”

I bit my tongue to keep from shouting.

‘Seriously? Who could eat after hearing that?’

Tears welled up as I whispered,

“What… what do you want from me? Isn’t there any way I can live?”

“Sorry, but I’m a professional. I can’t afford mistakes on the job.”

He shook his head calmly. My tears instantly dried up. How much had his client paid him to be this cold and unshakable?

‘He’s exactly what a killer-for-hire should be—no heart, no pity.’

I lowered my head. The carcass of the deer—just skin and bones—lay nearby.

Even twisting the story from its original plot hadn’t saved me. If I could, I’d turn back time ten years and fix everything.

“Then… please make it quick. If you’re going to kill me, do it in one strike.”

My voice was calm and resigned—though I didn’t mean it, of course.

Deoki began pacing slowly. His heavy footsteps stopped close by. Then he crouched down until our faces were nearly level, like he was talking to a child.

‘…!’

Was he doing that to make things easier for a blind person? He was so close that my head spun.

The smell of blood, forest earth, and animal fur surrounded me. The piercings in his ears glinted faintly in the firelight.

As I frowned in discomfort, he whispered in a deep, husky voice—

“Don’t worry. That’s my specialty.”

His jet-black eyes curved in a faint smile.

***

Outside, the snowstorm was slowly calming. I huddled by the fireplace, terrified of the fate that awaited me.

The smell of roasting meat made my stomach growl. Behind me, Deoki was gnawing noisily on a bone, eating a ridiculous amount of food.

A plate sat on the carpet near me—my portion—but I ignored it on purpose.

Still, the hunger was unbearable.

‘Ugh, whatever.’

In the end, I gave in and started feeling around the floor until my fingers brushed something greasy.

The meat had already been cut into neat, edible pieces. I took a bite—and the rich flavor nearly made me cry.

‘Well, they say ghosts who die after eating well still look good in the afterlife.’

For a brief moment, I forgot my situation and ate eagerly. But the moment passed, and the reality of it all hit me again.

‘Even if they hated me back home, at least I always ate the best seasonal dishes at the Duke’s estate…’

Back then, pretending to be blind had meant I rarely used utensils myself. The maids always fed me during meals.

Now here I was, sitting on the floor, eating meat with my bare hands.

Deoki watched me silently, like I was some strange animal he’d never seen before. Maybe he really was amazed that a noble lady could act like this.

“…?”

Soon after, he suddenly tore off a chunk of his own meat and tossed it to me—like he was feeding a pet.

“Cough!”

I choked in shock, and he hurriedly handed me a cup of water.

He probably thought I’d just eaten too fast. As always, he was oddly considerate for a man planning to kill me.

‘If you’re going to kill me, why bother giving me water?’

Instead of feeling grateful, I imagined a predator toying with its prey before the kill—a wolf fattening up a lamb before eating it.

Seeing my pale face, Deoki tilted his head.

“You’ve got quite the appetite. Yesterday you barely touched anything.”

I wiped my mouth and replied,

“They say even ghosts who die full still look pretty.”

“Never heard that one.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Is that some noble saying? I guess you rich folks never have to worry about starving, huh?”

He spoke mockingly, clearly disgusted by the greed of nobles who taxed their peasants too harshly.

It reminded me of the fat count from the original story—the one Natania had to marry after her family fell from grace.

Then suddenly, Deoki came closer and stared at me. Before I could react, he grabbed my arm and pulled up my sleeve.

“W–what are you doing!?”

While I looked at him in shock, he murmured,

“Even a highborn lady’s thinner than a peasant girl. You’re tiny… nothing but skin and bone.”

I was speechless. His touch was far too casual—again. He treated me like a pet or a doll.

Yanking my arm back, I snapped sharply,

“Don’t touch me without permission!”

Deoki blinked, looking almost amused.

“Even facing death, noble ladies keep their pride, huh?”

“Wouldn’t anyone be offended? You just called me skinny like I’m some fragile thing!”

He only shrugged.

“Lady, I’m not the gentleman you think I am.”

The look on his face said, What exactly were you expecting from a killer?

He’d ignored every offer I’d made—money, status, even power. Nothing interested him.

I turned back to the fire, leaving the half-eaten meat beside me.

The firewood crackled softly. Warm light spread through the room.

I lowered my head so he couldn’t see my face, but his voice came again from behind me.

“When you lived with your family, did they starve you or something? Did they mistreat you because you’re blind?”

I paused.

After the poisoning incident seven years ago, I’d lived alone in the detached house, always well-fed.

But Natania had been treated like an outcast, barely acknowledged by her family.

Maybe… I could use that. If he pitied me, maybe I could buy some time.

Just as I was starting to think that, his low voice cut through my thoughts like a knife—

“Hey.”

“…”

“I can hear you scheming from over here.”

I froze, mortified. My face burned as he smirked, the bridge of his nose scrunching in a teasing grin.