HDFL 10

Chapter : 10

“I’ll tell you something… Once I’ve saved enough money, I’m leaving this island.”

Isabella took another drink before continuing with a bitter laugh.

“They call me a teacher, but how am I any different from those women? I’ve even worked as a nobleman’s mistress for a while.”

“Isabella… you’ve had too much to drink.”

“I know. But if I don’t drink, I can’t bear it. This used to be such a wonderful place… I don’t even know when it changed so much…”

After emptying glass after glass, Isabella’s eyelids grew heavier until she finally nodded off.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Lucrezia helped her onto the bed before stepping out onto the terrace.

“The sea breeze is especially cold tonight.”

From the small terrace attached to the room, the ocean stretched out before her.

Swallowed by darkness, the vast expanse of water did nothing but occasionally lap softly against the shore.

The moon had hidden itself behind thick clouds as though embarrassed, leaving only the faint starlight to illuminate the night sky.

I used to dream of leaving this place too… just like Isabella.

No…

“Running away” would have been the more accurate way to describe it.

No one loved Benin more than Lucrezia.

Yet there were times when simply remaining here felt unbearably painful.

Just like the music box shop in the town square, there were countless memories tucked away deep inside her heart—beautiful, bittersweet memories she could never forget.

That was why she had ultimately chosen to stay.

Leaving Benin would have meant abandoning every last fragment of those precious memories.

But it was never an easy choice.

Watching the city slowly fall beyond saving under the Governor’s rule had forced her to confront her own helplessness.

Worse still, Lucrezia was no longer a noble.

She was nothing more than another thug from the back alleys.

Even if it had been necessary to survive, she was still contributing, in her own way, to the corruption of her hometown.

Sometimes she couldn’t help wondering if what she did wasn’t all that different from what the Governor did.

Whenever that thought crossed her mind, a deep-rooted self-loathing stabbed into her heart like a knife.

“I should have another drink.”

Returning to the room, Lucrezia sat beside the softly snoring Isabella and quietly drank from the bottle herself before eventually falling asleep.

The following morning…

When Isabella woke up in Lucrezia’s bed, she immediately apologized with an embarrassed smile.

“I’m sorry, Lucrezia. I ended up barging into your room and causing such a scene.”

“It’s alright. Thanks to you, I got to enjoy some excellent wine for the first time in a while.”

In reality, Lucrezia had spent the night sleeping on the floor with her clothes as a blanket, leaving her whole body stiff and sore.

She simply chose not to mention it.

“But you’re surprisingly brave, Isabella. That wine looked incredibly expensive. Wouldn’t you be in serious trouble if someone noticed the bottle was missing?”

“There are dozens of identical bottles stacked away. No one will notice one disappearing. Let’s just say it’s compensation for having to serve such a difficult Duke.”

After Isabella returned to her own room, Lucrezia decided to take a walk through the garden.

Beyond the flower-filled grounds, the horizon stretched endlessly, dotted with countless small islands.

No matter how many times she saw it, the view never failed to amaze her.

She wandered leisurely while breathing in the fresh scent of the sea mixed with blooming flowers.

By the time the haze clouding her thoughts had finally lifted…

She noticed Calian standing near the fountain, speaking quietly with someone.

“So you absolutely must… find it.”

“But there’s no way to get close. The Governor…”

Although they were standing quite far away, fragments of their conversation drifted toward her.

Acting on instinct, Lucrezia slipped behind one of the stone pillars and listened.

The Governor? What are they talking about?

Calian still hadn’t explained why he had hired someone from the guild.

At the moment she was busy training to act as his fake lover, but originally she’d been hired as a guide around the island—and as someone skilled at opening locks.

Could the safe I’m eventually supposed to crack belong to the Governor?

The thought made her spine stiffen.

I figured the Duke hadn’t come to Benin simply for a vacation…

As far as Lucrezia knew, Calian had never once visited Benin after inheriting his title.

Even though the Emperor himself frequently vacationed there, the Duke’s complete absence had long been a minor topic of gossip among the nobility.

Very few people knew the real reason.

Calian hated Benin.

Including Lucrezia, only a handful of people were aware of that fact.

It was only for a moment… but he looked like he truly despised this place. Did something happen here?

“I can’t stand places that are nothing but water.”

That was all Calian had said.

But Lucrezia had seen far more in his expression.

Disgust.

Loss.

Helplessness.

They were emotions she knew better than anyone.

“What exactly are you doing here? You’re sneaking around like some stray cat.”

A voice suddenly sounded from directly behind her.

Startled, Lucrezia instinctively covered her mouth.

Had she cried out, Calian would have immediately realized she had been hiding nearby.

“Would you please make some noise before sneaking up on people, Derek? You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“So you weren’t imitating a cat after all.”

He smiled faintly.

“You were playing the part of a mouse. Do you dislike facing His Grace that much?”

Fortunately, Derek didn’t seem to realize she had actually been spying on Calian.

From an ordinary person’s perspective, the distance between them was great enough that it looked entirely coincidental.

“…Well… yes. It’s not like I could ever feel comfortable around someone like him.”

“I understand completely.”

He glanced toward Calian.

“But if you’re caught hiding like this, His Grace will only make your life more difficult. Let’s pretend you’ve been with me and leave.”

Just then, Calian casually looked in their direction.

Lucrezia hurriedly ducked completely behind the pillar.

Without showing the slightest sign of nervousness, Derek simply bowed politely toward the Duke before walking away with Lucrezia as though nothing unusual had happened.

Though unintended, he had ended up helping her.

“Thank you, Derek.”

“It was nothing.”

He hesitated.

“And…”

“Yes?”

He looked as though he wanted to say something, but ultimately closed his mouth.

Seeing Lucrezia tilt her head in confusion, Derek let out a long sigh before turning away.

“I heard you’ll be attending the party soon.”

He paused.

“Please… be careful.”

Leaving Lucrezia alone in the rear garden, he quietly walked away.

His warning left an uneasy feeling lingering in her chest.

But there was nothing she could do about it.

The days passed one after another.

At last, the day of the party arrived.

Oddly enough, Isabella seemed even more excited than Lucrezia herself.

“Hmm… this one is lovely too. A bolder design wouldn’t be bad either… but I still think an elegant, innocent style suits you best, Lucrezia.”

From her makeup and gown to her hairstyle and jewelry, Isabella personally supervised every detail while directing the maids like a general commanding an army on the battlefield.

As a result, Lucrezia spent the entire day being pulled from place to place—and barely allowed to eat, much like a noble debutante preparing for her debut ball.

“Do we really have to go this far? It’s only a party. I doubt His Grace is expecting a perfect partner anyway.”

“Unfortunately, that’s not how I work, Lucrezia.”

Isabella smiled proudly.

“Whenever I take on a young lady, I have to transform her completely before I’m satisfied. That’s what my reputation—and my livelihood—are built on.”

Seeing Isabella wink and ask her to endure just one more day, Lucrezia found herself unable to suggest cutting corners.

A little later…

The preparations were finally complete.

Dressed in an elegant white gown, Lucrezia rose gracefully from the vanity.

At that exact moment, Calian entered the room.

The instant his eyes fell upon her, he frowned as though something about her appearance displeased him.