Chapter : 5
There was no other choice.
The maids had apologized over and over, their faces red as apples, explaining that the rooms on the second floor weren’t warm enough.
There were only a few beds in this large room, and the maids had spread thick cloth and blankets all over the floor before lying close together, curled up to keep warm.
‘It kind of reminds me of the disaster shelters I used to see on the news…’
At least, the maids gave me the bed closest to the fireplace.
It was the best spot in this enormous room.
I lay down on the bed and pulled the blanket over myself.
‘I was originally going to organize my thoughts before going to sleep.’
But no.
For the sake of the fifty maids who were still watching me nervously, I felt like I had to fall asleep immediately.
After all, I was technically their temporary boss. If I didn’t close my eyes, how could they sleep comfortably?
As I closed my eyes, I thought,
It was like this in the original story too.
Shurkan hardly ever returned to the castle.
So how could I live comfortably at Gonette Castle without the Grand Duke around?
Simple.
Make the servants completely devoted to me!
‘First, I need to win the maids over properly. Then there shouldn’t be much inconvenience while I’m living here.’
I tried to come up with a detailed plan in my head, but I kept nodding off.
It really had been a long time.
A very long time since I had been able to lie down in a bed this peacefully…
Wrapped in the warm, soft blanket, I soon fell asleep.
The next day.
‘I slept so well!’
I shivered happily under the blankets, feeling more refreshed than I had in a long time.
Then I opened my eyes brightly.
“……!”
I nearly screamed and fell out of bed.
Because a pair of vivid red eyes was staring down at me from directly above.
It was Shurkan Gonette.
“Laureltianna.”
He rested his chin on his hand and asked,
“Did you sleep well?”
“Huh? Yes. Yes…”
“Stay still.”
Shurkan reached toward my forehead.
I instinctively shrank my shoulders.
No one had ever come this close to me in my entire life.
Still dazed, I hurriedly got out of bed.
This wasn’t a dream.
“Wh-When did you arrive?”
“Not long ago.”
‘…Liar.’
I didn’t believe Shurkan.
There was a cozy warmth about his body, the kind that came from someone who had been indoors for a long time.
But then why had he been staring at me for so long?
Was he admiring his prize?
Or perhaps…
‘Don’t tell me he’s only now deciding whether to send me back or not?’
My body trembled slightly at the thought.
“Are you cold?”
Shurkan casually asked that before suddenly picking me up, blanket and all.
“Let’s go.”
“Where?”
A frightened voice escaped me before I could stop it.
“To the bedroom on the second floor. Why is the Grand Duchess sleeping in the maids’ room?”
Shurkan carried me in his arms and strode forward.
Even while carrying another person, his movements were incredibly steady.
He crossed the long corridor in an instant and climbed the tall staircase without stopping.
Soon, Shurkan reached the enormous bedroom on the second floor.
Behind us, I could hear the maids panting as they hurried to open the door.
“P-Please have a pleasant time, Your Grace, Grand Duchess.”
The maids nervously closed the large bedroom door.
Click.
I couldn’t tell whether that was the sound of my heart dropping or the door closing…
“Laureltianna.”
“Yes?”
“This place is at least acceptable, right?”
I came to my senses at his sudden question.
Shurkan was looking down at me.
“You saw the state of the castle yourself. It’s a complete mess.”
He was much younger than me.
It wasn’t for nothing that people called Shurkan the ‘Boy Grand Duke.’
He really was a boy.
And yet, Shurkan was taller than me.
More importantly, his gaze was terrifying beyond comparison.
It was the kind of gaze that would give even a timid person nightmares just by looking at it…
Yes.
A tiger.
His eyes resembled a tiger’s.
And they were even a dark reddish color.
I quickly cleared my throat and answered calmly.
“I didn’t think it was a complete mess.”
“Then a fucking mess?”
Shurkan gave a lukewarm smile.
After carrying me for a while, he finally placed me on the bed.
“Stay here.”
After saying that, Shurkan strode toward the fireplace.
It looked like he was going to work the bellows.
I carefully looked around the bedroom.
It really was enormous.
It was just as empty as the rest of the castle, but at least it wasn’t as worn-out as the outer walls.
So it was definitely more acceptable.
Perhaps the maids had hurried to prepare everything the moment Shurkan returned, because the candles on the candleholders were already burning brightly.
“Your Grace.”
“Hmm.”
“What about the war? Is it over?”
“Not yet. There are still remnants left. But it should be over soon. And…”
Shurkan stared into empty space for a moment before speaking.
“As soon as Pasa is dealt with, I have to go to the extermination grounds. I’ve left that place unattended for too long.”
“The extermination grounds?”
“You know what that is?”
“Of course. Is there anyone on the continent who doesn’t know?”
Shurkan gave a small laugh.
“True. You ran out of the middle of a war with a map hidden in your mouth. I suppose you would know.”
“……”
Was he being sarcastic?
Or not?
I wondered about it but decided not to ask.
Besides, he was going to leave for the extermination grounds soon…
The extermination grounds were cursed lands where monsters appeared in massive numbers.
Monsters constantly appeared there, sometimes in scattered outbreaks, and slowly devoured the people living nearby.
As monster contamination spread, royals and nobles who had lost their territories offered enormous bounties and valuable spoils.
That was why countless knight orders and mercenary groups established their own bases and remained stationed in the extermination grounds.
The place where Shurkan stayed throughout most of the original story was this very extermination ground.
“Then how did you come back so quickly?”
“Because I wanted to see you.”
“What?”
“I’m joking. You look like you’re about to freeze to death.”
Shurkan spoke sarcastically.
“You’re the most expensive spoil I obtained from this war, after all. Naturally, I was worried about you.”
“Was my ransom really that expensive?”
“Quite expensive.”
“……”
I couldn’t understand.
I had only been a low-ranking concubine of the Pasa Empire.
My ransom might have been slightly higher because I hadn’t slept with the Emperor.
But the Emperor of Pasa had thousands of concubines.
There were countless beautiful women who had never even seen the Emperor’s face.
Could it be…?
I debated whether I should ask him thousands of times in my head.
I glanced at Shurkan, and he casually said,
“If you have something to say, say it. Don’t just watch my mood.”
My shoulders trembled slightly.
I swallowed dryly and asked,
“Was my ransom so high because of the Great Temple?”
“Smart. Maybe it’s because you have good blood.”
“……”
A faint smile passed across Shurkan’s lips.
“That’s right. They made a huge fuss because they wanted me to hand you over, saying they would pay even more for you.”
He said only that before returning his attention to the fireplace.
The flames grew larger.
It was as if a handful of sunset had entered the bedroom.
As I stared at the blazing fire, my mind became hazy.
It felt like all the thoughts crowding my head were being burned away.
I liked the sensation of my mind becoming calm…
‘No. No.’
The moment I saw Shurkan stand up from the fireplace and walk toward me, my thoughts immediately changed.
He sat down beside me.
Really, right beside me.
Shurkan remained silent for a moment.
I glanced at him before quickly looking away again.
It was incredibly awkward.
“Lorel.”
“Yes?”
“What happened to my cloak?”
I almost jumped to my feet reflexively, but somehow stopped myself.
The cloak.
The huge fur cloak Shurkan had put on me, or rather, thrown over my head, instead of a veil and wedding dress at the Pasa Imperial Palace.
“Did you throw it away?”
“No! Of course not.”
I shook my head in shock.
Just how much nerve did Shurkan think I had?
“I put it under the bed before I went to sleep. It was a little inconvenient to keep wearing it everywhere…”
“What was inconvenient?”
I began sweating coldly at every word Shurkan said.
What did he mean, what was inconvenient?
Did he expect me to keep wearing that enormous cloak everywhere?
It wasn’t like I was trying to show off!
“Your Grace.”
Unlike what I was thinking inside, I lowered my eyes and asked as politely as possible,
“Should I go get it now?”
“It’s fine. Now that I think about it, I was wearing it outside, so it was probably dirty anyway.”
It wasn’t dirty.
But before I could say anything, Shurkan stood up.
I instinctively stood as well.
He strode over and pulled the bell rope.
Soon, an aide who had been outside entered.
“Your Grace. Did you call for me?”
Shurkan spoke.
“My cloak is in the room where the maids sleep. Go get it and have it cleaned. It’s underneath the largest bed beside the fireplace.”
He frowned and added,
“What fragrances are left? Choose whichever we have the most of among ambergris, sandalwood, and musk, and infuse the cloak with it. Bring it back as clean as possible.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Shurkan dismissed the aide with a gesture and continued.
“Of all the furs in the castle, that’s still the best one we have. I’ll buy you something better later, so if you have to go outside normally, wear that when you go out.”
I widened my eyes.
I couldn’t even tell what kind of fur the enormous gray cloak was made from.
But it really did feel wonderful.
More importantly, it was incredibly warm.
Warm enough to make it feel like an entirely different season.
Whatever it was, it must have been very expensive…
I immediately stood up and bowed my head.
“I’ll use it well. Thank you.”
“Hah.”
Shurkan scoffed at my words and suddenly strode toward me.
‘He’s younger than me, so why is he so tall?’
I felt an inexplicable sense of pressure.
I instinctively took a step back.
There was obvious irritation around Shurkan’s eyes.
Had I said something wrong?
Just as I became flustered…
“Laureltianna.”
His low voice pierced my ears.
“Do you think you’re some kind of maid? Don’t act like you’re about to die of gratitude over something insignificant. It irritates me.”
“What?”
“Look at the state of this castle. You clearly don’t believe me. Even though I said I’ll buy you something better.”
At the same time, Shurkan grabbed both of my shoulders.
He didn’t seem to be using much strength, but the pain pressing into my shoulders was surprisingly intense.
Still, I was dumbfounded and wanted to defend myself.
“That isn’t what I meant. I really was just grateful. I don’t know much about fur, but it’s obviously a good item, isn’t it? That’s why…”
Even as I spoke, cold sweat began forming.
My shoulders were hurting more and more.
Shurkan stared at me and bit his lip.
“Well, you were an abandoned princess and a low-ranking concubine, so I suppose even something like that would seem too precious for you.”
For a moment, my heart felt cold and painful.
And yet, at the same time, I couldn’t understand him.
He was the one saying such cruel things.
So why did Shurkan look at me as if he was the one who had been hurt even more?
“…Could you let go?”
Only then did Shurkan seem to realize that he was gripping my shoulders too tightly.
At my words, he immediately released me as if he had been burned.
But his next words were still as cold and merciless as ice.
“I’ll keep bringing you better things from now on, so stay quietly in the castle. As I said earlier, you’re the most expensive spoil I obtained from this war.”
“……”
I knew I shouldn’t let it affect me, but for some reason, my emotions welled up.
“Your Grace.”
I didn’t know if I felt hurt or sad.
“How much did you actually pay for my ransom?”
Members of a fallen royal family were generally treated as important spoils of war.
Since I had also been a concubine of the Pasa Emperor, I must have had a ransom placed on me.
But I had been the lowest-ranking concubine and had never received the Emperor’s favor.
So I had simply assumed there was no way my ransom could be very high…
Eyes that revealed nothing stared directly at me.
“Are you curious about the amount?”
“Yes.”
Shurkan smiled coldly.
“100,000 Ribes.”
For a moment, I unconsciously frowned.
“Don’t lie to me.”
Here, gold coins were called ‘Ribes,’ and one Ribe was roughly equivalent to one million Korean won.
So 100,000 Ribes meant about 100 billion won.
I wasn’t Ayu.
I wasn’t even a high-ranking imperial consort.
Why would I possibly be worth that much?
Shurkan asked,
“You think I’m lying?”
“……”
“Actually, I’m curious too. Why on earth did the Great Temple make such a huge fuss trying to take you?”
“Did the Great Temple really offer that much money to take me?”
“It’s a first for me, too.”
Shurkan continued while staring at my stiff expression.
“In all my life, I’ve never had someone grab me by the collar and insist they would pay even more for a prisoner.”
“……”
Shurkan stared directly into my eyes before giving a small laugh.
“If you were going to be shocked, why did you ask?”
“……”
“You learned something useful. Don’t recklessly dig into things you can’t handle.”
A clear trace of mockery appeared on his chillingly beautiful face.
Without waiting for my answer, Shurkan pulled me onto the bed and sat me down.
Then he simply walked away.
