Chapter 52. The Pope’s Scheme and Betrayal
…It’s the Pope’s trap.
Belladonna forced herself to take a deep breath.
He sent a letter meant for me to Escallion on purpose, pretending it was a mistake, and even included the letter I wrote to him.
She could almost hear the Pope’s dark, sneering laughter in her ears.
Her mind spun, her hands shaking.
Belladonna pressed her hands tightly together.
Did he realize I was just trying to keep my marriage by lying to him? Or was even that part of the Pope’s plan? Maybe he wanted Escallion to see these letters so he’d be the one to ask for a divorce…?
She tried to make her voice steady.
“Please wait. I—I can explain.”
“Is there really anything to explain?”
His cold answer hit her right away, making her flinch and squeeze her eyes shut.
She realized she had been too naive.
How could I ever forget what kind of person the Pope is, and let myself get comfortable and happy here with Escallion?
He was never someone to give up that easily…
A heavy, dark feeling of despair swallowed her up.
She felt as if the ground beneath her feet had caved in.
Stay calm. Where do I even begin?
Belladonna nervously moved her clasped fingers.
She needed to explain everything to Escallion. But the shock left her mind blank.
So…
“You’re silent—so I guess you have nothing to say. That’s always the easy way, right? When you’re caught, just close your mouth?”
His voice was sharp. She didn’t need him to say it—she could feel just how betrayed he felt.
Escallion watched her for a moment, then stood up.
He grabbed his coat from the rack with rough hands, threw it over his shoulder, and walked quickly past her without a word.
“W-wait…”
He didn’t even slow down at her voice.
As Belladonna flinched and shrank back from his coldness, she heard the door slam shut behind her.
She stood there in the empty office, dazed by what had just happened.
That night, Belladonna sat alone, curled up on the big bed, biting her lower lip in anxiety.
It felt like a storm had come and swept everything away.
With her face buried between her knees, she let out a low groan.
“Ugh…”
I was such a fool…
It had been so long since she’d seen the Pope, she’d forgotten what kind of person he really was.
“You idiot…”
Belladonna sighed deeply, blaming herself.
Things were so bad now.
Now, Escallion not only knew about the three-month plan, but he also believed that she herself had planned everything.
Betrayal.
The lord will never forgive someone close to him who betrays him.
As long as his wife never betrays him first, Escallion will always stay the same.
The words of the people of Griblata echoed in her mind.
The Pope must have known exactly what kind of man Escallion is.
He tried to use Scarlett as a weakness to make us divorce, and if that failed, he’d use this trap to make Escallion ask for divorce himself…
“That dirty, cunning old Pope…”
Belladonna whispered to herself.
She looked up at the clock showing midnight and the bedroom door, still closed.
Escallion hadn’t come back after he left.
“Is he not coming back to the room tonight…?”
Worried, she blinked, then got out of bed.
She was worried about where Escallion was, even more than trying to clear up the misunderstanding.
He left with his coat—did he not come back at all…?
She picked up a small lamp from the bedside table and opened the bedroom door.
Maybe he went back to his office? Or maybe he was in his own room? Should she go and find him now and talk?
The old door creaked as she opened it.
Out in the hallway, she looked around carefully.
Should I go to his room first? She was just about to head that way when she felt someone’s presence across the hall.
Oh, that startled me. Who is it? Is it Escallion?
She squinted and lifted her lamp toward the sound.
Who’s there?
“Who’s there?”
A woman’s voice, not Escallion’s, came from the other end of the hall.
Belladonna, startled, brought the lamp close to her face to show who she was.
It’s me!
Hearing Belladonna’s voice, the woman came closer.
“Oh, Madam! Why are you up at this hour? Do you need anything?”
It was a maid. Belladonna looked up at her.
Red hair in two braids, freckles, round eyes that curled when she smiled.
Belladonna didn’t know her well, but had seen her around the castle.
“Should I call Cindy for you?”
Belladonna shook her head—she didn’t need Cindy now.
But…
Belladonna stared at the maid quietly.
Now that she was closer, there was something strange and uncomfortable about her expression.
The maid kept glancing around nervously, her smile twisted.
What is this?
Belladonna took a slow step back, feeling uneasy.
She pointed to her room, giving a gentle smile—I’ll just go back now, okay?
“Going back to your room? Alright.”
The maid nodded, relief showing on her face.
Belladonna decided to just go back. The big, dark castle felt spooky tonight.
As she reached her bedroom door and reached for the handle, suddenly two hands shot out from the darkness behind her.
Huh?
Before she even realized, a black cloth soaked in some liquid was pressed tightly over her mouth.
“…!”
What—what is this?!
She tried not to breathe in, but another hand grabbed her throat tightly.
Unable to get enough air, Belladonna accidentally inhaled.
No, I can’t…
Her consciousness faded fast as she collapsed in the hallway.
Ugh, my head hurts…
Belladonna forced her heavy eyelids open.
Everything was dark, not just because it was night—something was covering her eyes.
She felt rough fabric scraping her eyes, mouth, and tied wrists.
As she slowly caught her breath, a terrible smell hit her nose.
She was cold, wearing only thin velvet pajamas.
What’s that smell? Where am I…?
The surface under her was cold and hard.
She could hear the real wind blowing.
Am I…outside the castle?
Shhh, shhh…
She heard the sound of something sharp being scraped against a stone.
Belladonna held her breath, listening.
“We have to leave soon.”
A low, cold man’s voice she’d never heard before.
Leave…? Belladonna frowned.
“Wait, let’s think about what to do with the Lady.”
A woman—probably the maid from earlier—replied.
From the voices, there were three people: Belladonna, the maid, and the unknown man.
The man sounded annoyed.
“Why’d you even bring her?!”
“I was just so startled! Who knew she’d be walking around like a ghost in the middle of the night?”
They argued, then looked down at Belladonna.
The man smirked.
“Why gag her? She can’t talk, anyway.”
“I was just so surprised, okay?!”
“Whatever. Just leave her for now. How much time do we have?”
Belladonna stayed still, pretending to be unconscious and listened.
“We had plenty of time, but bringing her out made it tight. As soon as the sun rises, they’ll know she’s gone and chase us.”
“What about the lord?”
“He left right after sunset, riding the fastest, blackest horse in the castle. If he left the castle like that, it’ll take at least three days for him to return.”
“True.”
Belladonna let out a tiny breath.
He really left the castle…
“Damn, I just wanted to steal a few jewels, and ended up kidnapping the Lady!”
The maid wailed, but the man’s voice was flat.
“It’s not like we were expecting things to go smoothly. Whether we get caught by imperial knights and executed, or the lord finds us and kills us, it’s all the same. At least if the lord catches us, there’s a small hope we survive.”
Executed? Trial…?
If they’re running from the imperial knights…
Belladonna realized—the man must be a famous criminal. Fear crept over her as she took another small breath.
