1KWI Ch 8

What’s going on here?

I nervously glanced back and forth between Caroline and the man. As the man passed by, Caroline, now behind him, saw my startled face and laughed softly. Then, in a voice full of mockery, she pretended to be merciful.

“If we drag this out, it’ll be hard on both you and me. Let’s make it quick and easy.”

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As the man stopped right in front of me, Caroline’s words echoed in my ears, and suddenly, something clicked in my mind.

What could cause a concubine—who was a symbol of the peace treaty—to be expelled from the imperial palace? If it was something involving a man…?

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“Let’s finish this quickly.”

An affair.

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A sudden thought struck me like lightning.

If the Emperor’s woman was caught having an affair with another man, it was a death sentence, no matter the circumstances.

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Caroline was clearly framing me, setting things up to make it look like I was having an affair with this man. She was already planning to bring others to the scene and had told them to handle everything before leaving.

“G-get away!”

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I had thought I was lucky to escape the Emperor’s wrath, believing that the original story had changed—but maybe I was wrong.

Is it inevitable for someone destined to die to meet their end, no matter what? This is absurd! After enduring all this filth and humiliation, am I really supposed to die because of this crazy scheme?

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Fear and anger tangled together as I shook my head frantically and retreated. But the man, his breathing heavy and steps growing louder, kept coming closer.

I desperately searched for something to defend myself with, but luck wasn’t on my side—not even a sharp accessory was at hand.

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With no other options, I decided to use my last resort. I aimed my high heel at the man’s groin, preparing to strike and make a run for it, glaring at him with all the determination I could muster.

The man crouched right next to me and, as if inspecting me while I lay sprawled on the floor, suddenly thrust the torch he was holding toward me.

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“Gasp.”

The blazing flames filled my sight, and it felt like I couldn’t breathe, as though my throat had closed up.

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My head spun, and my vision blurred. Worst of all, the strength in the foot I had been planning to kick with completely gave out.

‘No, not now…!’

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I stumbled backward, gasping, and the man seemed to take my panic as fear. He grew more confident and closed the remaining distance between us.

Is this really the end for an insignificant, minor villain like me?

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But I don’t want to die! I want to live!

If I had truly seduced the Emperor, at least I wouldn’t feel so unjust. If I had known I’d die like this, maybe I should’ve gone all out and really tried to seduce him!

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Swallowing my tears, I dodged the man’s thick arm as it reached out for me, tightly shut my eyes, and screamed with all the strength I could muster.

“No!”

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Crash!

“Ugh!”

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All of a sudden, a heavy, desperate shout rang out, followed by the loud sound of something massive collapsing. From the end of the hallway, Caroline, who I thought had already left, let out a scream.

I quickly opened my eyes.

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The massive man, who had been reaching for me with such menace, was now sprawled on the floor, convulsing, his eyes rolled back. The torch he had been holding lay rolling nearby.

H-hiick.

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I shrank back instinctively, terrified of the flames. What on earth had just happened?

“Th-this, let go…! Kyahhh!”

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I watched, completely stunned, as Caroline let out a piercing scream and went flying toward the fallen man.

Her lavish dress fluttered as she landed right on top of the unconscious man, like a sack of flour tossed without care.

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“Aaah! Ugh!”

The sound of a leather drum bursting echoed alongside another loud scream.

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Turning wide-eyed in the direction Caroline had been thrown from, I saw…

Footsteps echoed slowly, emerging from the shadows.

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What stepped into view was a tall, solid figure with sleek silver hair that shimmered like the Milky Way and crimson eyes that gleamed like blood, even in the darkness.

Just then, Caroline, draped awkwardly over the unconscious man, coughed violently and staggered to her feet. Her eyes burned with fury as she spat out her words.

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“Cough, cough! You crazy wretches! Do you think I’ll let this go…!”

The man approaching me didn’t flinch, his expression unchanged. With a swift and precise motion, he struck the back of Caroline’s neck.

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His movement was light as a butterfly but as fast as lightning.

Even seeing it unfold before me, I couldn’t believe it. Caroline made a faint gurgling sound before collapsing, unconscious, where she stood.

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“Is that enough?”

“W-what… what is?”

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I was so shocked my mind couldn’t even process what had happened.

I stammered, repeating his words in confusion. Even after doing something so unbelievable, he remained completely calm, bending down to meet my eyes.

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His fingers, pale like his silver hair, gently brushed against my fear-stiffened cheeks.

Then, as he leaned in closer, he spoke slowly, his voice low and measured.

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“The right to go to your castle. And…”

A soft breath brushed my ear as his languid voice murmured,

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“The right to look at you as much as I want.”

The tension that had frozen my cheeks started to melt away. I should have been terrified, especially after seeing him take people down so effortlessly.

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But his unexpectedly composed demeanor somehow reassured me.

“Give me your permission.”

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I blinked at him blankly, and his calm voice pressed gently but firmly. When his hand began to pull away from my cheek, I panicked, quickly nodding.

“Y-yes. I’ll allow it!”

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His touch had barely soothed my pounding heart, and the idea of losing it filled me with unease.

My rushed words stopped his retreat, and I sighed in relief as I pressed my cheek back into his hand.

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That’s when I realized my face felt damp.

I hadn’t even noticed, but I must have shed tears without realizing it—probably from my lingering fear of fire.

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Ah, my face must be an absolute mess now.

I realized I needed to wipe my face and reached up to do so, but his earlier words echoed in my mind.

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‘Wait… the right to come to my castle? The right to look at me as much as he wants?’

As I dabbed at my eyes and stepped back, I found myself meeting his gaze. He was staring at me with an expression so innocent it was almost absurd.

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After saying such bizarre things, he was now acting as if he were some dutiful servant, completely unbothered and pretending he hadn’t said anything strange.

Is he really a stalker? Does he still have some kind of lingering attachment to me? Well, he did save my life, so I guess I should thank him?

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Ah, whatever.

Either way, he’s my savior, and it’s clear he wants to make a good impression on me. What harm could that do?

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Honestly, after narrowly escaping death on false charges of adultery, the idea of bringing a servant to my castle seemed trivial. If he wants attention, I might as well give him some—it’s only fair repayment.

“You can, but only when I allow it—ah!”

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Before I could finish setting a condition, afraid he might show up unannounced in the middle of the night, he slipped a hand under my knees.

And in the blink of an eye, he had lifted me into his arms.

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As the ground suddenly disappeared beneath me, I let out a startled scream, clinging to his shoulders.

“What on earth are you doing…!”

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“Be quiet.”

I was about to scold him for his outrageous behavior, but his hushed whisper and meaningful glance silenced me.

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As I instinctively turned my head, I heard murmurs growing louder from the far end of the corridor. Lights flickered closer and closer, accompanied by the clinking of metal, suggesting knights were with them.

…Wait, what?!

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“How did people even get here?!”

This is supposed to be a passageway for servants only!

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I looked around frantically, unsure of what to do.

This mess couldn’t be discovered. If anyone saw this, I’d surely be blamed as the instigator, and he—despite only saving me—would face execution for the crime of disrespecting a noble. Carolyn and that hulking man would undoubtedly put on an act, claiming to be the victims!

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“I lured them here.”

“What? Why would you do that?”

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“They deserve to be punished properly.”

“What?”

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I grabbed his shoulders in disbelief, trying to make sense of his cryptic statement.

He didn’t bother explaining further. Carrying me as if I were weightless, he quickly strode forward.

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Meanwhile, the sounds of approaching footsteps and voices grew louder with every passing moment. Despite my confusion, I kept quiet, holding my breath. Escaping unnoticed had to come first.

But then, out of nowhere—!

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‘Ahhh!’

I turned pale, quickly covering my mouth with one hand. The wind roared in my ears, sharp and deafening.

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…Yes, you heard that right. This absurdly strong servant had just opened a massive window in the corridor and jumped right out!

I shut my eyes tightly, unwilling to see the view rushing past around my wildly flapping dress. My whole body shook uncontrollably from the sheer terror of leaping out of such a tall castle.

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This reckless idiot! What kind of person dies like this?! This is no better than being executed for adultery!

Thud.

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Just as I was about to pass out from the wind slicing through me and the gravity pulling us down, we suddenly stopped with a light sound.

Without realizing it, I’d wrapped one arm around his neck while the other clung to my mouth. Dazed and dizzy, I instinctively opened my eyes.

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The serene nightscape greeted me.

The horrifying vision of a bloody death I’d imagined during those few seconds of free fall had vanished. I was still securely held in his arms.

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…What in the world just happened?

I stared up at him in disbelief.

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He met my gaze with an utterly calm expression, not a single injury in sight—not even a twisted ankle or sprained toe. His face was so composed, as if he couldn’t fathom why I was making a fuss, that I suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment.

No, no, I’m not the weird one here. He’s the insane one! Who in the world jumps out of a window holding someone?!

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I squinted and stretched my neck to look up at the castle. It didn’t seem as high as I’d thought.

…But the castle was so tall that its top wasn’t visible at a glance.

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A strange tingle ran through the back of my head. Something about this felt off.

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt?”

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“Perfectly fine.”

“What? H-how can you not be hurt at all?”

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“Did you want me to get hurt?”

“That’s not what I meant!”

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I already knew he was strong after witnessing what he did earlier, but this was on another level. He wasn’t just strong—he was insanely strong!

What is this guy? I floundered, opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water. Before I could speak, he started striding forward.

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“Hold on tight. I’m going to run.”

“W-wait, hold on!”

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Stop! My stomach’s already churning!

Terrified, I instinctively wrapped my arms tightly around his neck.

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If he was strong enough to leap from that height without a scratch, then running would probably be fast enough to make me black out. If I watched the scenery blur by in this state, I might actually throw up!

As I clung to him, preparing for him to shoot off like a rocket, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

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“Wait, we’ve stopped, right? You’re not going to start running again, are you?” I asked quickly, afraid he might suddenly spring into motion again.

“Where are we going now?”

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“Obviously, your palace.”

My palace? White Lily Palace?

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The idea caught my attention. After everything that had just happened, all I wanted was to return to my room and collapse onto my bed. That had been my plan before Caroline had appeared to pick a fight.

As if sensing my wish, he gave me a look, and I was about to nod in agreement.

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But faint murmurs reached my ears, followed shortly by someone shouting. The sound seemed to come from the window we’d leaped out of.