IWS Chapter 20

Chapter 20

 

The Grand Duke, now alone, lifted his lowered gaze slightly and swept his eyes over the room.

The dust-laden desk had been wiped clean, and the books that had been taken out but not returned were now back in their proper places. The crooked picture frame, which had been askew for days, was now straightened, and the cushions that had been tossed about without a place had been neatly arranged by someone’s hands.

But the most significant change wasn’t any of those things.

“…..”

His eyes were drawn to the curtains, swaying gently in the breeze from the wide-open window.

‘I only thought of it as bothersome…’

The harsh, glaring sunlight, the trees and flowers filling the outside world, and the people who got excited over such trivial things—all of it was unbearably irritating.

To escape from it all, he had kept the windows tightly shut. But now, they were thrown open, as if to remind him that his perception had been wrong all along.

‘Maybe I was just… trying to avoid it.’

The Grand Duke finally admitted it to himself.

It wasn’t because of the northern climate that he despised this warmth. He had simply shut his eyes and ears to the disaster that had befallen him, hastening his own death. Foolishly so.

‘If not for that child….’

It was thanks to her that he had realized how pathetic his resignation had been. Thanks to her, he had found a reason to break free from the curse of death.

Recognizing that truth, the Grand Duke waited for the girl to return.

Click—

The door creaked open, and the sound of small, careful footsteps entering the room reached his ears.

“You must have waited a long time. I’m sorry for being late.”

The girl, who had returned on time, quickly apologized, her voice flustered.

The Grand Duke, still gazing out the window, naturally turned his attention to her.

“I brought flowers from the garden, but… I’m sorry. I—I tripped by accident…”

Her small hands fumbled with the wilted flowers, trying to straighten them. She avoided looking at him, as if reluctant to meet his gaze.

Following her movements, his eyes slowly traveled upward—until they landed on her face.

His expression darkened instantly.

“Who did this?”

“Ah…”

The girl, who had been awkwardly adjusting the petals, froze at his words.

“Well.. that is…”

Her voice wavered as she hurriedly mumbled an excuse, her head lowered as much as possible to keep her cheek out of sight.

“I—I was just being clumsy… I tripped by accident. I’m sorry. If you forgive me, I’ll bring fresh flowers next ti—”

“That’s not what I asked.”

The Grand Duke’s sharp gaze flickered.

It was obvious to anyone that something had happened outside. Her entire demeanor was different from before.

His fingers twitched with irritation as he watched the girl hurriedly shut her mouth. Then, in a slow, deliberate motion, he reached out and tapped his fingers against the bed.

“I asked who hit you. Tell me.”

“……”

Her soft, youthful cheek was swollen and red, noticeably different from the other side of her face. She had lowered her head in an attempt to hide the bruise beneath her hair, but she couldn’t deceive his eyes.

‘Who would dare lay a hand on a child like this?’

His expression twisted with disgust as he took in her small frame, hunched over as if trying to make herself invisible.

Slave or not—no, regardless of the circumstances—hitting a child who looked no older than seven was inexcusable.

‘If this were the North, such a thing would never be tolerated….’

A wave of irritation welled up inside him. He may have been consumed by his curse, blind to the affairs around him, but he should never have allowed something like this to happen under his watch.

Never.

“You may speak freely. No harm will come to you. Who did this to you?”

“….”

The girl’s gaze, which had been wandering uncertainly, slowly lifted to meet his.

For the first time, he could see her clearly—her tear-streaked, swollen cheek, and the emptiness in her eyes.

“Are you sure… I won’t suffer any consequences?”

“Yes. I promise you that.”

At the word promise, her eyes wavered slightly.

After a long pause, she bit her lip, hesitating. Then, at last, she opened her mouth.

“…They ordered me to kill you, Your Grace.”

“What?”

For a moment, the Grand Duke’s thoughts came to a complete halt. He found himself repeating her words without thinking.

The girl, unfazed by his reaction, reached into her pocket and pulled out a small glass vial filled with liquid, along with a folded piece of paper. She placed them in front of him.

“The facility where I stay wants you dead, Your Grace.”

The quiet room seemed to freeze as the weight of her words settled.

The Grand Duke’s eyes burned with a chilling light.

“…..”

Slowly, he lowered his gaze and examined the objects in her hands.

The paper bore his forged signature, a declaration relinquishing his authority over the abolition of slavery.

His fingers curled into a fist, fury simmering beneath the surface.

‘How dare they…’

A grinding noise escaped between his clenched teeth.

Even in his cursed state, even in the face of death, no one had the right to decide his fate.

Least of all some lowly baron who ran a slave business.

💔

As the once-quiet atmosphere around the Grand Duke shifted, a shiver ran down my spine. My body instinctively sensed danger, my shoulders shrinking as if trying to flee from fear.

‘This is bad.’

His fury was so vivid, so palpable, that it felt like it was seeping into my very skin.

I had been too naive. Now, I understood—without a shred of doubt—that I had made a grave mistake. No matter how much I claimed to be innocent, if the words of death spilled from his lips, I would simply be an unfortunate slave who met an unjust end.

‘What should I do…?’

Even though I knew his anger was justified, my trembling body refused to calm down. The only thing I could do at that moment was lower my head, avoiding his wrath-filled gaze.

“Speak with your own mouth. What orders were you given?”

His voice, devoid of even the slightest hint of mercy, sent chills down my spine.

My hands turned pale, and breathing became so difficult it felt like I was suffocating. But I knew—if I wanted to live, I had to speak.

Don’t tremble. You can do this. You can’t just die here like this.

After reassuring myself several times, I finally managed to part my trembling lips.

“T-They told me to give this to you… And that I just needed to retrieve a document from a maid afterward… S-So they sent me here, but… But I never intended to do it… I… I swear… I had no intention of harming you…”

“How can I believe that?”

The cold, sharp voice cut through my words.

That icy tone, demanding trust when none remained, made my chest tighten. No matter what I said, it would be useless. He only saw me as someone sent by the slave shop owner.

“I…”

Realizing nothing I said would change his mind, a strange clarity settled over me.

“Because… I want to live.”

It was the one thing I could say with absolute sincerity.

I wanted to live. I had to return to my children. I had made a promise.

“I want to survive and go back.”

At some point, the tremors in my body had vanished. I lifted my gaze, meeting his without a single hint of hesitation. He, in turn, simply stared at me in silence.

“…..”

The heavy silence felt like teetering on the brink of death.

At last, he slowly parted his lips.

“…You seem too far away.”

“…Pardon?”

His voice was slow, his fingers tapping the bed twice.

A silent command.

My breath caught.

Is he telling me to come closer…. to make it easier to kill me?

But there was no time to hesitate. I wasn’t in a position to distinguish whether the water was cold or boiling.

With hesitant, reluctant steps, I climbed onto the bed and sat beside him.

For a moment, he simply watched me. Then, without warning, he picked up a cloth from beside him and—unexpectedly—pressed the damp fabric against my cheek with careful precision.

“…Ah.”

The sudden coldness startled me, making my shoulders flinch.

Noticing my reaction, his gaze grew even colder.

“First… it would be best to hear about the hiding rats.”

“…..”

His touch was undeniably gentle, yet it felt unbearably cold.

As if I were the rat in question.

I swallowed dryly, unable to shake the feeling.

No doubt about it—this was exactly what one would expect from the Grand Duke of the North.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗