The Open Cage
It was so absurd, she laughed out loud.
But she was the only one laughing.
Evangeline turned her head and met his cold, unreadable eyes. A strange pressure tightened around her chest. If she stayed in that room even a second longer, she felt like she would lose her mind. So she spun around to leave—only to find his arm already on the door.
Clang.
The metallic slam of the door shutting echoed harshly behind her.
“…Why do you look like that?”
“…Hah.”
“Answer me.”
His voice was low and dangerous, the kind of tone that found fault in everything simply because nothing was going his way. She wasn’t even surprised anymore.
Evangeline let out a silent sigh and turned around again. Perhaps it would’ve been better if he hadn’t seen her expression—but even if he had, what would’ve changed?
“This is nothing,” she said at last. “Nothing else matters except finding my father.”
“So that’s it? You’re not going to say anything else?”
She said nothing.
“Fine, then.”
Surprisingly, Decarno pulled open the door without further protest. Evangeline didn’t miss the chance—she quickly stepped out into the corridor.
But his voice followed her, a chain of words that bound her ankles mid-step.
And yet… he wasn’t speaking to her.
“Michael. As of this moment, seal off the western entrance.”
“W-what? But that’s traditionally the Duchess’s private wing—”
“No one enters or leaves without my express permission.”
She didn’t have to ask who that order was really for.
Michael stood stiff, caught between duty and discomfort, while Evangeline turned back and stared at Decarno. She had so many things she wanted to say—words that had built up and festered inside her—but when she looked at him, all of them scattered like dust.
That’s just how he was.
A man born to be overbearing. A man who believed the world should bend to his will. And why wouldn’t he? She wasn’t even the duchess yet. In this house, she owned nothing.
“Are you ready to talk now?”
“…No.”
His gaze lingered on her for a long time. There was a strange smile in his eyes, one she couldn’t place, and it made her stomach twist.
But Evangeline simply bowed her head in silence and turned around. What else could she do?
Fighting him head-on meant only one thing: completely giving up on this house, on everything.
“Evangeline.”
“…I’ll be going now.”
With that, she walked away—her sharp steps echoing down the corridor.
Decarno watched her leave, his jaw clenched tight for a moment before he turned and entered the study.
Strangely, it wasn’t Evangeline but Michael who trailed in behind him, looking confused. Had he expected the Duke to chase after her?
“Um… Your Grace. I must apologize. We didn’t anticipate today’s events…”
Decarno didn’t answer.
“But it wasn’t something we could keep buried forever. The situation is too big to handle in the timeframe Your Grace requested.”
Michael rarely disobeyed the Duke’s orders—but this time, he had no choice. Ever since the incident had surfaced, it had been impossible to contain. The pressure had been mounting day by day, and it felt like everything was on the verge of collapse. For one or two days, maybe—but the Duke had been demanding total control for over three months.
“I’ve reported it to my superiors as well… But I don’t know how much longer this can be contained—”
“Who was it?”
“…What?”
“The person who left those fingernail marks on that woman’s face.”
Until now, Decarno had sat in silence, barely reacting. But now his gaze snapped up, sharp and burning.
It was like the myth of the volcano that bubbled up without a single ripple—his eyes were calm on the surface, but beneath that, the fury was molten-hot and ready to erupt.
Michael’s fingertips trembled involuntarily.
“They say he’s the son of a sailor. He was detained, but… well, what could anyone do? Anyone would lash out in that kind of situation.”
“And that justifies putting a mark on my woman’s face?”
“…Your Grace…”
Michael’s voice faltered. It wasn’t the question itself that startled him, but the way he said it—‘my woman.’
There was a weight to those two words, heavy and unmistakable.
“If you insist on punishing the man, it might ruin your reputation,” Michael offered carefully. “Public opinion is already—”
“Then we’ll find the one who leaked the news.”
“…Pardon?”
“The news of the shipwreck only arrived here a week ago. Even Evangeline, heir to one of the Empire’s largest trading houses, just learned of it.”
His fingers drummed on the desk, slow and heavy.
“And yet, the family of a mere sailor somehow got the news weeks earlier?”
It didn’t add up.
A twisted smile curled his lips—cruel and cutting.
“It’s one of two things. Either there’s a survivor spreading the word—or someone in my house has a loose tongue.”
Michael turned pale.
“I-I swear it wasn’t me, Your Grace! Please, believe me!”
“Then find the one who did.”
There was no room for negotiation.
Decarno’s conclusion was as clear as it was merciless. Just thinking about the investigation made Michael’s back break out in a cold sweat.
Even if there were survivors… living wouldn’t be easy after being found.
“What’s the matter? Can’t find them?”
“I-I will, Your Grace. But… it seems the Viscountess Levin was seen with companions yesterday during the incident…”
Michael wasn’t worried about the others anymore.
He was worried about himself.
His safety, his job, his life—all were hanging by a thread.
Especially with what he was about to say.
“…That woman is the eldest daughter of Roark Post.”
◇ ◆ ◇
Exclusive Report — Scandal: Ohara Trading House Declares Bankruptcy!
Daughter of Ohara surrounded by angry victims—
Count Ohara presumed dead—
“…That was fast.”
Evangeline flipped through the morning paper, her expression unreadable. The headlines didn’t surprise her—they were exactly what she expected.
She had known it from the moment she saw the Viscountess of Raven mingling with the daughter of the Roark Post, the most influential newspaper in the region.
This was no longer something even he could contain.
“Where are you going, Miss Evangeline?”
“I just needed a little air.”
She set down the paper and stood. The maid, who had been lingering nearby, rushed over, worry written all over her face. The way her expression paled as Evangeline approached the stairs made it obvious someone had given strict orders.
“You can stay. I’m not going far.”
“But… the butler said you mustn’t leave the Duke’s residence…”
“Don’t worry. There’s nowhere for me to go.”
The way the maid backed down at those words left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Even the maid knew it.
Evangeline had nowhere else to go.
And it was true.
Once outside, Evangeline stopped and placed a hand on her chest. She had felt it since yesterday—that suffocating feeling when Decarno looked at her with those burning eyes.
“No one is allowed to enter or exit without my permission.”
He knew.
He knew she had nowhere to run.
She had lost more than just her family. Her entire life—her home, her freedom—was gone. The once-grand Count’s mansion, the villas scattered across the country… meaningless now, as fragile as sandcastles.
In crises like this, real estate was the first to go.
So, even if the Duke wasn’t physically restraining her, it made no difference.
She was a bird in a cage.
An open cage.
But it wasn’t being confined that made her feel trapped.
Evangeline had always been quiet, not prone to wandering or chasing after thrills. She had grown up traveling, yes, but she preferred peaceful moments and quiet elegance.
She had adapted well enough to life in the Duke’s estate.
But now?
Now it wasn’t the house that made her restless—it was the man inside it.
Having to bite her tongue, swallow every retort, and listen to his words in silence… that was what made her want to scream.
Her heels clicked faster against the ground as she walked.
She didn’t even realize she had reached the west gate—until the shouting started.
“There she is! That woman came out!”
“She lived in comfort while we suffered!”
The words hit her like blows.
She had underestimated the newspaper’s reach.
The gate was packed. Families of sailors, nobles, reporters—they were all there. A mass of anger and desperation.
“You have to take responsibility!”
“If your father caused this, you should pay the price! Do you know how much money I invested?!”
Evangeline stood frozen.
And all she could think was—This is just the beginning.
