Chapter 4
Her long, dried-rose-colored hair slipped out beyond the doorway.
Click.
The door closed.
Left alone in the room, Lucian stared silently at the shut door.
“Elje.”
He murmured the name quietly.
“…Elje Lepherian.”
As the heir of one of the empire’s greatest noble families, the Duke of Kaleid, it was only natural that he had heard all kinds of rumors about other nobles.
So Lucian already knew of Elje.
The troublesome daughter of the Lepherian barony—the disgrace of her family.
A woman who refused an arranged political marriage and instead became the lover of the Oppenheimer Marquis.
Backed by one of the empire’s most dangerous figures, she acted arrogantly—
And was ultimately shunned as a “villainess.”
But the woman he had actually met…
Was somewhat different from the rumors.
[“You were thrown to the ground yesterday, remember? I wanted to check if you were hurt—and treat you if necessary. ”]
The careful hands that treated his wounds.
And—
[“Only if you stay healthy will you have a chance to escape this place someday. ”]
…What exactly had she meant by that?
There hadn’t been a single trace of the “villainess” he had imagined.
“…”
Lucian felt confused.
No… she’s probably just trying to lower my guard.
He shook his head, forcing those thoughts away.
It seemed everything that had happened had made him weaker than usual.
To think he would soften just from a small act of kindness—
From a mere manager in the Rosenkreuz Boarding School, of all places.
…How ridiculous.
But then—
Wait.
Lucian felt a strong sense of something being off.
His blue eyes focused on the firmly closed door.
…Come to think of it.
When Elje left the room—
He hadn’t heard the sound of the door locking.
Could it be… the door is unlocked?
Carefully, Lucian stood up.
Elje had loosened the chain enough so that he could move without too much difficulty.
So he was able to approach the door easily.
He reached out and grabbed the handle.
Click.
The door opened far too easily.
Why… didn’t she lock it?
It must have been a mistake.
Lucian swallowed dryly and looked down at the chain binding his wrists.
Something like this… I can break free.
He was the sole heir of the most prestigious ducal family in the empire.
Which meant—
From a young age, he had faced countless threats of kidnapping and coercion.
Because of that, he had learned various tricks for emergencies.
If he had even a thin piece of metal—like a hairpin or a needle—
He could easily unlock restraints like this.
And since this room was luxurious, it wouldn’t be hard to find something usable.
Scanning the room sharply, Lucian nodded.
Good. I think I can escape.
From what he had observed while being brought here, the security was extremely tight.
He might not even make it outside the building before being caught.
But still—
He couldn’t just sit here and do nothing.
Lucian clenched his teeth.
Brother.
The cousin who had always been kind.
The one who had cared for him in place of his parents.
Was it really true that he had been betrayed?
And if so—why?
And if it truly was betrayal—
I won’t let it slide.
Killing intent flickered in Lucian’s blue eyes.
And yet, one thought continued to hold him back—
Damn it.
He clenched his fist tightly.
The truth was—
Not only were his chances of escaping low, but if he left this room—
Elje Lepherian.
That woman would be put in trouble.
That was why—
Even with this perfect opportunity in front of him—
He hesitated.
…But.
After taking a short breath, Lucian lifted his gaze.
The confusion in his blue eyes settled, becoming calm like a winter sea.
I have no reason to show loyalty to that woman.
It was true she had shown him kindness.
But that wasn’t a reason to stay trapped in this miserable place.
Still—
[“I told you. I’m on your side. ”]
Her soft voice lingered stubbornly in his ears.
…Damn it.
Swallowing a curse, Lucian slipped out of the room.
* * *
A long, eventful day was finally nearing its end.
But “nearing its end” and “being over” were very different things.
Back in my comfortable bedroom, I glanced out the window.
It was deep into the night.
Everything was silent.
I wonder when.
Lucian was sharp, as expected of a male lead.
By now, he must have noticed something strange—
That I had left the door unlocked.
My eyes gleamed with interest.
So… what will Lucian do?
He would either attempt to escape—
Or not.
Either way, it wasn’t a bad outcome for me.
But if he did try to escape—
He would fail.
So why had I deliberately left the door open, pretending it was a mistake?
The answer was simple.
Because hope needs to be crushed early.
Right now, he might still be too disoriented to act.
But soon enough, Lucian would try to escape.
And unless he succeeded completely—
Repeated attempts would only make Dante more suspicious.
According to the original story, Lucian couldn’t escape this place until he awakened his ducal power.
So it was better to make him learn early—
That escape was impossible.
More precisely—
To make him realize that without a helper—without Elje—he couldn’t escape.
And as a manager of this school, I had a certain level of influence.
He won’t be able to keep rejecting me forever.
On the other hand, if he chose not to escape—
That wasn’t bad either.
It would mean he trusted me enough to stay put.
But—
As if that would happen.
I shrugged.
We had only known each other for a few days.
Trust? Favor? Human connection?
There wasn’t enough of anything to influence his decisions.
And besides—
I was supposed to be a villainess obsessively attached to the marquis.
Even if I said a few nice words—
Lucian wasn’t stupid enough to be moved by that.
Honestly, I’d be lucky if he didn’t despise me.
And then—
BANG! BANG! BAN G!
Someone knocked loudly on the door.
“Come in.”
As soon as I gave permission, a maid rushed in.
“L-Lady Elje!”
“What is it?”
“Th-the special student attempted to escape…!”
“Ah, I see.”
A cold smile spread across my face.
Just as planned.
* * *
Click, click, click.
The sharp sound of my heels echoed through the overly luxurious hall.
Click.
My slow steps finally came to a stop.
I looked down indifferently at my feet.
Right in front of the tip of my shoes—
Lucian was being pinned to the floor like a dog.
“—Hng, let—go…!”
He struggled wildly, but it was useless.
Two large guards had completely overpowered him, pressing him down with their full weight.
There was no way an eighteen-year-old who had just come of age could break free from them.
Hmm.
For someone who made such a bold attempt—
He hadn’t even made it past the mansion walls.
Which meant—
My plan hasn’t gone wrong.
The plan to teach him that escape was impossible.
The proof was clear on Lucian’s face—
Frustration, anger, and despair all mixed together.
“Lady Elje.”
Victor approached me.
“I believe you bear some responsibility for this student’s escape attempt.”
His snake-like eyes scanned me up and down.
There wasn’t a trace of goodwill in that gaze.
If anything—
Is he really going to look that pleased about this?
He looked like he was barely holding back laughter.
“I heard you left the door to his room open. How could you be so careless?”
“So?”
I narrowed my eyes at him like the shameless villainess I was supposed to be.
“Are you blaming me right now?”
“O-Of course not.”
Victor took a step back, pretending to retreat.
“I’m simply asking you to be more careful in the future. And…”
A slow smile spread across his face.
A vile, unpleasant smile.
“Since this is such a serious matter, I believe it should be reported to the Oppenheimer Marquis.”
