Chapter 88
What on earth is this?
Traditionally, the knights of Ermenst were figures of terror to the prisoners in the underground dungeons. Just the sound of one opening the iron door and walking in was enough to make the convicts shrink back into corners, or even lie down with their backs turned, pretending to sleep. They all knew—entangling themselves with knights would only bring trouble.
And yet… she actually spoke to me.
The woman, her hand resting on her hip, tilted her head.
It wasn’t obvious at first glance, but judging from the knight’s uniform of House Christina she wore, she was certainly human.
The man, forehead pressed rebelliously against the bars, stared down at her in silence. His face was strangely compelling. Normally, humans with red hair gave off a flamboyant impression, but this one… he felt cold, distant—more fitting of the word chilling than fiery. Perhaps it was because of those abyss-black eyes.
His emotionless expression wasn’t to her liking, but his face was so perfectly her type that she decided to overlook the prisoner’s insolence.
“Why are you asking if I’m hungry?”
“I wondered if you might need me.”
“…Need you?”
The knight’s eyes widened in shock when, all of a sudden, the man tore open the black T-shirt at his neck. Through the ripped fabric, the curve of his throat and the sweat-slicked, well-tanned skin of his neck and nape were revealed.
“Do you need this?”
…Did he realize how indecent his action was? She was too stunned to reply.
“I need your help. And I suspect you’ll come to need mine.”
His hand shot out through the bars, catching her wrist in a firm grip.
“Milady, please rise for just a little while, and take even a single bite.”
I hadn’t gotten up for three whole days after that. Ian was still disturbingly gentle, but ever since the day he confirmed my true feelings, he no longer asked permission. Whenever he desired, he would sink his teeth into my neck.
Having confirmed my heart, he became like a beast utterly devoid of guilt. The real problem was that the occasional pain I had felt before was now growing sharper and more frequent. My left nape still throbbed. Each time Ian finished feeding, an elderly man—likely a physician—would swiftly stem the bleeding and wrap the wound. But when Ian woke at dawn, overcome by hunger, he would bite again into the barely healing flesh, leaving me crying out beneath him.
“…Milady, lately you’ve not been eating properly, and Lord Ian is greatly concerned. Even if you refuse, I was instructed to make sure you eat at least a spoonful.”
At last, I pulled the blanket—drawn up over my head—slightly down. The bedchamber, cleansed of the stench of blood by thorough treatment, now only carried the faint, sweet aroma of pumpkin soup.
“One bite is enough, right?”
“…Pardon?”
Ignoring the maid’s question, I snatched the spoon from her hand and deliberately took a mouthful.
“There. Satisfied?”
“M-Milady…”
A look of distress clouded the maid’s face. Normally, I would have forced myself to finish, if only out of guilt toward her. After all, the poor girl’s hands would tremble as she reported to Ian that I hadn’t eaten. But not now.
“Leave.”
She was surely a half-blood vampire too. Whether she had more human blood or less, the moment she saw my neck, she would be nothing but a beast craving it.
“Your master gnawed at my neck all night. I’m tired. Leave me to rest.”
Since that night, I had lost all affection for vampires. Ignoring the maid frozen awkwardly in place, I lay back down under the blanket.
“…But milady, you’ve grown terribly thin in just a few days. And… truthfully, Lord Ian ordered that you take at least two spoonfuls—”
The maid was fumbling for courage when—
“Isadella?”
The door opened without a knock. The maid, rushing to stop the intruder, froze at the sight of the newcomer.
“There’s Lady Lemoni—oh, it’s you?”
A female knight, her hair tied up messily, glanced around the room. Her eyes met mine, and she grinned, yanking the blanket right off me. …What in the world. Was she insane? My drowsy eyes opened sluggishly. She looked oddly cheerful.
“Come with me for a while.”
“Lady Isadella, what are you—”
“It’s an order. You’ve done well, so take a break.”
“……What?”
Whether I agreed or not, she seized my wrist and pulled me upright. I had no strength to resist as she led me down the corridor.
“Aren’t you curious?”
We were about at the first floor when she asked, still gripping my wrist. I only shrugged weakly.
“Is Ian hungry again?”
“No.”
“Then is it snack time?”
She burst out laughing.
“That’s what I like about humans—they’re fun. But sorry, it’s neither. I’m just in a good mood, thanks to stumbling upon a blood bag after so long.”
“…What?”
“You’ve got five minutes, lady. Cry, scream, do whatever you want. Just don’t even dream of escaping.”
Bang! With her words of warning, the heavy iron door of the dungeon swung open. I frowned, baffled, and she shoved me forward.
As I shuffled uncertainly down the passage, a familiar voice called out—
“Milady.”
“Kais?”
“…Thank goodness you’re safe.”
“Kais…”
It felt like meeting lost family. Startled, I hurried to the bars. Kais sighed in relief, brushing back his red hair. The female knight muttered something about keeping watch and disappeared.
…What in the world was happening?
“Why did she let me meet you?”
“…It’s complicated.”
Kais sounded flustered, and clearly had no wish to explain further.
“In any case, are you unharmed? No injuries?”
“I’m fine. But you’ve been locked up so long—are you alright?”
“This body was trained to take your place in confinement. I am perfectly fine.”
His worried face leaned closer.
“But milady—do you truly know that Lady Lemoni’s soul has taken over a woman named Reilia’s body?”
“…How do you know that?”
“…So it was Lady Lemoni who caused this mess.”
He sighed wearily, as if merely speaking of it was exhausting. But it was odd. If he knew his true master was in another body, why call me “milady”?
“Anyway… you can just call me normally. I’m not really a lady, am I?”
It wasn’t the right time for such words, but it felt burdensome being called “milady” when we both knew I wasn’t a noble. Yet Kais tilted his head, looking puzzled.
“You were the one who appointed me as your knight. To others, perhaps not—but to me, you are my lady.”
“…What are you talking about?” I frowned.
“I appointed you as my knight?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“When you were eight years old, you chose me. You don’t remember?”
But I had never possessed Lemoni’s body at age eight. According to her diary and memories, the only time our bodies had swapped was when she was five.
“You must be confusing me with the real Lemoni. I wasn’t inside her body when she was eight.”
“…You truly don’t remember, then. What about when you were nine, and you made me a ring of flowers? Does that not come to mind either?”
I had never even touched flowers.
“…No. I don’t remember.”
The mood grew strange. Kais’s brow furrowed faintly, as though hurt by my denial.
“Then what about when you first ran away in disguise to the plaza at ten? I couldn’t find you, and I cried before you for the first time.”
“…Did I possess her body every year?”
“Every year? No. You and Lady Lemoni switched bodies once every week.”
“…What?”
What was he saying? I might have lost memories of some events, but if our bodies had switched weekly, how could I not remember? I wanted to ask where the real Lemoni was, but Kais’s expression shifted again. Realizing time was short, he grew urgent.
“Tomorrow, that female knight will bring you back down here. That time—you must escape.”
“How?”
“…The knights of the Southern Empire, imprisoned on the second basement floor, have secured an escape route.”
My blurred eyes grew sharp once more.
