Chapter 4
“I want to go inside.”
“…Excuse me?”
Lisbeth definitely heard her right—Elicia’s pronunciation was clear and direct.
Especially since Elicia was pointing straight at the annex, Lisbeth already understood what her young master wanted.
“You’re the one holding the key at this hour, right?”
“……”
“So, can you open the door for me?”
Elicia didn’t beat around the bush. She said what she wanted directly—and that actually relaxed Lisbeth.
She assumed Elicia was just being childish.
Even though she knew Elicia’s reputation well enough to know better.
Seeing Lisbeth’s softened expression, Elicia waited for her to speak.
It looked like Lisbeth was preparing to gently talk her out of it.
Not happening.
Elicia tilted her head and smiled.
“My lady… it’s really dirty inside. I don’t recommend going in.”
Lisbeth assumed Elicia didn’t know someone was inside.
Which, unintentionally, revealed that Eden was being kept in a filthy place.
That wasn’t something Elicia had done—but now Eden had one more reason to kill her.
“I want to meet the person inside.”
“?!”
Lisbeth’s mouth opened slightly, shocked that Elicia knew someone was there.
She looked like she wanted to ask if the Duke had told her.
But she didn’t say anything—and Elicia liked that. It meant Lisbeth was tight-lipped.
“I didn’t hear it from Father.”
Elicia continued before Lisbeth could overthink things.
“And Father doesn’t know that I know.”
“He’d be furious if he found out.”
The Duke clearly liked her more than the original Elicia, but that didn’t mean he’d stay calm if he knew she’d discovered Eden’s identity.
“That’s why I came to you.”
“I’m sorry, but that makes it even harder to let you in.”
Lisbeth’s tone became firm, and she shook her head.
But Elicia didn’t give up.
She couldn’t give up.
If she backed down now, Lisbeth would surely report everything to the Duke.
“Then how about we make a deal?”
“…A deal?”
“Yeah. I don’t think you’d break Father’s orders without something in return.”
You’re the type to follow rules.
From what she’d seen, Lisbeth was trustworthy and discreet.
Elicia felt confident that the right offer would work.
“Your brother… he’s really sick, isn’t he?”
“……”
Lisbeth showed a flash of anger—more like rage or disgust.
But Elicia didn’t care.
She’d hated others before too—so deeply she wanted them dead. She knew that emotion well.
“I heard it’s been hard since Viscount Monty and his wife died…”
“You investigated me?”
“Yup.”
There wasn’t a hint of guilt on Elicia’s face.
The rumors were true—Elicia really was like the Duke.
Lisbeth was disappointed in herself for thinking Elicia might be just a childish girl.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Even knowing Elicia had dug into her personal life, she had no right to scold her.
“You became our knight to earn more money, right?”
“……”
“And you took this post because the pay was better.”
Even though it came with a warning: if you leak anything, you die.
Elicia smoothly hinted that she knew every part of the deal.
“So what’s your point?”
“I’ll pay for all your brother’s treatment.”
“…What?”
“Even more than what Father pays you. I can even send him to the Empire’s best doctors if you want.”
It was a good offer—better than the Duke’s.
After all, the Duke didn’t know about Lisbeth’s situation. He just offered higher pay.
Lisbeth looked down at Elicia.
She clearly didn’t understand why Elicia cared so much about the boy inside.
She also doubted Elicia really had enough money to cover expensive treatment.
“I have a lot of money.”
She wasn’t just anyone—she was the Duke’s daughter. Of course she had money.
She had saved for the future—for when she and Ariel would escape.
‘That money was supposed to help Ariel and me live a new life…’
Would Ariel be with Eden by then? Elicia was still so young, yet she already worried about her sister’s future marriage.
“Honestly… I’m tempted.”
The Duke’s order to keep quiet faded from Lisbeth’s mind.
Instead, all she could see was her sick younger brother—coughing constantly, sometimes even coughing up blood.
She would do anything for her only remaining family.
But she wasn’t naive enough to trust someone younger than her completely—especially one who used her brother as leverage.
“Is this really a deal where I have a choice?”
How could this be a deal? It sounded more like blackmail.
But Elicia just looked slightly offended and answered:
“Why would this be blackmail? Even if you say no, I won’t hurt you or your brother. I’ll just have to think of another way to get in.”
Was she serious?
It was hard to trust anything after learning she had investigated her.
“If I wanted to threaten you, I wouldn’t have offered help in the first place.”
“……”
Lisbeth couldn’t argue with that.
She looked down, unable to meet Elicia’s eyes.
“Do you want more time to think?”
Elicia knew Lisbeth would agree eventually. There was no need to rush.
But still… her brows remained furrowed.
Elicia guessed it wasn’t just her age—Lisbeth was angry about the personal digging and the emotional pressure.
So she dropped her innocent act and smirked instead.
“Maybe it sounds pushy, but if I were you, I’d take my offer.”
“……”
“I get it—it’s upsetting I dug into your life and used your brother. But you don’t really have the right to be upset.”
Elicia knew she shouldn’t push too far.
At first, she was going to wait patiently.
But she changed her mind when she saw Lisbeth trying to act like Elicia was the only bad person here.
“You’re standing guard so a prisoner can’t escape—for money. You don’t get to act righteous.”
With that final stab, Lisbeth bit her lower lip.
“So? Do you still need more time?”
If she opened her clenched fist, her palm would probably be full of nail marks.
Elicia glanced at her fist and asked again.
At last, Lisbeth pulled the key from her pocket.
It was the key to the annex—where Eden was locked away.
Click. The tightly locked door creaked open. Elicia held her breath.
Despite being a place someone lived in, the room was eerily silent.
It even felt colder inside than outside.
Elicia looked around, trying to find the figure inside.
Lisbeth had said it was filthy—but the room didn’t look that dirty at all.
“I’m on guard until midnight. Please return before then.”
“I know.”
After hearing her answer, Lisbeth left Elicia alone.
Light poured in through the barred window, casting long beams across the floor.
Elicia followed the light with her eyes—until she saw something white.
“Ah…”
A quiet gasp escaped her lips.
She had only ever read about these characters in text.
She knew their names and roles—but never clearly imagined how they looked.
‘That boy must be…’
There, sitting blankly on the bed, was a young boy.
Eden.
The male lead of The Prison That Trapped Ariel—and the boy who would one day rescue the sister she loved.
Elicia, who had been hesitating at the doorway, finally stepped closer.
The closer she got, the clearer he became.
His hair was snow-white—so light it could almost be mistaken for silver. But it didn’t reflect light, confirming it was truly white, just like the book described.
He hadn’t moved or blinked since she entered the room. His violet eyes just stared, unmoving.
He hadn’t eaten properly—his body looked thin, his lips were cracked and bleeding, and his face was bruised.
The sunlight from the window made the marks stand out even more—and it made Elicia frown.
‘Did the Duke do this?’
If so, he really was heartless—a man who didn’t see children as human.
‘He’s cruel… and so am I.’
She, too, had survived by flattering that cruel man and building her place in the household.
Elicia didn’t deny it.
She would continue doing whatever it took—any means necessary—to survive.
