CH 118

“Ow.”

Something rattled. Was it an ornament or something? Carynne pressed down on all sorts of imaginations that popped up in her mind. She put her hands against the wall again.

Still, her knees were hurting a little. As she fumbled further along in the dark, she soon felt a wooden surface, not stone this time.

It’s a door. However, it’s not a bedroom door. It was twice as wide as a normal bedroom door, and there was an iron bar overlaid horizontally across the middle of it.

She found the knob. They were double circular knobs. And they were difficult to turn.

“…Heavy.”

Carynne pulled, but that didn’t work. She pushed this time, yet it didn’t work either. She managed to twist it a little, but it would not open.

Someone had locked it from outside.

“…Why?”

Was this the cellar? But Carynne knew Verdic Evans’ cellar very well. He tended to give corporal punishment to his servants in that place—he would never have put a bed there.

What use would there be for a bed when it’s a space dedicated for corporal punishment? Or, maybe there’s another room in the basement? Carynne couldn’t remember.

This was not Verdic Evans’ mansion.

Carynne came to that conclusion. However, even if she had, she still couldn’t understand.

“Why would Verdic Evans bring me here…”

Even if she was thought to be a thief who had snuck into the Evans manor, did that constitute for her confinement in a place such as this? It would be more than enough to humiliate her and kick her out of his property. And if he would like to take it a step further, he could call in the police and tell them she’s a thief. Carynne was merely a teenage girl on the outside.

Her questions were soon answered.

Because the door creaked open.

“You’re awake.”

It was Crown Prince Gueuze.

It was so obviously cliché. This wasn’t a new plot twist or anything—Carynne blinked dazedly as she thought this. In the end, she would end this life as Crown Prince Gueuze’s plaything.

Thinking that she should hang herself at the first opportunity she’d get, Carynne sighed openly.

“Light up the room. Since she’s awake now, she has to get up.”

Crown Prince Gueuze ordered the servants standing behind him.

They hung several torches along the wall, then revealing the interior to Carynne. It looked much larger compared to how it felt while it was still dark. And the ceiling was so high, making the room feel even bigger.

Was this the royal palace’s basement? It felt inevitably damp because this was underground, but the moisture in the air soon dissipated because of the torches that were lit everywhere.

“The fireplace won’t be lit because it’s still warm now. Is that alright?”

“…Yes.”

Right. It’s still summer. There would be no need to light the fireplace. It’s important to keep the temperature at a moderate degree.

This would be the optimal temperature for the ornaments being displayed in the room. Carynne could understand.

There were many luxurious items here. And this place had many differences compared to Verdic’s mansion. For one, Verdic’s cellar was solely used for corporal punishment, but this.

This was a playground.

The bed that Carynne was laying on up until a while ago was covered with green silk sheets, and by the fireplace, there was a table and some chairs. Atop the table were a few books. The chairs were inlaid with gold, and the table was made with marble and ivory.

The bookshelf against the wall contained many books and other ornaments. On the shelves, there was a chess set, some cards, even dolls for children to play with. Carynne was going to die while trying to conform to Crown Prince Gueuze’s tastes.

He gestured towards one chair, and she walked forward and sat there.

“I went to Mister Verdic’s home, but when I woke up, I found myself here instead.”

“It’s because Verdic Evans wants to look good in front of me. He must have heard that I like you.”

Crown Prince Gueuze spoke with a much sleazier tone than when he first met her. He even smiled.

So Verdic Evans caught her and decided to sell her.

Carynne became infuriated with Verdic. She would have preferred that he go and hack away at her neck like the good ole times instead of this.

“…That’s why he handed me over?”

She only entered that man’s mansion with the intention of meeting Dullan.

Crown Prince Gueuze smiled and walked up to Carynne.

“He’s a greedy merchant. You wouldn’t know because you’re still young.”

One hand reached up to stroke Carynne’s cheek. The man’s wrinkled hand was slightly trembling. It seemed like he was holding back.

Even so, it didn’t look like he’d be able to hold onto this patience for much too long.

Carynne opened her mouth to speak. She needed to divert his attention.

“What did you give to Mister Verdic Evans in exchange?”

“That’s not something you have to concern yourself with now.”

“…Why did Verdic Evans hand me over?”

Crown Prince Gueuze brought one finger into Carynne’s lips. She wanted to continue speaking, to defy him, but she couldn’t go against his strength. Instead, he was the one who spoke.

“Your lips are pretty.”

Should she say thank you?

But it was difficult to do because her mouth was wrenched open like this. And he didn’t seem to be waiting for a response either.

He pulled out his hand. Carynne frowned because there was a distinctly salty aftertaste left behind. That, right there, was something she couldn’t put up with.

Carynne’s expression became distorted at once, but Crown Prince Gueuze didn’t seem to care much about it.

“There is only one thing that Verdic Evans wants.”

Crown Prince Gueuze offered a hand to Carynne. He looked like the very image of politeness right then. She took his hand. Then, he put his other hand on Carynne’s waist.

Holding her close—one hand each intertwined, another hand laid upon her waist—he spun her around. She looked behind her.

“He wants your ruination.”

“……”

“You are his daughter’s nemesis. He said that you’re an immoral child who committed patricide. Is that true? Did you kill Hare?”

There was no music, but it’s as if there was a song echoing through the air.

How? But the truth was obvious. Carynne recalled the empty bedroom. And recalled the man who was not at the place where he was supposed to be.

Ah. So it’s like that.

Dullan betrayed her.

Crown Prince Gueuze pulled Carynne’s waist and led her into a step. His body was moving according to a certain rhythm.

“But I will not ruin you. Why would I do that? I’ve had this much of a difficult time obtaining you, haven’t I?”

“……”

“Since you’ve acted only in such ways that I like, how could I possibly hate you?”

Her father, hanging by a rope. Rocking, swaying—a smile on his lips.

‘You’re saying that I killed someone that Tom killed? You know very well that this isn’t the case. Shouldn’t you have stopped? No, you surely would have run forward. You’d have pounced and tightened that noose around my neck, laughing all the while.’

The pleasant times were over.

He didn’t have to, but with a secret tone akin to a lover’s sweet nothings, Crown Prince Gueuze leaned in and whispered into Carynne’s ear.

“Was it fun? It’s alright. I’ll protect you.”

“…You have no intention of letting me out of here.”

“That’s right. So I hope that you come to like this room.”

They danced. He led Carynne’s body, and Carynne let herself be led. They danced and spun across the room as she looked around.

“It will be fun.”

The room was evidently luxurious and quite spacious. Most of the furnishings of the room were sparkling. Apart from that, there were many toys here, too. Carynne was mesmerized by all the things in here. Each one of them were all the finest of their kind.

The most notable of all were the ornaments that were hanging on the walls.

“Ah.”

With the ceiling so high up, the walls were packed with those very decorations. Those that were a far distance away even resembled some famous paintings of people—that’s what you’d think at first.

Either she’d scream, or she’d ask Crown Prince Gueuze about this collection of his.

Carynne did not scream. But it was not alright.

What she was seeing right now, adorning the walls all spread out like that, were real people.

“I want to hear your thoughts.”

Most of them were women, a few here and there were men. Carynne’s gaze gravitated towards the young woman who was the closest to her now. That woman was positioned with her arms wide open, like the blessed Holy Mother. Where the skin over her torso should have been, all Carynne could see was an emptied-out stomach. The place where that woman’s red, bloody organs should have been.

And amongst all those people serving as ornaments, Carynne saw one familiar face. It was her personal maid—all clothes off, missing one hand and one foot.

Donna and Carynne locked gazes.

The maid’s mouth opened.

“Hu… ah.”

What left Donna’s lips, instead of words, was silence.

And blood, dripping down her gaping mouth.