Chapter 14
“Even though it’s only a portrait, she looks alive… Who could she be?”
As if he had read Ronin’s thoughts, Conrad, who was standing behind him, spoke.
“The former Grand Duchess.”
His voice carried an affection he couldn’t hide.
Ronin answered sincerely.
“She’s beautiful… And the painting feels so warm.”
“So you noticed. Yes. Her Grace was considered one of the greatest beauties in the North. Whenever she came out to the garden to read, everyone would find an excuse to linger nearby. They all wanted the chance to exchange even a few words with her. She was kind to the servants as well.”
Conrad’s gaze grew distant, as though he were reliving those memories.
Even if he hadn’t described her as kind, Ronin would have believed it. Conrad’s face shone with the innocent brightness of a young boy whenever he spoke of her.
He must have been one of those who had truly cherished the former Grand Duchess.
But… the Grand Duchess…
She had been frail from birth and passed away at a young age.
Even though Ronin had spent most of his life confined to a room, he knew that much.
Because on the day the news arrived, his father had uncorked a bottle of champagne in celebration.
The former Grand Duchess had originally been the eldest daughter of a prestigious noble family from the Central Region. After presenting as an Omega, her future had seemed predetermined.
Yet she chose her own fiancé.
Leofric.
Ronin had heard that the decision caused considerable conflict, but thanks to the Grand Duchess’s efforts, relations between the two houses had gradually begun to improve.
Their only grandchild—
Kallion Leofric—
had also served as a bridge between them.
But in the end, she never lived to see those efforts completed.
She closed her eyes forever, leaving behind her young son.
The only one who truly profited from her tragic death…
…was Alistair.
“The daughter of Count Basley has died in that land of savages! The furious Count has declared he’ll cut off every bit of support to House Leofric. Hahaha! I’ve never had better news!”
On the day he popped open the champagne, Ronin’s father had been in such a good mood that he allowed Ronin out of his room for once.
And then he filled the air with poisonous words.
Mining rights.
Gold.
Political power struggles.
Alphas.
And Omegas.
The memory made Ronin’s stomach churn.
His head lowered on its own.
For some reason, it felt as though the woman in the portrait was silently condemning him.
Fortunately, Conrad also seemed to come back to himself around then and remembered his duty.
He had safely escorted Ronin and Pam to their room.
Before the door had even fully closed, Pam puffed out her cheeks and complained.
“What is this gloomy room? It’s huge, but completely useless.”
The room certainly was spacious.
But the wallpaper had faded into a dull gray, and the modest window was hidden behind thick curtains.
I heard people in the North use heavy curtains to keep out the cold… but I didn’t expect them to look this depressing!
Once that thought entered her mind, everything else started bothering her.
The furniture consisted of nothing more than a bed, a table, and a dresser.
Everything was made of old, weathered wood, giving the room a dark, heavy atmosphere.
Even the rug on the floor was completely plain.
The room was tidy enough…
But it felt oppressive rather than welcoming.
Ronin quietly agreed with Pam, but gently corrected her.
“Pam, the North is where people live too. They’re fellow citizens of the Empire. Speaking about them like that is…”
“Yes, yes, I knooow. Anyway, I’m going out to look around the castle. You stay here and behave yourself, Sir Ronin.”
Pam carelessly dropped the luggage onto the floor and headed for the door.
Startled, Ronin hurried after her and grabbed her arm.
“W-Wait, Pam! What if you get lost…?”
“Hmph. Do you think I’m you? I memorized the entire route on the way here!”
Smack!
She brushed away Ronin’s hand.
Then she walked out.
Bang!
The sound of the closing door felt like a heavy stone dropping onto his chest.
She memorized the whole route…
Well… she was always clever.
Clever enough to think her way out of dangerous situations.
The fact that even a young maid had remembered the way while he hadn’t…
The fact that he had confidently believed he could protect her…
Both filled him with shame.
But something else bothered him even more.
He was now alone in this enormous room.
Alone…
Here…
Thump.
Thump.
Perhaps because he had spent so many years imprisoned inside a room…
Ronin hated being left alone.
Until now, he had always found one excuse or another to keep Pam nearby.
But there were times when even that wasn’t possible.
Like now.
Whenever that happened, he would desperately repeat the same words to himself.
“Pam has things she needs to do. She’ll come back as soon as she’s finished. It won’t take long. Once she’s done, she’ll return immediately. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Usually…
That worked.
But not today.
The moment he realized that no sound existed except his own voice—
The moment he truly understood he was completely alone—
“Hngh!”
Panic seized him.
The anxiety he had tried so hard to ignore came crashing over him like a tidal wave.
But what if she’s gone to do something important?
What if it’s difficult?
What if it takes days?
Or…
What if she’s simply grown tired of all this?
What if she’s sick of serving a useless master who couldn’t even become an Omega?
What if she regrets following me all the way to the North?
What if she decides to quit… and return to the Capital…?
Then… what will happen to me…?
Rationally, he knew the truth.
If he simply pulled back those heavy curtains, sunlight would pour into the room.
The air hadn’t changed.
Nothing around him had changed.
Yet…
He felt utterly isolated.
As though he had been imprisoned inside a room where no sound could enter.
Trembling with anxiety, Ronin squeezed his eyes shut.
He tried to block out every possible stimulus.
Whooooosh…
Rattle.
Clatter!
“Hah!”
Even that failed.
Ronin shot to his feet from the edge of the bed and began pacing frantically around the room.
One lap.
Then another.
With every circuit, his heart pounded even harder.
What do I do?
What if I’m really all alone here?
What if no one ever comes for me?
Am I going to die here…?
All by myself… in this cold, unfamiliar land… without a single person I know…?
He knew someone who had died that way.
He even knew how that pitiful Omega had met her end.
The silhouette of a woman throwing herself from a tower kept flashing before his eyes.
Her long hair concealed her face.
But Ronin knew exactly who she was.
“I curse you, Alistair!”
“Eek!”
Unable to endure it any longer, Ronin fled from the room.
His already pale face had gone completely white.
He desperately put as much distance between himself and that room as possible.
He passed the portrait he’d admired earlier.
But in his half-delirious state, he didn’t even notice it.
Or perhaps…
He was avoiding it.
Somewhere deep inside, he was terrified of meeting the warm gaze of the former Grand Duchess.
He feared the ghost would become even more vivid—
That it would come after him because he was an Alistair.
Ronin wandered deeper and deeper into the castle.
He had no idea where he was.
Nor where he was going.
His only thought was to escape the ghosts pursuing him.
His footsteps gradually carried him toward the quieter, more deserted parts of the castle.
The architecture changed.
The surroundings grew unfamiliar.
But Ronin noticed none of it.
At last—
He unknowingly arrived on a floor forbidden not only to outsiders…
…but even to the castle’s own servants.
