142.

“…….”

“Please, take me with you.”

“How long has it been since you were trapped here?”

“I don’t know. Maybe three days, maybe four. Probably not a full week yet…….”

Not even a week? If that was true, then this woman had entered the palace around the same time as Ro. Yet while the woman appeared partially consumed by the flower’s poison, Ro showed none of the typical symptoms of addiction. Perhaps she had a special constitution…….

“Still hesitating?”

As Ro remained deep in thought, the woman tightly gripped the prison bars. The torchlight now fully illuminated her face. Ro recognized her instantly: the Marchioness of Blake. Montrosa’s tea party, the daughter of a drug addict, rumors of being involved in a strange cult, and the noble lady who had aided Nick’s plans. Unlike Ro, who had only just realized her identity, the woman had apparently known exactly who Ro was all along.

“You must have so many questions. You used to ask me all sorts of things before. Now, I’ll tell you anything—anything at all. Just promise me you’ll get me out of here.”

“…….”

“I’ve seen far more than you think. I know his weaknesses too. I know so much. I’ll tell you everything, everything…….”

“Why are you locked up here? Weren’t you working with them?”

“I was deceived! I was tricked by that bastard too! He put on a respectable face, manipulated me into helping him deceive that person. I truly had no idea. It’s all that madman’s fault, not mine. So why won’t anyone believe me…….”

“That person?”

“That witch, that venomous creature, that monster more evil than any terrifying being imaginable!”

The woman began rambling incoherently again.

“Scylla?”

At the mention of that name, the Marchioness of Blake nearly jumped in place. Her earlier bravado vanished instantly, replaced by a terrified expression.

“You mustn’t say that name.”

“Why not?”

“If you say it three times, she’ll sense our location no matter where we are.”

Ro studied the woman’s desperate eyes and the hands tightly clutching the bars until her veins bulged. She seemed half-mad, yet at the same time, there was a clarity in her that suggested she wasn’t entirely lost.

Ro let out a deep sigh.

“Fine. I’ll free you. But if even a single word you say turns out to be false, it’ll end very badly—for you.”

The woman eagerly reached out and grabbed Ro’s wrist.

“I swear, I swear it. If there’s even a shred of falsehood in what I say, may I fall into a far worse hell than this.”

“It hurts—let go and just hand me the pin.”

Obediently, the woman immediately handed over the pin. Ro carefully removed the bone from the lock, bent the tip of the pin, and inserted it. Gently turning it, she felt something click into place at the tip. Careful not to bend or break the pin, she applied steady pressure. After several failed attempts, a clicking sound rang out, and the lock dropped to the floor.

“I did it. Right?”

The Marchioness of Blake blinked rapidly, blurting it out immediately—her expression even more elated than Ro’s. Ro began unwinding the tightly coiled chains. The Marchioness, half-anxious and half-joyful, urged her on.

“Keep your promise, keep your promise. Hurry.”

Ro fell silent for a brief moment. Calmly weighing the risks and benefits, the situation was clear. Even if the woman screamed, it would take the guards a considerable amount of time to arrive, giving her plenty of time to escape. But freeing her might also backfire and ruin everything.

“…….”

The Marchioness of Blake seemed to read all of this in Ro’s expression in an instant. Her face twisted with disappointment and betrayal.

* * *

Cardier desperately grabbed Owen by the collar. It was as if a single ray of light had pierced the pitch-black cave. In his eyes, Owen was momentarily no different from a prophet.

“Do you know where Lea is?”

“Yes.”

Owen answered simply, then looked Cardier up and down before asking with a tense expression:

“Cardier, do you remember how old we were when we first met?”

“Seven. On the day of your sister’s wedding.”

“So it really is you.”

Owen moved as if to embrace Cardier, overcome with emotion—as though he’d been stranded on a deserted island and finally found another human. Cardier reflexively grimaced and shoved him away by the scruff of his neck.

“Just answer properly, Cainbridge.”

“I know someone who can help. Someone who might know where she is.”

“Who?”

Don’t be impatient. According to my calculations, Lea isn’t dead yet.”

“That’s obvious…….”

“Though I’m not sure if you should still call that woman Lea.”

“…….”

“I’ll explain everything at once. Hurry—we’ll be patrolled soon.”

* * *

The Marchioness of Blake lowered her trembling eyes, as if resigned. Had she continued to scream in rage and act viciously to the end, Ro might have remained cold and detached until the very last moment. But that pitiful, dog-in-the-rain expression…… Ro clicked her tongue and gripped the iron bars of the prison cell the woman had been trapped in. Having done it once already, it was easy—bending the pin and turning it a few times opened the door effortlessly.

“I’m keeping my promise.”

“This is… this is just too…….”

“Save your gratitude for later. Just take my hand and come.”

It seemed true that she had been imprisoned here for a long time without food—she could barely stand on her own. Still, she clung stubbornly to Ro’s hand as she staggered forward. As Ro supported her toward the stairs, she noticed that every single prison door around them was open. Seeing Ro’s glance, the Marchioness, realizing what had startled her, added:

“It wouldn’t matter even if someone opened the doors right in front of them. Their souls have already been mostly absorbed.”

“Damn it……. Let’s just get out quickly.”

They somehow made it to the foot of the stairs, but froze at the sound of movement from above. They had assumed the guards were completely gone, but it seemed they were now tightly guarding the entrance to the secret passage.

“You claim to know secrets. Isn’t there any way out of here? A crawl space, a drain, anything?”

She asked half-heartedly, but to her surprise, the Marchioness nodded.

“I know a secret passage connected to this place.”

“A secret passage?”

“A route prepared by the royal family in case the palace ever fell. It’s a long underground corridor with several rooms. One of them leads outside the castle.”

“How would you…….”

“Since your soul has changed, it makes sense you wouldn’t know.”

The woman glanced briefly at Ro’s face and added, as if it were no great secret:

“I was once the long-time lover of His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince. Until I received my death sentence, that is.”

“…….”

“So I know every secret place in the palace.”

Then she reached out and pulled a mechanism attached beneath the stairs. With a soft clunk, a door suddenly appeared and opened in the previously solid wall. Ro couldn’t decide whether she was more shocked by the woman’s words or the sudden appearance of the door. At that moment, loud noises came from above. If the passage hadn’t seemed suspicious, they might have doubted it, but now they had few options left. Ro shoved the woman into the passage and quickly followed, hiding herself as well.

“Pull that mechanism.”

Following the woman’s instruction, Ro pulled the mechanism—and behind them, the wall reformed seamlessly. At the same time, the torches mounted on the walls burst into light, revealing a long, endless corridor lined with countless doors.

“One of those doors leads outside the palace, and another connects to the garden.”

“Do you know which ones?”

The Marchioness of Blake shrugged.

“We’ll have to find out now.”

Some doors were locked, others opened easily. Opening them triggered walls springing out or arrows shooting forth. But evidently long abandoned, their lethality was laughably weak. The most heart-stopping moment came when, upon opening a door, the ground directly in front plunged into a deep pit, revealing sharp iron spikes below.

“The sun will rise soon.”

The Marchioness of Blake spoke, having been quietly listening.

“How can you tell?”

“The sounds have started. Just before dawn, the knights always begin their training.”

Sounds. Ro felt a faint flicker of hope. That meant a passage leading outside must be nearby. At the same time, she sensed something else—the key hanging around her neck was growing increasingly hot, its weight becoming heavier and heavier.