“Do you really have to go to Ruans?”
Ruans was originally going to be confined in a high tower, but Adrian actively put Ruans in a deep dungeon beneath the imperial palace, saying there was no place more impossible to escape from than the palace’s underground prison.
The place where he is imprisoned is surrounded by stone and bars, and is a pitch-black place where not a single ray of light enters.
“I have something to say to him one last time. Don’t worry, Teishar, absolutely nothing will happen that you need to be concerned about.”
“I understand.”
[This is the timeline separator]Lorencia headed to the underground prison of the Isuter Imperial Palace together with Teishar Spencer. Lorencia knows this current underground prison. It was the underground prison she had been imprisoned in when she was 29 years old. It was a terrible prison she could never forget.
She stood in front of the underground prison. The guard standing in front was bowing at the waist.
“Greetings. Benjamin of the Corolton family pays his respects to Lady di Glosten and Viscount Spencer.”
Benjamin, who greeted Lorencia and Teishar, is not young in age as a guard monitoring Ruans. Though wearing armor worn by guards, he had the dignity and majesty befitting a noble man.
“Have you been well, Viscount Benjamin?”
“Thanks to you, Lady di Glosten, I have been doing well.”
“That’s good to hear. I was worried it might be difficult working in such a dark place.”
“It seems guarding the prison is my true calling.”
“I’m glad you enjoy it.”
“Yes. I’m only grateful that you entrusted me with this task. I feel foolish for having hesitated about it.”
Benjamin laughed pleasantly.
“What has he been doing?”
“The same as always. He gets angry, then sniffles, then shouts. He’s holding up well so far.”
“That’s good. That he hasn’t gone mad.”
“It would be troublesome if he went mad already. Haha. My lady, I’ll open the door for you.”
“Teishar. I’ll wait outside.”
“Alright, Lorencia.”
Standing in front of the door, Benjamin stretched out his hand and rubbed the door. The thick iron door opened with a clanking sound.
The door of the underground prison has contract magic cast on it, so only one person in charge can open it.
“Let’s go in, Lady Lorencia.”
Benjamin held up a lantern to illuminate the entrance. Lorencia nodded to Teishar and entered the underground prison.
After passing through a dark corridor, Ruans’ voice could be heard.
“Lord Ruans.”
“Lorencia. You came to see me.”
Discovering Lorencia, Ruans approached the bars and smiled brightly.
“Yes. I came to see you.”
“I knew you wouldn’t abandon me.”
“How could I abandon you?”
“Why do you look like that? Lorencia.”
Ruans told her to smile happily since she came to see him, but Lorencia’s face was dark.
“Actually, I came to see you for the last time.”
“The last time? What are you talking about? Duke Daniel will rescue me. Once I get out of this wretched solitary cell, I’ll kill them all. So just wait a little longer, okay? Lorencia. My love.”
Daniel was dead. Though he learned that Ruans, who had pointed fingers at him as an illegitimate child, was actually Daniel’s illegitimate child, Adrian had told her that he absolutely refused to acknowledge it.
“You believe Duke Daniel will come to rescue you?”
“Yes. He’ll rescue me, his grandson, and then put me back on the imperial throne. Then we can be happy.”
His future, unable to hear any truth, living in hope every day, would probably have nothing.
“When that time comes, I’ll be able to see you and Ruans. For now, we have to part ways. Until the time you spoke of comes, this is goodbye for a while.”
Ruans’ eyes began to turn red.
“Lord Ruans. Let me tell you my honest feelings.”
“Honest feelings?”
“My love for you… It’s definitely not some kind of illusion.”
Lorencia said with reddening eyes.
“I was just pretending because the surveillance was too strict.”
“I knew it. Yes, I knew that.”
Ruans’ voice trembled.
“I’m glad I could confess my feelings one last time. I have to go now.”
“No. Don’t go. Lorencia. Please… I love you.”
“I must leave now.”
“Lorencia. I love you.”
What final words could she give to Ruans? She had agonized over it a lot. Should she insult him as he had done to her? Should she give him sad anger?
Hoping that Ruans would suffer, rejoice, harbor hope alone and then be frustrated every time he thought of her, she prepared these final words now.
“Lord Ruans. I truly love you.”
Lorencia spoke a sincere lie and showed the most beautiful smile she could make. May he dream desperately of an unknown tomorrow of rescue in this miserable solitary cell.
She hopes he will continue to recall this final conversation with her current self in this dark underground prison, dreaming beautiful dreams.
Ruans stared without blinking, trying to imprint the sight of Lorencia’s retreating back in his eyes. He called out to Lorencia desperately, stretching his arms through the bars with all his might.
“Lorencia. Ah… I love you too… To love you this much but not be able to touch you.”
The pitch-black darkness pressed down on him again. How long could he endure in this dark place without even a window? When would Daniel come to rescue him?
All Ruans could do was gaze intently at the flickering candle. He could do nothing else. Fortunately, the jailer who came to bring food was Daniel’s underling.
“Your Majesty Ruans. Duke Daniel will come to rescue you soon.”
“Viscount Benjamin. Is there no way you can bring Lorencia again?”
“If an opportunity arises like today, I will bring her again, Your Majesty Emperor Ruans.”
“Really? Please do that. Say, Viscount Benjamin.”
“Yes.”
“How long have I been imprisoned here?”
“It hasn’t even been a week yet.”
“It feels like time isn’t passing at all.”
“Being confined can make time feel like it’s passing more slowly. Right now, everyone outside is struggling hard to rescue Your Majesty. You must endure well.”
“I see. As you say, being trapped in this dark place seems to have made me lose my sense of time.”
“You will escape soon. Don’t worry. The only emperor of the Isuter Empire is Emperor Ruans, Your Majesty.”
“I won’t forget Viscount Benjamin’s loyalty.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty Ruans.”
“Yes. Once I escape soon, I’ll be able to go find my Lorencia, so I must endure.”
Benjamin smiled with satisfaction as he looked at Ruans, full of hope.
Benjamin looked down at him coldly, careful not to let him notice. He imagined what expression Ruans would make if told that the Isuter Empire and Polroid Empire had become one empire, with Adrian and Charlotte ascending the throne as the imperial couple. Would he be miserable? Would he not believe it? Whatever the reaction, it would be satisfying for him to see.
“Yes. I need to escape quickly. Until then, I must endure well.”
“That’s right, Your Majesty Ruans. Even if it’s painful and difficult, you must endure well for now.”
When a growling sound was heard, Ruans’ face flushed red.
Benjamin handed him some dry bread and water. As he ate the dry bread and water he was given hurriedly, Ruans said:
“Next time, bring something like salad too.”
“I’ll try my best, Your Majesty Ruans.”
Benjamin was bringing Ruans just enough food to keep him from dying, once a day.
“Don’t just try, bring it!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Benjamin looked with satisfaction at Ruans’ ruined appearance, barely illuminated by candlelight.
His appearance as a member of the imperial family had long since disappeared completely. His green eyes had lost their light, like the eyes of a dead fish, and his once brilliant golden hair was dry and lifeless. But this wasn’t enough.
He could never forgive Ruans, who had forcibly changed the hair color of his daughter, a black-haired maid, to red and dragged her into the bedroom, causing her death.
“I need to get out quickly… get out and take control of the Isuter Empire again with Lorencia, mother, and Duke Daniel.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. So you must endure well. Until you escape.”
The corners of Benjamin’s mouth kept rising. At first, he thought Lorencia was out of her mind when she suggested he be the guard for Ruans’ underground prison.
The words that he could get revenge sounded too sweet in his ears.
At first, he couldn’t understand why they didn’t execute him. And he couldn’t understand the request to become Ruans’ jailer. Having to watch over his enemy seemed too terrible.
The maid Ruans killed was not just his daughter. In other words, there are more people who want to kill Ruans.
He recalled the sight of Jasmine rejoicing at being selected as a maid.
But his beloved daughter Jasmine returned as a cold corpse. Without knowing why his daughter’s black hair had been dyed red, he had to accept the death of his beloved daughter.
When he later learned the reason, only anger welled up.
Ruans sent money, saying the maid’s death was regrettable. He had no choice but to forcibly accept the money given by the emperor. Benjamin used all the money Ruans gave for the sake of those in need.
Even if he starved to death, he did not want to use the money from the man who killed his daughter for his family or himself.
An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
