The person who greeted them in a friendly manner opened the prison door with a key they were holding after exchanging a very brief and simple greeting.

Click.

The lock turned obediently without any resistance, and the underground prison door that seemed like it would be closed forever swung open with an eerie sound.

“Why are you……”

Elaina’s face distorted hideously upon confirming the owner of the voice that suddenly reached her ears.

“Why are you here, Leila?”

Elaina reflexively hid Chaz behind her back, glared at her and asked. Chaz, who also recognized Leila, put all his strength into his eyes as well.

“Isn’t it obvious? I am His Highness Crown Prince Hister’s person.”

Hister’s person? Elaina let out a hollow laugh.

“Father will be returning soon too, Elaina.”

Whether Elaina was dumbfounded or not, Leila continued with a bright smile.

“It’s quite amusing. Who would have thought we would be reunited as a family in this way.”

It might be fun for Leila, but if the situation really turned out that way, there would be nothing good for Elaina. Melvin would surely still hold a grudge against her, and Leila as well……

“That’s right, this was originally your place.”

“What?”

Slap!

Before Elaina could properly understand Leila’s words, her head was swiftly turned to the other side.

She was slapped so hard that it felt like her entire head was shaking. Elaina remained still, covering her right cheek, and Chaz stood in front of Elaina with a shocked expression.

No, to be precise, he tried to stand in front of her.

If it weren’t for Elaina urgently stopping him, he certainly would have done so.

“How dare you!”

Chaz, unable to contain his anger, shouted furiously.

“You’re a criminal! How could you do that to Her Highness the Crown Princess!”

“Crown Princess?”

Soon, Leila’s face was filled with deep ridicule. She burst into laughter like a madwoman, then suddenly hardened her expression as if nothing had happened and reached out her hand.

“Where is the Crown Princess here?”

Then, she grabbed Elaina’s hair with all her might and spoke, emphasizing each syllable.

“And where is the criminal you speak of?”

“What, what is this! Let go of her hair right now!”

Unable to bear it, Chaz thrashed as if he would pounce on Leila at any moment, but Leila was not intimidated at all. Far from being afraid, she opened her mouth again, spewing contempt.

“You’d better be clearly aware, little prince. And you too, Elaina.”

“……”

“There are only His Highness Crown Prince Hister’s people here, and those who will soon die by His Highness’s hand.”

Ha.

Elaina felt curses rising to the tip of her tongue at Leila’s absurd shamelessness.

“……”

But Elaina was not a stupid woman who would immediately blurt them out. She suppressed her anger with all her might. Then she quickly began to assess the situation.

‘I don’t know where they’re trying to move us, but… are there no other soldiers accompanying us?’

If Leila was the only one taking her and Chaz, there could be no better news in this situation.

If a bunch of soldiers were following behind, the probability of getting Chaz out would be close to impossible, but if it was just Leila……

“Elaina Aswald.”

Leila’s voice, colder than anything else, settled above Elaina, who was lost in her own thoughts.

“I always thought it was wrong. Why should a cheap wench like you bear the Aswald name?”

“……”

“If someone who doesn’t know sees it, they might mistakenly think that you and I are on the same level.”

Leila’s eyes, glaring at Elaina, shone fiercely.

“Why don’t you ask your father about that?”

Elaina, who had been quietly listening to Leila’s words, lifted her head and retorted.

“And who would recognize a ruined Count’s family anyway?”

“What?”

“In the first place, neither I nor my mother ever wanted the Aswald name… You still have no idea where your anger should be directed, Leila.”

Slap!

Once again, with a sharp sound, Elaina’s cheek became hot.

“No, I know very well.”

“……”

“I realized it at some point. The reason Father bestowed the Aswald name upon you too was because he saw you as nothing more than a dog of the Aswald family. No more, no less than that.”

A dog?

Elaina let out a hollow laugh.

“A dog that can be beaten whenever he’s angry, have frustration taken out on, and kicked every other day without being able to complain!”

In fact, there was credibility to Leila’s words. Melvin, who used to beat Leila and her mother to death, started pouring all his anger onto Elaina from a certain point onward.

…… How fortunate she thought it was every time she saw young Elaina being indiscriminately and mercilessly subjected to violence.

Each time, Leila would think to herself.

Elaina’s place would forever be in the middle of that pathetic and miserable violence.

Unlike herself.

The beautiful, kind, and even affectionate Elaina would surely lose her light little by little. Just as Leila had.

But……

“You should have directed that anger at your vulgar father.”

“…… What?”

“You should have been angry at Melvin, confronted him, shouted at him, and fought him, like I did.”

Leila flinched slightly at Elaina’s monotonous words.

“If I was a dog, then you and Melissa were also dogs. Talking about who’s higher and who’s lower among the same dogs…… is there anything more ridiculous than that?”

Elaina lifted her head and said, looking at Leila with eyes full of disdain.

“In the end, you’re still nothing but a cowardly and pathetic weakling.”

“……”

“Both then and now.”

A pitiful, stupid, and pathetic wench.

Elaina also knew. The reason Leila hated her the most was not just because of Elaina’s beauty or the charm that captivated others’ attention.

It must have been because she was jealous and envious of Elaina, who, unlike Leila herself, never yielded even when subjected to such merciless violence.

That rancid emotion must have slowly eaten away at Leila. And in the end, it made her rationalize it as she was doing now. Elaina was not unaware of that fact.

“Perhaps in that regard, Leila, you may resemble Melvin a lot. But that wouldn’t be a good thing for you, would it?”

“What did you just…… say……”

“You’ve always lived like a dog wagging its tail to be favored by its master, and you’re still living like that now, aren’t you? So there couldn’t be higher praise than that.”

“Elaina! How dare you!”

Unable to contain her anger any longer, Leila kicked Elaina’s body with all her might. But Elaina didn’t budge. She didn’t groan in pain or beg her to stop.

She just quietly stared at Leila with cold and chilling eyes.

“……”

Even after inflicting violence for a long time, there was no response, and it was Leila who ended up exhausted instead.

“Let’s see, Elaina.”

Looking disheveled, she snorted like an enraged bull and then grabbed Elaina’s collar with a face dripping with madness.

“Let’s see if you can keep saying those things.”

With those words, Leila threw Elaina with all her might.

As Elaina tumbled on the dirty floor, Chaz, who was standing behind her, let out a short scream and approached Elaina, but with his hands tied, he couldn’t help her up or support her.

“Take them away!”

Leila, who had been quietly glaring at Elaina and Chaz, shouted at the soldier waiting outside, taking out her frustration on him for no reason.

“Right now!”

“Yes.”

And with a short answer, two men could be seen approaching them.

‘Ah, no……’

In this state, Elaina couldn’t properly fight even one soldier, let alone two. A look of difficulty was clearly visible on her face.

“Let’s see if you can continue spouting that nonsense as you please even in front of His Highness Crown Prince Hister.”

“……”

“You can look forward to it, Elaina. And you too, young prince.”

He’s back, as I thought. Then my guess would be correct. Hister must have ultimately failed to capture the palace and intends to hold us hostage.

“His Highness Crown Prince Hister has been pondering for a very long time. About how and in what state he can make you two suffer the most to torment Sinclair!”

Elaina reflexively turned her head and looked at Chaz standing next to her.

Chaz had a frightened and terrified expression as she expected, but……

Surprisingly, as if trying to steel his resolve, he bit his lip and met Elaina’s gaze.

‘Prince Chaz……?’

Elaina hesitated for a moment at his unexpected attitude, and Chaz slightly bowed his head and moved his lips towards Elaina.

Trust me.

Realizing what Chaz had mouthed, Elaina reflexively narrowed her eyes.

“Get up!”

But regardless of their situation, the soldier who had rushed up to them kicked Elaina’s knee area with his dirty foot and shouted loudly, and Elaina had no choice but to stagger to her feet.