In Ansi’s eyes, Damion was a monster.

A monster who made her lose her goal and trapped her in this house.

However, Damion didn’t care if he was a monster. If only he could keep her here now. So that he could embed her into his life, and himself into hers.

Damion let go of her hand and crossed his arms. Then he opened his mouth.

“What were you trying to get from Kardian? Did he say he’d give you a position to wield Orphe?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then what the hell did that bastard say he’d give you that was so great? Tell me, Ansi. You never know. If it’s something you want that much, maybe I can help.”

Ansi bit her lip. Her face contorted with conflict.

Would Damion… really help me?

Is it okay to hope for that?

She had judged that there was nothing to gain from telling Damion.

But… with Damion watching her like this now, Derel was exposed to danger every moment. If Damion truly believed her… could she possibly receive his help to find Derel?

Finally, Ansi opened her mouth.

Desperate and urgent words poured out, making the hesitation seem meaningless.

“Derel, my elder brother might be alive. Kardian says he has him. Right now, in Belgader.”

Derel is alive? Damion’s brow furrowed. It was a different reason than he expected. And… it was also an extremely unrealistic reason.

Damion answered coldly.

“You believe those words?”

Ansi’s eyes wavered. The hope that had surged like waves shattered into pieces.

“You still don’t know what kind of man Kardian is? Even after being played by him like that, you believed it and did such a thing?”

Ansi’s lower lip trembled. She rose from her seat. Then, as if disgusted, she shook her head and took steps back.

“I knew you wouldn’t believe it.”

In an instant, Ansi’s gaze was riddled with distrust. Damion swallowed dryly at the hostile gaze full of animosity.

Ansi moved her steps toward the door of the study.

Damion followed her with large strides and grabbed her.

“Let go.”

“Where are you going?”

“Somewhere your eyes can’t reach.”

A sharp gaze imbued with defiance pierced Damion. Damion felt anxious and fearful of those eyes rejecting him. It seemed like she would slip out of his hands at any moment.

“So, are you going to meet Kardian?”

“I just might.”

“You think you can leave this house?”

“Damion can’t watch me every hour.”

Damion’s eyebrows raised. He let go of Ansi’s arm that he had been holding and took a step back.

And instead of saying something to Ansi, he called the butler in a loud voice.

Ansi furrowed her brow, not understanding the reason for his action. She was able to find out why he had called Nouvel before long.

“You called, sir?”

Nouvel arrived and bowed his head. Above that, Damion’s order descended.

“Tell all the servants in the mansion to watch this woman’s every move. Absolutely prevent her from having contact with the outside.”

Ansi’s face went blank.

Nouvel also hesitated. It was an exceedingly oppressive and inhumane order for it to be directed at the lady of the house.

But he couldn’t not follow it either.

“…I shall do so.”

In the end, Nouvel bowed his head and left the study.

Even after that, the two stood still gazing at each other for a while. Ansi did not argue how he could give such an order. Damion did not apologize for giving an order that should not have been given.

They simply stood there, mulling over the words they had thrown at each other to claw one another.

Ansi rose from the bed.

Damion was not beside her.

A sneer appeared on the corners of her mouth. The man who had stuck to her every day to watch her had conspicuously disappeared. She was not unaware that it was because of the order he had given.

Ansi left the bed and changed into indoor clothes. After taking a deep breath, she quietly slipped out the door.

Why hadn’t she thought of it sooner? Even if it was difficult to go meet Kardian, she could at least make a phone call.

Ansi moved her steps to go to the first floor study.

However, from the moment she left the room, the gazes she felt sent chills up her body.

With each step, she sensed another presence. There were more servants in the hallway than usual. While doing their work, they endlessly observed Ansi from the corner of their eyes.

Strength drained from her stepping legs. Ansi put force into her feet to avoid falling over. All the while, hot gazes enveloped her.

Ansi realized.

Even if Damion didn’t directly watch her himself, his eyes were everywhere in the mansion.

She could run and call Kardian right now. But what if Kardian doesn’t pick up immediately? There won’t be a next chance.

In that case, the attempt to make the call had to be made while avoiding people’s eyes.

She raised her head and looked around. The servants who had been staring at her hurriedly turned their heads.

Her heart began to pound violently.

Ansi took a deep breath.

But the pounding did not slow.

Would her room be safe? Would they leave her alone while she ate? Could she possibly walk in the garden with no obstructions?

No, she would be observed at every moment. Those eyes would be watching her at all times. When one gaze disappeared, another gaze, and the next would sweep over her in succession.

It was like walking a tightrope in the middle of a fierce storm. Unstable breaths shot out without order. In the end, Ansi turned her body. She rushed into the room with staggering steps.

As soon as the door closed, Ansi plopped down and clutched her heart, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

Only after repeating that for a while did her breathing finally slow.

She raised both hands. Her hands were trembling uncontrollably.

Where did it go wrong?

Ansi buried her face in her hands.

Henet was sitting on the sofa, reading a newspaper. However, he frequently raised his head to glance ahead. He couldn’t focus on the newspaper at all.

Understandably so, he had finally met his friend who had been taken by the police after a long time… but the atmosphere was so different from what he expected.

He thought it was good that Damion had cleared his false charges and came out, but for some reason his expression was terrible. Like someone whose mind was elsewhere, he was half dazed and conversation didn’t flow.

Even now, Damion, lost in thought, was tapping the armrest of the sofa and staring into space. Henet, who had been sitting silently across from him, finally folded the newspaper with a snap and asked.

“What’s with your face?”

“What about it?”

“Is something troubling you?”

“Just wondering… where Kardian hid it.”

It was like a code. Saying he hid something meant he was looking for something, but he didn’t say what he was looking for.

However, Henet considered himself more open-minded than the man in front of him. So even if Damion didn’t tell him everything, he was willing to readily offer help to ease the burden of his worried friend.

If it’s about finding something Kardian hid… Wouldn’t it be quick to simply start with where Kardian has been sighted recently?

“Speaking of Kardian, there have been sightings of him in the entertainment district recently. You know, that street where Kardian owns a few businesses.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’m interested in everything in the world.”

Henet shrugged. At his words, Damion became lost in thought again.

The entertainment district, huh.

Knowing Kardian’s personality, he wouldn’t have kept Derel far away. He’s the type to enjoy peering at his toys at any time to fulfill his sense of superiority.

In that case, there’s a high likelihood he kept him in a location he could walk to at any time.

If he had someone locked up… the gambling hall building was a strong candidate.

Even if visitors discovered the hidden place, it was a location where patrons would keep their mouths shut.

The chances of Derel actually being there were slim.

Nevertheless…

It needed to be checked.

Ansi left the room and passed through the hallway.

Today as well, there were a few servants scattered on the second floor. They were there to watch Ansi.

Ansi moved her steps, trying not to reveal her pounding heart. She was only able to come out to the hallway after practicing a natural expression as if she didn’t feel the gazes at all, and a gait like usual, several times in the room.

It’s okay if it’s a bit awkward. After all, as long as they don’t find out where her final destination is and what she’s doing there.

Like that, as she had practiced, she came down to the first floor.

She let out a small sigh. Even here, she felt the gazes directed at her. But the gazes were not blatant. Everyone was observing her while pretending not to look, glancing from the corner of their eyes.

Ansi decided to use those gazes.

She deliberately and openly looked around. The servants watching Ansi hurriedly turned their heads when their eyes met. They feigned doing other work, pretending they hadn’t been looking at her.

The moment everyone turned their heads, Ansi quickly hid behind the corner wall.

But the plan failed.

Because she ran into someone at that moment.

Ansi’s eyelids fluttered.

“Madam?”

Simon, who had widened his eyes, reflexively called out to Ansi. It seemed this attempt was ending here. She had to go back so as not to be more suspicious…

“Ah, you’re going to see the flowers I mentioned before, right? Yes, this door is faster.”

Before Ansi could open her mouth, Simon spoke. Did he misunderstand that she was going to the garden?

“…That’s right.”

What mattered now was getting past the situation.

“I’ll guide you.”

“Alright.”

Ansi nodded and approached Simon. Then Simon walked in the opposite direction Ansi had come from, toward the other side of the corner, and signaled with his hand pointing at himself. He seemed to be saying he would keep watch.

Wasn’t it too obvious? But Ansi moved her steps, pretending not to know.

After walking a few steps like that, Simon whispered to Ansi.

“Where do you need to go, madam? I’ll help you.”