If I Disobey the Duke

The wind that hides in the tower (5)

The sun didn’t reach Ivan, probably because the window was covered with clouds.

The man who had always been flirting erased the leisure from his expression at once. Lily had not seen him properly in a long time.

For a moment, Vlad suddenly appeared on his pretty face. From the hair color to the eyes, there wasn’t even a single point that looked alike, but it was strangely similar.

Before long, she realized why he felt that way.

Those eyes pretended to be indifferent but were desperate as if they were being chased by something. Yes. Vlad’s eyes were always like that.

Even when he has a boring and peaceful day. He always seemed to be sitting on the edge of a cliff.

She caught Ivan’s gaze head-on.

“However… When you suddenly say such scary things, I can’t believe it’s true, Priest.”

She was sorry, but Lily couldn’t trust Ivan immediately.

He was a man skilled at changing facial expressions. He was good at deceiving others, so he was also skilled at enticing them. Although she had a lot of help from him because of his strong-willed personality, this time around, she couldn’t get past him.

A wind of blood blowing in Arcadia. Wasn’t it an expression of the collapse of everything he loved? Even if she thought about it for a moment, her bones were tingly.

So, she had an even more instinctive rejection. If true, it would have been too big of a matter to believe.

“Can you explain what happened first?”

“I don’t have much time. However, if I don’t explain it at all, it seems like you won’t change your mind, so I’ll keep it as short as possible.”

Ivan grabbed the back of the chair with one hand and crookedly crossed his legs. He raised his index finger and pointed to the air.

“This is the northwest, Madam.”

“…Yeah?”

“Do you know what will happen if you go all the way in this direction to the fortress wall?”

Lily narrowed her eyes and looked through her memories. The northwestern wall where the sun did not shine because it was close to a lush mountain. “I know there is one tower.”

An old tower stood out in the corner. When learning the structure of the fortress, it was a place that had only been seen in the blueprint and had been forgotten.

It was a tower in which a small window the size of a palm was barely drilled through such that a person trapped at the top could not jump.

Ivan lowered his hand and nodded once. “You’re right. Today, before sunrise, someone was dragged into it. That person was the one who came along with me. It’s too long to explain how I got them here, so I’ll tell you a little bit more later.”

Lily, who was about to ask a question, quietly shut her mouth. She nodded.

“As you know, there’s only one person who can give the order to lock anyone in that tower.”

She knew that part without needing to explain it. Unknowingly, strength entered Lily’s hands, waiting for him to continue. She was starting to get nervous.

Ivan looked at her and raised the corners of his lips bitterly. It was more like ridicule rather than a laugh. “Anyway. In return for bringing him into the castle, I am going to have my tongue and ankles amputated tonight. All I need to treat is my limbs, anyway.”

“Hm?” Lily, who was listening intently, shuddered.

Ivan continued speaking as calmly as ever.

“By the way, this is absolutely not a lie. All the soldiers standing on the border today have heard of it, so you can call in and check it out right now.”

“Come on, wait a minute. Priest.”

Ivan tilted his head slightly, facing Lily.

She had a hard time accepting the horrific story she had just heard. She looked up at him after she shook her head a few times as if she was trying to maintain her clear consciousness.

Doubt, worry, and confusion were intertwined at the same time in the green eye.

“What kind of person did you bring with you, so that such a thing is happening? That old tower… Who had them locked up?”

When she finally asked, Ivan let out a long sigh.

Lily’s face turned pale blue.

It wouldn’t be strange if she passed out again right away.

* * *

The sun was shining.

The mouth of the expansive de Winter Citadel. The hem of the dark blue dress brushed against the dry soil. It was pretty weird to see her wearing a modest dress that carefully covered her neck and wrists.

Lily’s heart was anxious as she headed toward the northwest tower. So did Ivan and Talin who followed.

A knight stood guard in front of the arched wooden door.

When she was able to talk to him, Lily was stopped. Her earrings, which were woven like a thread with diamonds cut to a very small size, swayed in the recoil.