“Miss Juliet, you seem calm even in a situation like this.”
Jude looked at Juliet with eyes full of wonder.
Juliet thought it was more surprising to see Jude asking her such a thing so calmly in the basement of the Marquis’s Castle.
“Aren’t you scared? I think I’ve never seen you cry before.”
“Because sir Milan promised to let us out. Right?”
Juliet replied calmly.
Playvolume00:00/01:37TruvidfullScreen
The other knight of the Duchy who was suddenly mentioned, sir Milan, looked back at them.
“Of course, Miss Juliet. I will ensure you are returned safely.”
Sir Milan nodded seriously.
“Yes, I trust you.”
Juliet smiled and released a few more butterflies into the air.
She didn’t mention that even for lighting, she had to rely on magic.
Seemingly irritated to be used for such a purpose, the butterflies reluctantly emitted bright light, their wings flickering nervously.
The basement lit up as if it was broad daylight.
They had been trapped in the dark basement of the mansion for several hours now.
‘Trouble always seems to find us.’
Juliet thought gloomily.
In fact, they should have escaped from here a few hours ago.
If only one of Marquis Guinness’s men hadn’t detonated something like a bomb, they would’ve left without issue.
Though the explosion wasn’t big, it was enough to block the entrance from the basement to the castle.
The dungeon of the mansion, like many old castles, was maze-like in its complexity. Somewhere there must be another exit, but with the darkness, it wasn’t going to be easy to find.
“Don’t worry. We will somehow find a way out.”
Milan confidently promised and went off with his companions to search for the exit.
As he left, Jude whispered with a mischievous expression.
“But honestly, who knows when the castle might collapse?”
“This castle is hundreds of years old. Older castles are built more sturdily; it won’t crumble easily.”
Juliet pointed out quietly.
However, Jude, who had been staring at Juliet, suddenly laughed.
“Why?”
“Oh, just thinking. Sometimes you say things that sound very much like a ruler.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Even if we serve a lord for a longer time, we don’t necessarily pick up that trait.”
Well.
Juliet had never thought of it that way.
But she had another reason for not feeling this situation was too dire.
Juliet remembered the day she died.
It was a clear summer day without a cloud.
“So, it’s not today.”
She might die in six months, but she was strangely confident she wouldn’t die in this place today.
Juliet yawned softly.
“Tired?”
“No.”
“Rest your eyes for a moment.”
The deputy commander of the knights, sir Milan, came over and handed her a blanket. After shaking off the dust, it was decent enough.
“I’m fine.”
“You haven’t slept for two days.”
It was true she had been tired from being interrogated as the suspect in the Duke’s murder.
“We’ll wake you up if we find something.”
She felt sorry for the knights, but Juliet didn’t refuse twice. She found a reasonably flat spot, leaned against the wall, and covered herself with the blanket.
She wondered if she could sleep while the knights were busily searching for an exit, but as soon as she closed her eyes, she dozed off.
[It’s finally quiet.]
[I gave her a sedative.]
After a short while lying down, she overheard a conversation outside her room.
[Report to me as soon as you return.]
[But…]
[If she’s too delirious to speak, give her medicine. Got it?]
A chill ran down her neck as the stern male voice faded.
Soon after, she heard the sound of horses departing in the distance.
After being certain that the man had left the castle, the woman who had pretended to be asleep the entire time immediately sat up.
‘I have to escape.’
That was the only thought in her head.
She quickly left her room and ran to her own, where she grabbed a small bag. She then rushed down the stairs of the castle.
‘Foolish Juliet Monad.’
While watching the apparition as if it were someone else’s story, Juliet hesitated and glanced to the side.
She had definitely been trapped in the basement of the mansion with the knights of the Duchy just a moment ago.
When she opened her eyes, she was here. The fluttering butterflies neither flew away nor stayed by her side.
“What do you want?”
(…)
Juliet spoke sharply.
“Why are you showing me this now?”
She knew that several times when she lost consciousness, the butterflies had saved her.
7 years ago, when she was captured by bandits hired by Baron Gaspar, and not too long ago when she encountered wolves in a snow-covered forest.
But this time was different.
Currently, Juliet was trapped in the basement with the knights of the Duchy.
She worried that the butterflies, in trying to help, might end up killing the knights.
(No, not that.)
(Contractor, you have it.)
(Key. Open the door.)
The butterflies hastily spoke as if making excuses.
(So. You can open it.)
(We. Can’t do.)
(Only the contractor. Can.)
(Only)
(Need. A price.)
The butterflies seemed a bit taken aback when Juliet got angry.
To Juliet, it just seemed contemptuous.
(Contractor. Need to see.)
(Do)
(Condition. Door. Open.)
(Bad. Memory. A price.)
The butterfly creatures explained earnestly with clumsy words.
Juliet bit her lip hard.
She didn’t understand what it meant by the door opening.
What does considering the price and bad memories have to do with anything? Anyway, they won’t wake me up just because I want to.
“Okay.”
Like the time when she lost consciousness in a snowy field, she was sitting in front of a huge door.
And what she saw through the crack of the opened door was her own face, pitifully innocent.
With her shabby, drooping hair, and her always crying, clinging to him, the more Juliet looked at her past self, the more she found her stupid and frustrating.
‘Stupid girl.’
She tried to escape when the Duke wasn’t around.
Because she knew Lennox Carlyle wouldn’t let a woman with his bloodline go.
Anyway, she realized she would be kicked out before long.
Because all the servants in the castle said they had finally found the woman the master had been desperately looking for for years.
The mysterious girl, only known by her name, was nobly placed in the eastern tower where the most precious treasures of the Ducal house were kept.
With guards day and night, it was even hard to see her face.
But the foolish Juliet Monad wanted to see the woman with her own eyes and lingered in the garden every day.
After all, what changes if she saw her?
By the time she barely saw the silhouettes of the man and woman fluttering in the window of the room where the Duke’s treasures were kept, Juliet was quite exhausted.
So, she decided to leave on her own.
[What is this?]
But before she could put her plan into action, she foolishly got caught with the trinkets she had been foolishly collecting in the drawer.
Items like baby shoes and clothes, which were pathetic and worthless, were treasures to her.
[Did you think you could deceive if you kept your mouth shut?]
[I wasn’t trying to deceive!]
[Then how long were you planning to hide it?]
When he learned that she hid the existence of the child, he got very angry.
Facing him with an expression she had never seen before, she realized how absurd her hopes had been.
Without understanding why she should plead for mercy, she begged blindly for her life.
[I don’t ask for anything. I won’t tell anyone. Just, just… let me go.]
[…You just want to be let go?]
[I’ll live far away as if I’m dead.]
[Nonsense.]
No matter what she said, it only made him angrier.
[Even if you die, die here.]
She only realized after overhearing the conversation between the man and the doctor.
He didn’t just not want the child, he had dismissed the possibility from the beginning.
[Darn it. I told you it was impossible.]
[To, to be honest, it was. This is just a rare accident and a mistake…]
It was a mistake that happened with an extremely rare chance.
[Then correct it.]
[But…].
[I don’t care, just save the woman.]
Whether it was a mistake or an oversight, the existence that derailed his plans must have seemed like a thorn in his side.
But for her, it was the only relative in the world. Once she left here, she truly wouldn’t have anyone.
‘I don’t want to be alone.’
So, she planned a reckless escape.
[I’ll help you.]
Thanks to a bit of luck and help, she stole a horse from the Duke’s house and fled.
Riding was the only skill she was confident in. But even that didn’t last long, as she was caught before she even left the northern forest and was dragged back to the castle.
Being so confident, she just got scared, ran away, and fell off the horse…
(The devil doesn’t forget anything.)
(We’re different from you inferior humans.)
Suddenly, she heard the whispers of the butterflies. Juliet then lifted her head.
In fact, this wasn’t the first time she dreamt this.
By now, she was numb to the recurring scene.
“So?”
(We can’t tell.)
(It’s set that way.)
The butterflies seemed somewhat elated.
Seeing her pained by her past? Was the contractor’s pain food for them?
(But we can show.)
(We’ve waited a long, long time.)
Juliet wasn’t even curious about the meaningful words.
“I don’t want to see this.”
She firmly shook her head.
“Shouldn’t that be enough?”
(…)
At the same time, Juliet opened her eyes.
“Miss Juliet, you seem calm even in a situation like this.”
Jude looked at Juliet with eyes full of wonder.
Juliet thought it was more surprising to see Jude asking her such a thing so calmly in the basement of the Marquis’s Castle.
“Aren’t you scared? I think I’ve never seen you cry before.”
“Because sir Milan promised to let us out. Right?”
Juliet replied calmly.
Playvolume00:00/01:37TruvidfullScreen
The other knight of the Duchy who was suddenly mentioned, sir Milan, looked back at them.
“Of course, Miss Juliet. I will ensure you are returned safely.”
Sir Milan nodded seriously.
“Yes, I trust you.”
Juliet smiled and released a few more butterflies into the air.
She didn’t mention that even for lighting, she had to rely on magic.
Seemingly irritated to be used for such a purpose, the butterflies reluctantly emitted bright light, their wings flickering nervously.
The basement lit up as if it was broad daylight.
They had been trapped in the dark basement of the mansion for several hours now.
‘Trouble always seems to find us.’
Juliet thought gloomily.
In fact, they should have escaped from here a few hours ago.
If only one of Marquis Guinness’s men hadn’t detonated something like a bomb, they would’ve left without issue.
Though the explosion wasn’t big, it was enough to block the entrance from the basement to the castle.
The dungeon of the mansion, like many old castles, was maze-like in its complexity. Somewhere there must be another exit, but with the darkness, it wasn’t going to be easy to find.
“Don’t worry. We will somehow find a way out.”
Milan confidently promised and went off with his companions to search for the exit.
As he left, Jude whispered with a mischievous expression.
“But honestly, who knows when the castle might collapse?”
“This castle is hundreds of years old. Older castles are built more sturdily; it won’t crumble easily.”
Juliet pointed out quietly.
However, Jude, who had been staring at Juliet, suddenly laughed.
“Why?”
“Oh, just thinking. Sometimes you say things that sound very much like a ruler.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Even if we serve a lord for a longer time, we don’t necessarily pick up that trait.”
Well.
Juliet had never thought of it that way.
But she had another reason for not feeling this situation was too dire.
Juliet remembered the day she died.
It was a clear summer day without a cloud.
“So, it’s not today.”
She might die in six months, but she was strangely confident she wouldn’t die in this place today.
Juliet yawned softly.
“Tired?”
“No.”
“Rest your eyes for a moment.”
The deputy commander of the knights, sir Milan, came over and handed her a blanket. After shaking off the dust, it was decent enough.
“I’m fine.”
“You haven’t slept for two days.”
It was true she had been tired from being interrogated as the suspect in the Duke’s murder.
“We’ll wake you up if we find something.”
She felt sorry for the knights, but Juliet didn’t refuse twice. She found a reasonably flat spot, leaned against the wall, and covered herself with the blanket.
She wondered if she could sleep while the knights were busily searching for an exit, but as soon as she closed her eyes, she dozed off.
[It’s finally quiet.]
[I gave her a sedative.]
After a short while lying down, she overheard a conversation outside her room.
[Report to me as soon as you return.]
[But…]
[If she’s too delirious to speak, give her medicine. Got it?]
A chill ran down her neck as the stern male voice faded.
Soon after, she heard the sound of horses departing in the distance.
After being certain that the man had left the castle, the woman who had pretended to be asleep the entire time immediately sat up.
‘I have to escape.’
That was the only thought in her head.
She quickly left her room and ran to her own, where she grabbed a small bag. She then rushed down the stairs of the castle.
‘Foolish Juliet Monad.’
While watching the apparition as if it were someone else’s story, Juliet hesitated and glanced to the side.
She had definitely been trapped in the basement of the mansion with the knights of the Duchy just a moment ago.
When she opened her eyes, she was here. The fluttering butterflies neither flew away nor stayed by her side.
“What do you want?”
(…)
Juliet spoke sharply.
“Why are you showing me this now?”
She knew that several times when she lost consciousness, the butterflies had saved her.
7 years ago, when she was captured by bandits hired by Baron Gaspar, and not too long ago when she encountered wolves in a snow-covered forest.
But this time was different.
Currently, Juliet was trapped in the basement with the knights of the Duchy.
She worried that the butterflies, in trying to help, might end up killing the knights.
(No, not that.)
(Contractor, you have it.)
(Key. Open the door.)
The butterflies hastily spoke as if making excuses.
(So. You can open it.)
(We. Can’t do.)
(Only the contractor. Can.)
(Only)
(Need. A price.)
The butterflies seemed a bit taken aback when Juliet got angry.
To Juliet, it just seemed contemptuous.
(Contractor. Need to see.)
(Do)
(Condition. Door. Open.)
(Bad. Memory. A price.)
The butterfly creatures explained earnestly with clumsy words.
Juliet bit her lip hard.
She didn’t understand what it meant by the door opening.
What does considering the price and bad memories have to do with anything? Anyway, they won’t wake me up just because I want to.
“Okay.”
Like the time when she lost consciousness in a snowy field, she was sitting in front of a huge door.
And what she saw through the crack of the opened door was her own face, pitifully innocent.
With her shabby, drooping hair, and her always crying, clinging to him, the more Juliet looked at her past self, the more she found her stupid and frustrating.
‘Stupid girl.’
She tried to escape when the Duke wasn’t around.
Because she knew Lennox Carlyle wouldn’t let a woman with his bloodline go.
Anyway, she realized she would be kicked out before long.
Because all the servants in the castle said they had finally found the woman the master had been desperately looking for for years.
The mysterious girl, only known by her name, was nobly placed in the eastern tower where the most precious treasures of the Ducal house were kept.
With guards day and night, it was even hard to see her face.
But the foolish Juliet Monad wanted to see the woman with her own eyes and lingered in the garden every day.
After all, what changes if she saw her?
By the time she barely saw the silhouettes of the man and woman fluttering in the window of the room where the Duke’s treasures were kept, Juliet was quite exhausted.
So, she decided to leave on her own.
[What is this?]
But before she could put her plan into action, she foolishly got caught with the trinkets she had been foolishly collecting in the drawer.
Items like baby shoes and clothes, which were pathetic and worthless, were treasures to her.
[Did you think you could deceive if you kept your mouth shut?]
[I wasn’t trying to deceive!]
[Then how long were you planning to hide it?]
When he learned that she hid the existence of the child, he got very angry.
Facing him with an expression she had never seen before, she realized how absurd her hopes had been.
Without understanding why she should plead for mercy, she begged blindly for her life.
[I don’t ask for anything. I won’t tell anyone. Just, just… let me go.]
[…You just want to be let go?]
[I’ll live far away as if I’m dead.]
[Nonsense.]
No matter what she said, it only made him angrier.
[Even if you die, die here.]
She only realized after overhearing the conversation between the man and the doctor.
He didn’t just not want the child, he had dismissed the possibility from the beginning.
[Darn it. I told you it was impossible.]
[To, to be honest, it was. This is just a rare accident and a mistake…]
It was a mistake that happened with an extremely rare chance.
[Then correct it.]
[But…].
[I don’t care, just save the woman.]
Whether it was a mistake or an oversight, the existence that derailed his plans must have seemed like a thorn in his side.
But for her, it was the only relative in the world. Once she left here, she truly wouldn’t have anyone.
‘I don’t want to be alone.’
So, she planned a reckless escape.
[I’ll help you.]
Thanks to a bit of luck and help, she stole a horse from the Duke’s house and fled.
Riding was the only skill she was confident in. But even that didn’t last long, as she was caught before she even left the northern forest and was dragged back to the castle.
Being so confident, she just got scared, ran away, and fell off the horse…
(The devil doesn’t forget anything.)
(We’re different from you inferior humans.)
Suddenly, she heard the whispers of the butterflies. Juliet then lifted her head.
In fact, this wasn’t the first time she dreamt this.
By now, she was numb to the recurring scene.
“So?”
(We can’t tell.)
(It’s set that way.)
The butterflies seemed somewhat elated.
Seeing her pained by her past? Was the contractor’s pain food for them?
(But we can show.)
(We’ve waited a long, long time.)
Juliet wasn’t even curious about the meaningful words.
“I don’t want to see this.”
She firmly shook her head.
“Shouldn’t that be enough?”
(…)
At the same time, Juliet opened her eyes.
