Chapter 131

Elena quickly wrapped her arms around her stomach and bowed her head. Even though she was completely alone, heat rushed to her face for no reason at all.

The stew and bread the guard had given her were already gone, eaten the night before. Since they brought her only one meal a day, she had no choice but to endure this hunger until dinner.

She was cold. She was hungry. And for reasons she could not explain, she felt unbearably sad.

“Uh…?”

Elena, who had been sitting with her face buried between her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, lifted her head abruptly and turned her gaze toward the door. An unfamiliar pheromone was drifting closer. Slowly. Carefully.

She could not see anyone, but she could feel it. Whoever it was was approaching with caution.

“Who is it…?” Elena whispered.

Unease surged through her, and she jumped to her feet. She did not even register the sharp cold biting into the soles of her feet.

Only a limited number of guards ever came here. And this door, locked tightly from the outside, was rarely opened at all.

Still, Elena found herself feeling safer being locked inside. If the door opened freely, she might be dragged somewhere else, beaten severely, or forced to give her blood right here.

Huh…? How do I know that?

The thought struck her suddenly, and confusion followed close behind.

Eating only one meal a day. Being accustomed to the cold. Knowing that only a few people ever came here. Enduring treatment that bordered on torture.

All of it felt unfamiliar. And yet, at the same time, it felt far too familiar.

Elena’s thoughts tangled, and she stood frozen, unable to make sense of herself. She could not tell whether she was dreaming or hallucinating. It felt as though this same situation had already happened many times before.

She tried to dig through her memories, but the harder she tried, the worse her head spun. Nothing came back to her.

With a groan, Elena pressed her fingers against her temples and turned her head.

The unfamiliar pheromone was right in front of the door now.

Her eyes were drawn instinctively to the small window above the thick iron door. The guards used it to look inside when they brought her food or checked on her condition.

The window was no taller than the length of Elena’s palm and stretched horizontally across the door. It was set so high that she had to stand on tiptoe just to peer through it.

Normally, it was tightly shut.

But now, for some reason, it stood open.

If whoever was outside looked in, they would see her clearly.

Elena moved quickly, her body tense and guarded. Her feet were numb from the cold, but she was barefoot, so there was no risk of making a sound. She lifted her heels as she walked, careful and light.

She pressed her back against the wall beside the iron door and held her breath.

Whoever stood outside was clearly right there, yet not a single sound came from them.

The scent grew stronger. Thicker. So different from any pheromone she had encountered before that her body began to tremble without her realizing it.

Elena swallowed hard and leaned the back of her head against the wall.

Who could it be? Who would come all the way here and say nothing at all?

Time passed slowly. Too slowly.

Still, the other person did not move.

Then, finally, a voice broke the silence.

“Who’s in there?”

The words were spoken quietly, gently, and the moment they reached her ears, Elena stiffened.

If it had been a guard, he would have found it strange that she was not visible and would have called her immediately. But this voice was asking who was inside.

That meant one thing.

This was his first time here.

Elena’s nerves screamed at her to stay hidden, but the soft, low tone chipped away at her defenses. One part of her mind warned her that this was dangerous, that she should not respond. Another part whispered that it was all right, that she could relax, that she was safe.

Her body listened to the latter.

Before she could fully understand what she was doing, Elena began to move.

She approached the door slowly, straining to make as little noise as possible. Her heels were raised high as she crept forward, her entire body pressed close to the wall.

By the time she reached the corner of the small window frame, her heart was pounding violently. She pressed her hands against her chest, afraid the sound might be heard outside. Instead of calming her, the pressure only made her heart race faster.

Elena inhaled deeply, turned sideways, and leaned against the wall. Without giving herself time to think, she peeked through the narrow window.

There was no one there.

Despite the strong pheromone she could still sense nearby, not a single strand of hair was visible.

Is he going to leave because I didn’t answer?

The thought made her chest tighten with regret. It had taken so much courage to find the owner of this unfamiliar, powerful scent, and now it seemed she had hesitated too long.

“Ha…”

A sigh slipped from Elena’s lips.

“Oh!” Elena gasped.

Golden eyes had appeared in the window, where no one had been just seconds before.

Elena clapped both hands over her mouth and stumbled backward. The instant her gaze met his, her body froze. She could not move.

She tried desperately to avoid the intense stare that felt as though it might set her entire body on fire, but no amount of willpower helped.

Elena stared at him without blinking, forgetting even to breathe. It felt as though her soul was being pulled into his eyes. As if all the air around her had vanished, dropping her into an unfamiliar world.

She did not know how much time passed.

Her legs suddenly gave way, and she collapsed where she stood.

“Hey, are you okay?” the man asked in alarm.

He had been staring at her just as intently, as though he could see straight through her. When she disappeared from view, worry flickered across his face, and he pressed closer to the window, straining to find her.

“Hey. Answer me.”

Hearing his voice, Elena bowed her head and covered it with both hands. She still could not see his entire face, but she knew.

It was Kennard.

And yet, he was different from the Kennard she knew. He looked much younger, and there was no vitality in his expression.

His Grace? Why is His Grace the Grand Duke here…?

Elena crouched there, clutching her head.

Do I know this person?

The thought struck her suddenly, and the next moment, confusion overwhelmed her completely. Memories and thoughts flooded in all at once, colliding chaotically until she could not think straight.

Why am I here? Where am I?

Her surroundings began to spin violently. The ground seemed to rise toward her face. She tried to step back in shock, but the floor beneath her cracked away, and she plunged downward.

“Ah!”

She flailed, reaching out desperately, but there was nothing to grasp.

“Elena!”

She looked up at the voice screaming her name. Kennard was reaching toward her, arms outstretched, desperation etched across his face.

***

A hoarse voice reached Elena’s ears.

“Elena! Elena, are you awake?” another voice followed urgently.

To Elena, every sound felt distant, as though she were submerged deep underwater. Her body felt impossibly heavy. She could not even move her fingers properly.

“Elena, can you hear me? Please open your eyes.”

That voice sounded clearer than the others. With immense effort, Elena lifted her eyelids. Even that simple action required all the strength she had.

Beyond her hazy vision, several figures wavered like shadows. She felt someone grasp her hand, gentle yet firm.

After blinking several times, the world slowly came into focus. A dark ceiling loomed above her. She realized she was lying on a soft bed.

The first thing that caught her eye was a pair of golden eyes shining in the darkness.

“Are you awake?” Kennard asked softly. “Do you recognize me?”

There was moisture in his low voice.

“Your Grace…?”

Relief flooded his expression. Kennard exhaled deeply and pressed a kiss to her forehead. The pain and despair that had darkened his eyes began to lift as he met her gaze.

Elena believed he must have saved her from falling.

But how?

She had been falling too far for him to catch her. And earlier, he had looked younger. Now, he looked exactly as she remembered him.

Is this a dream too?

Confusion churned inside her.

“Where… is this…?” she asked weakly.

Her voice scraped painfully against her throat. Her mouth felt dry and rough, as though filled with sand. Speaking was difficult.

“Bring water,” Kennard ordered immediately.

Someone responded at once, placing a glass in his hand. Kennard slipped one arm beneath Elena’s neck and wrapped the other around her shoulders, carefully lifting her.

Pain tore through her body, sharp and overwhelming, as though she were being ripped apart. She bit down on her lower lip, unable even to cry out, until she tasted blood.

“Don’t do that,” Kennard murmured gently when he noticed.

He brought the glass to her lips.

“I’m glad I wasn’t late,” he whispered, watching her closely as she drank.

His voice trembled slightly. The arm supporting her shoulders did too.