“You, who let you in here?”
I froze for a moment at the intensity of his voice, but quickly calmed myself down.
'There is no need to be afraid. No one brought me food, isn't that why?'
Surely the people of this place don't want me to starve.
'If I explain myself, they will definitely understand.'
When I looked back, there was a boy standing behind me.
A stunningly beautiful boy, so much so that one would doubt his eyes.
His shiny black hair, his golden-crimson eyes, and his slightly upward-slanted eyelids were striking.
He was staring at me in amazement, his mouth slightly open, and his confused face looked so cute.
After examining me slowly, the boy asked:
"A face I've never seen before. Are you a new maid here?"
I shook my head lightly.
“No, I am a hostage.”
An expression of incomprehension appeared on his face.
"hostage?"
“This… I am Lizzie Alheim, and I was kidnapped by the master of this house.”
He smiled lightly, meaning we were honored, and his round eyes brightened with amazement.
“Lizzy Alheim?!”
The boy approached me with quick steps.
“Impossible… Are you really a Saint of Aliheim? Able to heal wounds just by touching you?”
He stood in front of me, stunned, examining my face from every angle.
His bright eyes were a little intimidating, but his very handsome face made me shut up and let it go.
“Saint Alheim… I too wanted to see her, but Sister Martha never let me. She said she didn’t trust me.”
The boy grumbled without taking his eyes off me.
“My sister still thinks I’m ‘Anne’. Can I touch him… just once…?”
He looked in amazement at my silver hair hanging over my shoulder.
"Help yourself."
"Thanks!"
He carefully reached out and ran his fingers gently through my silver hair.
"Wow... I've never seen silver hair before. I heard that the people of Aliheim are silver-haired, and that was true. It's so beautiful..."
He muttered, staring at the strands of hair between his fingers without concentration.
As I looked at his face, flush with emotion, my tension gradually eased.
'What is this, he's just a nice boy.'
I did not feel afraid, but rather felt warm from his angelic beauty.
'I can be less careful, right?'
The hand that was holding the statuette went limp under my sleeve.
'I'll ask him through the kitchen.'
At that moment, I noticed something strange in his big, sparkling eyes.
The boy looked at me sideways, then spoke in a calm voice:
“…What is that on your right hand?”
His crimson eyes sparkled with a sharp brilliance.
The atmosphere suddenly changed as if someone else had taken his place.
“You have a game.”
A smile filled with curiosity appeared on his face.
'How did he know that? This boy...'
He stared at him motionless, then spoke with a beautiful smile:
“How about you give up this dangerous thing? Even I don’t feel comfortable with the idea of taking it from you by force.”
I released the statue from my hands without hesitation.
'Anyway, if I try to resist, I won't succeed.'
A sharp piece fell to the ground with a cracking sound.
The boy smiled as he looked at the piece on the ground as if he understood the matter.
"So, this was in the attic. So I couldn't see you all that time, right?"
He looked at me, then at the piece, and asked:
“Did you come here to use this against me?”
I shook my head in protest.
“No, I don't even know who you are!”
I never thought about running away!
Oh God, if the situation continues like this, I will gradually move away from the image of a mounted hostage.
I never want the harsh life of confinement.
I smiled warmly as if to reassure, but his eyes became colder.
“…Don’t you know who I am?”
“Yes, yes!”
“Didn't you tell Sister Martha or Arkell or anyone about me?”
naturally!
Would I have targeted you if I didn't know who you were?
Darkness covered his face, and his atmosphere seemed frightening.
Ah... now I remember the name that came to my mind.
'Naran Kaien.'
Why didn't I remember him before?
His black hair and golden crimson eyes were exactly the same as the novel's description.
The youngest of the Cayenne brothers, and the craziest among them...
“Two fires.”
I muttered as I stared at the boy, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"What is this? You know my name!"
“Yes, I heard him!”
Naran narrowed his eyes and looked at me.
“Who told you that?”
“I heard the maids talking. They said ‘Third Master’ and then mentioned your name.”
“How did you know it was me?”
"Because you two look alike. Kick, that guy."
I smiled lightly and said it calmly.
According to the novel's description, all three of Cain's brothers have black hair and brick-colored eyes.
"…truly?"
Naran still doubted it, but he no longer gave those hostile looks from before.
“So...what were you doing here, Lizzie Alheim?”
But his gaze following me was not normal.
She looked like a naughty boy thinking about how he would play with his favorite toy.
I swallowed hard.
Naran Kaien...seeing him live really made me feel...
'It's amazing.'
One word is not enough to describe my feeling, but if I had to describe it, it is... amazing.
Of course, he's not completely fearless.
His strength and prestige with his dangerous smile were enormous.
But equally, it was surprising.
'This is what it looks like. When you see it directly...!'
The atmosphere that a novel cannot convey made my heart skip a beat.
Finally I actually felt like I was inside the .
'Of course, I would rather die in a place I love than live long in a boring world.'
Then even if I die I won't feel regret.
With this overwhelming feeling, the words finally started to flow.
“I was looking for servants to order food. I thought there was a kitchen, so I came here.”
Naran had a regretful expression on his face.
“You've got the wrong way. The kitchen is downstairs. But...”
His eyes sparkled and a smile appeared on his lips.
“Since you came here, would you like to watch my workshop?”
workshop?
She looked at him for a moment, and Naran smiled lightly.
“I liked it Lizzy. I don't usually let anyone in.”
Hmmm…
I knew what his workshop could be.
'If I refuse, he'll force me in, right?'
Depending on his personality, he certainly would.
'It's better that I go of my own free will.'
“Okay.”
Naran's face lit up.
“From here!”
He rushed in front of me, screaming with delight.
I followed him slowly.
He looked very happy.
'He seems kind of an innocent boy…'
But the scene in the workshop was far from innocent.
Squeak-
A dark room without a single ray of sunlight entering.
The room is filled with various torture instruments.
On the walls, there are large and small iron chains and skewers, and the tools on display look like they do in the movies.
"What do you think? Did you like it?"
Naran stood with his hand behind his back, watching my reaction.
“You haven't seen anything like this in Aliheim, have you? Not even in the entire empire. I've collected them carefully.”
Naran muttered, looking around the room contentedly.
Then he turned his gaze to me, anticipating an amused reaction from me.
“What do you think?”
The word was repeated in a low voice.
“…….”
I stared at the tools silently.
In the novel, Naran Kaien was obsessed with torture.
I still remember the story in which the captured spy had to confess all his secrets in just half a day.
Even when the protagonist, Jin Alheim, sneaks into Kaien's house, Naran causes him a lot of problems.
“Why are you silent, Lizzy?”
Naran said as if he was upset. Then he clapped his hands as if he understood something.
“Oh, do you want to know how to use it?”
A subtle smile appeared on his lips again.
In a cold, almost whispered voice, he said:
“If you're curious, we can try it now...what do you say?”
“…….”
I still stand silently.
A look at the tools stopped the speech in my throat.
'Wow, this is really…'
Amazing.
During my studies, my hobby was watching gory horror movies.
Why did you like it? It's my taste, so please respect it.
Even the scenes I thought I spent money on were nothing compared to that fact...
I stood with my eyes glued to the tools, unable to move.
❖ ❖ ❖
Naran Kaien looked at the frozen Lizzy Aliheim, and smiled contentedly.
His workshop made even the Cayenne family raise their tongues in amazement.
So what about the venerable Saint Eliheim?
'Are you going to cry?' Will she faint? Umm…’
Or will she send me a look of disdain?
He was already used to it.
He was the person who was avoided and despised by everyone, even within the Cain family.
The wisdom of Eliheim says, “Love everyone equally.”
'Nonsense.'
How can one love everyone equally.
Not with Martha's abilities, nor with Arkell's own powers.
Just a weird kid sitting in a room doing weird things.
Even if he were a saint, he wouldn't have loved Martha and Arkell as much.
But to be told to love everyone equally is disgusting hypocrisy.
As for Naran, he longed to see the saint’s mask removed from her, even for just a moment.
'Come on, show me that quickly...'
Lizzie Alheim shifted her gaze to him, astonished.
She slowly opened her lips.
"…Good."
"What?"
“Show me how to use it.”
Lizzie Alheim's face showed no disdain.
But I smiled.
Oh, that's a response I wasn't expecting.
Naran opened his mouth in shock.
"What? Why...?"
“Because I like it.”
Her frank response made his gaze waver.
~
Translated by Len Sunada