Bridal Lessons - Chapter 44
Iscarion usually spent the nights with Rosen in the annex, but when he was busy with work, he would leave after making sure she fell asleep. One of the things Rosen asked him to bring from her room, using the excuse of feeling lonely when sleeping alone, was a white rabbit doll that Iscarion had given her on her first birthday at the grand ducal castle.
“Wow! It’s a rabbit! So cute.”
“Do you like it? Think of this doll as me when I’m not around.”
“Yes, thank you, Brother!”
The doll used to always be on Rosen’s back. Iscarion had many duties, so he couldn’t be with young Rosen all day. The cute rabbit with a red ribbon became Rosen’s good friend during his absence. Although she stopped carrying it around as she grew older, the rabbit, with the same pink eyes as its owner, always occupied a corner of Rosen’s bed.
Perhaps recalling how young Rosen had thrown tantrums to be carried while holding the rabbit, Iscarion brought the doll with a surprisingly gentle expression.
“I’m sorry, Bunbun…”
Many things had changed over time, but the fluffy white rabbit that once made the young girl happy still blinked its round eyes the same way. Remembering the look on his face when he brought the doll, Rosen felt a slight pang of guilt, but she had no other choice.
Taking advantage of the time she was alone, Rosen ripped the hem of the green checkered dress that the rabbit was wearing. Claiming she wanted to mend the precious item herself, she managed to obtain a sewing kit with thread and needles.
Removing the curtains from the window at the very end of the wardrobe, where it was not easily visible, Rosen secretly sewed in her spare time. She regretted not learning embroidery more diligently, but after several days of clumsy mending, she managed to create a passable outer garment. Now all that was left was finding a way out of this place.
‘It should be around here…’
Rosen felt around the dark walls without even turning on a light, worried that someone outside might see it. She had read in a book long ago that high-ranking noble houses had secret passageways or hidden spaces for emergencies. This annex was built around the same time, so if it wasn’t blocked during renovations, there should be an exit somewhere.
However, whether she was mistaken or not, even after searching thoroughly while Iscarion was away, she found nothing notable. Disappointment colored Rosen’s face after lifting the carpet and checking each square floor tile. While not all rooms had secret passageways, she had thought that the grand ducal couple’s bedroom would certainly have one.
As she was about to bring a chair to examine the ceiling, Rosen stopped in front of the wall on the opposite side of the bed, where a large painting was hung. The painting was a simple landscape depicting the grand ducal castle. When she first explored the room, nothing special stood out, but today, something felt off.
Ah.
Rosen finally found the cause. The frame, made of metal and adorned with the Lutèce grand ducal family’s crest on each corner, had the flags facing the wrong direction.
The golden flag within the family crest always pointed east, commemorating the place where their ancestor had made significant contributions in a war. However, out of the four ornaments, two flags faced east, while the other two pointed in the opposite direction. Upon closer inspection, the flags weren’t fixed but could be rotated.
An uninformed person might think the frame maker did this for decorative purposes. However, Rosen, who had been meant to marry Iscarion and live there forever, had a special affection for the Lutèce family. She knew the meaning of the family crest well.
Even though they were no longer engaged, she couldn’t just overlook the error. As soon as Rosen turned the flag ornaments eastward,
Creak.
The entire section of the wall, including the large frame, rotated like a door. Inside, a narrow passageway stretched out like a corridor.
‘…This is it!’
Rosen hurriedly retrieved the makeshift outer garment she had hidden under the bed. The secret passage that appeared within the wall was narrow enough for only one person to pass through at a time. After walking through the dark, cave-like space for a while, a small door appeared in front of her. Carefully, Rosen turned the doorknob.
Click.
Fortunately, the door was not locked, and through the slightly open gap, she saw a hard wooden floor. It seemed to be a storage room for unused items. Rosen pulled the door open with both hands and cautiously stepped into the hallway.
