Looking for a Husband to Confine Me - Chapter 40.1
Chapter 40.1
Pazl was Haroon’s attendant, but his true master was undoubtedly Haroon’s mother. This became clear from his utter inability to comprehend Bashar’s words. He was prepared to kill Bashar “for Haroon’s sake,” yet Haroon’s own thoughts on the matter seemed utterly inconsequential to him. He found Bashar’s desire to even ask Haroon’s opinion strange. It appeared Pazl believed that anyone who posed an obstacle to Haroon, regardless of Haroon’s wishes, deserved to be eliminated.
“Therefore, I intend to ask Brother Haroon myself. I will not throw away my life until I hear his answer.”
“Haah, you are truly a bothersome inconvenience, Your Highness.”
“Khaagh!”
As Pazl gritted his teeth, Kelliard thrashed in agony, seemingly on the verge of death. Pazl, unable to contain his irritation, had tightened his grip on Kelliard’s throat.
“Pazl!”
“Since Your Highness will not listen to reason, I have no choice but to resort to force.”
His chilling gaze shifted to Damian.
“Drop your weapon. Unless you wish to see this knight die.”
Just as he had with Bashar, Pazl used Kelliard’s life as leverage against Damian. However, Damian’s reaction was entirely different from Bashar’s.
“I don’t care if he dies.”
“…What?”
“Stop with the tedious threats. If you’re going to kill him, just get it over with.”
Damian replied with chilling indifference, even going so far as to encourage Pazl to finish Kelliard off quickly. It was Pazl who was taken aback.
He must have unconsciously loosened his grip, for Kelliard gasped, struggling to breathe.
“Are you bluffing? It seems the Empire’s knights think nothing of their comrades’ lives.”
“I’m not a knight.”
Damian twirled the sword in his hand.
“And he’s not my comrade.”
His gaze, fixed on Pazl, was devoid of emotion. He would remain unmoved even if Kelliard died.
“So stop being a nuisance….”
“Damian Dethronil.”
Bashar, however, felt differently. Interrupting Damian, he uttered his name softly.
“…Do as Pazl says.”
“Your Highness seems to be under a misapprehension. The knight’s name is not on the list of those I am to protect.”
“I don’t want to see anyone die because of me.”
Bashar winced as if in pain. This was a stark contrast to his usual guarded demeanor. His world revolved around Haroon Kisha. He rarely trusted anyone and often appeared wary. Yet, his true nature seemed more fragile than he let on, judging by his desire to save Kellyard Hazel, despite his distrust of the knight.
‘Damian’s judgment is sound. In this situation, the prince’s safety is more important than the knight’s life.’
Of course, Damian’s motivation for protecting Bashar likely stemmed from the fact that Bashar was his client, rather than his royal status.
I observed their exchange from a distance, keeping a watchful eye on the beasts outside the window. They continued to prowl, saliva dripping from their jaws.
They were closer than when I’d seen them from the bedroom, but not close enough to breach the annex. This meant the divine power was still active.
‘The problem is this room.’
A dark oil was splattered across the floor. This liquid was neutralizing the divine power. And within this space, the beasts could be summoned.
A stronger divine force was needed to counteract it.
I clutched the round divine stone in my hand. Ricardo had given it to me shortly before we parted, just in case. He’d said the small stone would help me evade the beasts, urging me to use it in an emergency.
Breaking the stone would temporarily amplify the divine power in this area. The problem was that the stone I held was woefully inadequate.
‘Therefore….’
Leaning against the window, I surveyed the room. The broken furniture and the chaotic state of the floor caught my eye. This was the bedroom within the annex, a space designated as a sanctuary. That meant it had to be here. A decorative item crafted with divine stones.
In Unrequited First Love, the novel I’d been transmigrated into, there was a scene where Amelia was practically imprisoned by the wastrel prince. When she tried to escape, he summoned beasts around the mansion and confined her to the sanctuary within. Amelia was free to move within the sanctuary, but due to a certain incident, the divine power within it dissipated.
She was on the verge of being attacked by the beasts, but she found a decorative item made with a concentrated divine stone and managed to survive. The item was actually crafted with ordinary jewels, but prolonged exposure to the sanctuary’s divine power had imbued them with power.
‘Especially since this mansion was prepared by the Crown Prince himself.’
As a residence for the Kishan princes, the sanctuary’s decorations were bound to include a few jewels. The problem was that Pazl had wrecked the furniture so thoroughly that finding them wouldn’t be easy.
Glancing at the men, I saw Pazl still holding Kelliard hostage, while Damian listened with an air of indifference.
