There is No Key to His Cage - Chapter 5
“Ah, really. Stop joking. If it’s a joke, I’m tired of it now.”
Her prank made her laugh for the first time in a while.
Well, maids are people too, so they might tell such lies.
There’s no way he could be a Grand Duke.
“Ah, really. Stop joking. If it’s a joke, I’m tired of it now.”
Her prank made him laugh for the first time in a while.
Well, maids are people too, so they might tell such lies.
There’s no way he could be a Grand Duke.
Surely, they said His Grace Grand Duke Scylla was a gentle and kind person.
But for him to be such a crazy guy.
If he were a Grand Duke, she’d really cut off her hand.
“……”
But her eyes were unwavering and stubborn.
As if telling her it was the truth.
Thud-.
The shawl draped over her delicate shoulders fell helplessly like a leaf.
The corners of her mouth, which had risen silently, twitched slightly.
She shook her head with an expression of disbelief.
“It’s a lie…”
Her arms, like dry branches, trembled finely as if fluttering in the wind.
Sensing something was wrong, Jane slowly approached her.
“Are you alright, my lady?”
“Tell me it’s a lie…”
Ah, God is not fair.
If He gave an unhappy life twice, shouldn’t He at least give a chance to taste happiness once?
She thought she could be happy with Aiden for life, but she fell into the abyss again.
“My lady, it’s really true that he’s the Grand Duke. This is the Grand Duke’s residence.”
Jane frowned worriedly.
Then she put her hand on her forehead to check if she had a fever.
“You seem fine. I think you should rest soon.”
Thud-.
“Let, let me out of here.”
Elena, coming to her senses, grabbed her hand and pleaded.
The weather outside looked like it would soon pour, but she didn’t care.
She had to escape from this crazy psycho.
“I’ll definitely give you money. I need to get out of here. Please… please.”
“My lady…”
She made a pitiful expression as if she had no choice.
“I won’t tell anyone you did it. So just tell me how to get out. Okay?”
Her body, which had been crying and clinging like a child, was now bent so low that her knees almost touched the floor.
Jane sighed and crouched down in the corridor to meet her eyes.
“My lady, calm down. It would be good to have a warm cup of tea in your room.”
“No, no… I need to get out of here…”
If she stayed here, she would have to marry that madman without any choice.
She couldn’t even imagine living in the same house with that person, even if it meant starving.
“My lady…”
“Please. Jane… I’ll do anything in return.”
At that, she made a troubled expression and carefully grabbed her shoulders.
“My lady, I’m sorry. I have no choice either.”
“……”
Is this what it feels like when the world is crumbling?
The feeling of reaching out at the edge of a cliff, but no one helping.
The feeling of having to climb a treacherous cliff alone.
“Come on, stand up. I’ll take you to your room.”
“……”
Jane’s strength was so great that she quickly lifted the body stuck to the floor.
Her whole body lost strength at the words that sounded like a death sentence.
Creak-.
The room she was dragged into was much larger than all of her previous orphanages combined.
It was evident that great care had been taken as if welcoming an important guest.
The sunlight coming through the large windows shone brightly, and the wind blew gently, spreading the scent of spring.
A large bed that seemed endless even if you rolled around, bookshelves filled with hundreds of types of books, and a desk made of solid wood filled the room.
With the large ceiling painting and the canopy flowing down over the bed, it looked like a princess’s room.
“What is all this…”
“This is the room you’ll be using from now on, my lady.”
Jane’s fine hair fluttered prettily in the wind that flowed through the window.
Her gentle smile was like sunshine.
“I’ll brew some tea for you. Please sit here for a moment.”
Jane lifted her and barely managed to seat her in a chair.
Looking at it this way, it seemed like they were playing with dolls.
“When… did you prepare all this?”
“We’ve been preparing since you arrived at this mansion, my lady.”
Jane put prepared tea leaves in the teapot and poured hot water.
An unknown exotic tea fragrance wafted to the table.
To have prepared all this since her arrival.
How could they do so much in such a short time?
“I still don’t understand…”
How she had lived for a week in that dark room.
Why she was drinking tea here now.
And of all people, why he was a Grand Duke.
Everything felt like a dream.
“Why did he bring me here…”
“Because you’re special, my lady.”
She came to the tea table with a tray containing the teapot and cups.
Elena felt a little annoyed at her casual flattery.
“Why does everyone say things I can’t understand?”
“You’ll understand in time.”
Jane smiled prettily, curling her lips upward.
At that, Elena sighed as if she had no choice and continued speaking.
“I have something to ask.”
“Yes, anything.”
“Then, perhaps, the man who was with me, Aiden…”
Aiden was also taken by the slave trader and locked in the ship’s basement.
They had been holding hands tightly, but she lost him when they were dragged to the auction house.
She wanted to know if he was living well now, or if something had happened to him.
Even just some news would do.
“My lady, I’m just a mere maid.”
Jane looked into her eyes intently and held her hand.
The hand she held was warm.
She felt resentful towards Jane, who wouldn’t give her any answer.
Right, it would be impossible for a mere maid to know about him.
Her life would be in danger too.
But there must be some reason.
A reason for bringing a worthless vagrant to this Grand Duke’s residence.
“I see…”
To escape from here, she needed to get close to people first.
There’s no harm in getting friendly.
Also, she needed more information than she had now.
After her long gypsy life, all she knew about this country was just passing gossip.
Even if she escaped from the Grand Duke’s residence, it was obvious she’d be caught soon, so she needed to leave Ardeo Duchy, which he ruled.
Decarus, she must not underestimate him.
“Here, this is Canna tea imported from the Canary Empire. Not only the aroma but also the taste is exquisite.”
The inside of the white teacup placed in front of her was decorated with gold-patterned laurel leaves.
The entire handle was also gilded, giving it an even more luxurious atmosphere.
“Thank you.”
As she carefully lifted the teacup and inhaled, an unfamiliar scent rose.
“The aroma…”
“It’s nice, isn’t it? His Grace the Grand Duke specially prepared this for you. It was really difficult to obtain.”
At the mention of the Grand Duke, she put the cup she had lifted back on the saucer.
This moment felt unbelievable as if walking on clouds.
“My lady, don’t you like the tea?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
If he really was the Grand Duke, what should she do from now on?
She remembered the days when she had spat at him and cursed him.
Ah, it wouldn’t be her going to the security bureau.
It was wrong from the start to pretend to be crazy to a truly crazy person.
“Haa… I must be crazy.”
“Pardon?”
“No, it’s nothing…”
Elena leaned back in the soft chair and looked around.
To think that all these obviously expensive furniture and decorations were for one person.
“Is he trying to seduce and eat me…”
“Pfft…”
As Jane beside her laughed, she made a puzzled expression and asked.
“Why are you laughing?”
“My lady, you say such amusing things.”
Jane laughed elegantly, covering her mouth with her hand.
The light brown hair that flowed softly to her ears fluttered in the wind.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she looked the most elegant among all the people she had seen so far.
“Jane… why are you working as a maid? You could do other jobs.”
At that, she opened her eyes wide and met her gaze.
“It’s to serve someone as lovely as you, my lady.”
Her round eyes quickly curved into pretty crescents.
Embarrassed by Jane’s words, Elena blushed and lowered her head, and seeing this, Jane smiled brightly and said.
“Lady Elena. I’m truly honored to be able to serve you.”
“You can stop saying such things…”
No matter how much it was just flattery, she didn’t want to hear such excessive compliments.
As she lowered her head with a sulky face, Jane came closer and held both her hands.
Her coffee-brown eyes met hers intensely.
“You are precious, my lady. More than anything else.”
“What…”
Elena felt uneasy at Jane’s words.
Why did they keep calling her a special existence?
Why did they buy a worthless vagrant for a million Luna?
Why did they give such a nice room to a mere gypsy?
The questions that had been wandering in her mind flashed by like a kaleidoscope in an instant.
“You… you know something, don’t you? Otherwise…!”
“Shh!”
Jane raised one finger and carefully pressed it to her lips.
“This is all you can know for now, my lady. Please don’t be angry.”
“Jane!”
Creak-.
Jane left a mystery behind and quietly disappeared, closing the large door.
There was much more she wanted to ask, but it seemed difficult to extract any more information from her as well.
“What on earth…”
***
The afternoon passed, and it became a dark night.
The chirping of the chattering sparrows had changed to the hooting of owls.
And so, she spent time without taking a single step out of the room.
For instance, she spent all day looking out the window watching the passing servants, or skimming through thick books she couldn’t read from the bookshelf.
Time passed so slowly that she thought it might be better to be in prison.
After a while had passed like this.
Knock knock-, at the sound of someone knocking on the door, Elena’s face brightened.
“Who is it? Come in.”
With a pounding heart, she hurriedly stood in front of the door.
It probably took less than two seconds from the bed to the door.
Could it be Jane, or another maid bringing a snack?
Creak-.
“You’ve been waiting.”
“You…”
The person who opened the door and came in was none other than him.
At the appearance of a different person than expected, her smiling face instantly hardened.
As soon as she saw him, tension ran through her entire body, making her feel nauseous.
“Why are you…”
