We're Married, After All - Chapter 76
If it were morning, the maids would’ve come in by now.
I ran my hands over the damp sheets. Though the maids didn’t always clean the room as soon as Danel left, the bed being this soaked meant he would’ve ordered them to do so.
Besides, Danel wasn’t the type to rush his departure. He lived by a rigid schedule, always with time to spare—perhaps that was why he could be so relentless with me.
Clack.
A familiar sound came from the adjacent room—the creak of a door opening, followed by muffled footsteps and low, hushed voices.
The butler… Danel… his lieutenant… and the rest… knights?
I pressed my palms over my eyes, trapping myself in darkness to sharpen my hearing.
I couldn’t make out the words—they were speaking too quietly—but the atmosphere was unmistakably tense. The entire estate seemed unsettled.
Unfamiliar footsteps echoed in the hall, and I caught snippets of young male voices. The heavy thud of military boots confirmed they were knights.
Could they have discovered my escape plan?
My hands trembled violently. Had I been too obvious? Had I given myself away somehow? Why else would knights be gathering at the estate before dawn? What other reason could Danel have to hold such a serious meeting?
Just then, a familiar sound reached my ears—the distinct creak of the old wardrobe in Danel’s room. It was an antique passed down through generations of Lapecia’s lords, and its heavy doors groaned uniquely when closed.
Danel’s preparing to leave.
Realization hit me like a bolt. There could only be one reason urgent enough to force an unplanned departure at this hour— Petios Veloce.
I didn’t know what had happened to him, but instinct told me something was wrong.
I climbed off the bed and yanked at the decorative ribbons tied to the canopy. There were no sharp tools in the room, so I slammed the ribbons against the wall. The fabric tore, exposing thin wires hidden within.
Gripping the wires tightly, I took a deep breath. My hands still trembled, but I couldn’t waste time hesitating. Danel was already headed down the stairs.
I inserted the wires into the shackle’s lock. Thankfully, it took just as long as I’d anticipated. With a satisfying click, the shackle sprang open.
I hurried to the window the maid had hinted about. Ever since that day, she’d gone out of her way to avoid me, so I’d never learned exactly how the window was broken. Since no one had fixed it, I assumed the damage wasn’t obvious.
When I found the latch sliding uselessly out of place, a wave of exhilaration surged through me.
I nearly let out a crazed laugh. The worn latch looked fine at first glance but didn’t lock properly. It could still keep out wind and rain, which explained why no one else had noticed. Only a maid who frequently opened the windows would’ve known.
I stifled my rising laughter. Since the latch couldn’t lock, the padlock attached to it was useless. I pressed firmly and pushed the shutters open.
Dawn…
The sky outside was faintly brightening—a pale, early-morning glow. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen a dawn sky.
But there was no time to admire it. From below, I heard knights shouting as they gathered their horses.
It seemed quite a few of them were heading toward Lamprey Castle.
I checked that there were no additional locks on the window, then pulled down the rope tied at the bedpost. I moved carefully toward the window, making sure the bell attached to the other end of the rope didn’t ring.
I hesitated one last time.
Is this really the right choice?
What if sticking to my original plan is safer?
The estate’s turmoil had to mean one thing—Petios had escaped. The fact that Danel was leaving with knights confirmed it.
So… he found the courage to flee after all.
Thinking of him filled me with bitter disdain.
Petios was a coward. He couldn’t even attempt to escape his situation on his own, let alone make any grand decisions.
If he’d managed to flee, it meant he had a solid plan. He wouldn’t have risked everything just to be caught again.
I yanked the window open, letting the frigid air rush into the room. Winter had come while I was trapped under Danel’s suffocating grip.
Strangely enough, that was the moment my resolve solidified.
I grabbed the rope and pulled—clang, clang, clang!—letting the sharp bell sound ring out.
I don’t know how far Petios can get in his broken state…
But at least let this mean my efforts won’t be wasted.
Hearing hurried footsteps approaching the stairs, I climbed onto the window ledge. The fierce wind howled, nearly throwing me off balance.
The bitter cold raked across the back of my neck, as if etching that ominous thought into my skin— If I’m not careful, I might fall.
“D-Did you call, Madam…?”
The maid who entered gasped, freezing at the sight of me standing precariously on the window ledge, framed by the breaking dawn. Her wide brown eyes locked onto me in horror.
“Madam! Please, come down from there! What are you—!”
She screamed and ran toward me. I shouted back as calmly as I could,
“Stay back!”
“Madam, please—come down! It’s dangerous! Please—!”
“Back away. If you come any closer… I’ll step back.”
But the maid, half-mad with panic, didn’t listen.
I had no choice but to show her I meant it. I carefully took a step back on the ledge. My body swayed dangerously in the wind.
The maid collapsed to the floor, trembling—not because she understood my words, but from sheer shock.
It doesn’t matter… I thought. I got the result I wanted.
I shifted back into a safer position, waiting for others to arrive.
Before long, several servants burst into the room. I threatened them the same way I had the maid, forcing them to keep their distance.
By then, I’d grown more confident in balancing on the ledge. Steadying myself as best I could, I finally spoke.
