Chapter 10.1

“Pardon?”

“That means there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll take care of her from now on, so get out.”

“The thing about the new lady…”

Surprised, the man in the room asked back, but the Grand Duke was more determined than ever.

“Have Cecilia go to her room. I’ll take care of everything.”

“…Okay.”

Eventually, I heard someone leave. Perhaps I should directly ask the Grand Duke for directions.

I tried to open the door at that thought, but I couldn’t find a way out of the aisle.

‘Am I locked up…?’

At that moment, I felt dizzy.

Maybe I should use magic. At the time of those thoughts, the thick stone wall slowly opened.

At the same time, a brilliant light made me close my eyes instinctively.

I hurriedly closed my eyes because my eyes hurt and I had been walking in the dark the whole time.

“Did you have fun finding the labyrinth, my daughter?

Thanks to the warm light accompanied with the friendly voice, I could see the Grand Duke at the opened door.

I wiped off my eyes in a hurry and smiled brightly.

It’s as if I planned to come here from the beginning.

“Oh, yeah, it was fun!”

At that moment, I saw a smirk, but when I blinked again and looked at him, his face was already stiff.

“I’m glad you had fun. So how did you get here? It would have taken quite a long time to walk here.”

“Oh, there’s something I need to tell you. That’s why I’m here!”

“Something to say?”

“Uh. Ah, it’s nothing. I don’t want to talk about it.”

I didn’t even know who this guy was trying to threaten me. Would he believe it?

He’s even trying to kick me out.

‘Maybe they don’t like the people here because they think they’re dangerous.’’

“Are you playing with me?”

“No.”

The Grand Duke’s eyes looked at me for a long time. Then he nodded as if he had learned something.

“There are things you don’t want to say. But I’m not a very benevolent person. Make sure you remember.”

“Yes!”

“Then go back now.”

“Well, I don’t know the way.”

“I wish I could go back the way I came back.”

“…I don’t know, I usually get lost, so I’m not good at memorizing directions.”

I said I would find a way to escape, but I forgot one important thing.

It was that I could never find my own way since I was born. To put it simply, I was not good at directions.

‘I never thought I didn’t know this much.’

I kept touching the wall with my right hand to mark it, but it was too dark to see it.

It’s the first time I’ve even walked this long in my life, so my legs hurt as if they were broken.

His eyes looked at me, a little disorganized.

“Did you live in captivity?”

“Yes, so… I-I have never asked a favor! Can you take me there? Or you can have other people do it! Please… It’s not a favor. It’s just… it’s just… it’s…”

While I was struggling and thinking about how I would not ask for anything, the Duke nodded.

“I’ll take you there.”

“R-Really? Are you really going to take me to my room?”

At the same time as he responded, he walked first.

“Yes.”

“You’re a kind man!”

“I’m not kind. It’s just that there’s someone here who’s going to be pretty annoyed if you do this.”

At that time, the door opened.

But I stepped back quickly just before I went out.

“D-Do you have a place to wash? I’m sure Cecilia will say something if I go out there in this state.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, you are not deceived. Don’t worry and just move.”

“Okay!”

In the end, he took the lead.

“Did you mean Cecilia is the one who bothers you?”

“Yes, as she would say, take care of yourself. She’s not as bad as she looks. She is just a little forceful…You know, she calls herself a bad guy, but she’s better than you think.”

“No.”

“It’s true.”

“No, she’s not.”

As I said no, his footsteps quickened more than before.

So now I had to walk along him with my short legs.

The servants standing in front of the room seemed surprised by my sudden appearance, but the Grand Duke walked and walked without even caring about them.

My legs hurt so much.

The pain was so severe that I thought it might break.

After changing clothes on the first day, I also wore my shoes, but they were unusually big.

As a result, every time I walked, my shoes moved around, and both of my feet ached.

I wish he could go a little slower.

But he, who didn’t know what was in my mind, just strode along with his long legs.

A sigh came out of my mouth.

“Phew…”

Then, the Grand Duke, who was walking earlier, hurriedly stopped.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Y-You know what? It’s not that I have short legs but…”

“Huh?”

“…Can you go slowly? I-It’s my first time in the hallway. Wow, the windows are open!”

“Ah”

Only then did his eyes reach me.