Chapter 9
At the mention of magic, Ellie’s eyes widened once more.
The Crowud family’s territory, Storn, lay just south of the Imperial Capital, far from the frontlines of war and largely untouched by monster attacks. As a result, the Crowud household maintained only a small private army, and they certainly didn’t employ a resident mage.
Eliana had occasionally seen priests from Helio Monastery heal the sick with magic, but this was the first time she had experienced such miraculous healing herself.
Still dazed with amazement, she ran her hands over her body.
Only then did she realize she was dressed in a spotless white nightgown.
Her eyes met the man’s.
The realization sent blood rushing to her face, and she immediately lowered her head in embarrassment.
“Does something still hurt?” he asked. “I was told your strength would return soon.”
“N-No… it’s not that…”
Feeling his unwavering gaze on her face only made her blush harder.
A terrifying thought flashed through her mind.
Did he… change my clothes?
The possibility made embarrassment surge all the way to the top of her head. But he had saved her life—she couldn’t possibly accuse him of something like that without knowing the truth.
“If nothing is wrong, I’ll have a meal brought up. You’ll recover faster once you’ve eaten.”
“W-Wait!”
Ellie hurriedly called out just as he rose from his chair to leave.
He stopped and looked back at her silently.
“Thank you… for saving me. And for healing me. I’ll repay this kindness someday.”
She didn’t know exactly what had happened, but gratitude came first.
She bowed deeply.
The man remained silent.
Puzzled, Ellie slowly raised her head.
He was staring at her with narrowed eyes.
“You’ll repay me?” he said calmly. “How, exactly? You’re a runaway.”
The color drained from her face.
“H-How do you know that…? Wait… don’t tell me… did my father send you?”
“Who knows.”
“What kind of answer is that? Who are you? Are you here to take me back?”
She gripped the blanket tightly, every muscle tense.
At the same time, her eyes darted around the room, desperately calculating whether she could somehow slip past a man so much larger than herself.
Then his deep voice cut through her frantic thoughts.
“I am taking you somewhere.”
She froze.
“But not back to Crowud.”
He continued,
“We’re going to Carlisle. By carriage, it’ll take more than half a month, so it’s best you recover completely before then.”
He paused.
“Now… may I have your meal brought up?”
“…Carlisle?”
The instant he spoke that name, everything after it vanished from her ears.
Carlisle.
The very name that had driven her to defy her father and flee.
“…Did you just say Carlisle?”
The man quietly watched her.
The reddish glow in his eyes seemed to answer her question without words.
“Don’t tell me…”
She swallowed.
“You’re… from Carlisle?”
“I’m not sure whether you mean the place…”
He stood and slowly approached her.
“…or the person.”
He stopped beside the bed.
“Either way.”
His voice remained perfectly calm.
“The answer is yes.”
“…What?”
Her brows knitted together in confusion.
Then realization slowly dawned.
“W-Wait…”
Her eyes grew impossibly wide.
“Then you’re…!”
She couldn’t bring herself to say the infamous title aloud—
The Mad Duke Obsessed with Monsters.
Her face filled with horror.
The man paid no attention to her reaction.
Instead, he reached into his coat, withdrew a wrinkled bundle of papers, and placed it on the bedside table.
“You left something important behind.”
He tapped the papers twice with his fingers for emphasis.
Ellie’s breath caught.
Those crumpled sheets…
They were the marriage contract she had thrown away in desperation before escaping the Crowud estate.
“Don’t forget it this time.”
With those final words, he left the room.
Eliana stared blankly at the closed door before hastily grabbing the contract.
Tristan Carlisle.
Even on the badly wrinkled paper, the elegant signature retained its commanding presence.
The strength slowly left her clenched hand.
It had been bad enough that she’d been deceived and nearly sold into slavery.
She had thought surviving that ordeal was the end of her nightmare.
Yet somehow…
The marriage contract had found its way back into her hands.
This time—
Along with the man named in it.
“H… haha…”
A hollow laugh escaped her lips.
It lasted only a moment before loud knocking echoed through the room.
She was too stunned to answer.
The door opened anyway.
“Excuse me! Coming in!”
A warm-looking middle-aged woman strode inside carrying a large tray piled high with food.
She dragged the table beside the fireplace over to the bed and quickly began arranging the dishes.
Ellie still sat there in a daze, but the woman paid no mind.
Freshly baked bread.
A steaming bowl of rich stew.
Golden-browned grilled trout.
The aroma alone was enough to make anyone’s mouth water.
“There we go! Eat slowly. The food at our inn is famous all across Azulen!”
She cheerfully pressed a spoon into Ellie’s hand.
The food smelled wonderful…
But after everything that had happened, Ellie had no appetite.
And after what she’d experienced at the inn in Alderon, she couldn’t bring herself to trust food so easily.
“You’re much too skinny, dear. I made sure to prepare something nourishing. Earlier, you looked like you were nothing but skin and bones.”
Noticing Ellie’s silent stare, the woman blinked a few times before suddenly remembering something.
“Oh! I should mention—I was the one who changed your clothes.”
Ellie looked up.
“And goodness, those wounds disappearing so completely… that mage must be extraordinary. When you first arrived, you were practically covered in blood—oh dear.”
The innkeeper slapped a hand over her mouth.
“I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said that. It’ll ruin your appetite. Go on now, eat. Magic is wonderful and all, but your body still needs real food to recover.”
Listening to the woman’s endless chatter, Ellie felt a wave of relief.
At least…
The man hadn’t seen her naked.
The thought was strangely comforting, even if it made her feel pathetic.
Just then—
Grrr…
A loud growl echoed from her stomach.
“See? I told you!” the innkeeper laughed. “Your body never lies. Here, give me that.”
Before Ellie could react, the woman took the spoon from her hand, scooped up a generous helping of stew, and held it to her lips.
Unable to refuse such forceful kindness, Ellie reluctantly took a bite.
The flavor stunned her.
It was unbelievably delicious.
As the warm stew slid down her throat, the hunger she’d been suppressing came crashing back all at once.
It had been so long since she’d eaten a proper meal.
She abandoned all thoughts of dignity and emptied one plate after another.
Watching her with a satisfied smile, the innkeeper eventually caught her eye.
Embarrassed, Ellie smiled shyly.
“The food is really delicious.”
“Thank you.”
She meant every word.
The Crowud estate had always served extravagant meals.
But she had never once enjoyed eating there.
Cecilia would quietly belittle her in front of everyone.
Her mother treated her as though she were invisible.
And her father merely sipped his wine, pretending none of it existed.
That was what dinner had always been like in the Crowud household.
“…Come to think of it…”
As the innkeeper gathered the empty dishes, Ellie suddenly realized something.
“How long have I been here?”
The woman rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
“The handsome gentleman carried you in just after sunrise.”
She nodded to herself.
“So… about twelve hours, I’d say.”
Then curiosity lit up her face.
“By the way… that gentleman isn’t just an ordinary knight, is he? There was something… unusual about him.”
“…No,” Ellie answered quietly.
“I don’t think he is.”
The innkeeper tilted her head at the strange response but simply wished Ellie a good rest before leaving.
Silence settled over the room once more.
Ellie let out a long sigh.
Her eyes drifted to the marriage contract lying on the table.
Tristan Carlisle.
Lord of Carlisle.
The duke whispered to be obsessed with hunting monsters, a man said to return every day drenched in their blood.
Yet the duke who had appeared out of nowhere and rescued her from Bron’s grasp…
He wasn’t quite what the rumors described.
His expressionless face and deep voice gave him a cold, intimidating air.
But he didn’t seem insane.
If anything…
She caught herself remembering how strikingly handsome he had been.
Immediately, she shook her head.
Now isn’t the time for that.
He had saved her life.
But now she had no idea what she was supposed to do next.
And ever since waking up…
Fragments of a hazy memory had continued surfacing, refusing to leave her alone.
Eliana quietly closed her eyes.
She reached back into the past—
To the day she had first met him.
Flashback
That day, Cecilia had unexpectedly invited Eliana to accompany her to a tea party hosted by a count’s daughter.
Someone who had never once wanted to spend time with her suddenly extending such an invitation?
Eliana could easily guess Cecilia’s true intentions.
She refused again and again.
Just as always…
No one cared what she wanted.
As expected, Cecilia dragged her around like a servant, making sure every young noble lady there had the chance to mock and humiliate her shabby appearance.
Eliana endured it all in silence.
Then, during an idle conversation, someone happened to mention Litberries.
That was when everything changed.
“Hey.”
Cecilia looked straight at her.
“Why don’t you go pick some Litberries for us?”
She smiled sweetly.
“Do you know how delicious fresh Litberry juice is? Suddenly, I’m craving some.”
“Oh, Lady Cecil,” another girl giggled. “Surely you know no shops are selling Litberries anymore.”
“A shop?”
Cecilia laughed.
“Why would we need one?”
She gestured toward the vast Arwen Forest beyond the estate.
“The forest is enormous. Even the Imperial Family comes here to hunt sometimes.”
She smiled wider.
“I’m sure there isn’t a single flower or berry that can’t be found somewhere in those woods.”
Her eyes gleamed with malicious delight.
Whenever Cecilia thought of a new way to torment her…
Her eyes always shone like that.
Litberries only ripened briefly in early spring.
Now that spring was already well underway, finding wild ones was practically impossible.
But Eliana knew perfectly well what Cecilia really wanted.
She wasn’t expecting berries.
She simply wanted an excuse to make Eliana suffer.
Without another word…
Eliana turned and walked toward the forest.
