Chapter 54

Chapter 54

“…I think the door’s broken.”

I tried to speak as calmly as possible since being flustered now would not really help.

“Shouldn’t we just let others know that we’re here?”

“How do we do that?”

I had nothing to say because I was the one who made it a completely confined situation in the first place.

“At least, we can’t starve to death here.”

“There’s a lot of food for that, isn’t there? There is also alcohol as well.”

Saying so, his face lit up.

Carefully prepared snacks such as expensive wine, fruit baskets, and luxurious bread caught my eye. Cassius then walked up to the table and, with a graceful hand, poured two glasses of wine and handed me a glass.

“It’s a wine from Citro Island, isn’t it? I never thought a precious wine that only produces ten bottles a year would be here like this. It seems the Empress must really care about you.”

“…She’s a good person.”

“I’m glad.”

The corners of Cassius’ lips drew an arc and he sipped the red wine.

“I was a little worried.”

“What are you worried about?”

“The Imperial Palace is not a place for you, Evelyn.”

I barely swallowed a laugh. So, is a place with the Duke of Brudenell suitable for me…?

“But, I’m glad you’re doing well.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

I thanked him awkwardly.

Come to think of it, I would not have even had a chance to become the Empress’s handmaiden if it had not been for Cassius. At the same time, it was not for him, I would not even want to be the Empress’s handmaiden in the first place.

“Is there anything you want to say to me?”

“No.”

I gave a brief reply and glanced only at the precious wine. It seemed like it was a good wine, with a sweet yet tangy aroma.

‘…Shall we drink?’

Since there was nothing to talk about, it would not be a bad idea to spend time drinking wine.

‘It’s delicious.’

The sweet, sour, and astringent flavors were in perfect harmony without being overdone and spread smoothly in my mouth. Because of that, it took only a few minutes for a glass of wine to empty.

And, the emptying of another glass was also instantaneous.

Cassius, who had not said anything while drinking the wine, opened his mouth.

“You seem to like it.”

“Yes.”

I nodded as I answered before adding my words, “However, don’t do anything like buying the island itself. It’s not to that extent.”

“Well, I was going to buy it as soon as I leave this place.”

“Lord, that’s the problem.”

I raised my finger.

Was the alcohol content higher than it looked…? Then, words that I would never normally have said came pouring out of my mouth.

“When did I say I wanted to drink more? I just said it was delicious. I don’t even like alcohol that much.”

“I understand.”

“Then, why did you want to buy the whole island?”

“….”

Cassius didn’t answer. He just stared at me with a brooding look on his face.

Well, if he did not want to answer, do not do it.

Thinking that, I nodded and began to doze off on the soft sofa. By now, Hermia should have realized that something was wrong. I should be able to go out soon, so I did not think anything was going to happen until then.

Haueumm…”

I yawned and lowered my head.

Contrary to expectations, Hermia did not come as time passed, and her sleepiness deepened even more.

“Evelyn.”

Suddenly, Cassius lifted me up. His strong arms wrapped around me and my body instantly floated in the air.

“….!”

Surprised, my body stiffened. I tried to go down, struggling with my legs, though my opponent was Cassius. Rather than reacting to my rebellion, he held on to me even stronger.

“Pl, please let go of me.”

“It’s uncomfortable to sleep in a place like this.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course, I care.”

After replying, he strode over and laid me on the soft bed. Even though it was something to be thankful for, I never felt grateful.

‘…No way.’

I remember reading this situation a few times in the original. Naturally, it was Ophelia and Cassius who were involved in the situation. As a result, well… Let’s just say Ophelia was not very happy.

‘Don’t…!’

It felt like the alcohol in my body was gone. My brain warned me that I had to run away right now, but there was no place to run.

I was totally locked up in this room because of a stupid plan.

Stiffened in fear, I did not move, so with a gentle hand, he took off my shoes and laid them down under the blanket. Then, he pulled up the quilt and covered my neck, and patted it.

‘….?’

I lifted my eyelids to reveal the blunt face of Cassius. It was a difficult face to say that it was burning with passion.

“Sleep well.”

“…How about the Lord?”

I did not hide my vigilance. If he wanted to lie down with me in this bed…

“I can’t sleep.”

Cassius gave a brief reply and stepped back away from me before leaning on the sofa where I was sitting a while ago and he began to eat grapes one by one. It was clear that it was meant to let me know that he had no ill intention, still, was there any way to be reassured?

Nevertheless, there was nothing I could do about the current situation so I forcibly closed my eyes.

How long has it been…?

The long-awaited sleep did not come, except for the sound of the clock ticking. The relaxed atmosphere thanks to the alcohol had long since disappeared, and all my nerves were focused on his every move.

“You can’t fall asleep easily?”

Laying on the bed, I groaned softly. I thought I was doing a good job pretending to be asleep, but it seems that it was not the case.

“Is there a reason?”

“No.”

I shook my head.

“It’s just that I’m feeling awake now that I’m laying down.”

It was an insufficient answer to make Cassius understand.

“Am I bothering you?”

“…It can’t be.”

I barely managed to answer. Of course, this was also an answer that did not convince him as well. He opened his mouth again.

“Obviously, because of me. You can’t rest comfortably.”

“….”

Although I should have responded, I could not think of anything to say. To Cassius, it felt like my mind was as clear as water to him.

“I can’t help it.”

He uttered so as he got up from the sofa. I was startled and stiffened. He came to the bed with four large pillars, before sitting down on the pillars at his feet.

‘What is he trying to do…?’

I immediately got up and sat down, glancing at the nearby vase. In the worst case, I thought I should swing that vase.

However, Cassius’ subsequent words exceeded all my expectations.

“Tie me with this.”

“Yes…?”

I doubted my eyes and ears. What he was holding out to me was a long, dark red string. It looked very sturdy.

“Aren’t you nervous that I might do something to you? If you tie me to this pillar, you wouldn’t have to worry about that. It looks pretty strong, right?.”

“Are you fooling with me?”

At my words, he chuckled.

“I’m not joking.”

“….”

Glancing at the string, on the surface, it looked ordinary. However, if it was an item that Cassius Brudenell had at hand, it would not be an ordinary item.

“What are you thinking about?”

“…Is there even a need for this?”

Half of that was me talking to myself. No matter how much Cassius in the original did to Ophelia, there was no guarantee he would do it to me either.

“I can do more than this if it puts your mind at ease.”

“I, I’ll tie you up.”

I hurriedly approached Cassius.

To be honest, I did not even think to tie him up though if I continued to refuse to do it, it seemed he would do something nonsensical.

…For example, stabbing himself.

He leaned obliquely against the large pillars of the bed and gazed up at me, while sitting on the floor.

“Tie it tightly. Otherwise, it will come loose.”

“….”

I went to work without a word. Gabriel taught me a few knots to use in this case. How to tie someone so they would not get hurt, though they would not be able to get out. Up until that time, even though I had learned these things and thought about using them, I did not think I was going to be using them on Cassius..

“If you feel uncomfortable, let me know.”

As I tied it up, I tried to find a way to make him as uncomfortable as possible. He leaned obliquely on the bed a little away from the pillar and looked up at me. The corners of his lips rose.

“I’m not uncomfortable at all.”

It did not seem like an empty word because he looked really comfortable. On the contrary, it was me who was uncomfortable. My hands trembled the entire time I was tying him, so I could not tie the knot properly. The unavoidable need for physical contact also doubled the tension.

Still, I learned something. I succeeded in tying him up.

‘I only need to finish it up.’

The finish should be done behind his back. Naturally, I wrapped my arms around his back in a half-embracing position with Cassius.

‘…I am nervous.’

I could feel his strong body wriggling under his shirt. The inside of my mouth felt like it was burning by itself. I tried to finish it quickly, but on the contrary, since I was feeling frustrated and rushed for doing something I had not done often, I was doing it slower.

“Evelyn.”

Cassius, who had not said anything during the duration of me tying him up, quietly opened his mouth. I could feel a warm breath near the nape of my neck.

“My heart races to be able to be by your side like this.”

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