Chapter 16

That night, Tiana was irritated.

She was in a lodging facility for prisoners, built near the excavation site of the White Rose Palace.

The prisoners were each assigned individual rooms, but they were so small that only a tiny bed could fit inside. To prevent escape, the only windows were small, high-up ventilation windows. It was an utterly unpleasant environment. The toilet and bath were communal, cramped, and dirty, and they had to clean them themselves. For Tiana, who was once a countess, it was an unbearable humiliation.

Tiana lit a small oil lamp and frowned as she looked at her rough, worn hands. Her once well-manicured nails were now short and ragged. Her hands were covered in small cuts from the excavation work and were rough and dry. What she found most unbearable was the sunburn. Her skin, once as white and smooth as porcelain, was now tanned and dark.

(How could this happen to me...!)

It was just a coincidence.

During the lunch break today, while Tiana was resting in the shade of a tree, she saw a familiar woman in the distance. It turned out to be Olivia, wearing a beautiful dress, with her usual porcelain-white skin, smiling with Cyrius and Alan.

Tiana couldn't bear it. That place should have been hers. Instead, because of Olivia, Tiana was confined in this terrible environment, digging in the dirt.

(I absolutely can't forgive her!)

Feeling furious, Tiana got up from her bed, took the oil lamp, and went outside. However, she was immediately stopped by a guard.

"Number 214, where are you going?"

Hearing "Number 214," Tiana gritted her teeth. Here, they weren't even called by their names; everyone was referred to by the prisoner number on their door. Tiana swallowed her humiliation and lifted her chin.

"I'm just going for a walk. It's fine, right? It's not bedtime yet."

"Get back here quickly."

"I know that!"

Tiana answered sharply and ignored the guard, who seemed to want to say more, as she stepped outside. The wind outside was cool, a welcome relief from the stuffy room with only a small ventilation window.

Tiana went around to the back of the building and sat on the bottom of a stack of logs. Looking up at the night sky, she saw the stars twinkling. She hated life here, but she loved the stars. They were more beautiful than in the capital.

As Tiana sighed and gazed at the sky, she heard rustling nearby, coming from the forest. Thinking it was just a patrolling guard, Tiana didn't pay much attention. But she gasped when a man appeared.

"Wha—"

"Shh!"

The man quickly closed the distance between them and covered Tiana's mouth with his large hand. Tiana's eyes widened as she looked up at the man's face.

In the moonlight, the man appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He was tall and muscular. The skin on his hand was thick and hard. His hair was black, and his eyes were grayish-blue. Tiana didn't recognize him. At least, he wasn't one of the guards who watched over the prisoners.

"If you promise not to make a sound, I'll let go of your mouth."

Tiana nodded rapidly. She thought this man could break her slender neck faster than she could call for the patrolling guards. Besides, if he was a kidnapper and wanted to take her away, it might not be so bad. Being sold somewhere might be better than continuing to dig here. Tiana was pretty, so she was sure she would end up in a good situation.

Tiana thought this was a pretty good plan. At this point, even being bought by a wealthy older man would be fine. If he promised a better life, she would gladly go with him. Maybe a charming gentleman would take a liking to her.

Tiana smiled brightly and extended her hand when the man let go.

"Nice to meet you."

"…What?"

"I said, it's fine to take me with you."

The man furrowed his brow in confusion.

Tiana tilted her head. "Don't you understand? You want to take me, right? I'm pretty, so you can sell me for a good price. Find me a nice person. I'm sure you won't lose out."

"…What are you talking about?"

The man blinked in confusion.

Tiana was annoyed.

"What's wrong? Be a little more flexible!"

"But what—"

"I'm offering to be sold! I was supposed to be a queen! Just take me away from here and sell me to a nice, wealthy person!"

The man finally froze, his face expressionless.

Tiana put her hands on her hips and leaned in, urging him to hurry.

The man was silent, then placed his hand on his chin, deep in thought.

Tiana became impatient. If they lingered, they might be spotted by a patrolling guard. What a slow man. A terrible kidnapper.

Then Tiana had a realization. Maybe the man hadn't noticed her beauty. She was wearing tattered prisoner's clothes, her hair had lost its luster, and her skin was tanned and rough. Maybe he thought she was a poor village girl. That was unacceptable. It was humiliating.

"You might not notice because of my dirty clothes, but I'm the daughter of Count Lemone! I had a long line of suitors in society. Even the crown prince took a liking to me. If I tidy up, I'm sure you'll fall in love with me too!"

"…Do you want to get out of here?"

Finally, the man said, his voice tired.

"Of course! Who would want to be here?"

"I see."

The man nodded and listened carefully to the surroundings.

"Someone is coming soon."

"Just hurry up!"

"From what I can tell, I'm not a kidnapper, and I don't intend to take you away from here."

"Wha—"

Tiana was speechless and slumped to the ground. She had thought she could finally escape, but it was all for nothing. What was this man doing here? Useless.

The man looked down at Tiana and smiled slightly.

"I can't take you away right now, but if you want to escape, I can help you."

"Really?"

Tiana's head snapped up.

The man pressed his index finger to his lips as if sharing a secret.

"There's a secret in this ruin."

Tiana swallowed hard.

Thank you for reading!

Some of you may have noticed from the book jacket, but this work is currently being adapted into a manga by Mag Garden. I will announce more details once they are finalized!

Thank you very much for your support!