So the Duchess Disappeared

15. Something Hot

Casually throwing seductive words felt very light, but it was also in line with the prince’s image. He had spoken with a certain degree of seriousness, but it was unlikely that his true intentions would be conveyed.

Psyche, who took it as a natural joke, hardened her expression and spoke up.

“I… I just wanted to say that I feel like I’ve been given the opportunity to repay the favor you owed me last time.”

“Oh, really? That’s too bad.”

The prince extended his lips in what seemed like disappointment.

Psyche had deliberately kept all the employees out of this.

When she first mentioned confronting the prince, the steward naturally opposed it. However, she couldn’t keep the prince waiting forever, so in the end, it went as Psyche wished.

Hearing talk about divorce or such, she felt extremely relieved that it was just the two of them.

Psyche casually brushed off his words and placed the teacup back in front of her.

“If it’s all the same to you, please don’t talk about divorce, as I have no intention of remarrying the prince.”

Upon hearing this, a faint blush crossed the prince’s face.

“Oh wow. Really? Did you two actually fight? Well, on that day… People were saying that the atmosphere between you two was strange. It’s a relief.”

The prince’s words, attaching ‘it’s a relief’ to someone else’s misfortune, made Psyche laugh wryly.

It wasn’t a lie that their relationship wasn’t good, but hearing it from someone else’s mouth like that wasn’t exactly enjoyable.

She had no room to play along with his playful words. Psyche glanced at the prince’s face and spoke, almost as if testing the waters.

“If I were to make a somewhat unreasonable request, would you be willing to grant it?”

It might have been a somewhat sudden topic.

However, Psyche was secretly pinning her hopes on the day when she ‘saved the prince’s life.’

And just as she expected.

“You saved my life… What could be unreasonable about it? Just say it.”

At his words, Psyche hesitated for a moment.

She couldn’t trust him completely, but there was no other way to escape from this place.

In reality, she didn’t entirely believe that he was the prince.

She had lived with a husband she couldn’t trust in the first place, so she didn’t believe in anyone. That was her state of mind. It was just an attempt to grasp at straws.

Perhaps, rather than the relationship bound by the contract with Clint, a deal with the prince who had saved her life might be more reliable.

She carefully chose her words and cautiously spoke up.

“Please let me out of the Duke’s residence.”

“What?”

The prince showed a surprised expression, not as a joke but with a genuine disbelief. The raised eyebrows conveyed his mood. He simply couldn’t believe it.

“If Your Highness agrees to what I want, then I’ll have to stay in the palace for a while. I’ll need to make sure no one finds out that I’m staying there. I’ll return to my hometown once the rumors of me running away from the Duke’s residence have died down.”

“…”

“I don’t know how long it will take, but I’ll do my best to provide Your Highness with the knowledge I have during the time I stay at the palace.”

If he gives her the lessons she so eagerly wanted, would she be able to hide and escape from the Duke’s residence?

These days, the Duke had a great reputation, but wouldn’t the palace be somewhat safe?

Moreover, if she could stay by the prince’s side and grant his wishes, it seemed like a reasonable deal.

Although she was initially hesitant about the relationship that started as a deal with Clint, right now, this seemed to be the strongest card she could hold.

“…”

Psyche observed the prince’s facial expressions carefully.

The prince, who seemed to take everything lightly just a moment ago, now had a serious face. His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her without blinking.

“What’s the reason?”

His playful demeanor had vanished from his face, and he asked seriously.

However…

“Don’t ask about that.”

Psyche replied firmly, and the prince chuckled dryly.

“That’s right. The important thing is that you won’t talk about it, right? Well, that’s what I like about you. There must be reasons for everything.”

The prince slowly relaxed his expression, nodding.

He leaned back from his posture towards Psyche, clasping his hands behind his head and eventually gave in.

“Okay.”

“Huh?”

“It’s okay. I’ll let you get out. How would you like me to help?”

Psyche was left speechless by his response, as he seemed to accept it too easily.

She hadn’t known if he would actually agree to her proposal; it might have been a gamble on her part.

“What date then? You should leave as soon as possible so the Duke will not find out. Tonight?”

Psyche replied with a determined look and a nod.

“Tonight.”

Upon hearing this, the prince could not help but be surprised.

❖ ❖ ❖

While it may seem that the Prince did nothing outwardly, the position of a prince was indeed significant.

He initially proposed that they should leave together when she was going to escape from the Duke.

He emphasized that it would be the most convenient and straightforward way to leave. However, Psyche did not want to give the impression of leaving together.

She didn’t want to raise questions like, “Why was it complicated with a man?” 

The Duke’s strange relationship with Rachel, Psyche didn’t want to repay in the same way. She also didn’t want to create rumors about her being with the prince without any reason.

She may not have known much about politics or affairs, but she was aware that considering the Duke an enemy would put even the Emperor in a difficult position.

She decided to leave the Duke’s mansion alone in the middle of the night when everyone was asleep.

The prince agreed to this and provided her with a safe escape route. He had already prepared the route, removed the Duke’s knights in advance, and even put Psyche to sleep with a sleep potion that she originally had.

Even though they were knights, Psyche hoped no one would get hurt due to her actions.

Eventually, the night fell.

She made sure that the employees around Marina had taken care of her and entered her room.

“Marina, thank you. You must take care.”

After taking one last look at her cherished room, Psyche turned away.

And thus, the Duke’s wife disappeared.

❖ ❖ ❖

‘…Unbelievable.’

As soon as she left the Duke’s mansion, Psyche looked around while walking quickly. The cool night air wrapped around her like an embrace.

The surroundings of the Duke’s mansion were made into an artificial forest to prevent unauthorized entry from all sides.

The prince had said he would be waiting at the entrance of the forest, making it seem like an easy escape once she reached there.

‘Chilly… It’s so chilly.’

The sense of liberation was only fleeting. Still, the night forest somehow felt eerie and scary.

For no apparent reason, she felt like someone was following her.

“This is strange.”

She muttered to herself, fidgeting alone.

She had made sure no one could follow her. Yet, the feeling of unpleasant eyes fixed on her lingered.

She thought it was just her imagination playing tricks on her.

Nonetheless, an eerie feeling wouldn’t leave her, so she quickened her pace.

Her anxiety seemed to tighten her lower abdomen, and gradually, pain started to surge.

“Ugh…”

A chilling sensation tightened around her neck.

The darkness of the night seemed like it would swallow everything from the top of her head to her toes.

The whole night sky that came into her narrow field of vision intensified her fear.

Anxious, she started to run.

It didn’t take long for her to run out of breath.

“Pant, pant.”

Her breath was almost up to her throat.

The pitch-black forest felt like it was swallowing the sky.

Everything around was dark, and the sharp shadows of the tall trees above constantly invaded her perception, fueling her fear.

As she ran, the shadows of the trees seemed to lengthen, almost as if they were extending their branches to chase her. The eerie forest, resembling a monster, combined with the darkness, intensified her fear.

“Heuk, haha.”

The silence of the forest, along with its stillness, made even the sound of the wind resemble the roar of a storm.

Her senses had become acutely alert.

That’s why a strange noise caught her ear.

Dadadadak, paat.

The urgent sound of someone running.

Someone was chasing her.

‘Someone’s following me!’

Frightened, she changed her footsteps. The feeling of being pursued persisted, and she had to start running again.

It was a desperate, life-threatening sprint.

Due to exhaustion, her legs felt like they might give out, and her vision blurred. She barely managed to regain her composure.

“Haah!”

Her breath sprayed in the cold outside air, obscuring her vision. Yet, she couldn’t afford to be concerned about it.

She kept running without stopping.

“Hyaa! Ha…!”

A short, piercing scream involuntarily escaped her lips.

Her heart raced, and her entire body thumped with it. Nevertheless, she had to keep moving.

“If they catch me, I’ll die!”

The fear that had gripped her chin deep was the only driving force behind her relentless sprint.

Her body was already battered and bruised.

Her mouth was parched, and her throat was dry. She couldn’t feel her feet.

“Heuk, heuk!”

The pitch-black sky turned a shade of yellow.

Yet, she didn’t stop.

She believed she would reach the location where she had promised to meet the prince soon.

That was when it happened.

She felt a sensation of something hot flowing between her legs.