The dungeon’s facilities were mediocre. Stone walls and iron bars.
But those only barred ordinary, the shackles that restrained Lorian and his party were enchanted with restraint magic. Given that Lorian or his party members could break through faced with a little internal injury.
But they did not think of breaking the shackles and escaping.
They knew too.
If they were to attempt escape, they would accept death.
In the hands of none other than Hero Cloud.
Death certainly would not be granted to Hero Lorian, but for others, they would face it unconditionally. Cloud’s astute expression they saw that day further backed up the impression.
That was why they had quietly accepted imprisonment.
Although their bodies were sticky because of the dampness, and they couldn’t wash it, and the moldy food, which was worse than not eating at all, and the insects and rats that appear from time to time to eat up their spirits…
It was better than dying.
But that was to it, and discomfort was discomfort.
The nobles who had never been treated like this in their lives, as well as Lorian’s party members, were distraught and dissatisfied.
And ironically, their dissatisfaction was directed at Lorian, not Cloud.
He was the reason they were half-forced to follow the plan, and he was also the cause of the plan’s failure.
Of course, since Lorian was both a Hero and the prince of the Kingdom of Carta, he had no one openly expressing the dissatisfaction.
They just swept him with disapproving looks or didn’t look around to meet his gaze.
It was a really minor act of repulsion, but it was enough to set the uncomfortable air flowing in the narrow dungeon thick.
‘Not good.’
Of course, Lorian also noticed. And just as he chided his mind to come up with some salvaging assistance.
“How are you all?”
With the steady sound of footsteps, Cloud appeared in the hallway.
“From the looks on your face, you don’t seem to be getting along well.”
He looked around the bars and smiled. Lorian frowned at that.
“Do you come to mock me, Cloud?”
“No. To get you out, Lorian.”
Cloud pulled out a bushel of keys. The eyes of the nobles changed at the sound of the keychain jingling. One by one, they started putting their faces to the bars.
“Did the families send the ransom money already?”
Cloud shook his head in denial toward the anticipation on their faces.
“Haven’t received a reply yet, let alone the ransom. And I’m not here to get you all out.”
“…then?”
Cloud opened the iron grate of Lorian’s cell in exchange for an answer. ‘Ah’ and sighs were heard from various cells.
Watching Cloud release him from shackles, Lorian frowned.
“What is your intention?”
“What do you mean?”
“There is no reason for you to release me obediently. Unless you have some ulterior motive.”
“Don’t be joking, Lorian. I’m just catching up with the burden of keeping a kingdom’s royalty locked up.”
After loosening Lorian’s shackles, he immediately released Laurenne’s. Lorian’s other colleagues, including the candidate saintess, weren’t released. Same for the other nobles.
Lorian considered them and said.
“I want the others to be released too.”
“No. You and Lorraine are royalty, so we let you go. Just because you’re becoming free, don’t forget what you did.”
“…Then I will stay here as well. I shall not go out alone.”
Lorian tried to jostle back into the cell.
Cloud grabbed him by the crook of his arm.
“It looks like you’ve misunderstood something, this isn’t an invitation of goodwill.”
“…”
“Follow me.”
Before being pushed back by Cloud, Lorian turned his head and looked ahead. He never looked for the eyes fixed on him and on Lorraine.
* * *
“Do I really have to do this?”
A room in an ordinary inn that could be found anywhere in the city.
Lorraine grumbled, wiping her freshly washed, damp hair with a cloth.
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t pretend. There’s no way a serpent like you wouldn’t have noticed the atmosphere.”
Lorraine glared at him.
Cloud laughed and slipped behind her.
He pried away the cloth and began wiping her hair instead.
“Hey! What are you doing!”
“Stay still. It’s harder to clean if you move.”
“Aww..! Ha, don’t!”
Lorraine waved her hand at him with a flushed face, but she didn’t go through. Cloud skillfully avoided her. In the end, she got tired first and had no choice but to give up.
“What is this really…”
As she pouted and grunted, Cloud opened his mouth.
“I had to, Lorraine. I had to. To make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
“…wasn’t there another way?”
“Was. But I don’t want it to end with homicide.”
In a calm tone, he replied. Lorraine, slightly appalled, looked behind her. Cloud smiled as if asking what.
“Come to think of it, is there anything you haven’t answered yet?”
“What… what…”
“Don’t pretend you forgot. You are not stupid.”
Cloud stroked her brown hair. Lorraine hesitated with her mouth shut, then looked at him and replied.
“I… can’t betray my brother.”
“Is that your answer?”
Lorraine gave him a small nod.
“Yeah, well… Let’s say that’s the case for now.”
Cloud cupped her cheek and kissed her on the lips. After sharing a long kiss, he met her eyes.
“There is still plenty of time.”
Cloud kissed her again and began untying the laces of her dress.
Lorraine did not oppose.
* * *
A mountain range near Lupus.
There, on a cliff, a young man was watching Lupus and the encamped army, sprawling on the open meadows off the city.
“As rumored, it is very precarious. Is Cloud hyung still here?”
Without him, there was no point in coming here.
As the young man was mulling, he heard his colleague’s voice call from behind.
– Mars, what are you doing there? Hurry up, we gotta go!
“Huh? When did you get there? Wait for me!”
The young man, Mars, sprinted toward his teammates.
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