Chapter 55
As the sun set, the lighthouse began to emit its guiding light.
Darcy left my side for a mont while I rested on a bench. When he returned, he was holding a black robe.
"You could have taken
with you."
"...There were other things I needed to take care of."
His vague answer made
wonder if he had just taken a quick bathroom break. Well, I suppose I should let that slide. I nodded and put on the robe.
After that, we began walking toward the lighthouse.
As we walked along the path connected to the bustling streets, it almost felt like a leisurely stroll. The fresh air helped with digestion, making the walk all the more pleasant.
...Although, I was dressed rather ominously and had a gun hidden in my bag—hardly the usual outfit for an outing.
Everything about this place intrigued .
"A lighthouse connected to a prison... How fascinating."
"It’s a secret only the locals know. Outsiders have no idea."
He spoke as if he weren’t an outsider himself.
"So, you're not an outsider?"
"I did my best to fit in."
I chuckled at Darcy’s jest. Regardless, we needed to finish this task and return before morning. Otherwise, my disappearance would make front-page news.
The closer we got to the lighthouse, the clearer the view beca, and the fewer people there were. It was not an easy place to sneak into.
"Going through the lighthouse is impossible."
"Is there another way?"
"There's always an escape route. Sticking to one thod is foolish."
I frowned slightly at his last words. I sensed that he wasn’t just talking about our current situation.
'Is he reflecting on his own life, always planning his escape?'
Darcy seed to have a habit of subtly belittling himself.
'And here I am, having helped him get out of a similar mindset.'
I wasn’t much different when I was stuck at ho, unable to do anything. Our situations weren’t perfectly comparable, but still.
"Darcy."
I stepped in front of him, holding his hand tightly, and called his na. The sound of it made
feel good.
"Don’t think like that."
I mustered all the courage I could to say those words. I looked up into his eyes.
Under the now darkened sky, his silver hair shimred like the Milky Way.
There was a small forest near the lighthouse. Darcy led us into the forest, skillfully finding the cliff connected to it.
There was a ladder secured to the cliff, sturdy enough to support a person. The narrow path, with the sea just below, was dizzying even to look at.
"...."
I thought I had grown used to treacherous paths over the past year, but I was wrong. The sight of the waves crashing against the rocks made my heart shrink.
"Should I go alone?"
Darcy smiled. His expression helped
gather my resolve.
'I want us to be happy together.'
To be honest, I wasn’t sure how much I could help Darcy overco his trauma.
But even uncertainty carries potential. I don’t know if that potential is small or vast.
I grabbed the ladder. Looking at Darcy, I spoke resolutely.
"You’ll catch
if I fall."
Darcy had been the one who genuinely believed in
when no one else did.
I could do this much, at least.
Darcy’s playful deanor shifted to sothing more serious. His silver hair fluttered like petals in a gentle breeze.
His eyes, more delicate than the crescent moon in the sky, were focused on .
"Of course."
That assurance was all I needed.
The path along the cliff led to a cave. The cave, in turn, connected to the underground prison.
At the point where the cave t the prison corridor, there was a door. Next to the door was a ledger of sorts.
It was filled with the nas and cris of the prisoners. Checking today’s date, I found the na "Ethan" with the charge of "unauthorized entry" next to it. The rest of the cris listed were heinous and not worth ntioning.
'I just need to confirm if the boy’s na is Ethan.'
We then entered the corridor.
The dim light was provided by sporadically placed torches.
Strangely, there were no guards patrolling, and the security wasn’t particularly tight.
'Maybe they don’t need many guards here.'
The underground prison was large, but most of the cells were empty.
Perhaps it was because getting onto the island was so difficult. After all, even the emperor had given up on it.
Considering that, the boy must be quite resourceful.
As we walked through the prison, we finally found a cell that was occupied.
"Darcy, here."
Darcy nodded in response, as if he had already noticed.
The boy’s silver hair, which had caught my eye earlier, was now gleaming even in the dim light.
Since we had found him, it was ti to introduce ourselves.
"Hello, Ethan."
The boy, who had been glaring fiercely at , finally spoke.
"How do you know my na?"
So, it was true that he had entered the island without permission. At least he wasn’t a dangerous criminal.
Otherwise, this trip would have been a waste.
"We’re here to get you out."
"If you’re with him, I don’t need your help."
"And who exactly is 'him'?"
I deliberately asked, pretending not to know.
We were still keeping our identities concealed.
"Do you think I’m stupid? It’s Darcy. That magician."
He spoke irritably, referring to Darcy as "that magician."
"I’d rather die than accept help from him."
"That’s extre. It’s not the right choice."
I tried to reason with him, but my words didn’t seem to reach him.
'This rift is deep.'
It wouldn’t be resolved easily.
As I quietly observed Ethan, I noticed a crumpled drawing on the floor of the cell. It looked like a portrait of his family.
"What are you looking at!"
Realizing what I was staring at, Ethan quickly snatched the drawing and hid it in his hand.
I pointed at myself.
"Do you know who I am?"
"..."
Ethan didn’t respond imdiately.
"You seem to be able to see my true self."
I hinted, gauging his reaction. He didn’t deny it, so it seed I was right.
It was ti to introduce myself.
"My na is Marceau Etwar."
"...Marceau Etwar? The one who’s supposedly Darcy’s lover?"
"Unfortunately, that’s not true. Don’t misunderstand."
I almost let my thoughts slip out. I calmly corrected him.
Ethan seed to be well-inford about rumors.
"If you’re not his lover, then what? The newspaper doesn’t lie!"
"That’s just your opinion. Newspapers do create a lot of fiction. We’re..."
I paused to think before continuing.
"We’re friends."
I could feel Darcy’s gaze on the back of my head, but he said nothing. It seed he was willing to let this slide.
I felt a bit disappointed. Maybe I had hoped he would deny that we were just friends.
'...Because I want us to be sothing more.'
"...Friends with that monster?"
I had corrected the misconception about us being lovers, but his hostility remained.
"Is this just so cheap sympathy you’ve picked up from him? Don’t bother."
"If you hadn’t co here, there wouldn’t have been any reason to do this."
"..."
"And there’s another reason I ca here to save you."
I took a deep breath and t Ethan’s gaze.
"I want to make a deal with the magicians."
"...A deal?"
This ti, Ethan didn’t react with hostility. Instead, he looked at
with disbelief.
Ethan had tried to enter the island without permission.
But it wasn’t just for himself. The fact that he treasured the portrait of his family made that clear.
So why did he try to sneak onto the island?
Because he wanted to help the magicians.
He knew Darcy’s true identity and what he had done.
While I didn’t know the extent of it, it was clear that he couldn’t bear the idea of soone like Darcy taking care of them.
'He’s trying to find another way.'
Without any alternatives, cutting off Darcy’s help outright wasn’t an option. This boy was trying everything he could.
Breaking into the island was likely one of those attempts.
eting Ethan face-to-face, I could get a sense of his situation.
It was part of my nature, developed over years of observing and understanding people.
'This quick perception is coming in handy.'
This was an opportunity for .
By returning Ethan to the magicians’ refuge, I could earn their favor.
And I could help Ethan.
But more than those calculated reasons, I simply wanted to help him.
"I want to offer the magicians a new life."
For the first ti, Ethan’s eyes wavered.
"...Don’t pity us."
He repeated, but his voice lacked the strength it had before.
"It’s not pity. It’s a fair deal. I value their skills and abilities. I’m going to use those and magic stones to create magical tools."
"Magical tools?"
"Mystical items created with magic stones."
"I know what they are. But nobles..."
Nobles don’t like magical tools or magicians, for that matter.
The deep frown on his face finished the sentence for him.
I smiled slyly.
"I’m different from other nobles."
Judging by his startled reaction, he must have heard the rumors about
being a villainess. But more important than that were the details about
that had spread along with those rumors.
"If you’ve heard the rumors about , then you must know how wealthy I am."
The wealth of the villainess Marceau Etwar.
In the darkness, I could see his ears perk up, now more visible to .
"I’ll pay for their services with magic stones. And I’ll be generous."
For now, I only spoke of the deal. If I offered to help without any reason, Ethan, who was just beginning to let down his guard, might put his walls back up.
Given how much he already disliked Darcy, sudden, unexplained kindness wouldn’t go over well.
"...Why would you act differently from other nobles?"
His question hinted at his suspicion that it was all because of Darcy. I lifted my chin and answered confidently.
"One reason is enough."
Then I declared proudly,
"Because I am Marceau Etwar."
And that, in itself, was reason enough.
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