The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 134

Chapter 134. The Night the Black Moon Rises (4)

“Emilia!”

“Damian? Gasp!”

The moment she recognized his face, she covered her mouth with one hand.

“I came to rescue you.”

“How did you get all the way here?”

As Damian knelt in front of her, the two of them clasped each other’s hands. Emilia glanced toward the door with a worried expression.

“You don’t need to worry. I asked Duke Dalton for help and was sent here as a special inspector.”

Damian spoke as if he knew what she was thinking.

“Count Asher became a duke?”

“Yes.”

He told Emilia that the condolence delegation had been detained in the Kingdom of Billiot, that Asher had received the title of duke, and that he had become Minister of State.

“H-how is His Majesty the Emperor doing?”

After confirming that Damian was safe, she asked about Louid’s condition. He would have become Emperor by now.

“He’s doing well. But….”

Damian’s expression darkened. Before leaving for Peric Island, he had heard from his colleague Leon that the Crown Prince had been acting a little strange. Leon was Asher’s closest aide and knew details about the imperial family that others did not.

“But?” Emilia asked, her eyes widening. Concern, fear, and relief were all mixed in her pale blue gaze.

“Ah, it’s nothing. His Majesty is fine. What about you? Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Damian trailed off and changed the subject to her health. He didn’t want to worry Emilia, who was already worn down from being in such a harsh place. Although she wanted to know more about Louid, Emilia didn’t ask further.

“Yes, I’m fine. What about you?”

“That’s a relief. I’m fine too.”

The two continued talking in low voices while holding each other’s hands. In the freezing space, cold like ice, the only warmth came from their body heat. Damian resented himself for not coming to rescue Emilia sooner.

“Emilia, listen carefully. I’ll stay here in your place, so you just do exactly as I tell you.”

“What do you mean? No. That’s treason.”

Emilia’s eyes widened even more.

‘He’s saying he’ll send me out and stay here instead?’

That couldn’t be allowed. She had dreamed of escaping, but she didn’t want to involve Damian. Even if the plan succeeded, it would eventually be discovered, and both of them would be executed. Perhaps even Asher, who sent him here as an inspector, would be put in danger.

“There’s a way to escape safely without getting caught. I can leave the tower.”

“How could you possibly escape from here?”

Peric Prison was a place that held the worst criminals. She’d heard that no one had ever successfully escaped. She had spent days and nights staring at the frozen sea, thinking of ways to escape, but no matter how she thought about it, there seemed to be no way out.

Wasn’t the reason the guards only checked if she was alive without opening the door because if they opened it, the prisoners might try to kill them and escape? There was simply no other way out.

“You’ll leave first, and I’ll escape on the night when the black moon rises. That’s when the sea freezes.”

Gasp, so it was real.

Emilia was shocked by Damian’s words. It seemed her suspicion that the sea was freezing had been true.

“Is it really true that the sea freezes? Are you certain?”

“Yes. I looked into it a lot. I read books and asked around. The black moon will rise soon. That day, we’ll fake your death and you’ll escape. That night will be so dark you won’t be able to see anything, and I’ll walk across the sea to escape.”

“What if the sea isn’t frozen all the way to land?”

The ice could melt along the way, and there could be holes. No matter how much the sea froze, she couldn’t help but worry.

“I’m a good swimmer, so don’t worry. I’ll walk as far as I can and swim the rest of the way to land,” Damian replied with a grin, seeing her overwhelmed with worry and fear.

Is that even possible?

His words sounded like a heroic tale from a legend, and Emilia tilted her head. More than that, she was worried about how he would get out of here.

“Gasp, Damian!”

While she was still unable to shake her doubts, Damian slipped through the narrow window and disappeared in an instant.

‘What just happened?’

Startled, she rushed to the window and looked down the cliff. The dark cliff below was terrifying and dizzying enough to make her legs tremble. But Damian was nowhere to be seen. Only the sound of the partially frozen seawater lightly striking the cliff echoed faintly.

“Where did you go? Damian?”

She called out in a small voice. She couldn’t raise her voice, which made it even more frustrating.

“I’m up here.”

At that moment, his voice came from above. Damian had climbed to the top of the tower.

“Gasp, it’s dangerous. Come down.”

“Alright. Haha.”

As she stepped away from the window, Damian soon climbed back inside.

“How did you do that?”

His movements were quick and agile, as if he had done it many times before.

“The roof is right above. It’s narrow, but it’s flat enough for a person to stand, and there’s a staircase connected at the center of the floor, so you can just walk down.”

“Really? But I’d never be able to climb up.”

Since she couldn’t see above, she had never imagined that the very top was right there. Even so, the thought of climbing the wall with bare hands made her knees go weak.

“Haha. Just trust your older brother. You saw it just now. I can do it.”

Damian said with a proud expression. According to Duke Berthe, Damian was actually the younger sibling, but she decided to tell him that later. In truth, his bold and fearless personality made him seem like an older brother.

“Alright, I trust you. This is just my guess, but I think you resemble Father.”

Dennis, their father, had died in battle against the Kingdom of Billiot, but she’d heard he was so brave and skilled in combat that he even saved the late Emperor when he was in danger. She had never seen him, but Damian surely took after him.

“You must resemble Mother. I heard from Simon that she was beautiful and bright,” Damian whispered, looking at her with moist blue eyes.

“Mm, she must have been kind and beautiful. But no matter how capable you are, be careful. It’s a deep sea below.”

Emilia warned him once more. Even though he had just succeeded, he could still make a mistake, and she couldn’t help but worry. A single misstep could cost him his life, so he had to be careful again and again.

“I practiced a lot climbing high places before coming here, so don’t worry.”

In fact, not only was he skilled at climbing walls, but after witnessing Emilia fall into the river at the grand ducal estate, he had also trained hard in swimming.

“When I was locked in the tower at the ducal estate, I used to climb up to the roof at night and go down the stairs. The door was locked, so I’d come back up again. I could’ve gone down below the window too. If I wanted to, I could’ve left the tower, but I chose not to.”

“Really?”

She was startled by Damian’s words. The tower at the ducal estate was much taller than this place. He had been doing something she had never even tried.

“Simon thought I was just weak, but that was something I pretended. Whenever he came, I’d always be lying in bed without strength. If I had known my sibling was locked in another tower, I would’ve climbed up in secret and suggested we escape together.”

“I see.”

If what Damian said had actually come true, she might not have met Louid, but she might have been living somewhere happily with Damian by now. Even if they were poor, it wouldn’t have mattered. A life in captivity and a life without it could never be compared. Emilia’s expression grew distant.

“Right, but who would know if I escape?”

Her face darkened with another worry. The more people involved, the more danger and harm would come to them.

“No one will know. Only we will.”

Damian said with certainty. He hadn’t told Asher anything because he didn’t want to put him in danger. He planned to get Emilia out entirely on his own.

“I see. Thank you so much for coming to save me, Damian.”

Damian explained that he had come under orders from Duke Dalton as a special inspector, that today was his departure day, that half the guards had gone to the mainland for rotation, and that the warden had ordered no one to disturb him.

“The warden?”

On the day she first arrived at Peric Prison, she had met the large-built warden. She hadn’t seen him since, but if he saw her again, he might recognize her face.

“He’s probably sleeping soundly by now. I gave him strong wine.”

“That’s a relief.”

It seemed the guards were at a rotation period. Last month the assigned guard had changed, but she didn’t know what would happen this time. The current guard only asked a question and left, but about once a week, they would open the door to check. Emilia explained this in detail to Damian.

“There’s a guard room on the first floor. If you put the key on the desk and go outside, there are stairs leading down the cliff. There should be a boat waiting at a small dock.”

“Got it.”

Damian also explained in detail how to get to the mainland. He had come on a small private boat run by a boatman from Peric Harbor. The boat was scheduled to return this evening, and he had already paid the fare in advance. Since the weather was good today, the boat would likely have already arrived.

“Pull your hood low and don’t say anything except greetings.”

Even while coming here, he had spoken only when necessary.

“Okay.”

“If the boat doesn’t come even after you wait, come back here.”

If the boat didn’t arrive, she would have to make an excuse, stay on Peric Island longer, and try again another day.

“Alright.

“Let’s change clothes now.”

“Okay.”

The two quickly changed their clothes.