With an awkward step back, the knights yielded, unveiling Hazel and Carmen. Carmen tapped her fan on her palm, gracefully stepping aside to allow Hazel to approach.
“I wondered if what the servants were gossiping about was true, and here you are,” Hazel muttered, her eyes sweeping over Elena from face to toes in contemplation.
Elena, regretting her decision to open the door, felt a sense of unease. Encountering Hazel was unwelcome, and the discomfort lingered. Why has this person sought her out again?
“Why have you come?” Elena queried.
“I have something to say,” came the response.
“To me?”
“Yes.”
Hazel attempted to step into the room, but her path was promptly obstructed by an elderly knight.
“What are you doing? I explicitly stated that only Cura is allowed to enter and leave this room under His Grace’s orders,” the knight asserted.
“I mentioned it too. I am His Grace’s approved fiancée,” Hazel retorted.
“Even so, it is not allowed.”
“Are you trying to prevent me, recognized by His Grace himself, from entering now? Just to enter this room?”
“It is His Grace’s command. His orders take precedence for us, no matter what.”
“His Grace’s orders take precedence over His Majesty’s?”
“For us, yes.”
“He would be displeased if he heard this.” Hazel frowned slightly, and though her expression appeared unchanged at first glance, Elena could sense her profound frustration.
“Well…” Elena sighed inwardly, fixing her gaze on the elderly knight. At her call, the knight glared at Hazel with a stern face before turning away.”We’ll talk here. So please step back a bit.”
“Lady Elena!”
“If I’m visible to the knights, it should be fine, right? I won’t move from here.”
After exchanging glances at Elena’s request, the knights reluctantly shrugged their shoulders.
Carmen distanced herself slightly, and the knights dutifully followed her. With the space confirmed, Hazel directed her attention towards Elena, gradually closing the gap, one step at a time. Her progress ceased only when the luxurious hem of her dress brushed against Elena’s impeccably arranged attire.
“It’s absurd. Even those who didn’t flinch when His Majesty was mentioned moved at your words,” Hazel remarked, standing taller than usual, her chin lifted with determination. She peered at Elena through lowered eyelids, offering a smile that failed to reach her eyes.
“Why are you suddenly locked up?”
Elena maintained silence in the face of Hazel’s inquiry. How could she convey the reason for her confinement—her longing to depart the castle and visit the village? There was no straightforward explanation for why such a desire would warrant her confinement, and she grappled with the ambiguity of Kennard’s words about having her exclusively, despite her not being a slave or servant.
“You won’t say anything?”
“I have nothing to say.”
Hazel arched one eyebrow, scrutinizing Elena. “So, how long do you plan to stay locked up?”
“I don’t know.” If only she knew, the confinement wouldn’t be as frustrating.
“I was considering making you my companion and teaching you noble etiquette. But at this rate, it seems like there’s nothing I can do.”
Elena delicately chewed on the soft flesh in her mouth. Even if she were to leave this place, she had no intention of becoming Hazel’s companion or undergoing noble etiquette lessons. What she craved was time to herself, free from companions and the constraints of etiquette.
“Shall I assist you?”
“No, as I mentioned before, I cannot be your companion, and I have no intention of learning noble etiquette.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Hazel burst into laughter as Elena rejected her proposal with a sideways tilt of her head. Leaning closer, Hazel’s face hovered near Elena’s.
“So, you mentioned leaving the castle and already made the request?”
Elena reclined her head, studying Hazel’s profile. She had inquired about the reason for her confinement as soon as she discovered it.
“If it were me, I could assist you.”
“What…”
“Meaning, even tonight, I could discreetly transport you to a place where His Grace’s influence won’t reach,” Hazel whispered with a saintly, compassionate smile, close to Elena’s ear.
For a fleeting moment, Elena entertained the idea that accepting Hazel’s offer might grant her the freedom to escape the confines of the castle. Perhaps she could put enough distance between herself and Kennard before he realized she was gone.
But can it genuinely be done? Without anyone noticing, especially without His Grace becoming aware? If it were feasible, she would have already put such a plan into action.
Her doubts were mirrored by Hazel’s next words.
“Consider this—what if you suddenly vanish? What if those knights meet their demise at the hands of His Grace because they failed in their duty to protect you?”
Hazel gestured subtly toward the knights standing in the background. Elena silently scrutinized the knights, just as Hazel had suggested. It turned out Hazel’s observation held merit.
“But it’s not as if there’s absolutely no solution.”
