I Helped The Imprisoned Male Lead And He Became Obsessed - Chapter 67

It was Emilian.

He rode swiftly across the forest clearing on his black horse, heading directly for the campsite.

It appeared he had bested the Crown Prince in their duel and succeeded in hunting the Caligos.

This much aligned with the events of the novel. However—

Emilian passed right by Serena.

Instead, he stopped in front of me.

The murmurs of the surrounding nobles grew louder, their curiosity and astonishment palpable. I, too, was caught off guard, blinking in confusion.

Yet Emilian seemed entirely indifferent to the stares and whispers around him.

“Sir Leonard, bring it here,” he said, his voice calm but commanding.

“Yes, my lord,” Leonard replied, stepping forward with a velvet cushion trimmed in gold embroidery. Resting atop the soft fabric was the massive horn of the Caligos.

“The horn of the Caligos is said to be an excellent research material,” Emilian said, his crimson eyes fixed on mine.

“I hope this gift pleases you.”

I stared at the offering, feeling a mix of surprise and bewilderment.

If Emilian didn’t present his game to Serena, I thought there would be no one else he’d give it to. But now…

Why are you giving this to me, Emilian?

Was it because I had come to the festival at the Crown Prince’s request? Did that somehow affect his decision?

The heat of curious stares burned around me, and whispers buzzed like static in my ears.

“Who is that lady? I’ve never seen her before.”

“Isn’t she the one who escaped the Transcendents’ Institute with the Duke? Her name was… Anise, wasn’t it?”

“I heard she’s a researcher at the Imperial Research Institute.”

The nobles’ eyes sparkled with intrigue as they glanced my way. Among them, I noticed Serena.

Our gazes met, and her face turned pale. Her tightly pressed lips trembled as though she were struggling to keep her composure.

She clutched the hem of her dress tightly before abruptly turning away and retreating toward her tent.

Seeing the wounded look on her face made my throat tighten, as though a thorn had lodged there. It felt as if I had stolen the place that rightfully belonged to her.

“Anise,” Emilian called, breaking me from my spiraling thoughts.

I quickly bowed my head slightly and replied, “Thank you for the gift, Your Grace. I will accept it with gratitude.”

Emilian’s expression faltered for a moment, a flicker of disappointment crossing his gaze.

“There’s no need to be so formal,” he said, his tone soft but tinged with a hint of reproach.

However, with so many eyes watching, I couldn’t risk being overly familiar. Emilian was now a noble duke, one of the most prestigious in the Empire.

He seemed to understand, as he didn’t press further.

Just then, the long, resonant sound of a horn rang twice, signaling the end of the hunting festival.

The remaining participants began to return to the campsite. Among them was Crown Prince Lucas, riding triumphantly into the clearing.

He had successfully hunted a Keraton and a Dullahan. Though both were formidable beasts, their threat levels were lower than the Caligos.

Even so, the spectacle of his return commanded as much awe as one might expect from the Crown Prince.

The noblewomen fluttered their fans delicately, maintaining an air of grace, but their sharp eyes were fixed on the Crown Prince.

As a royal of the highest standing, whoever Lucas chose to present his game to might very well become the future Crown Princess.

Unbothered by the weight of countless gazes, Lucas strode forward confidently.

It seemed he was heading toward Serena’s tent—but then, unexpectedly, he passed it by.

Instead, he made his way in my direction.

I blinked rapidly, stunned and incredulous.

Surely not… no, this can’t be happening.

But my denial was shattered when Lucas stopped directly in front of me.

His lieutenant stepped forward and opened the lid of a box, revealing the spoils inside.

“Miss Anise,” Lucas said with a warm smile, “this is my gift to you.”

Caught off guard, I could only stare at him as he continued, “I’d planned on giving you something better, but unfortunately, someone snatched my prize from me.”

He cast a wistful glance at the Caligos horn that Emilian had presented earlier, his disappointment evident.

Still, he quickly recovered, flashing his signature easygoing smile.

“But then, the more gifts, the better, don’t you think? It would make me happy if you would accept mine as well.”

The unexpected turn of events sent a ripple of murmurs through the surrounding nobles, their voices buzzing with curiosity.

What on earth is going on…

I couldn’t fathom why the Crown Prince would offer me his spoils. Then a possibility struck me like lightning.

Could it be because Emilian gave his prize to me?

In the novel, Lucas and Emilian compete over Serena.

But this time, Emilian had chosen to give his game to me instead. Perhaps that had shifted the dynamic, influencing Lucas to act this way.

With mixed emotions, I accepted the Crown Prince’s gift.

Before I could process the situation further, a loud, magically amplified voice rang out across the campsite.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you an announcement! The scores have just been tallied.”

A court mage’s booming voice declared the results of the hunting festival.

As expected, Emilian was named the winner. His name was followed by Lucas’s, securing second place.

After announcing the top scorers, the mage continued,

“And the honorary winner of the hunting festival is… Miss Anise of the Imperial Research Institute!”

The campsite erupted with chatter as the unexpected announcement spread through the crowd.

Hearing this, Lucas grinned broadly and turned to me, saying with a playful gleam in his eyes,

“Well, looks like you’ve stolen the spotlight today, Miss Anise.”

“Congratulations, Miss Anise. Would it be fair to say I had a small part in your victory?” Lucas said with a playful grin.

“What a joke. With the Caligos alone, you certainly can’t claim any credit, Your Highness,” Emilian interjected smoothly, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly as he approached.

Leaving the congratulating nobles behind, Emilian joined us, his tone polite but laced with an undeniable edge.

Then, with a calm but firm gesture, he gently pulled me closer by the shoulder.

“Next time, I’d prefer it if Your Highness refrained from coveting what’s mine,” Emilian said, his voice light but sharp enough to carry a warning.

“Hmm, I’m not so sure. It’s still unclear whether it’s yours at all,” Lucas replied with his usual breezy smile, though a teasing glint flickered in his green eyes.

Emilian’s crimson gaze darkened, a chill settling in their depths, but his expression remained composed. After a moment, he smiled faintly and responded,

“It will be clear soon enough, so don’t worry yourself, Your Highness.”

Without waiting for a reply, Emilian turned to me and said, “Let’s go, Anise,” before taking my hand firmly in his.

His grip tightened slightly, as though he feared I might slip away if he let go.

***

After the hunting festival, the Empire’s social circles were abuzz with rumors.

Word spread like wildfire: both the Crown Prince and Duke Bernstein, a war hero, had shown favor toward a commoner woman at the same time.

Tea parties, salons, and balls—every gathering became a stage for this scandalous topic.

“Do you think His Highness truly has feelings for that young woman?”

“Surely not. Even if she’s a researcher from the Imperial Institute, at the end of the day, she’s just a commoner. I doubt His Highness is taking her seriously.”

Many nobles dismissed the Crown Prince’s actions as a fleeting curiosity or youthful whimsy. His reputation for being affable and never turning away admirers only reinforced this view.

“And what about the Duke? They say he’s known her since childhood.”
“Unlike His Highness, the Duke might actually be serious. I heard they even traveled to Kelburn together recently.”

These whispers lingered in Serena’s mind, replaying like an unwelcome echo. She’d overheard them from nobles who had visited the temple, speaking casually before a prayer session.

Whether the Crown Prince saw Anise as a passing fancy or something more serious didn’t matter to Serena. If anything, it worked in her favor.

But Emilian?

No. He must not feel that way.

At the hunting festival, Emilian had given his game to Anise. Not just any game, but the very prize Serena had desired so desperately.

Serena hadn’t cared about the festival’s winner or the accolades. All she had wanted was a small piece of affection from Emilian—a token that he thought of her.

Her lips trembled as she bit down hard.

It stung. What she longed for so deeply, what she could never have, was handed so effortlessly to another woman.

What did she give him?

Why? Why is he so kind to her but not to me?

The questions churned in her mind like an endless storm, yielding no answers. Lost in thought, Serena found herself at the entrance to the underground prison.

This was her third time treating Dietrich, the Transcendent from the Kingdom of Malta.

She wasn’t in the mood to be here, her head too full of frustrations, but the Emperor’s orders were absolute.

As Serena tended to Dietrich with the practiced ease of familiarity, an unexpected question broke the silence.

“Saint Serena, did something bad happen to you?”

“What?” she asked, startled.

“I don’t know. It’s just—you’re frowning. Kinda ruins that pretty face of yours,” Dietrich said, grinning, his eyes alight with curiosity.

Serena didn’t respond, but her silence was all the confirmation Dietrich needed.

“Ah, so something did happen,” he said, his grin widening as he leaned in slightly.

His voice took on a teasing edge. “If you want, I can listen!”

“No, thank you.”

“Oh, come on, don’t be like that. I’m stuck in this godforsaken cell all day, and you’re the only person who ever visits me. If you don’t talk to me, I swear I’m going to die of boredom.”

“…”

Dietrich’s words carried a grumbling undertone, but whether he was joking or genuinely despairing was hard to tell.

Serena glanced at him, a man destined to remain trapped in this dim and dreary prison.

She didn’t pity him. If anything, she pitied herself—for being so utterly invisible to the man she loved.

Perhaps that’s why, in that moment, she decided to confide in Dietrich.

When she finished, Dietrich leaned back with a dramatic sigh and said,

“Wow. Of all the things I thought I’d hear in this hellhole, ‘relationship advice’ wasn’t on the list. Guess I really have lived to see it all.”

“…”

Serena furrowed her brow in irritation.

So, after prying into someone else’s troubles, he doesn’t even plan to take it seriously?

She glanced at the guard stationed outside the iron bars, noting that his attention was elsewhere. Without hesitation, she grabbed Dietrich by the collar.

“If you dare spread a word of what I just said, you’re dead,” she hissed.

“Well, well, Saint Serena. Are you kidding me?” Dietrich replied, unflinching. “Even if I wanted to gossip, how could I? Look at me.”

He gave his chained arms a small shake, and the clinking of metal filled the air.

Her grip on his collar loosened slightly as her irritation flared again.

What a frustrating man.

When she finally let go completely, Dietrich grinned mischievously, as if her anger amused him. He took on an exaggeratedly casual tone and continued,

“So, the guy you like has fallen for another woman, huh?”

“…”

“If that’s the case, there’s no need to stress about it. The solution’s simple.”

His sudden confidence drew Serena’s reluctant curiosity.

“Oh, really? And what brilliant idea do you have?” she asked, her tone sharp but laced with mild intrigue.

Dietrich nodded with the enthusiasm of someone about to deliver a groundbreaking revelation.

“Of course,” he said, his expression disarmingly innocent, like a boy sharing a harmless secret.

“You just get rid of that Anise girl.”

The words hung in the air like a chilling gust, utterly at odds with his youthful demeanor.