I Helped The Imprisoned Male Lead And He Became Obsessed - Chapter 77

Only a handful of people in the imperial palace knew that Anise had vanished—Dr. Hermann, Theo, and a few researchers who worked closely with her. Even among the researchers, not all were aware.

So how could Serena, a priestess from the temple, possibly know?

Emilian clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging on the backs of his hands.

“You’ve been confined here under suspicion of aiding Dietrich’s escape. So tell me, how could you know that Anise is missing?”

His voice dropped to a menacing low, thick with restrained anger. His crimson eyes, now icy with fury, bore into her.

It was clear that her earlier slip had sparked his suspicion.

Serena’s hands trembled uncontrollably, and she clasped them together to steady herself. She had to say something—anything—to salvage this situation.

“I… I overheard the maids talking,” she stammered. “That’s all. It was just gossip.”

“You expect me to believe that?” Emilian growled, his tone razor-sharp.

If she failed to explain herself convincingly, his suspicion would only deepen. But she couldn’t—wouldn’t—admit the truth.

“I’m not lying,” Serena insisted, her voice growing steadier despite her turmoil. “The maid who brings me my meals told me what’s happening outside. If you don’t believe me, call her and ask yourself.”

Even if she sounded brazen, she had no choice. Emilian could never know what she had done that day.

But Emilian’s piercing gaze only grew colder as he stared at her.

To him, Serena had been a comrade. Someone he had trusted during the war they fought together in the northern territories. Yet now, her actions reeked of betrayal.

Dietrich’s escape had already struck him as strange. Serena’s involvement made no sense—until now.

The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, and with it, her intentions became painfully clear.

Locking eyes with her quivering golden gaze, Emilian spoke with deliberate precision,

“Serena. You knew from the beginning that Anise planned to leave the palace.”

“That’s not true! I didn’t know!”

“Stop making excuses,” he snapped, his fury finally spilling over.

His eyes burned like those of a feral beast, glowing crimson with intensity.

Serena flinched under his glare. For the first time, his gaze was filled with nothing but anger—pure and scathing.

It cut her deeply, as if a blade had pierced her chest. Emilian had always been distant, but never had he looked at her like this before.

“Did you use Dietrich to stop me from going after Anise?” His voice was cold and unrelenting.

“I… I…” Serena stammered, her trembling eyes betraying her guilt.

She continued to deny it, but her words sounded hollow to Emilian.

“At the very least, I thought of you as a comrade. We endured three years of war together in the north. But you…”

Emilian trailed off, his silence sharper than any accusation.

That silence crushed her, suffocating her in ways no words could.

“I hope I never have to see your face again,” he said finally, his voice devoid of emotion.

“…!”

Serena’s eyes widened in shock, disbelief flooding through her.

This wasn’t what she had wanted. All she had wished for was a piece of his heart.

As Emilian turned to leave, Serena instinctively reached out, her voice breaking.

“Don’t go, Emilian! I… I was wrong! Please, I’ll make it right!”

Her tearful plea broke the heavy silence, but the moment her hand touched him, Emilian coldly struck it away.

His expression twisted with disdain as he gritted his teeth.

“Be grateful I’m not wringing your neck right now,” he growled.

“…!”

The savage tone pierced Serena like a blade. Her trembling hand, which had clutched at the hem of his cloak, fell limply to her side.

Emilian turned his back on her without hesitation, his movements sharp and unyielding. As he walked away, putting more distance between them, she couldn’t summon the courage to stop him.

Her strength drained away, and she collapsed to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.

It was over.

She wondered, briefly, if she should have let him pursue Anise that day.

If she hadn’t interfered, he might have continued to see her as a comrade, at least.

Hot tears streamed down her cheeks.

But no—such thoughts were meaningless. She hadn’t wanted his friendship.

In the end, her love for him had led her to ruin.

Serena buried her face in her trembling hands, her sobs breaking the heavy silence of the room.

“…Hhic…”

If only she hadn’t fallen for him, perhaps she could have avoided this fate.

If only she could have stopped her heart, she would have done so countless times.

But there was no going back now.

Serena cried until the tears stopped flowing, her voice hoarse and her body spent.

It was the end of her twisted, unrequited love.

***

“Have you found Anise?”

Emilian asked the question the moment he entered the office, addressing Leonard without a preamble.

Since Anise’s trail had gone cold in Laghtia, Emilian’s subordinates had been scouring every possible lead to locate her.

But with no significant progress so far, Leonard hesitated, carefully watching his superior’s expression as he gave his report.

“Due to the bridge repairs at the time, many merchants were stranded in Laghtia for days. Because of that, there were numerous carriages leaving the city on the same day. It’s taking longer to investigate each one.”

Emilian listened quietly before speaking in a tone as sharp as steel.

“Two days.”

“Pardon?”

“You have two days. If you don’t find a lead by then, prepare your resignation.”

“Wh-what?”

Two days? The demand was absurdly unrealistic, and Leonard blinked in disbelief.

Surely he doesn’t mean that… does he? Leonard thought, unable to voice his objection as he stared at Emilian.

But Emilian’s icy gaze left no room for doubt.

“Does it sound like a joke?” he asked coldly.

“N-no, sir. I… may already feel like a zombie after five days of only two hours of sleep per night, but I’ll find her, no matter what!”

With a resolute bow, Leonard rushed to comply, though inwardly he fought back a surge of self-pity.

I’ve served him faithfully since he was thirteen, but does he have to be so ruthless?

Of course, Leonard reminded himself, his service had been rewarded with rapid promotions, and his future prospects were bright. Quitting wasn’t an option. Still, every day felt like walking on thin ice.

Suppressing a sigh, Leonard glanced at Emilian as the man strode past him.

Sigh. He looks composed, but he’s probably in shambles inside.

Though Emilian had entrusted the search to his subordinates, he was still personally involved, relentlessly pursuing Anise’s trail.

Like his men, he skipped meals and barely slept, his every waking moment consumed by the search.

Anise, please, at least leave us a strand of hair to follow. Otherwise, Emilian’s going to work himself to death… Leonard thought with a weary grimace as he hurried off to continue the investigation.

***

I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my sleeve and straightened my back.

Phew, this is exhausting.

Today, I had spent the entire day tirelessly sweeping and scrubbing every corner of the dusty house.

Thanks to my efforts, the first-floor cleaning was nearly complete.

Fueled by my eagerness to open the apothecary, I barely noticed the fatigue as I worked.

I walked down the now-clean hallway and opened the door to the last room at the end.

Like the others, this room was riddled with cobwebs hanging from the ceiling.

I swung my broom, clearing the webs. A startled spider, its home suddenly destroyed, scurried away in a panic.

I felt a twinge of guilt for evicting it from its cozy nest, but cleanliness was non-negotiable for an apothecary.

After finishing the last room, I wiped the sweat from my brow and took in the sight.

It wasn’t perfect, but the space now looked presentable after all my hard work.

One thing still bothered me: one of the windows was broken. Unfortunately, it was too late to call someone to repair it.

Nothing I can do about it now. I’ll have to call someone first thing in the morning.

The darkening sky was beginning to fill with stars.

As I approached the broken window, the curtains fluttered in the evening breeze.

Reaching out to draw them closed as a temporary fix, I froze at the faint sound of movement from the bushes near the window.

My shoulders instinctively tensed as I glanced toward the source of the noise.

Something just moved out there…

A wild animal, perhaps? Or…

I recalled something the innkeeper had mentioned when I bought the house.

“Anything in particular I should watch out for?”

“Hmm, not really… Oh, except for the stray cats that wander around sometimes.”

“Stray cats?”

“Yeah. They’re a bit aggressive, but they won’t cause you much trouble.”

It was too dark to see clearly, but maybe it had been one of those stray cats.

If that’s all it was, then good.

Still uneasy, I stared at the shadowy forest for a while before turning back inside.

Come to think of it, I haven’t had dinner yet.

I rummaged through my enchanted bag and pulled out some food.

Inside were fresh bread and fruit I had purchased at the village market yesterday.

Slicing the soft white bread and pairing it with the fruit, I enjoyed a simple but satisfying meal.

That night, I spread a blanket over the clean floor and lay down. Pulling a quilt stuffed with cotton over me, warmth seeped into my tired body.

As I lay still, random thoughts crossed my mind, but the fatigue from the day’s cleaning soon overtook me. My eyelids grew heavy, and I drifted into sleep.

Some time later, I woke to an unsettling noise.

Multiple footsteps. Voices murmuring to each other. Objects colliding.

Like a splash of cold water, awareness hit me all at once.

Someone’s here…!

The realization jolted me fully awake, shattering the fog of sleep.

The voices persisted.

This wasn’t a dream.

My eyes snapped open, and I was met with a circle of unfamiliar faces surrounding me.