I Helped The Imprisoned Male Lead And He Became Obsessed - Chapter 80

Emilian’s long lashes lowered, casting dark shadows over his intense gaze.

His breath drew nearer, and my heart pounded in rhythm with his approach. The heat in my cheeks burned like a fever, and the strength in my hands, which had been pushing against his chest, slowly faded away.

I shut my eyes tightly, bracing for what was to come.

But then—

Ding-a-ling.

The crisp chime of the doorbell shattered the tension like a dropped glass.

“Excuse me, are you in, apothecary?”

The sudden voice cut through the fragile atmosphere.

Emilian froze, his breath halting just short of me. I opened my eyes to find his expression darkened, his features now as cold and composed as a statue.

He lifted his head, his gaze snapping toward the intruder.

“Oh my, I didn’t realize you had company,” came the cheerful voice of Mrs. Merrill, a local customer.

Her sudden presence made my face burn even hotter. The thought that she might have seen something… My hands flew to my collar, hastily fixing my disheveled clothes.

Unlike me, Emilian didn’t look the least bit flustered.

Mrs. Merrill’s eyes darted curiously between us before she spoke again.

“You seem awfully busy. Should I come back later?”

“No, no, it’s fine,” I said quickly, mustering a smile while attempting to steady my nerves. “I can see you now. Please, come this way.”

“You sure? I don’t want to interrupt anything important…”

“It’s no trouble at all,” I assured her, guiding her toward the consultation room.

Mrs. Merrill cast one last intrigued glance at Emilian before stepping inside.

As I prepared to follow her, trying to suppress the turmoil still swirling inside me, I felt a firm grip on my wrist.

I turned back to see Emilian holding me, his voice low and weighted with intensity.

“Don’t even think about running away again.”

I bit my lip, stifling the urge to ask if he truly planned to chase me to the ends of the earth.

“…Let me go. The patient is waiting,” I said, keeping my tone as even as I could.

To my relief, Emilian released me.

But his parting words sent a chill through me.

“Anise. I meant it when I said I’d take you, no matter what it takes.”

I froze mid-step, his words anchoring me in place. I turned to him with shaken eyes.

“Do you mean… you’ll do what you did earlier… again?”

His gaze pierced through me, unwavering as he replied,

“If you hate it, then kill me. Run away and end me yourself.”

There was no jest in his tone, only a chilling certainty.

“If you hold a blade to my throat, I’ll gladly give you my life.”

He was telling me, in no uncertain terms, that he had no intention of letting me go.

His footsteps receded, leaving me standing in the aftermath of his storm-like presence, my body heavy with exhaustion.

I raised a hand to my neck, where his lingering heat still clung to my skin, and pressed my fingertips against it as if to erase the sensation.

Emilian had vowed to have me, no matter the cost…

But there were secrets I couldn’t tell him, truths that remained locked away.

Swallowing my emotions, I bit down on my lip, trying to steady the chaos within.

 

***

 

“Anise, Anise!”

Leo’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts as I prepared dinner.

“Huh? Oh… Leo,” I replied, shaking off my reverie.

“What were you so deep in thought about? You didn’t even answer when I called,” he said, stirring the stew simmering over the hearth.

I gave an awkward laugh as I tossed diced carrots into the heated pan.

“Sorry, Leo. Just… had a lot on my mind.”

The scent of cooking potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes, and meat wafted through the room, mingling with the sizzling sound from the pan.

I stirred the ingredients to blend them evenly, then took a small taste of the stew with a spoon. A pinch of salt and pepper brought the flavors together nicely.

As I worked, I could feel Leo’s eyes on me.

“Anise,” he began hesitantly, “what’s that on your neck?”

I froze, instinctively reaching for the bandage wrapped around my neck.

The marks Emilian had left behind were too visible, so I’d hastily covered them.

Recalling those moments made my face flush hot, and I quickly pushed the memory away as I replied,

“Just a small scratch. It’ll heal in no time.”

“Well, that’s good to hear, but it must’ve hurt,” Leo said, his concern earnest.

“Thanks for worrying,” I said with a smile, patting his head gently.

By then, the stew had turned a rich, appetizing color. I ladled it into bowls, one for each child.

“Hey, Anise?” Leo asked as he helped carry the bowls to the table.

“That noble from earlier… it seemed like you knew him. What’s your relationship with him?”

Ah, of course. Leo must’ve been curious ever since I sent him upstairs when Emilian arrived.

Given that I had a feeling Emilian wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon, denying our connection seemed pointless.

“He’s… an old friend I grew up with,” I said after a pause.

“A friend? Whoa, how’d you become friends with a noble?” Leo’s eyes sparkled with amazement.

I hadn’t told Leo or the other kids much about my life before coming here, so explaining how I met Emilian would require a long story.

“It’s… complicated,” I said simply.

Leo tilted his head thoughtfully, then grinned. “So, you’re saying it’s a secret?”

He shrugged casually. “That’s fine. Everyone’s got secrets they don’t wanna talk about.”

I couldn’t help but smile at his mature response.

“You’re so grown-up, Leo.”

“Well, people always have things they’d rather not share,” he replied with a cheeky shrug.

His thoughtfulness warmed my heart.

With dinner ready, I called the rest of the kids to the table.

After helping set out the plates and utensils, they gathered eagerly around the table, their chatter filling the room.

“Eat up, everyone. There’s more if you’re still hungry, so let me know,” I said as they started digging in.

“Yes!”

“Thank you for the meal!”

The cheerful laughter and bright smiles of the children made my heart feel lighter.

The worries I’d once had about living alone in a strange village seemed so distant now.

I felt grateful to have met these kids, though a shadow of concern lingered in my thoughts—Emilian.

Despite everything, I couldn’t help but worry about him.

I didn’t know how long Emilian planned to stay here.

What had happened with Serena? The effects of his medicine must have been wearing off by now, and I couldn’t imagine how he was managing the pain.

The thought made me shake my head vigorously.

Why am I even worrying about him?

I tried to push those concerns aside, but another thought crept in, making my heart race.

What if Emilian tries to do something… embarrassing again?

He had told me that if I hated being near him, I should harm him to escape.

But I knew I could never hurt him, not even in self-defense.

At the same time, I couldn’t abandon the children and run away. They depended on me.

“Haa…”

A quiet sigh escaped me.

I felt like I was trapped in a maze with no exit, wandering aimlessly without a way forward.

 

***

 

In the western imperial city of Bern, bustling streets gave way to a starkly different landscape as the carriage ventured farther out. Ramshackle huts and tents lined the poverty-stricken slums, marking a world far removed from the glittering center of commerce.

Crown Prince Lucas stepped into this world with practiced familiarity, his presence drawing little attention from the downtrodden adults but lighting up the faces of the children.

Soon, a group of scruffy kids emerged from a nearby tent, their eyes brightening as they spotted him.

“Hey, kids! How’ve you been?” Lucas greeted them with a warm smile.

“Lucas! You’re finally here!”

Without hesitation, the children swarmed him, clinging to his cloak and arms.

“Ha ha, you missed me, huh?”

“Of course! You didn’t come for ten whole nights! Do you know how sad we were?”

“Ah, sorry, sorry. I’ve been busy with some important stuff,” Lucas said, ruffling their hair, his laughter rich with affection.

The children, unaware of his royal lineage, saw only a kind-hearted man who cared for them.

The seven-year war had left countless orphans in its wake, scattering them across the empire. When the war ended, Lucas made it his mission to establish orphanages throughout the land.

One was under construction here, a project that promised these children warmth, shelter, and freedom from hunger.

Though he knew eradicating poverty entirely was impossible, Lucas firmly believed that small efforts like these were still worth pursuing.

As his aides distributed food to the slum’s residents, the children lined up eagerly, receiving bowls of soup and simple loaves of bread.

Though modest compared to what Lucas himself ate, the children devoured the food with joy, their faces lighting up with each bite.

“Eat slowly, there’s plenty for everyone,” Lucas urged.

“Hehe, okay!”

“Is it good?”

“It’s the best bread I’ve ever had!”

Their smiles were contagious, and Lucas found himself grinning along with them.

It was a rare sight. Since the twin disasters of Dietrich’s escape and Anise’s sudden disappearance, Lucas’s usual cheer had been replaced with a somber air.

Seeing his master’s long-lost smile, one of his aides felt his chest tighten with emotion.

The escape of Dietrich had derailed a carefully laid plan to subjugate the transcendent, leaving a gaping hole in their strategy. And as if that weren’t enough, the woman Lucas had quietly harbored feelings for had vanished without a trace.

How much heartache must His Highness have endured?

As the aide discreetly dabbed at his watering eyes, Lucas broke the silence with a sudden question.

“Sir, didn’t you mention arguing with your fiancée a few days ago?”

“Ah, yes, Your Highness,” the aide replied, surprised but attentive.

“Do you love her?”

The question came unexpectedly.

“Well… At first, ours was a match arranged between families, but the more I got to know her, the more I realized there’s no one quite like her.”

“Do you love her so much that no one else could take her place?”

The aide hesitated for a moment, thoughtful. But his deliberation was brief.

“Yes, Your Highness. Absolutely.”

“Then don’t let pride get in the way. Apologize first, even if you’re not entirely at fault,” Lucas said, his tone oddly casual for such unexpected advice.

The aide blinked in confusion, increasingly puzzled by the prince’s sudden dive into relationship counseling.

“Your Highness, pardon my asking, but… why are you bringing this up?”

Lucas turned his gaze to the distant sky, his voice dropping to a wistful murmur.

“Because I’ve learned that love is all about timing.”

There was a soft melancholy to his words, as though they carried the weight of personal regret.

“So don’t wait and end up regretting what you’ve lost,” he added, a faint trace of a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

The aide wisely refrained from asking outright if Lucas was referring to Anise. Instead, he resolved to take the advice to heart.

When I return, I’ll apologize to her without excuses. It’s not worth risking her over my stubbornness.

Just as the aide was lost in his determination, Lucas’s expression shifted, and he spoke again, his voice now serious.

“Sir, doesn’t something feel… off to you?”

“What do you mean, Your Highness?”

Lucas’s sharp eyes scanned the crowd of children before him.

“Misha, Jake, Dan, Joshua, and Betty. I don’t see them anywhere.”

The aide stared at him, astonished. “You remember all their names and faces, Your Highness?”

“Why wouldn’t I? They’re my people. I have a duty to protect them,” Lucas replied without hesitation, his tone matter-of-fact.

He approached the children who had finished eating and began questioning them gently.

The responses made his expression darken.

Every child he asked had the same answer—those missing hadn’t been seen for days.

Lucas’s gaze turned somber, his mind drifting to other Western cities he had visited recently. He recalled similar reports of missing children from the slums.

The aide, sensing his master’s unease, cautiously spoke.

“With all due respect, Your Highness, the disappearance of children without family ties is sadly common. It may be nothing more than coincidence.”

“Maybe,” Lucas replied, his eyes still fixed on the horizon.

But the unease in his chest didn’t abate. The sky above was a brilliant, cloudless blue, yet its stillness felt suffocating, like the calm before a storm.

“I don’t know why, but… something feels wrong about this.”