The elderly gentleman gulped visibly, a trickle of sweat trailing down his temple. "O, of course. I, ahem, assume the gentleman will be accompanying you?"

Larson's gaze grew a bit cold, but he remained polite, eyeing the stranger in suspicion.

"Yes," she nodded. "Also, I need to request the aid of a trustworthy maid."

The valet's expression froze, before paling, his green gaze studying the young miss' face closely. After a few tense moments, he faced the knight and cleared his throat. "Sir Alred, please go and wake up Daphne and tell her to make all haste to the lord's chambers."

Sir Alred's expression grew twisted and dark as he glared at Luther threateningly, but in the end, he bowed and took off to complete his task.

Larson escorted the young miss and Luther into the waiting chamber for guests, before rushing further in to wake his lord.

Ten minutes later, a knock was heard before a woman's quiet voice called out.

"Enter," the lady replied.

Daphne, who had been a maid-in-training when the young lady had left home, stepped through the door curtsying. "Excuse me," she said in a customary manner before slowly lifting her gaze up from the floor.

Her dark eyes widened in a second of fear and surprise before she quickly calmed down and returned her gaze to the floor.

"Daphne, I need you to go to my old chambers and pack enough of my things for a week. If I don’t have something I might need, it’s fine. Just pack what is there. Once you are done, please bring my packs to my father’s chambers.”

Keeping her face carefully expressionless, Daphne bowed before turning to leave, closing the door, and getting started on her task immediately. As the young maid quietly rushed down the halls at a near sprint, the beating of her heart was loud enough she worried if she might end up waking the rest of the mansion.

What sort of creature was that man-beast? Daphne asked herself silently. ...I hope the Young Miss will be alright. But, as a simple maid, I suppose it’s not my place to worry about such things.

Stumbling a step and nearly tripping to land on the floor, Daphne forced herself to calm down. Slowing her walking speed forcefully, she continued walking to the Young Miss’ old chambers at a normal pace.

Back in the lord’s chambers, Larson had returned, opening the door to allow the lord access. Stepping into the waiting room calmly, tightly clothed in a dark green robe, stood the lord of this place.

Seeing her father now...the young woman could only feel a bitter sense of disappointment.

Even though she and her father had been face-to-face since she moved out, it was always in public and as the Chancellor and Queen-to-be. After the Viper snatched away her betrothed and position, her father had done nothing to support her attempts to get it back or threaten the Viper. He’d merely watched from the sidelines coldly, staying completely neutral in the war between his only daughter and the Viper.

While from a political standpoint she could understand why he’d acted this way, as his daughter, she couldn’t accept it.

Perhaps it was because he knew as much as I did that I never loved the crown prince? There was no love, so therefore he had no need to support me or act like a father? If...if that is the case…. No, I still do not wish to accept it, even if it is.

Fighting down the deep frown she wanted to express, the young woman rose up from her seat and curtsied to her father formally.

The aging gentleman’s blue eyes narrowed and hardened, especially when his gaze jumped between his daughter and the dark man-beast sitting so casually in his personal chambers. Gritting his teeth, Chancellor Castell waved his hand to let his daughter know it was fine for her to dispose of formality. Taking a seat himself, he stared pointedly, waiting for an explanation.

Lowering herself back down, the young woman quietly began to speak. “Father, this is Luther Satanael. For various reasons, he has helped me escape out of the castle dungeons. Our agreement is for the two of us to be married once we return to his homeland.”

Deciding that trying to explain the mythical and fantastical aspects that had happened since she was dragged into that horrible cell would be pointless, the young woman chose to give a highly shortened and edited version of the story.

After hearing what his daughter had to say, Castell snorted in disgust. “So, you’d lie with beasts to save your own skin?”

Flinching, she bit her lip and forced herself not to say anything. Luther, beside her, was silent as well. But, where she couldn’t see him, his gold eyes were glowing in amused rage at the old man.

Seeing the expression on the foul barbarian’s face, Castell scowled darkly. “I don’t care what you do anymore. If you wish to whore yourself out to this man to escape death, all the better for you, I suppose. As far as I’m concerned, my daughter died tonight.”

Rising to his feet slowly, he glanced at his daughter, seeing the blood drain from her face. Swallowing the bitterness and sorrow in his heart, Castell continued. “I will, at the very least, ensure to set up a body double and make it appear as if you died in the dungeon cell. Before you leave, remove that torn-up rag. It’ll be more believable if we use the same outfit.”