Chapter 2. Flee

Dawn had not yet broken, and the light of the full moon filtered through the heavy curtains of the dilapidated inn.

The silver glow bathed the room where Lisel, with a bewildered expression, tried discreetly to slip out of the bed where she had spent the night. Beside her lay the man with the defiant gaze and arrogant air with whom she had shared intimate hours.

When she opened her eyes, the first thing Lisel felt was a sharp pain, a stabbing memory of what had happened a few hours earlier. Images of those moments flooded her mind, and she allowed herself to close her eyes again for a second, overwhelmed with shame.

She could not believe how far she had gone.

Her actions had been measures of pure desperation.

Since learning of her engagement to the Crown Prince of the Kingdom, she had considered every possible way to escape her fate.

Lisel, far from being capricious, had never expected a marriage based on love, especially given the nature of her "family."

However, she never imagined that her wedding could also be her funeral.

The Crown Prince, Teodor Lanverd, a man of notorious cruelty and dark tastes, intended to marry her. But behind that facade lay a more sinister desire: to unleash his cruel inclinations by killing the women who dared to share his bed.

Many nobles in the capital considered the rumors about him to be false or misunderstood. Few knew the true nature of Teodor Lanverd. Lisel was one of the few people in Castelar who knew his horrors for certain.

Since she turned fifteen, it was said that the prince brought women to his chambers, subjecting them to such extreme sexual tortures that some died on the spot. But his greatest delight, it was whispered, was to murder his victims with his own hands at the climax of his pleasure, once they survived the preliminaries.

Fortunately for her plan, in the high society of Castelar, as well as in the rest of the Kingdom of Castella, a bride's virginity was of utmost importance.

The revelation that a bride had not maintained her purity could be enough to annul a marriage contract. And not even the powerful Luton family, with all its wealth, influence, and loyalty to the crown, could alter that fact.

Lisel knew she had to start planning her future, considering the possible repercussions. Perhaps her stepmother, Margaret, would resort to assassins and disguise her death as an accident to hide such a shame.

Her father, if he ever awoke from his comatose state, might very well send her to a convent to live as a nun for the rest of her days. And her half-brother, Carlier, would be delighted to keep her locked up for life in the dark basement, which was more like a hidden dungeon in the Luton Mansion.

But those were thoughts for later, she told herself.

At that moment, the crucial thing was to leave the inn before dawn. Carefully, Lisel freed herself from the muscular arm of the man resting on her waist.

"That was easy" she reflected internally.

But then, a voice startled her.

—Fleeing the crime scene?—he asked softly and dryly.

—I… I need to go. I have matters to attend to —Lisel stammered, still overwhelmed and embarrassed.

—What matters? —he inquired, with a hint of mockery.

Lisel, not knowing what to answer, felt even more nervous, trying to distance herself from the man she still shared the bed with.

—Have I left you so dazed that you can't specifically remember?

—It's not that. It's just... they're none of your business —Lisel said decisively, quickly getting up to find her clothes.

—The adventure of a night is already over.

He sat up in bed, watching her with an expression of interest and amusement on his face.

—The night isn't over yet. The dawn hasn't come —he replied maliciously, glancing at the image of the full moon filtering through the curtains.

Lisel, with her dress half-buttoned, gave him a firm, piercing look.

—What happened... won't happen again. We won't even see each other again.

Her voice showed determination despite the emotion flickering in her green eyes. The man got up, closing the distance between them. With innate confidence, he took her hand.

—You're being very harsh with me after how well I've treated you —he commented in a low, seductive voice.

His gray eyes shone under the moonlight streaming through the window, challenging her with a playful gleam.

The moonlight outlined the man's face, revealing his strong jawline and perfectly shaped lips. His sharp eyes, the same silver hue as the moon, observed her with a mix of challenge and amusement.

The black locks, previously meticulously combed back, now fell disheveled over his forehead. She couldn't help but be captivated by his truly attractive appearance.

Lisel placed a bag of coins in the man's hand and withdrew her own from his grasp.

—Very generous —he replied, gritting his teeth, snapping her abruptly out of her thoughts.

Lisel reprimanded herself internally for getting distracted. She needed to return to the Mansion before her absence became evident. With determination, she adjusted her attire and prepared to leave.

—I don't have time for this —Lisel insisted, finishing buttoning her dress and adjusting her cape and wig until she was completely covered.

Then, completely ignoring the gaze that followed her like a hunter watching his prey, she left the room of that place in silence.

For a moment, she had thought the man might refuse to let her go, and she had contemplated the idea of fleeing through the window. Since childhood, she had demonstrated a knack for climbing, and considering they were only on the inn's first floor, the idea didn't seem far-fetched. However, to her relief, that measure was not necessary.

A mix of emotions overwhelmed her. She felt relieved to have fulfilled her purpose, while also fearing Margaret's next move in this. But above all, she still felt dizzy remembering those gray eyes that seemed to pierce through her.

Every step Lisel took in the cold early morning was a desperate attempt to distance herself not only from the place but also from the memories and sensations the recent night had left deeply etched in her mind.

The echo of his footsteps on the cobblestone streets of Hunger Alley mingled with the racing rhythm of his heart: a symphony of urgency and anxiety.

As she moved forward, a tangle of emotions invaded her: relief for having accomplished her purpose intertwined with a growing fear of Margaret's possible reaction. But, standing out among all those emotions was the inexplicable vertigo that assailed her when remembering those piercing gray eyes, capable of seeing beyond what she wanted to show.

With quick but cautious steps, Lisel moved away from the inn, plunging into the uncertainty and darkness of the night, carrying with her the weight of a night that had changed everything.

Lisel approached the Luton Mansion, shrouded in shadows, moving with the skill and stealth of someone who knew every corner of the place. Her familiarity with the residence, acquired through years of living and exploring every hallway and garden, allowed her to slip through the surroundings and enter undetected.

The darkness was her ally. She moved among the shadows, easily evading the guards and any curious eyes. She knew the servants' schedules and the secret passages of the place, thanks to her involvement in the management of the mansion.

This deep understanding of the household's workings, combined with her sharpness and a bit of luck, allowed her to leave and enter without being discovered.

Upon reaching her room, with the first rays of the sun peeking over the horizon, Lisel allowed herself a fleeting smile, remembering the audacity of her nocturnal adventure.

However, the smile quickly gave way to more serious thoughts: the Crown Prince, Margaret, and what her next step would be to avoid the fate that had been imposed on her.

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