The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 37

Islay didn’t turn away, even as the silence stretched on. When their gazes were almost tangibly intertwined, it was Stella who spoke first.

“I… I’ll go inside now. Please, you rest well too.”

“Good night, Estella.”

His low reply came swiftly, sounding almost affectionate. Stella quietly watched Islay before abruptly turning to walk into the castle. Her heart pounded fiercely, as if she had just sprinted at full speed. The sensation of his gaze on her back lingered until the door closed behind her. Still, she didn’t look back.

She was afraid that if she kept looking at him, she might give in to the strange urge to embrace him. She was scared of wanting to comfort that large, seemingly forlorn figure.

7. Spreading Heart

The unusually long festival finally came to an end. Today, Stella was scheduled to return to the basement, and she was feeling particularly motivated since morning. Although she wasn’t yet accustomed to using the Mind’s Eye, she felt a growing confidence that she might be able to accomplish something with her abilities.

“Your Highness, have you heard about those strange elders from eastern Calis?” Dora chatted as she poured water across from Stella, who sat at the table in her chamber.

“Hm?”

“They said they’d leave after the festival, but they’re still staying in the Ice Castle.”

Stella frowned delicately. Those elders were still at the Ice Castle?

“That’s… unsettling news.”

“Exactly! Especially that oldest elder who was so rude to you, Your Highness. I heard she fell down the stairs and got injured, so she needs some time to recuperate.”

…Suspicious. Stella didn’t voice it aloud, but she was certain that Elder Olena was faking her injury. The memory of that encounter in the chapel had clearly left an unpleasant impression.

As she recalled the crazed look in the old woman’s eyes as she revered Islay, Stella paused in her meticulous cutting. Islay was likely feeling the most unsettled by this situation. He couldn’t coldly dismiss an injured elder, especially since the Elder belonged to a bloodline that had served Peruno’s lineage for nearly a thousand years.

Stella knew that, despite his wild exterior, Islay wasn’t a man who acted rashly. He wasn’t likely to be ignorant of the complicated relationships within the castle or its inner workings either.

“But, Your Highness,” Dora continued.

“Yes?”

“Have you received a reply?”

“A reply?” Stella tilted her head, only to sigh a beat later.

She had sent a letter to her homeland during the festival. The recipient was Aliana Lassa de Largo, the Queen of Largo and Stella’s mother. The letter wasn’t anything special—just a note to say she was unexpectedly in Calis but was safe and would return home in good health.

Even though Islay had told her that all letters entering and leaving the Ice Castle had to be inspected, she would have written the same thing even if she had sent it secretly. She needed to let them know she was alive. Her mother, fragile and neurotic, needed to know her only daughter was still breathing. Stella knew better than anyone the kind of thoughts that could torment someone who had lost a family member.

Family. Stella wasn’t sure if she could place her mother and herself in that precious, cherished category. But the Queen was the only living relative Stella had left in this world. At least in her childhood, the Queen had given her some decent memories.

“There’s no reply from my mother,” Stella said.

“Could it be that the northerners intercepted your letter?” Dora quickly offered another possibility, feeling awkward for her earlier suggestion. But Stella shook her head.

“I don’t think they’d do something that underhanded.”

“That’s true… but still.”

“Perhaps my mother isn’t in a situation where she can send a reply…”

Stella trailed off, lowering her gaze.

It was a plausible assumption. Her uncle, who had kept his niece on a tight leash, had also controlled the Queen’s behavior. Even though he had suddenly ascended to the throne, he had quickly assumed the roles of both stepfather and husband.

‘If I return to Largo…’

Whenever she thought about what would happen next, her worries always came first. Having been kidnapped by those branded as savages, her worth as a woman would be the first thing questioned. The King and Queen had always emphasized the importance of chastity.

What if they discovered she was still a virgin? Would she be handed over to Prince Hendrick as planned? And then?

She squeezed her eyes shut, vividly picturing a situation worse than death. Yet, she couldn’t stay here forever either.

‘…Enough.’

Stella cut off her downward spiral of thoughts. She had heard that the Mind’s Eye was a power difficult to wield when one’s mind was uneasy. Right now, she needed to focus on helping Islay find the ancient gem with her ability. She didn’t want to think about anything else. It only made her feel more trapped, like she was wandering a maze with no way out.

Knock, knock. As always, there was a knock at the door. Dora rushed to open it, and the scene had become so familiar that Stella quietly rose from her chair.

The basement was still as dazzlingly filled with treasures as ever.

Stella asked the attendant, who usually helped with sorting and recording the gems, to leave. It was easier for her to concentrate when she was alone rather than being watched.

Standing in the middle of the basement, she took a calm breath. She then began to search for traces of holy power amid the shimmering light from all directions. Stella strained to summon the Mind’s Eye that she had studied with Father Padro.

Traces of holy power. It felt like the dried tea residue clinging to the bottom of a teacup.

Soon, she felt a warm, intangible energy, like steam rising. Stella detected the golden aura that appeared like smoke in various places. It was holy power.

Stella’s eyes, gleaming with brilliant light, momentarily reflected her admiration. But that was short-lived. She was searching for the traces where the holy power had pooled, not the power itself.

Moreover, Padro had told her that sensing holy power wasn’t due to the Mind’s Eye but because her body was naturally attuned to it.

‘The Mind’s Eye… How did it feel when I used it?’

Hadn’t it been accompanied by a sharp pain, like a migraine? It had felt like the cost of using that power.

Recalling the lingering pain, Stella stepped between the crates that filled the wide space. Contrary to her expectations, she felt nothing. No pain followed either.

If the Mind’s Eye could find anything instantly, what was this? The confidence that had surged in the morning faded, and her shoulders slumped.

“Maybe I need more practice.”

Or perhaps… Stella’s worried eyes scanned the gold and gems around her.

Could it be that the gem the man’s looking for isn’t here?

***

Stella’s ambitious attempt to use the Mind’s Eye ended in utter failure after it manifested.

That night, after even Dora had returned to her room, Stella couldn’t sleep and sat by the window in her dimly lit chamber.

With only a single candle burning, the room was so dark that the moonlight streaming through the window felt especially cold. She sighed as she gazed into that light.

“Sigh…”

As usual, the results were disappointing, but no one blamed her. That only made Stella feel more conflicted. Wasn’t this a matter of life and death for Islay?

Beneath her gloomy mood was the fact that he hadn’t shown up in the basement even once, something she preferred not to acknowledge.

Why?

She didn’t understand why she wanted to see the man who had once terrified her.

Perhaps this was… yes. It was like seeing a stray dog limping on a broken leg.

A large, black dog that initially startled her when she first encountered it, but once she realized it was gravely injured, she couldn’t help but keep watching it. And if it turned out to be surprisingly gentle, even more so.

She wanted to care for it, to say, “You’re a magnificent creature just as you are,” and if one day it disappeared, she would desperately search for it, holding a piece of dried meat in her hand.

Her feelings toward Islay were similar. Describing her emotions in such a way seemed to ease the heavy stone that had settled in her heart.

…Or so she thought.

“Sigh…”

Stella let out an even deeper sigh.

What am I doing here? She fell into a familiar sense of helplessness, resting her chin on her hand as she looked up at the night sky beyond the window. Then, she dropped her gaze without thinking.

In the courtyard below, lit only by a few torches, a large silhouette was moving.

A head taller than most northerners and a physique that was imposing even from a distance. Stella’s eyes widened as she instantly recognized the figure.

Islay.

It was definitely him. Stella silently mouthed his name.

Even though he couldn’t possibly hear her, the man walking through the forecourt looked up directly at the window where she sat with her chin resting on her hand.

Their eyes met in a straight line—his red eyes gleaming in the darkness. If he had been crouching in the shadows, those glowing eyes might have been the only thing visible.

Where was Islay going? It was incredibly late; was he heading to his chamber? If so, then to that solitary tower?

Stella imagined him entering the isolated tower, hearing the heavy door lock behind him, and spending the lonely night alone. She pictured his dry, unsmiling face.

Her decision didn’t take long. As if in a trance, she pushed back her chair and stood up.