The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 91

“Where are you going?”

“I have something important to do today, so I need to head out.”

“Is it another monster… again?”

Islay hesitated for a moment.

“I don’t think so, probably.”

It was a strange answer. Stella tilted her head slightly but frowned as she tasted the lingering bitterness in her mouth.

“And you?”

Islay glanced at Stella.

“Do you have any plans? Or something you’d like to do?”

“Hmm… I was thinking of visiting Dora.”

Ever since asking her for an unreasonable favor, the maid had completely vanished from sight, and Stella couldn’t shake the concern weighing on her mind.

She hadn’t told anyone about Stella’s plan, but she had completely disappeared after that day. Stella couldn’t just leave things as they were.

Because of the conversation they never finished. She wanted to apologize for burdening Dora so much, and despite that, she wanted to desperately ask if there was any way she could still help one last time. She also needed to say goodbye.

To Stella, Islay wasn’t the only important person. Shouldn’t she at least properly bid farewell to the close aide who had followed her all the way to the distant North?

“Why not call her here? She is your maid, after all.”

A low voice cut through the silence. Dressed in a black tunic, Islay was fastening a belt across his chest, one that could hold a dagger or other secondary weapons. His gaze was fixed on her.

“…I don’t know.”

Stella quietly pulled the disheveled blanket over herself. She felt a bit embarrassed that she was the only one completely bare.

“Of course, if I call, Dora will come anytime, but I feel like it would be better for me to go to her instead.”

“Tell her to come here.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Islay ordered it without hesitation.

“It’s raining, so wouldn’t it be best to avoid going outside? After last night, your body must be sore.”

“……”

“You don’t want to catch a cold.”

Instead of answering, Stella blinked. There was nothing wrong with what he said. It was just that something felt oddly off about the way he spoke, despite his usual gentle tone.

Her gaze naturally shifted to the open window. As he said, the sky was dark, covered with storm clouds, and thick raindrops were still pouring down.

“So, don’t go outside.”

“……”

“Wait. Until I return.”

His words, strung together, were spoken with an unexpectedly firm voice.

…Not to leave the tower? Feeling bewildered, Stella turned her gaze away from the window. Islay, now fully dressed, was pouring himself a glass of water and drinking it.

She had come here determined to spend her last moments with him, but she hadn’t expected him to try and keep her here.

More than that—why was he trying to confine her? Wasn’t he the one who had always told her she could leave the tower whenever she wanted?

There were still days left before the farewell ceremony. Only a day or two at most. But if Islay intended to interfere with her leaving like this, things would become very difficult.

Could it be—did he already know she was planning to attend the ritual? If so, he would have asked her directly. So why wasn’t he?

‘Just how much has he figured out…?’

…Or maybe she was just overthinking things. Islay might simply be worried that she’d catch a cold and was asking her not to go out. Perhaps she was being overly suspicious.

With a light clink, Islay set down the emptied glass of water and wiped his lips. Stella, unable to grasp the situation, fidgeted with the blanket in her hands.

She couldn’t just come out and ask him directly. All she could do was read his expressions, feeling like she was walking a tightrope, uncertain of his intentions.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

Islay reached out and tapped her cheek.

“You’re even frowning.”

Then, letting out a low chuckle, he leaned down and pressed his lips against her smooth forehead. Apparently, her expression had been quite serious.

Even though she felt uneasy about everything, she found herself mesmerized by the smile that spread across his perfectly handsome face.

“It’s nothing. Don’t push yourself too hard, and come back safely. It’s raining so much… I’m probably more worried about you than you are about me.”

“I will.”

Islay nodded without hesitation.

“So, promise me.”

“Promise you what…?”

“That you’ll stay here and wait.”

His insistence on this matter unsettled her. Since she didn’t immediately answer, his strong hand suddenly grasped her delicate chin.

“Why aren’t you answering? You say you love me.”

“……”

“Hm?”

The man staring at her up close was smiling. But the way he was using her feelings to hold her hostage, demanding she comply with his will, felt unlike him. Islay had always prioritized her wishes before his own.

But what else could Stella say? If he used love against her, there was only one answer she could give.

“I’ll wait.”

When she nodded obediently, Islay’s lips curved into an even deeper smile.

“Once today’s schedule is over, I’ll have some free time for a while. I’ll be able to spend every moment with you.”

“…Ah.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

Islay dropped a couple of kisses on Stella’s lips and cheek, then looked down at her for a moment. Stella slightly parted her lips, locking eyes with him, gazing into the quiet glow lingering in his crimson irises.

He blinked slowly once before turning away. As she listened to the sound of his footsteps growing distant, Stella lowered her gaze.

Only when all traces of his presence had completely disappeared did the breath lodged in her throat finally escape.

“Haah…”

He knows.

Every single thing. Without exception.

Thump, thump. The deep pounding in her chest echoed violently. Breathing became difficult. Watching the rain pouring beyond the glass window, Stella’s pupils wavered with unease.

***

Left alone in the tower, Stella decided to make a cautious attempt. Even if word of it reached Islay’s ears, it was an action that wouldn’t seem suspicious at all.

She descended to the first floor and called for the guards stationed outside the tower entrance. As usual, the guard responded mechanically.

“Do you require anything?”

“Can you summon my maid here? She should be in the inner castle. If you mention the maid from the South, everyone will know who she is.”

Since only two Southerners resided in the Ice Castle—Stella and Dora—there was no need to provide a detailed description of her appearance.

The guard nodded without any visible reaction. “I will send someone. Please wait a moment.”

“Thank you.”

When she met Dora, she needed to start by apologizing. Stella understood that the one left behind always felt the deepest misery.

Even so, she hoped Dora wouldn’t suffer too much. That she wouldn’t be in pain. That she would remain healthy. She had to choose her words carefully. To meet with the priests safely on the day of the memorial ceremony, she would need Dora’s resourcefulness and help.

But all her determined thoughts were rendered meaningless by the response she received from the guard a while later—an answer far beyond her expectations.

“She said she cannot come due to other matters.”

“…What? Other matters? What matters?”

“That, I do not know.”

Stella’s lips parted in shock. Dora had refused her summons. What was going on?

“She isn’t sick, is she? Or injured?”

“There are no issues. She simply said she is busy and cannot visit at the moment.”

…Simply busy. Stella exhaled a hollow breath, at a loss for words. If she wasn’t unwell, then why wouldn’t she come?

The downpour outside intensified, its sound seeping into the growing silence. The guard merely waited for further orders, standing motionless.

“…I understand. You may return to your post.”

“If you require anything else, ring the bell.”

The door slowly closed in front of Stella. There was no sound of locks or chains being fastened. It seemed that, by protocol, the tower was only securely locked when Islay was present.

Realizing she wasn’t entirely imprisoned, Stella blinked. Did Islay trust her to keep her promise without question?

Not knowing what to make of it left her frustrated. With slow steps, she returned to the fireplace and sank into a chair by the table, letting out a long sigh. Then, resting her forehead in her hand, she sank into deep thought.

Once Islay returned from today’s schedule, he would keep Stella by his side every moment. He had no intention of leaving the tower or letting her leave.

But if that happened, how would she proceed with the plan she had made with the priests? Stella blamed herself for stepping into the tower without realizing Islay had already seen through everything. Her selfish desire had led to this situation.

…No. In the end, this confrontation was inevitable. If Islay had uncovered her true intentions, there was no way he would leave her alone, knowing she was willing to sacrifice herself.

“Haah…”

He knew everything. What was she supposed to do? Facing everything alone seemed overwhelming, but she had no choice but to find a way.

Was there a way? A method to escape from Islay, who wouldn’t leave her side even for a moment? A way to slip past the soldiers guarding the entrance and get out of the tower?

Stella recalled the night when Islay had fallen into an unusually deep sleep. The first night they had spent together. When dawn broke, he had sunk into a slumber as deep as that of a hibernating beast.

Did he always fall into such a deep sleep after fully satisfying himself?

She also recalled the expression of the guard who had been utterly captivated by her the previous night, as if he had no power to resist her request to enter the tower. Perhaps it had been due to the influence of her Mind’s Eye.

Yes, maybe… the situation wasn’t entirely hopeless.

A plan took shape in Stella’s mind. Placing a hand over her pounding heart, she steadied herself. It wasn’t an easy path, but it was the only one available to her.

As the hour when moonlight and dusk intertwined arrived, Islay returned as promised. Rain still poured relentlessly outside the window.