The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Side Story 1

My beloved Estella,

I didn’t want to begin this letter with worry, but thinking of you waking up alone again today still leaves me uneasy.

I can’t help but wonder whether the fire in the hearth died down while you were sleeping, whether you’re eating on time, or if you’re buttoning your collar properly whenever you go out…

I’m so curious and concerned about everything concerning you that my life before knowing you feels like darkness.

You know I can’t sleep well unless I’m by your side. And now, I’ve been forcing myself to sleep at night just to see you in my dreams.

I keep thinking I should’ve taken you along on my inspection of the northern territories. If I had known that being apart for just three weeks would be this agonizing…

“Mmh, I miss you so much too…”

Stella shyly murmured as she read the letter Islay had sent that morning. Responding as if he were right next to her, her cheeks flushed red.

Anyone who saw her would’ve found it rather amusing. She looked like someone yearning for a lover not seen in three years, not just three weeks.

And apparently, the same went for Islay.

I received the handkerchief you sent along with your last reply.

It still faintly carries your scent, and it comforted me for a few days.

Mikel passed by and said I looked more like I was headed into a war than an inspection, and laughably, my feelings aren’t much different.

How much more time must pass before I can ease even a little of this worry for you? As long as we’re apart like this, maybe never.

Even though I know you’re doing fine at the castle, I won’t feel at ease until I see you with my own eyes.

I want to see you even just a day sooner, Estella.

Stella’s gaze lingered for a long time on the final line, written more intensely than the rest. She slowly caressed the edge of the parchment.

“Islay, honestly… I told you, there’s no need to worry.”

“What did you just say?”

Dora, who had been busily cleaning the bedroom a few steps away, thought she was being spoken to and asked back. Stella shook her head quickly, her face bright red.

“It’s nothing, Dora.”

“Do you have a fever? Your ears are red. Shall I take out some firewood?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Tilting her head, Dora glanced at the letter clutched tightly in Stella’s hands and suppressed a laugh. Even a clueless maid could tell why the princess was feeling shy.

“By the way, you’re planning to go out again this morning, aren’t you?”

“Of course. Just wait a little.”

Holding her breath like a girl secretly reading a love letter, Stella continued reading the letter to the end.

My light and star, my love.

This will probably be the last letter I send before I return to the Ice Castle.

I’ve been driven mad with longing for you, so now I’m traveling nonstop through the small territories, day and night.

At this rate, I estimate I’ll arrive at the Ice Castle in four days. So don’t worry and carry on as usual.

From western Calis,

Islay.

“…Four days?”

Startled, Stella trembled as she read the letter with tender eyes. There was no time to be embarrassed by the endearing nicknames at the end.

“He said he’ll return earlier than expected…?”

Unable to hide her flustered expression, Stella stared blankly out the window.

Of course, she was happy to be reunited with Islay after being apart. But at this rate, the grand plan she had laid out might be disrupted!

Even though the curse of Peruno had been lifted and peace had finally come to Calis, Islay was still the ruler of the vast northern lands.

Even if there were no more subjugation campaigns, his responsibilities as a sovereign and the tasks he had to manage were not few.

So, just as written in the letter, a few weeks ago, Islay had planned to inspect the territories located in western Calis.

It was a journey through places even colder and more desolate than Elrod, where the Ice Castle stood, and while he was debating whether to take Stella along, she came down with a cold.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t quite a cold—just a slight cough, which happened late at night while whispering sweet nothings with Islay by the ice lake. Buried in his arms, she had watched the twinkling night sky, unaware of the cold or the passage of time. She had even shaken her head multiple times at his suggestion to head back because of the chilly wind.

In any case, he had been reluctant to leave her behind, but in the end, had no choice but to depart.

However, even if she’d been in perfect health, Stella had no intention of accompanying him.

Because it was the perfect chance to prepare a surprise gift for him—a grand gift to be crafted over the span of three weeks.

“Dora, do you think the custom-made item I ordered from the carpentry workshop is finished by now?”

The maid, who had been dusting the bedding, looked up and blinked. “Let me think, the date… No. Didn’t they say it would take another week to complete?”

“Yes, they did.”

Stella groaned and pressed her forehead.

“This is bad. It looks like Islay might return earlier than expected.”

“…Oh no! The newlywed house isn’t even finished yet!” Realizing the situation a beat late, Dora shrieked.

Stella nodded blankly. “We spent too much time replacing the flooring in the first-floor hall. We haven’t even hung the tapestries in the master bedroom yet…!”

“How could we have known he’d return this soon! This is all my fault. I should’ve predicted this from the moment you two started exchanging a mountain of letters and handkerchiefs like he was off to war! It’s all my foolish, oblivious fault!”

As Dora beat her chest in remorse, Stella didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The surprise gift she had been preparing for Islay was a “newlywed home.” She intended to transform the tower once called the Lonely Tower into a cozy space for the two of them.

Half a year ago, after escaping the whirlpool of a harrowing fate, the two of them returned to Calis and immediately held a wedding. Following the northern customs, it was a small ceremony with only close relatives in attendance.

Though Alexio had remarked that it was a bit lacking for the wedding of a nation’s princess and the Lord of Calis, both Stella and Islay disliked being the center of attention and had no desire to host a grand event inviting royalty from across the continent.

Thus, they officially became husband and wife, overflowing with love and affection every day. But Stella soon found herself in an awkward predicament.

The inner castle they resided in lacked soundproofing and was frequently visited by many people. The mornings after spending the night with Islay often brought awkward encounters with blushing maids—more than once.

Though she was the Princess of Largo, Stella wasn’t used to receiving lavish care and didn’t want many maids around her. More than anything, now that she was married to Islay, she wanted a place where they could spend time together in peace.

That’s when the perfect location suddenly came to mind.

The Lonely Tower—a prison of sorts that Islay and his ancestors had once confined themselves to. Now an abandoned, uninhabited tower. Just thinking about the man who had spent his solitary, gloomy days in that dark place still made her heart ache.

As the one who had twisted his fate, Stella wanted to transform that tower into a honeymoon home where no one could disturb them. She wanted to share time with him in the newly refurbished tower and overlay his memories there with joyful ones.

It was a wonderful idea. The plan had progressed smoothly from the day after Islay left the castle.

Until she heard the news that only four days remained before his return.

“There’s no time for this.”

Snapping out of her thoughts, Stella leapt from her chair.

“If it’s Islay, he could return in three or even two days instead of four. He’s a remarkable man who neither sleeps nor rests. Meanwhile, I’m slow and frail… Ah, every minute and second counts—I must hurry.”

“I’ll help too!”

“Please do, Dora. Go to the carpentry workshop and urge them to finish the order as soon as possible. That’s the most important gift. Then stop by the draper’s to pick up the curtains and carpets. And since it’s a surprise, don’t forget to keep everything under wraps.”

“Leave it to me!”

“Thanks. I’ll see you at the tower later.”

“Yes!”

Suddenly busy, the women threw on their cloaks and hurried out of the bedroom.