affection chapter 5

After Limerio collapsed, two of his subordinates, seemingly hidden in the adjacent room, burst out. Quickly assessing the situation, they seized Sienna and dragged her to the dungeon. Sienna was furious. They hadn’t shown their faces when she was being beaten, but the moment Limerio was hurt, they appeared to capture her! 

“They should be ashamed of themselves…” she grumbled under her breath. The grating screech of an unoiled metal door echoed around her. It slowly creaked open. Could Limerio have awakened? Sienna gulped, her body tensing. If her fate was death, she wouldn’t accept it passively. At the very least, she would ensure that vile man wouldn’t have an heir before she left this world.

“I’ll go from here alone.”

“But… that’s… Yes, understood.”

The gentle, high-pitched voice confirmed the visitor wasn’t Limerio. Light footsteps, like a small bird traversing a snowy path, preceded Damon’s appearance, a lamp in his hand.

“…Young Master?”

Damon, his expression solemn, gazed at Sienna through the bars. Their eyes met, each searching the other’s gaze. Sienna’s skin was pale, as if untouched by sunlight, framed by raven-black hair that fell across her smooth forehead. The corners of her eyes tilted upwards, giving her a feline appearance, her lips pressed firmly together. Bruises still marred her face from the Baron’s attack, her cheeks and eyes swollen, yet her beauty was undeniable. But Sienna sensed something peculiar about Damon. The twelve-year-old held himself with the ancient stillness of a thousand-year-old oak. Only his small stature and the slight roundness of his cheeks hinted at his youth.

He stared at her for a long moment before finally speaking. “You did something foolish.”

Excuse me? One word could repay a thousand debts, but Damon’s words had only deepened the wound. Offended, Sienna retorted, “Servants tend to resemble their masters.” If I’m a fool, so are you.

Damon, seemingly understanding her implication, looked at her incredulously. Sienna glared back, refusing to yield. After a brief standoff, Damon sighed softly. “Why did you attack the Baron? Didn’t you know this would happen?”

Sienna’s shoulders slumped. Why is he lecturing me even when he’s supposedly on my side? “If you came here to blame me, please leave. I’m tired.” She waved him away dismissively. Despite her rudeness, Damon didn’t move. Instead, he looked slightly irritated. “I wouldn’t have come all this way if that was my intention.”

“Then why did you come?” Sienna snapped, knowing she shouldn’t be so sharp. Having missed both lunch and dinner, her temper was frayed. Hunger made her irritable.

Damon traced the outline of the bars, hesitated, then answered frankly. “…I was curious about you.”

Not particularly helpful. Sienna sighed again, forgoing another dismissal.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

Sienna blinked, surprised by the sudden question. She tried to decipher his thoughts, but his eyes were calm, like a still lake. “Sienna.”

“Family name?”

“Commoners don’t have family names.”

Damon fell silent. Sienna wondered if she had been too blunt. Glancing at him, she saw his eyes shining as if he had witnessed snow for the first time. “Commoners… don’t have family names?”

“…No.”

It felt strange explaining the local customs to Damon, who had lived here for twelve years, while she, a newcomer of less than a month, possessed this knowledge—though it was, of course, Sienna’s memories.

“Then… they’re free.” Damon murmured, as if entranced. Sienna realized he was comparing her situation to his own. Marvas. The weight of a royal name was never light, especially for a twelve-year-old boy burdened by it. Yet, to Sienna, his words sounded naive. “What good is that? I’m a commoner, and I’m stuck in this prison cell, anything but free.” She hated snapping at a child, but she couldn’t stop herself. An underlying anxiety gnawed at her. She imagined someone bursting through the door at any moment to drag her to the execution grounds, fueling her irritability.

“Knowing that, why did you throw the inkwell at the Baron?”

“I ask myself the same question! If I’d known you’d come here just to say annoying things, I would have just let him hit me!” Sienna yelled, instantly regretting her outburst. He was just a child. Instead of offering kindness to a boy who had likely grown up without it, she was acting childish herself. Sienna covered her face with her hands. Her palms felt icy against her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. Forget I said anything.”

“You regret coming here.”

“Yes, I do. But even if I could go back, I’d do the same thing.”

“Even knowing you’d end up here again?” Damon asked, his eyes wide with surprise.