How to Run Away from Obsessed Men

Episode 77

Crain was at a loss.

The sudden turn of events left him bewildered.

“Mikhail?”

“I asked if you raised your hand against the priestess.”

“What on earth are you talking about right now?”

Was Mikhail defying him? It was something Crain had never imagined, not even once.

Mikhail’s rebellion?

Mikhail had always been his most loyal subordinate. Crain didn’t trust his family, but he trusted Mikhail.

He was fully aware of how much Mikhail had sacrificed to complete the missions assigned to him.

And now, that very same Mikhail was showing hostility toward him.

All because of a mere priestess he had never seen before.

Crain’s gaze shifted to Priestess Roana. She was the priestess Kalia had brought with her.

‘Who is she, really?’

The priestess, whom he had dismissed as insignificant and bothersome, now seemed entirely different. Was she someone connected to Kalia, someone Mikhail knew?

Could that even be possible?

Crain looked around the room.

The household staff were casting furtive glances at Raysis, bowing their heads as if seeking his approval.

Crain’s eyes turned cold as he scanned the room.

It was becoming increasingly clear just how much his position had been undermined, largely due to Flute’s foolish decisions.

‘This was premeditated.’

No matter how grievous Flute’s wrongdoings were, events wouldn’t have escalated to this point in a single day.

The council of elders required time to take action. This meant that Raysis had been orchestrating this for some time.

Crain’s face flushed red with fury.

Raysis, looking exasperated, shook his head and finally spoke.

“Flute’s misdeeds extend far beyond fathering an illegitimate child. Reports of him kidnapping priests and draining their divine power are also surfacing.”

“…”

“Impressive, isn’t it, Father?” Raysis added, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Crain’s eyes sharpened dangerously as he glared at Raysis. His voice was cold as he spoke.

“So? What does any of this have to do with me and the prince?”

“Do you truly not understand? Father, you supported Prince Flute. Because of that, the family has suffered greatly.”

“…”

“His Majesty is furious—so much so that he wishes to replace the head of the family.”

“And because of that, you dare to oppress me? Why are you treating me this way? Do you covet the position of Marquis that badly?”

“Do I need a reason?”

“What?”

“You never needed a reason for what you did to Lindsey, did you?”

Crain couldn’t comprehend why Raysis had turned against him so completely.

“Why don’t you experience it for yourself? Being oppressed for no reason,” Raysis said coldly.

⋆★⋆

Lindsey silently observed the unfolding situation. She watched as knights dragged Crain away.

Even as Crain screamed and thrashed in fury, the knights didn’t falter.

The same Crain who had tormented her in the past was now powerless, unable to resist as he was hauled out.

‘They’re really taking Crain away?’

Crain wasn’t someone to be defeated so easily. He would undoubtedly find a way to get his hands on the family registry.

Although Crain had never used the power of the registry before, if he decided to, Raysis could be killed in an instant.

As Lindsey pondered this, Raysis approached her, his expression calm despite the chaos he had caused.

After glancing briefly at Mikhail, Raysis leaned in and whispered in her ear.

“How do you know Mikhail?”

“I don’t,” Lindsey replied evenly.

“Are you refusing to tell me? You’re quite a secretive person.”

At this point, Lindsey had given up caring. She shrugged her shoulders.

Raysis’s icy gaze settled on her, but she didn’t feel the slightest fear.

“And what about you? Are you alright? If you had just waited, you could’ve become the Marquis of Kesion in due time. Why go through all this trouble?”

At her question, a spark of amusement lit up in Raysis’s eyes.

“Are you worried about me?” he asked, his tone teasing.

“Why would I worry about you?” Lindsey shot back.

Raysis seemed lost in thought for a moment before answering.

“You’re right. If I had waited, I would’ve become the Marquis eventually.”

Since childhood, Raysis had desired the title of Marquis.

There was no one left in the Kesion family who could threaten his position. There was no need for him to go to such lengths or create conflict with Crain.

“If I become the Marquis, I’ll give you your freedom,” he said, his tone quiet but resolute.

Lindsey recalled the empty promise Raysis had made to her when they were younger.

“If you become the Marquis, my father will face no consequences for his crimes,” she said, meeting his gaze.

Raysis held her gaze steadily.

“You’ll die, you know. Crain isn’t the type to sit idly by after this,” Lindsey added.

“I know. But there are sins I need to atone for as well. This is something I have to accept,” Raysis replied.

With that, he stepped back and turned away, walking out of the room without another word.

⋆★⋆

Rosalyn was utterly bewildered.

From early in the morning, she had been unable to think straight because of the household staff who came to her room.

“What are you doing?”

The staff began cleaning out Rosalyn’s room.

Her dresses were tossed out of the room like garbage, and even the belongings she cherished were treated no differently.

Rosalyn thought she must be dreaming. Otherwise, there was no reason for the Marquisate’s servants to throw away her possessions.

In her dazed state, the staff dragged her away.

Rosalyn tilted her head in confusion.

The place they took her to was Lindsey’s old room from her childhood.

“Why am I here? You all know how much I hate this place.”

Rosalyn pinched her nose as she spoke. Lindsey’s old room smelled foul.

The room, which had been poorly maintained, was damp and overrun with mold.

“Why isn’t anyone answering me?”

At her question, the maid standing at the front finally spoke.

“Miss Rosalyn, from today, this will be your room.”

“What nonsense is this? Why do I have to move into this room? This is the place Lindsey used to stay!”

Rosalyn looked at the staff with confused eyes. No matter how much of a tantrum she threw in the past, the servants always treated her with utmost respect.

They did so because they knew she was backed by Crain, the Marquis.

“How dare you all look me in the eye?”

At Rosalyn’s sharp retort, the maid clicked her tongue.

“Miss Rosalyn, have you not heard the news?”

“What news?”

“Lord Crain has been imprisoned in the underground dungeon.”

“W-What? Father is in the dungeon? Why?”

“That’s for you to find out.”

Rosalyn’s face turned pale. She looked around the room.

As it had been Lindsey’s old room, it was decrepit and smelled terrible.

The small, dingy room seemed like the kind of place where a mouse could scurry out at any moment. But that wasn’t all.

Her gaze fell on the food in the maid’s hands, and her expression grew even paler.

“Surely… you’re not expecting me to eat that, are you?”

The maid nodded.

The food in her hands looked so pitiful that even commoners might refuse it. It was a hard, stale piece of bread paired with what appeared to be a soup that had been sitting for far too long.

It was food Rosalyn wouldn’t have spared a glance at under normal circumstances. Her hands began to tremble. She realized it was the same type of food Lindsey used to eat in the past.

‘And she ate worse things than that.’

Fear gripped Rosalyn.

There was no way the maids would have moved her room or served this food without orders. It could only have been Raysis.

‘Could it be… are they going to do to me what they did to Lindsey?’

Lindsey had always eaten garbage-like food. If Raysis’s intention was to make her experience exactly what Lindsey went through, this was only the beginning.

The torment would surely escalate, just as it had for Lindsey in her childhood.

Rosalyn turned to the maids and asked, still unable to believe the situation.

The idea that Crain could be locked in the dungeon overnight didn’t make sense to her.

“Then… what happens to me?”

“You will have to follow Lord Raysis’s orders.”

“Raysis hates me! Is he going to make me eat this trash every day?”

Rosalyn’s face flushed red in anger and disbelief.

The maids didn’t reply, simply placing the food down before her.

“I asked you to answer me!”

“Miss Rosalyn,” one maid said, stepping forward. “Lord Raysis left a message for you.”

Rosalyn raised her head, her eyes filled with desperation.

But the maid’s next words plunged her into despair.

“He said, ‘Let’s all pay for our sins.’”