“I’ll make myself clear too. I know what misunderstandings you may have had. But it wasn’t that I disliked you. I was angry at the Grand Duke and took it out on you.”

Cecilia could now look back on her feelings from that day.

Unable to confront the true culprit, Grand Duke Jericho, she had chosen an easier target for her anger.

She had been a coward.

“So, I didn’t dislike you. What I meant was…”

Russell nodded.

“I understand.”

Cecilia thought his response was too quick.

It bothered her a little.

She admitted to herself that she was quite capricious.

What could she do? That was just the way her nature was.

Cecilia glanced at him before turning away.

“I want to leave. All these mirrors are overwhelming.”

She grabbed the handle of the mirror door and yanked it forcefully.

The old, rusty hinges, which Russell had barely managed to force open earlier, had been half-broken.

But when Cecilia pulled on it, the door came completely off.

She just watched as the door began to fall toward her.

In that brief moment, she couldn’t do anything.

Russell sprang into action.

He spun around, wrapping her protectively in his arms.

With one hand braced against the wall, he shielded her between his body and the mirrored wall, preventing her from getting crushed.

CRASH!

A loud shattering sound echoed behind him.

The mirror shattered into pieces, reverberating through the room.

Cecilia blinked.

A firm pressure enveloped her entire body.

Her mind was a blur.

“Are you alright?”

Hearing his voice close to her ear, Cecilia slowly raised her head.

Their eyes met, his face right in front of hers.

Her expression twisted.

“You’re hurt.”

“Where?”

“Not me. You.”

It looked like a piece of shattered glass had grazed his face.

A thin, red line, the length of a fingertip, marked his cheekbone, and blood was starting to bead on it.

Russell touched his cheek, feeling the slight sting.

After confirming the blood, he quickly wiped it with the back of his hand.

“Don’t do that!”

Russell froze, surprised.

“How can you treat an injury like that?”

He thought, ‘It’s just a scratch,’ but her serious expression kept him silent.

Just imagining the mirror door collapsing onto her was terrifying.

She was grateful to him but also felt guilty for his injury, especially since it was caused by her own carelessness.

And, of all places, he’d been injured on his face.

‘He needs treatment immediately.’

She started to move in her urgency but felt the firm grip around her lower back.

Only then did she become aware of her position, held in his arms.

Her heart raced.

She thought it was probably because her nerves were still on edge from the incident.

“…Let me go.”

“Oh…”

Russell quickly loosened his grip.

Cecilia walked to the exit and stopped.

Shards of glass lay scattered all over the floor.

The metal frame of the door, now collapsed, completely blocked the exit.

She felt stuck.

If she tried to lift her skirt and step over it, she risked snagging her dress and possibly tripping.

“Allow me to help you.”

Cecilia looked at him briefly, then turned her gaze aside and nodded.

Russell stepped over to her and lifted her into his arms.

Each step he took over the shards made a crunching sound as he walked.

Even after they left the Hall of Mirrors, he continued carrying her.

Cecilia didn’t ask him to put her down.

There was barely any movement as he carried her.

It was the first time she felt so secure while being held by someone.

Russell walked quite a distance before finally setting her down.

“Shall we go to the courtyard from yesterday?”

Seeing her stiff expression, Russell thought she was deeply shaken.

Since she had liked the courtyard, he thought it might be a good place for her to calm down.

“What are you talking about? We need to go to the doctor.”

“You’re injured? I thought you were fine. Where are you hurt?”

“Stop talking nonsense. Not me—you.”

Cecilia turned abruptly and started walking away.

Russell was about to say, ‘This doesn’t count as an injury. It doesn’t need a doctor.’

But she was already hurrying ahead, too far for him to protest.