'Why is he making that face?' I blinked and tilted my head slightly.
Alessio spoke up a moment later. "You said there's a room connected to the dungeon, right?"
"That's right." I nodded, my expression steady.
"I've already looked into the dungeon at the Wittelsbach estate with my men—not just once, but nearly every year," Alessio said, his tone firm. "And we've never found anyone locked inside. Sure, some servants might've been thrown in for a night or two as punishment, but nothing long-term—and certainly no one matching the description you gave. Severed fingers and all."
His brows furrowed. "And we've confirmed there's no hidden access to any other room from that dungeon."
I gasped, eyes wide, my body slightly leaning forward.
"Then... then could it be..."
"That's right. He must've built another dungeon somewhere in the manor—one he's kept hidden, just for his secret activities."
Our eyes met, and we both grew silent. A cold understanding settled between us.
"What about the letters you said were meant for you but never sent? Do you remember what was written in them?"
"Yes, I do. They were more like diary entries from Marius than actual letters. Based on one of them, it seems Marius and I met when we were children—but I don't remember it, probably because of the illness I had from my untamed nullifying ability."
"That's entirely possible. The childhood portrait of you cradling a cat—and those other scenes, like a particular location—must've been where you two met for the first time."
"Yes, that place is in one of his letters, too. But, Your Highness—no, Alessio..." I hesitated, my voice wavering just slightly.
"Go on," he said, his tone steady, gaze fixed on me.
"This part's important... about those unsent letters... Marius's diary-like entries... I think they could serve as actual evidence."
"What did you say?" Alessio jolted, slamming his palm on the table as he suddenly rose to his feet.
I flinched at the sound, startled, but kept going.
"From what I remember, they described what he experienced in the duke's estate. He even admitted to some of the things he did. Like..."
I paused, rubbing my thumb against my knuckles. Hesitant. A slow breath steadied me before I added—
"...the murder of the late Duke and Duchess of Wittelsbach."
Alessio's eyes widened in shock. He sank back into his chair, slowly bringing his hand up to his face, fingers pressing at his brow as if trying to hold himself together.
"...I always suspected something about the duke's death. But the duchess too?" he muttered hoarsely. "That damn bastard... he's meticulous. He never leaves anything behind."
He fell silent, eyes distant, trying to piece it all together.
I reached into my pocket and handed him a folded sheet of paper.
"Here."
"What's this?"
"A record of all the memories I've recovered so far... plus a list and summary of the letters I found in that hidden room. Honestly, I was initially searching for paper and a quill because I wanted to jot down the fragments of Sonia's—I mean, my memories. Just to be safe. I included the memory that came back to me the night before we left, and whatever details I could recall."
Alessio took the paper with both hands, unfolding it carefully. His brows furrowed as he scanned the contents, mouth tightening.
Alessio's eyes lingered on a few damning lines:
- Marius isn't the biological son of the duchess.
- He lived in the servant quarters instead of the heir's wing. He endured constant abuse and sarcastic ridicule from the duchess and most of the household staff.
- He orchestrated the duchess's death after she insulted Sonia and revealed her intention to use her purely for political gain. Though he had endured years of mistreatment, it was this final insult to Sonia that drove him to act. He loosened the carriage wheels before her journey, making the crash appear accidental.
- He had been poisoning the duke for years, carefully adjusting the dosage to keep it undetectable. The duke's health deteriorated slowly—too gradually to raise suspicion. Although the duke never physically harmed Marius, he always looked down on him and ignored his existence—even when he knew how Marius was being treated.
I stayed quiet for a while, watching Alessio scan through the paper I had given him. When he finally set it down, I said, "He's… pitiful."
Alessio replied, "Right. But that doesn't mean we can just overlook his crimes. Those people in the dungeon were probably servants who used to mock and abuse him, back before he took the title of Duke of Wittelsbach." After a moment, his face composed itself again. "Now I understand why you said he wouldn't harm you."
Almost every letter felt like a diary—just him getting everything off his chest after whatever he'd endured that day. He wrote about bruises, cold stares, harsh words… but it always came back to Sonia. Like just thinking of her made it hurt a little less. He'd recall the way she once treated his wounds, the way she spoke to him like he actually mattered. To him, she was the only safe place he had. On days when the pain was too much to write, he'd quietly take to embroidery instead—stitching in silence, trying to hold himself together, thread by thread.
I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the life Marius had lived.
In the original novel The Crimson Devotion, Marius was only ever seen through Sonia's perspective. His inner world was barely explored—never in detail.
That story began with their first meeting at a grand party. And true to the title, it was all about his unshakable devotion to her. Naturally.
Yes, it was clear he got rid of people standing in his way—but the novel never delved into the how. The focus stayed on his unwavering loyalty. His tenderness. His single-minded love for Sonia.
As a reader, you couldn't help but be envious. Of how deeply he loved her. Of how fiercely he protected her. Of how Sonia was the center of his world.
And me?
I was a child who grew up without parents. Raised in an orphanage. I used to dream of having that kind of love. That kind of belonging.
I tried to fit into society, always smiling, always easy-going—fun to be around, they said. But honestly, that was just a mask. A shield I wore so people wouldn't reject me first.
Sure, I had friends. But I never really had someone who truly devoted themselves to me the way Marius did to Sonia.
So yes, I envied her—the real Sonia.
Though I never once imagined her life would be just as miserable.
That the girl so fiercely loved on the page was, in truth, a prisoner of someone else's obsession.