Chapter 12
“Such a prickly attitude. Countless efforts went into getting you here, so you shouldn’t be so cold.”
“Oh, this is a gift.”
He smiled with pleasure at Helia’s cold eyes.
She slowly looked down.
What he had given was a piece of paper, about the size of a palm.
One side of the paper had a black-and-white pencil sketch.
At first glance, it looked like a large tree, but at the end of a thick branch was a young man in attire, hanging with a rope around his neck, his face pale, mouth open, and arms flailing in the air.
It was clearly a sketch of someone on the brink of death.
“I have a hobby of drawing people,” Count Fenus said with a smile.
“Useless.”
She threw the paper into a nearby lamp.
The paper burned quickly and vanished into ashes.
“Oh dear, it was a hard work.”
Count Fenus looked at Helia.
His eyes, filled with resignation and malice, seemed to enjoy watching her deteriorate with beauty and filth. Her actions over the past four years had brought him great pleasure.
“You’re cold. It was a gift I prepared with care.”
“Is there any reason I should not be cold?”
“I proposed the contract marriage, didn’t I?”
He reached out and pulled her by the waist. Her expression immediately turned to discomfort.
“I gave you information and made sure you could sit here.”
The weird touch on her waist was unpleasant.
“If you want to swing your lower body like a randy dog, find another woman. You and I had a transaction, and I don’t owe you anything.”
It was purely a paid transaction.
She picked up the crystal ashtray from the table. It was one of the Viscount’s most cherished possessions. She tightened her grip on it.
He took a step back.
“It’s a joke, a joke. Anyway, such a temperament.”
“What about the servants I asked you to prepare?”
“They will come starting tomorrow. Don’t worry. They are well-versed in keeping secrets and will take good care of the livestock.”
Helia nodded.
“So, how is the livestock, Duchess? I heard they’ve been sick for about three days.”
“I don’t know; I’m about to go check now.”
“Have you not been discovered hiding the livestock from your precious Duke yet?”
His comment made Helia’s eyes narrow.
She threw the crystal ashtray at him.
Whoosh.
The heavy ashtray cut through the air, and Count Fenus widened his eyes as he slightly turned his body.
He easily avoided the incoming heavy ashtray.
Crash—
The piercing sound of shattering crystal rang out sharply.
“You…”
Her blue eyes flashed with a fierce glare as they met his crimson ones.
“If we’ve made a contract, then do your job properly, Count Fenus. Before I take everything you want and die. I’m not giving you anything without payment.”
Rapid footsteps from outside grew closer by the moment.
Count Fenus clicked his tongue and jumped out through the open window.
Boom—
At the same time, the reception room door burst open with a rough sound.
There was only one person who would move around the mansion so casually.
“…Helia?”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing here alone?”
She blinked slowly.
Although she had suspected he would come, she had half-expected he wouldn’t.
“What’s this? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Seeing the shattered crystal ashtray, he approached with large strides.
“Just…”
“Did you drop it by accident?”
She looked at Caligo and tried to make an excuse.
“I threw it out of anger.”
“What… did you say?”
“I said I threw it out of anger.”
“…You.”
Caligo clicked his tongue.
“As long as you’re not hurt, that’s fine. I’ll call someone, so please come out.”
He lightly grabbed her wrist and pulled her.
Helia shrank back from the lukewarm heat and then noticed the gloves on his hand, closing her mouth tightly.
“Were you alone here?”
He asked with a frown as he was about to leave the reception room.
“Yes, why?”
“It’s just that, there seems to be a slight smell of blood. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
“No.”
She answered as she opened the door. A faint smell of blood was scattered through the crack of the door.
‘Is it just my imagination?’
Caligo lightly rubbed the tip of his nose with his finger.
“I’ll go back to the room.”
“What about dinner?”
“I’m not…”
Helia slowly moved her lips and turned her head.
“I’m not hungry right now.”
“I see.”
“…Is there perhaps…”
She looked at his face before speaking again.
Caligo looked at her.
“…If it’s okay in an hour, let’s meet then.”
Surprised by the unexpected words, he nodded. Her face seemed to flush slightly.
She turned her head abruptly.
“Then, see you later.”
“…Understood.”
Watching him go up to the second floor and enter his room, Helia stiffened her expression.
She headed towards the attic, carrying a kettle and a lantern.
Climbing the shabby stairs and passing through the eerie creaks, she reached the sturdy iron bars that had always blocked her way.
Unlocking the black and solid iron bars, Helia opened the innermost door.
As soon as the door opened, a pungent smell hit her nose.
She frowned.
Since there was almost no light in the corridor leading to the attic, her view only cleared when she opened the window, which was firmly locked.
She placed the lantern on a stand and turned around.
In the dim light, she saw a middle-aged couple with haggard faces. The wooden window had bloodstains from how much they had scratched at it.
Viscount Ricchiano was not in a good condition. His wounds, scratched from the floor, had festered and were decaying.
Viscountess Ricchiano was crawling on the floor with her hands, unable to use her legs at all.
Filth and excrement surrounded them.
Viscount and Viscountess Ricchiano looked at Helia with faces more miserable than street beggars.
“You’re not already mad, are you, Mother? Father?”
Helia smiled.
Seeing her smile illuminated by the moonlight, Viscountess Ricchiano’s eyes widened.
“You…! You!”
In a parched voice, she called out to her.
“Helia?! Food, give me food… food…”
She crawled towards her, her mouth watering.
Helia narrowed her eyes.
“Mother, a strong person can survive on just water for a month.”
“Please, please, I beg you. Please…”
Viscountess Ricchiano clasped her hands together and pleaded earnestly.
Helia bit her lower lip as she watched.
Straightening up, she smiled lightly.
“One week.”
Helia spoke.
“When I was seven, I survived a week on just a bottle of water…”
“Gasp… gasp…”
Viscountess’ breath grew ragged.
“So, shouldn’t you endure for at least 40 days?”
Viscountess’ eyes widened. Startled, she reached out, but Helia took a step back.
“You… gasp… are you saying you’ll kill us?! If we die, people won’t just stand by…”
“Why would I?”
Helia tilted her head at her scream-like voice.
“What?”
“Why do you think I would kill you and Father?”
Her smile grew darker.
Viscountess Ricchiano trembled at the bright smile.
‘When did she change like this?’
When she was crawling on the floor, she was a miserable and dirty child, filthy and wretched.
But there were times she was terrifying, like when she would kill the dogs she raised or stare with those cold blue eyes without a word.
But she thought she had trampled on her. Trampled and trampled, so she could never lift her head in front of her family again.
But why was she now crouching in front of that girl she had despised, in such a miserable and filthy state?
Viscountess Ricchiano still couldn’t understand the situation.
“What exactly do you want! What’s the reason! Are you tormenting us? You were aiming for a higher status yourself! Thanks to us, you…”
“I don’t need any of that.”
Helia’s expression vanished from her face.
“My friends who have died and lived madly because of you, why would I kill you?”
“What…?”
“I have no intention of killing you, Mother and Father.”
Helia lightly kicked a blunt dagger lying on the floor.
“You can only leave this place either by dying here or…”
— clang!
The spinning dagger rolled and stopped in front of Viscountess Ricchiano’s hand.
“You’ll live like this forever.”
Helia closed the window again and turned around.
Beyond the settled darkness, sounds of weeping could be heard.
“Please…”
Amidst the sobbing, two syllables emerged.
“I… made a mistake… so…”
It was the Viscount’s voice, which had been silent until now.
Helia let out a tired, hollow laugh. It was such a light apology that it seemed almost ridiculous to take it seriously.
“Apologize to those who have died here. And I will bring water in four days.”
As soon as her words ended, she saw the Viscountess rushing towards the kettle.
“This crazy woman—! This is mine!”
Screech—
A sharp sound of shattering came through.
“Beasts.”
Suddenly, a fragment of the past brushed against her ear.
Helia pressed her eyelids with her palm as if exhausted.
“Worse than beasts.”
She murmured softly, locking the sturdy iron bars and descending the stairs.
Her shadow, stretched long by the moonlight, covered her from head to toe.
