IMLTVS Chapter 07

Chapter 07

 

 

 

This was exactly the bad thing about having the same doctor take care of me since childhood—half the time, I had no idea what he was saying.

He was probably just spouting nonsense because he was too angry.

My doctor, who had been treating me since I was a child, came running in, saw my condition, and got so furious that he hadn’t stopped ranting since he started treating me.

He was practically shouting that he should just sneak into that house and put that bastard to sleep forever. 

Honestly, for a second, I was tempted.

But I didn’t want to lose my doctor over something so pointless.

Like he always said, finding a skilled doctor you could trust not to poison you was no easy task.

When he disinfected my mouth, it stung quite a bit, so I raised my hand to stop him for a moment and grumbled.

“It hurts. Be gentle, Benon.”

At that, my normally kind and good-natured doctor suddenly had a terrifying expression.

“How dare that bastard lay a hand on your face? I should slit his throat with my scalpel.”

The only time I had ever seen Benon this angry was when my father collapsed because he broke his sobriety. Even then, he wasn’t this mad.

His expression was so out of place on his usually kind face that I almost laughed—but my mouth hurt too much.

I ended up making a weird sound, somewhere between a groan and a chuckle. 

Benon clenched his teeth.

“Lady Carmilla? You think this is funny?”

I tried to fix my expression, but it was no use.

Ah… but still, it felt strangely nice to have people worrying about me.

—This life was too precious to throw away in hatred. I had been given a second chance, and I still had so much left.

Back then, trapped in that house with nothing but hatred to keep me going, I had nothing.

But now, it was different.

That thought still felt like a blessing, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Well… it’s been a while since people cared about me. It feels nice.”

But the next thing Benon said made my face stiffen slightly.

“Cared about you? It’s not just that. Your maids are sobbing their hearts out, the lord is furious, and the lady of the house is about to take a carriage to the Demeter estate to demand an explanation. The butler barely managed to stop her.”

I blinked in disbelief.

“Mother? That doesn’t sound like her…”

Benon jumped up, looking offended.

“I’m telling you, it’s true!”

Still, I didn’t fully believe him and let it slide.

Benon had a habit of exaggerating things.

But even if he was overreacting, he wouldn’t completely make things up. That meant… this was a big deal.

But it was just a slap.

‘Is this such a big deal?’

As I looked at Benon’s worried face, I slowly realized.

This was serious. But for me… it didn’t feel like much.

Maybe my standards had become twisted.

Bern had treated me so cruelly for so long that something like a slap felt like nothing.

One by one, people began rushing in.

The entire Armen estate was in chaos.

Even my father… cried.

My strict, calculating father, who cared more about profits than emotions, looked at me and abandoned all practical concerns.

“You don’t have to get married. If you don’t want to, you can live alone. I will make sure you never have to worry about money.”

It was practically a bombshell.

I was so stunned that I froze.

As he sat on the edge of my bed, my father told me there would be a lot to learn, but it would be better than being slapped by someone. His voice choked up.

The wrinkles on his face deepened, his faded gray eyes filled with sorrow, and tears fell to the floor.

I felt confused.

‘Have I always had a place to rely on?’

My heart wavered.

‘If I had spoken up… could I have been saved? Was I not as alone as I thought?’

As I stared at him in shock, my father took my hand.

His hand was warm like he had a fever. And large enough to cover mine completely.

“I’m sorry for not believing you.”

I had a place to return to. I just didn’t know it.

I felt like crying, so instead, I just nodded silently.

“…Thank you, Father.”

Because of my swollen cheek, my words came out slurred. Seeing that, my father’s face twisted with pain.

Then, his expression suddenly turned sharp.

“I will make sure that bastard from the Demeter family pays. How dare he lay a hand on my daughter? And such a delicate girl at that?”

Well… you did slap me once, too.

I almost said it but held back. Instead, I made a request.

“I don’t need his apology. And you don’t need to punish him directly.”

My father’s eyes burned with anger, but I smiled playfully.

“Just make sure we get full compensation. And while we’re at it, blame the broken engagement on them and make them cover all the costs. I prefer visible rewards. Don’t let them off by a single penny, Father.”

He frowned.

“But I still want to see that bastard on his knees, begging. I can’t just let this go.”

I chuckled.

“Then, make them pay so much that it’s like he begged on his knees. Seeing his shameless face again and hearing a forced apology won’t do me any good.”

My father studied my face as if trying to see if I was serious.

Then, he nodded.

“Alright. I’ll make sure that family crumbles. I’ll tear apart their wealth and make him regret today for the rest of his life.”

Before he left, he gently patted my head.

“Take care of yourself. Don’t have nightmares, my dear daughter.”

As the heavy door closed behind him, I let out a quiet sigh, sinking into my pillows.

Bern’s apology… it would mean nothing to me.

“That alone wouldn’t ease my heart one bit.”

I hated him that much.

So, I wanted the Demeter family to suffer, for his position in the house to weaken.

It wouldn’t be a major blow—he was the heir, after all—but at least his reputation, at least his family’s harmony, would crack.

And the easiest way to do that… was to direct the Demeter family’s rage toward his greatest weakness.

That cursed name.

“Raina…”

Maybe I was still trapped in the darkness.

Even though I no longer loved Bern, I still hated him. And that hatred chained me, like a dog tied to its post.

No matter what I did, I couldn’t help but think of her name.

Would time heal this?

My thoughts swirled as I looked down at my hand.

Wrapped tightly in a splint and bandages, my right hand was completely immobilized.

It had felt good to hit Bern, but…

“With my hand like this, I won’t even be able to do embroidery…”

For the first time, I felt a little regret, even though Benon had scolded me so much.

But the real storm had yet to come.

When Lysdel saw me, she collapsed on the spot.

She practically fell to the ground in shock.

I was about to get up in surprise when she crawled over to my bed and started sobbing.

I never knew she was so devoted to me—it was shocking.

Between hiccups, she blamed herself.

“I was insane to send you in alone to that crazy man. This is all my fault…”

Her crying was so intense that she could barely breathe, so I quickly changed the subject to calm her down.

“Did everyone else react like this too?”

As if I had pulled a string on a doll, Lysdel’s tear-streaked face instantly turned murderous.

And then, in a quiet voice, my mother came to me that night and said:

“…Would you consider leaving for a while to recover?”