She was in John’s arms, covering her eyes with her hands.
“How long do I have to cover it?”
“Shh.”
John’s soft laughter lingered in her ear.
“You’re doing well, just hold on for a little longer.”
She felt strangely tense, perhaps because of his deep voice.
‘No, is it because I can’t see anything?’
Her skin tensely tightened, trying to somehow sense the changes around her. She heard the sound of stairs going up. Then, the sound ofJohn’s heart beating overlapped.
‘It keeps going up.’
She didn’t think she had ever gone up this far.
‘What on earth are you trying to show me?’
While eating breakfast this morning, John suddenly covered my eyes, saying he had something to show her. She guessed he said he had prepared it at the palace.
‘If John is preparing something, it must be pretty big.’
These days, she had barely made any preparations for escaping.
She should have saved up money when she could, but for some reason, her mind was spinning and she hadn’t made any more preparations.
‘Is it because there’s nothing more to prepare?’
Even if it’s not perfect, she could escape whenever she wanted now.
‘And I don’t really want to leave.’
She used to prepare to escape whenever she wanted, but now the preparation itself has become uncomfortable. She was afraid that if she prepared like this, she would incur John’s distrust for no reason.
At that moment, John’s footsteps stopped.
John slowly lowered her down. She tried to naturally take her hands off her eyes, but John covered her entire face with one hand.
“I didn’t tell you to open it yet.”
His voice was strict.
“Oh, okay. Then when do you want me to open them?”
“Keep it closed. I’ll slowly open the door.”
Squeak-
She heard the sound of the door opening.
She took a cautious step with her eyes tightly shut. It must have been the Duchy Blanchet residence she knew, but the limited field of vision made it feel strange and tense.
“Okay. Open your eyes now.”
John took his hand away from her face, and she opened her closed eyes.
“…Ah.”
It was a room with bright sunlight.
There were cutely decorated props, an easel placed in the middle, and various drawing tools. What was unusual was that the window was very large.
‘Was there a room like this?’
She walked closer to the window. She thought it was a normal transparent window, but when she put her hand close, it was a device made by magic.
‘The duke’s residence… is below?’
She opened her eyes wide without realizing it, and her cheeks turned red. She felt like she was looking at the world from above the clouds.
‘I can see the imperial palace in the distance.’
John raised the corners of his mouth.
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah. It’s so pretty.”
It was nice to see the sunset from the mansion, but it felt completely different to see it floating in the air like this.
She kept exclaiming in admiration as she looked at the clouds that seemed close enough to touch.
“But how did you make this place?”
“This is like a separate space connected to the mansion. I made it because I thought it would be nice for you to come in whenever you wanted to draw.”
John answered casually. However, the very idea of making a space with magic was ridiculous.
“Why the studio?”
“I heard that your hobby used to be drawing.”
The story of the Libertan days suddenly came to mind and pierced her heart.
“…Where did you hear that story?”
“No?”
“No. That’s right. I drew whenever I was bored.”
She realized once again how much she had forgotten about Libertan. Seeing how the time she drew felt like such a distant memory.
‘The baseness and nobility are revealed from within. Culture will hide your shallowness a little.’
‘Just being able to draw well is not enough. You have to cultivate your inner self!’
Honestly, she didn’t really like embroidery or drawing that she learned back then. It was because she couldn’t do anything she wanted.
‘But it’s different here.’
There’s no one in Duchy Blanchett’s household who will talk about my paintings. There wouldn’t be anyone watching her, so if it’s uncomfortable, she could just draw and dispose of it.
‘John prepared it for me, so let’s do it comfortably.’
While she was looking at the drawing board, John was looking at her with a strange look.
“Wasn’t drawing your hobby?”
“No, that’s right. It’s just that it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the drawing board.”
But John’s eyes still didn’t brighten.
‘Should I have liked it more since it was a gift?’
It seemed like she’s gotten used to receiving gifts these days. She guessed she should show more excitement…
“Come to think of it, didn’t you have anyone you were close with while you were living here?”
“Huh?”
“Come to think of it, I think you must have been lonely coming to Duchy Blanchet’s residence alone.”
John narrowed his eyes and said to her.
“I’m sorry for telling you this now. I should have been more careful.”
No. It was good that no one followed her.
‘The Libertans are trying to get involved and then something happens…’
However, John must have misunderstood when he saw her gaze. He pressed his temples and lowered his voice.
“I thought I did well enough, but there were so many things that were lacking.”
“No. John did so well.”
“Don’t think that way.”
Her eyes met John’s.
His red eyes looked longing.
“Why?”
He spoke slowly, stroking her hair. She could hear the guilt in his voice.
“My sins don’t disappear just because you don’t know.”
A strange courage came to her in his serious eyes.
“What sin did you commit against me?”
“…That.”
“John has always been a good person to me. He always made me happy. I was always happy because of you.”
“…”
“Is there something I don’t know?”
Her whole body tensed.
‘Tell me honestly.’
She saw herself reflected in his red eyes. She was smiling as beautifully as always. And John…
“I’m the one who brought down the Duke of Libertan who raised you.”
“Ah…”
“That’s why I’m sorry.”
John smiled as beautifully as usual.
John, who was affectionate, cool, and charming enough to make anyone fall for him. Suddenly, it became difficult to meet his eyes.
“By the way, what is this book you have here? A beautiful monster?”
“Oh, it’s a book that sells well in the capital these days.”
John skillfully continued the conversation.
“It’s famous for its beautiful paintings, so I thought you’d like it.”
Near the gorgeous garden gate, it was a gorgeous book with glittering colors like stained glass.
<Beautiful Monster>
“What’s it about?”
“Read it yourself. I read it too, and it was quite interesting.”
* * *
Luigi couldn’t come to her senses.
‘What on earth is happening to me?’
“Ah, father…”
A rich and beautiful home, a strict but caring father who cared for his only daughter, a mother who was noble and kind.
That was Luigi’s world.
But now that world had completely collapsed. The smell of blood filled his nostrils, and the room was eerily quiet.
Her arrogant father, a great nobleman, was kneeling on the floor instead of sitting on his chair, his head bowed. Luigi called, but he held his breath like a slave.
‘That’s…’
Bloodstains flowing on the floor and corpses with familiar faces.
“I must have told you.”
The face of the man whose back was turned as the chair in his father’s office spun around was visible. It was the Duke of Blanchett, a handsome man with a decadent and languid impression.
John tapped the armrest with his index finger and said.
“If you make fun of my warning, you’ll be in trouble.”
Luigi’s legs gave out and she fell to her knees.
“Even though you’re a duke, you can’t kill someone else’s servant like this without any guilt…”
“Do you really think so?”
A calm voice without even a hint of mockery.
“If you think so, then come out and show me.”
It was confidence. The arrogance typical of an absolute ruler who could create a crime and make it like it never existed. And that was something Luigi had.
“I, I was wrong. I must have lost my mind under the threats of the saint and the crown prince. I never ignored Duke Blanchette.”
“No.”
“Then…”
John’s red eyes sank coldly like hardened blood.
“Don’t you know what your crime is?”
“T-T-Turning the Duke and joining in the conspiracy to harm the Duchess…”
“Ah, that’s true.”
John chuckled.
“But the important thing is that you hurt my wife.”
“…”
“You don’t even know the subject.”
A deep murderous spirit flowed out so intensely that it seemed as if it would tear apart Luigi’s entire body. Luigi trembled with her arms and legs on the ground.
“It’s scary!”
When the Libertan Dukes were destroyed, some of the nobles trembled, saying that Duke Blanchette was a bloodthirsty monster. However, that story was soon buried. Because the Duke of Blanchet was too great a man to be called a monster.
Luigi was one of those who thought so too.
‘He might kill me.’
Why would she have such a stupid thought? That man was not an ordinary human being. There was no way a human being could look at another human being with such eyes.
John rested his chin on the armrest and spoke slowly.
“You could die by my hand like this. Or you could die a more humiliating and horrible death.”
“…”
“But isn’t it too unfair to die like this?”
Luigi blinked.
“T-what are you talking about?”
Then the smile onJohn’s lips tilted upward. It was a charming smile like a devil who corrupts humans.
“The saintess would live happily without any harm.”
“That’s ridiculous. There’s no way…”
Luigi froze.
‘No, it really will be.’
Even when she was in danger, the saint was fine. It was because Crown Prince Carlos and the Holy Kingdom did not let her get into trouble.
‘Why on earth.’
Luigi felt very wronged.
‘What makes me different from the saint?’
At first, Luigi hated Estelle so much. She couldn’t stand seeing that lowly blood running around. But now, she hated the noble saintess more than the lowly Estelle.
‘Why did I end up like this? It wasn’t just my fault.’
Luigi’s gaze turned to the bloodstains. No matter how much he thought about it, this wasn’t fair. At least, the saintess who committed a bad deed with her…
“Don’t you want revenge?”
Luigi’s empty eyes were filled with revenge. John sneered at Luigi.
‘As expected.’
Humans were all the same.
They didn’t think about their own mistakes at all, and only thought about the damage they’ve suffered and felt wronged. They couldn’t stand seeing others do well,
Of course, one person was different.
‘Only you…’
No matter how much they tried to dirty it, Estelle was the only one who was noble and not tainted by revenge.
* * *
She read the picture book that John left behind.
As the title, <Beautiful Monster>, suggests, the main character was a beautiful monster.
That’s probably why the monster’s appearance was so normal. No, it was so wonderful that everyone loved it without even knowing it was a monster. But the reason why the monster was a monster was simple. Unlike humans, monsters were branded every time they committed a sin. Fortunately, they could hide it with clothes, so the monster could pretend to be human.
[The monster fell in love with a woman. So he wanted to marry her.]
The monster asked the woman.
[My bride, can you still love me even if you know I’m a monster?]
[Don’t worry. I love you.]
The woman was confident. So the monster showed his the brand hidden under the clothes. However, the bride ran away as soon as she saw the monster’s brand.
The monster was furious at seeing such a bride.
[Traitor! You told me that you loved me even if I’m a monster!]
[Y-you didn’t tell me that you were hiding something this horrible.]
She couldn’t bring herself to turn the next page. The brand carved into the monster’s body looked like a scar on her body.
‘Do you see me like this too?’
Her fingertips strangely became too cold. Her heart felt like it was beating too fast, so she held both hands tightly and shut her eyes tightly.
‘John, I’m not the person you knew.’
John said that she was real now. Funny enough, even the her in front of him was a person she had made up.
‘Do you still love me like this after seeing me like that?’
It might be arrogant to believe that she wouldn’t change no matter what she went through. The heart didn’t change as one wanted.
[It wasn’t my fault. It’s your fault for not telling me that you were such a monster! So it’s me who was betrayed!]
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
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