Chapter 88
A rare loud voice echoed from Delani’s reception room.
“We need to burn that wardrobe down immediately!”
“Somerset.”
“Can’t you see my face? That monster was hiding its strength!”
Somerset’s head was wrapped in bandages, with fresh bloodstains showing through. But Delani remained calm.
“As long as it’s Dedrick’s weakness, we can’t burn it. Unless Dedrick dies, we must keep it. While we hold his weakness, we must quickly solidify our power and secure your position as the heir! Now is not the time to worry about that monster. Instead, you should watch your behavior! How long do you plan to waste time drinking?”
“Are you saying it’s okay if I die?!”
No matter how much Somerset argued, Delani stood firm and even scolded him.
“Then why do you keep provoking it?”
“Are you blaming me now?!”
“Don’t be foolish, Somerset. This is all for you.”
Somerset scoffed bitterly.
“Oh, for me? Then back then, was it also ‘for me’ when you chose your pride over me?”
Delani hesitated.
“Somerset, that was…”
Before she could finish, Somerset turned his back and stormed out of the room.
He gritted his teeth.
“Keep it alive? After it tried to kill me?!”
His mother always took a step back like that. When things became unfavorable, she would push him forward instead.
Ever since she had chosen herself over him, he had never trusted her. If something went wrong, she would abandon him again.
If that monster met Dedrick and revealed everything Somerset had done, that lunatic would kill him without hesitation.
The day he broke the wardrobe, if the knights hadn’t held Dedrick back, he would’ve died. He still had nightmares about that murderous intent.
“Damn it…”
The monster’s overwhelming strength, the Black Hawk’s trust, and even the Grand Duke is waiting for Dedrick…
“What is so special about him?!”
Somerset’s jealousy finally exploded, and his anger turned toward the monster.
“It has to die.”
Keeping alive the thing that tried to kill him was the ultimate humiliation.
Somerset clenched his teeth.
“Summon a mage to break the underground barrier. Without my mother’s knowledge.”
“W-What? But the Grand Duchess—”
“I am the only heir now. Are you putting my mother over me? Do you want to die first?”
Luan flinched and quickly bowed his head.
“N-No, of course not!”
“My mother is going to the palace tomorrow, right? Summon the mage then.”
“Understood, young master.”
The sky was dark and filled with heavy clouds.
Rumble…
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
“Bring the wardrobe outside now! Burn it before the rain starts!”
The half-destroyed wardrobe was finally brought out of the basement. Once it reached the incineration site, Somerset smirked.
“Hey, monster. Take a good look. This will be the last thing you ever see.”
The wardrobe, battered and broken, looked eerie. Tossed carelessly onto the fire pit, Somerset ordered,
“Light it up.”
The servants hesitated.
“Now!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
Fwoosh!
Flames quickly spread across the wardrobe.
Crackle.
Somerset watched with satisfaction, but suddenly, his face stiffened as if he had seen a ghost.
“…What is that?”
He blinked.
Inside the burning wardrobe, something became clearer.
A girl.
A beautiful girl in a white dress stained with blood.
His eyes landed on her horns. The girl slowly opened her eyes and looked straight at him.
“M-Monster!”
“It’s the monster!”
Everyone screamed and backed away, but Somerset stepped closer as if mesmerized.
The girl sat up on the wardrobe, her lips parting.
“…You can see me?”
“You… you…”
“Good. I’m glad you can see me before I die.”
She smiled brightly, but her eyes were filled with tears.
“Somerset.”
“….”
He was too stunned to speak.
“You will never beat Dedrick. You pathetic worm.”
Her voice carried deep resentment, snapping Somerset back to reality. His face twisted in rage.
“You…!”
“Thank you for burning the wardrobe. Now, I’ve truly made Dedrick happy.”
“What?”
“I didn’t want to be his weakness anymore. It hurt too much to see him suffer because of me.”
Somerset could only stare. He couldn’t understand what she was saying.
“You, who only care about yourself, could never understand this feeling.”
She let out a small, bitter laugh.
“Just remember this one thing.”
“….”
“You completed it.”
“What are you talking—”
“You finished Dedrick’s happiness.”
“Because of you, he won’t hesitate anymore. He won’t hold back, fearing for me. Thanks to you, his greatest weakness is gone.”
She smiled.
“Now, he’ll grow stronger without worrying about you or anyone else. He’ll surpass you without a second thought.”
“…!”
“In the end, Dedrick will be happy.”
The girl beamed.
“Thanks for being a fool till the very end, Somerset.”
Her laughter echoed.
Even as the wardrobe burned to ashes, her laughter didn’t stop.
And when it was finally gone, two dried roses lay neatly in the blackened remains.
No one dared to touch them.
Somerset stared at the flowers, grinding his teeth.
“I already won! I won!”
Drip, drop…
Rain began to fall.
“You’re dead, and I’m alive! What do you think Dedrick will do when he finds out you’re dead? He’ll suffer! He might even kill himself! To hell with happiness! That means I win! I win!”
Screaming in desperation, Somerset turned to Luan.
“Prepare a message!”
He was going to deliver this “good news” to that bastard himself.
Somerset exaggeratedly laughed, grabbed a handful of ashes, and walked away.
The ashes, piled up in a small mound, looked like a grave for the girl.
A little later, Duke Carlos and Jenkinson stood before the burnt remains of the wardrobe.
“…Your Grace.”
Carlos clenched his fists tightly, grinding his teeth.
“Don’t do anything reckless.”
“This child cannot die.”
“Your Grace!”
“I already saved her once. Who says I can’t do it again?”
“They will not forgive you!”
“What I fear more is not being forgiven by Amelia and Dedrick.”
Carlos made a gesture, and the ashes on the ground floated up into the air, gathering into a small box in his hand.
Among the ashes were two roses.
“Those roses…”
“They must have been precious to Marilyn. Even in death, they did not disappear.”
“…Sigh.”
“You’re not stopping me anymore?”
Jenkinson sighed deeply, rubbing his face with both hands before answering in a restrained voice.
“…No. This time, I don’t have the strength to stop you. I don’t want Master Dedrick and Marilyn to be separated again.”
“I must leave. I need to go to the Sanctuary.”
“…I will accompany you.”
Carlos looked up at the sky. Heavy rain poured down.
“Doesn’t it seem like they might forgive me?”
“…”
“They are crying so much.”
“…I suppose so.”
With that, the two left the scene in silence.
The Herba Academy stood on abandoned land, always covered in gray clouds.
Its old buildings made eerie sounds at night, as if ghosts were crying in the wind.
The students were lifeless and gloomy.
The teachers were violent, and there was no one to trust.
In this place, Dedrick endured. He had to, for Marilyn.
‘I can’t leave Marilyn there forever.’
Please, don’t let her get hurt anymore…
Dedrick was always worried about Marilyn. He knew Somerset wouldn’t leave her alone. So, he dedicated himself to studying, barely sleeping, determined to return to her as soon as possible.
“Dedrick!”
“…I don’t know why you seem even more energetic here.”
Unlike their first meeting, Eugene was now cheerful. He casually threw an arm around Dedrick’s shoulder.
“It’s because the Marchioness isn’t here.”
Eugene studied Dedrick’s face. He never expected that even Dedrick would end up in this horrible place.
And in such a miserable state.
Ever since arriving, Dedrick had barely slept. Even when he did, he would wake up from nightmares within an hour.
He cried every day. He was constantly on the verge of death. But still, he endured, desperately trying to escape.
‘I don’t know much, but it must be because of that Marilyn girl.’
Eugene didn’t know all the details. He had only learned about her after pestering Perez and Dedrick, feeling jealous of their secret.
Dedrick really, really liked Marilyn.
Eugene still remembered how pure and sweet Dedrick looked when he talked about her.
‘If I mention that, he’ll probably try to kill me.’
But now, Dedrick’s face had lost all traces of that innocence.
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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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NOOOOO MY SHEYLA😭😭😭 MY MARY!!! WHY???