Chapter 100
Leta’s body fell backward, clearly pushed by an external force. With a loud thud, her head hit the floor hard, and though she tried to move, she couldn’t.
“Aah!”
Something was squeezing her painfully. Then came a cracking sound, followed by intense pain in her abdomen. It seemed like the pressure had broken her ribs.
Leta screamed, hoping someone would come.
“Stop…! Ahh! Somebody, help!”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Mother. I’ve only just discovered this power, so I’m not very good at controlling it yet.”
“Why are you doing this?! Aah! Why did I give birth to such a monster?!”
Vallon looked down at Leta with a smile on his lips.
“You almost died.”
***
Since that day, Leta had never sat at the same table with Vallon again. In fact, she never sought him out of her own will. They only spoke when absolutely necessary, and despite living in the same house, Leta did everything she could to avoid him.
In the end, he grew up to be the perfect child of a demon, incapable of being threatened by anyone. Vallon’s dangerous abilities became a secret of the Kattravan family, one that the household members kept hidden.
If word got out about his power, people would surely say that the Kattravan family had sold their souls to a demon. If that happened, everything Leta had enjoyed up until now could be destroyed in an instant.
Recalling Vallon’s childhood, Leta glanced at her son, who sat beside the woman.
‘Disgusting, vile creature.’
Her ribs, broken long ago, still throbbed painfully whenever she looked at her son’s face. If only he were a mute fool, she would have locked him away in a mental institution. But he was too clever, too powerful.
By now, Vallon had become the one in control of the household, and Leta could no longer treat him the way she used to. She lived quietly, following his wishes, barely clinging to life. To avoid being thrown out of the house, she had to carefully cater to this snake-like creature.
“Mother, please eat.”
In his red eyes, so similar to her husband’s, there was something completely inhuman, something different. Her husband had never been affectionate, but he had never been as chilling or terrifying as Vallon.
Looking at that face, Leta felt she wouldn’t be able to eat. Every time Vallon called her “mother,” a shiver ran down her spine.
“I have someone I want to introduce you to.”
“Alright.”
Leta’s reply was short, and even in those few words, her voice trembled. If she upset Vallon, she feared the shadow might return in her dreams, strangling her again. And this time, it might not stop at just strangling her.
She had been so relieved when Vallon announced he would attend the academy. Finally, she could enjoy life without his oppressive presence.
She prayed he would never return to the Kattravan estate. If that meant kneeling and bowing to the common girl he was obsessed with, so be it.
Leticia quietly observed the mother and son as they ate. Since Vallon had introduced her, neither of them had spoken much. It was clear this was no ordinary mother-son relationship.
The Duchess seemed uncomfortable under Vallon’s gaze, constantly looking elsewhere, as if eager to leave.
‘This isn’t what I expected.’
Leticia had thought the Duchess would at least ask her questions about who she was or where she was from, but instead, the woman seemed utterly uninterested in her.
Was she waiting for the Duke to arrive?
All the while, Leticia was painfully aware of the fact that she wasn’t wearing any underwear. Though there was no way the Duchess could know, it still made her feel embarrassed.
She pressed her legs more tightly together, adjusting her posture.
Creak.
The silence was broken as the door opened once again.
“!”
Leticia gasped as she saw a man being wheeled into the room. Though he blinked, his eyes lacked focus.
His eyes were the same red as Vallon’s.
“Father’s here too.”
Father? So this was Duke Kattravan ?
It wasn’t clear whether his legs or his head were injured, but he certainly didn’t seem capable of living a normal life.
“Surprised? He was in a carriage accident, which is why he can’t move on his own anymore.”
Vallon rose from his seat and walked over to the Duke. As Vallon approached, fear appeared in the Duke’s once lifeless eyes.
It looked like he wanted to say something, but the Duke, unable to move freely, couldn’t escape Vallon’s approach.
Vallon pushed his father’s wheelchair to Leta’s side.
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