Chapter 192
Rumor had it that the man living at the cabin was Eren Wood, and the cabin was said to be his. Did this mean Eren Wood knew Duke Krygen? And the Duke had made Macy his mistress?
What was going on? This didn’t make sense.
Yannick’s mind was a mess, and before he could process everything, one of the officers, eyeing him suspiciously, spoke in a low voice.
“If you’re hiding the suspect, you’ll be charged with concealing a criminal, and you’ll face the same punishment. It would be wise to cooperate.”
“No, Macy is not here!”
Yannick exclaimed, waving his hands frantically.
“I’ve had no contact with her for a long time! Everyone in Laden’s art community knows we fell out because she copied my paintings! I really don’t know where she is!”
Seeing his panic, the two officers exchanged looks. Their unreadable gaze passed between them before one of them spoke sternly.
“May we search the mansion?”
“Yes! Feel free to look around!”
The officers, as if waiting for permission, immediately began moving. As they opened the door, more officers who had been waiting outside flooded in. They searched the dining room, the storage, the backyard, Macy’s old bedroom, and even the studio, combing through every corner.
After a thorough search, and still finding no trace of Macy, one officer spoke with a slightly disappointed expression.
“If you happen to see Macy Horton, please report it immediately.”
“Of course! I’ll do that.”
In no time, they left in a rush. Yannick stood there, dumbfounded, feeling like he had been hit out of nowhere.
Catherine cautiously asked Yannick,
“Do you really think Macy set the fire?”
“I have no idea. I don’t even know what’s going on anymore…”
“Maybe she lost her mind from painting too much?”
“What?”
Yannick shot her a glance.
“You said she seemed a little strange the last time you saw her, right? She didn’t seem to care after being caught having a secret meeting with Duke Krygen. Or maybe she got into a fight because she didn’t want to be his mistress and ended up setting the fire?”
She was trying to make sense of Macy’s actions, considering different possibilities. Macy had always been so stubbornly honest that it had shocked even Yannick when he heard she had become the Duke’s mistress.
‘But when I saw her then, she didn’t seem like someone who was being threatened…’
Her attitude had been more like someone who had already accepted it.
“Forget it. Don’t bring up Macy’s name anywhere. If we get dragged into this, it’ll be a headache.”
“Alright, I understand.”
Yannick warned Catherine, who had a tendency to talk too much, to keep quiet about it.
“Oh, but saying she lost her mind from painting too much? That works. If she stays on the run and doesn’t show herself, people will assume she copied my work.”
“Oh, that’s a good point!”
She was a lost cause anyway. If they painted her as an unstable woman, at least Yannick’s reputation could be salvaged. Macy’s paintings, still being sold under his name, were fetching high prices in the market.
But where had she gone after leaving the cabin? Without her Name treatment, she wouldn’t last long before her body gave out…
The thought passed through Yannick’s mind briefly, but he quickly shook it off.
She wasn’t his concern anymore. He would treat her as a stranger from now on.
If only she had just stayed quiet and painted, none of this would have happened. But she had abandoned her family, choosing to live on her own, and now she was getting exactly what she deserved.
* * *
Macy woke up to the sound of splashing water. She found herself submerged in a bathtub, being bathed by maids she had never seen before.
“Who, who are you…?”
The maids exchanged glances but did not answer, adding to the strange atmosphere. What was this place? Why was Macy with them? She was utterly confused and disoriented.
“Please, let go of this. Why am I here…?”
As she tried to sit up, she suddenly felt an unusual sensation in her lower body. Looking down through the soapy water, she spotted a dark brown, wooden object.
Upon closer inspection, it was a long, wooden model that had been placed inside her. Realizing this, Macy’s body tensed up with shock. As she struggled, her hands, which were held down by the maids, started to flail.
“What is this? Where am I? Let go of this! Release me!”
Instead of listening, the maids forcibly restrained her limbs and continued to bathe her, ignoring her protests. One of the maids moved the wooden model piercing Macy’s insides.
“Ah!”
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.