Portrait of An Arrogant Master - Chapter 196

They tended to Macy, soaking the towel in the washbasin.

“Can you just tell me this? The person I was staying with in the cabin… they’re alright, right?”

“……”

Despite being in pain, Macy asked in worry. She wondered if Dia had been hurt, but as expected, they wouldn’t answer any of her questions.

A doctor came to check her condition, but she, too, remained silent, only showing a pitying expression. She had probably been silenced by Eren the moment she entered.

Days passed, and Macy started to recover. While lying down, she had sweated so much that the sheets were damp.

Macy took the towel off her forehead and sat up. With a clearer mind, she looked around.

The room had no windows or clock, so she couldn’t even tell if it was day or night. The room was fairly spacious, but with only the barest of furniture, there were no clues to suggest where she might be.

‘But somehow, I feel like I know where this is.’

The eerie silence in the air reminded her of something she’d experienced before.

The servants, moving like ghosts and only doing their duties before disappearing, and the cold stone walls that gave off a draft, triggered a chilling sense of familiarity.

‘Could it be the Bayatten Mansion?’

The Bayatten mansion had been said to be the place where the head of the Krygen family spent their time with their mistresses. It was a place where no one stayed unless they were involved with the mistresses, and it stood alone on a quiet hill, making it a perfect location for illegal activities.

Macy moved the blankets aside in search of more clues. As she sat on the edge of the bed, the shackles around her ankles clinked.

The shackles were so heavy it was difficult to take even a single step. The chains leading all the way to the wall made it clear that she couldn’t escape.

The sharp stakes embedded in the wall seemed to be telling her that she would never leave this place.

Because she had defied him. Because she had acted recklessly, ignoring his warnings.

She had tried several times to explain herself to Eren, but each time he became more violent toward her. He would grab her by the hair, choke her, and push her until she passed out.

At first, Macy had been afraid of being abandoned when Eren seemed angry, but now she wondered if that might have been better. Being imprisoned here and treated like less than human…

For the past few days, it felt like she had only been a tool for his desires.

“It seems you’ve come to your senses.”

Eren stood by the door, though Macy didn’t know when he had entered. The moment she met his gaze, she instinctively shrank back. Now that she was recovering, was he planning to make her go through that torturous ordeal again? She pulled the blanket up tightly, on high alert, and Eren let out a small laugh through his teeth.

“Have you reflected on your actions?”

“……Yes.”

At first, it seemed like he was implying that, since she had reflected, she might stop this cruel behavior, and Macy cautiously nodded, keeping an eye on him.

“What did you reflect on?”

“That I tried to become the court painter of Ciseina without telling you. I had plenty of chances to tell you, but I didn’t. I’m sorry… I knew you didn’t like me meeting Prince Benedict, but I thought that once I was chosen, I wouldn’t see him again, so I hid it. I won’t do it again.”

She had reasons for hiding it, but she didn’t add any more explanation. If she started talking about how Eren had sabotaged her chances in the royal competition, he would probably brush it off. He never seemed to feel guilty about blocking her path. It would just annoy him.

“Is that it?”

Eren asked, sounding somewhat dissatisfied, just as Macy was waiting for his forgiveness, thinking this was enough.

‘Is there something else I did wrong? What is it?’

Macy’s mind began to race. Then, with a slight hope, she spoke up.

“I swear, I never did anything with Prince Benedict. Please believe me! I was only interested in the court painter position because he said I didn’t have to become a citizen of Ciseina. I never once thought of leaving you, Eren!”

Come to think of it, not only had she wanted to become the court painter, but Eren was also under the mistaken belief that Macy had slept with Benedict.

This was the part that truly frustrated her.

“Every time you open your mouth, it’s a lie.”

“No, really. Huh, you can check with His Highness! It was something we agreed on!”

If only Eren would ask the prince, he could easily confirm the truth. But Eren dismissed everything she said as a lie, and it left Macy feeling exasperated.

“Do you think I locked you up here without confirming anything?”

“Huh?”

Then Eren spoke something unexpected. As if he had already verified everything.