Chapter 225
“Damn it…”
Yes, this place might give Rubens a sense of stability, but it was not so for her.
A mire she faced the moment she fell—a swamp so dreadful she wished she could escape to the afterlife.
Every time Rubens entered through the door, Macy trembled like she had seen a ghost. With those thin, fragile hands, she covered her eyes with the black cloth he gave her.
He gave it to her because he feared his heart would weaken if he saw those pitiful eyes. If during their encounters the cloth slipped, he would push her harder as if scolding her.
It was tied so tightly that the edges of the cloth were still wrinkled. When he ran his fingers over it, he felt the pressure and fear she experienced.
Looking back, the memories of Macy that came to mind during his self-pleasure weren’t from the Bayatten mansion.
In that basement, all they did was painful s*x. Macy barely made a sound, trembling like a corpse.
She refused to even look at her beloved art supplies, and just because the knife was sharp, she inadvertently left self-inflicted wounds.
‘There was no need to even go as far as Ottilie Krygen.’
If Rubens had fully believed Macy’s words, he would never have burned the cabin or locked her in the basement.
The problem was that such unconditional trust was impossible for Rubens. The moment he realized he was vulnerable, he feared being used.
He was anxious about losing Macy, and furious that she had tried to leave him.
That anxiety narrowed his vision, and the only plan he devised to keep her from escaping was to imprison her in the basement.
Yet that only made Macy want to leave Rubens more.
“Though you made her your mistress, it seems you pressured Macy into submission despite her nature. Still, I believe Macy could only have yielded because she loved Duke Krygen. If there was only hatred, she would have fled the moment you tried to make her your mistress. Just like she did now.”
It was Rubens who crushed that pure heart until nothing remained.
As a result, Macy no longer loved Rubens. She ran away from him.
“Now, Macy’s only goal is to escape the Duke. But if she’s in Obelit, she’s still wanted and will be caught soon enough. I don’t think Macy is unaware of this. That’s why I worry she might make a bad choice.”
Benedict’s concern suddenly felt weighty. What if Macy made the wrong decision?
What if, like when she held the knife and stabbed herself, she couldn’t think rationally?
What if she left with the child, to some faraway place, as in his nightmare?
All sorts of ominous thoughts tangled and swirled inside him.
“Ugh…!”
Then, a burning heat flared up along his back.
Rubens curled up, gasping for breath as hot, lava-like air poured from his lungs. He recognized the sensation.
It was a pain he had felt before. His mind went dark.
“Kronen!!”
“Yes! Duke!”
Kronen, who had been standing guard outside, rushed in at once. Seeing his master in obvious distress, Kronen was shocked and ran over.
“What’s wrong?!”
“Bring me a mirror!”
“A mirror? Yes!”
He felt a chill so intense it shook his entire body.
‘It can’t be… It can’t.’
The wave of fear was overwhelming. Repeating to himself that it wasn’t real, that something was wrong, Kronen finally returned with a mirror.
“Take off my clothes and hold the mirror to my back.”
“Yes.”
His trembling hands quickly lifted his shirt halfway, then hesitated.
“Du, Duke…”
“Hurry and hold the mirror!”
His body was too numb to even wiggle a finger, but he forced himself to pull off his shirt and turn around. The mirror reflected the Name.
It wriggled beneath his skin as if bugs were crawling inside.
“Kup! Ughhh!”
“Duke!”
His heart felt like it would burst. His back burned as if seared by a red-hot iron.
The skin that had writhed for a while was now filling in the scar that no matter what he did wouldn’t disappear.
The Name was fading. The proof that Macy was still alive, on his back, was very slowly…
disappearing.
* * *
“Natalie!!”
A maid hurried into the dining hall. All the servants seated around the long table turned their attention to her.
“They finally found Duke Krygen’s mistress!”
“What? Really?”
“You mean they found that painter?”
“Yes! Natalie, read it out loud. If they say they found her, we need to know how!”
“Yeah, hurry up and give it to Natalie!”
“Ugh, what a hassle.”
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