Chapter 118

Lily’s attitude made Ayla even more angry.

“Then did you do that on purpose during the festival?”

“There are a lot of wild animals there, so it was perfect for you to die, but you managed to make it out alive. Well… Thanks to you, I had a good date with the Prince. Hehe.”

“…”

Her clenched fists trembled. Her vision was blurred by the tears that filled her eyes with the surging sense of betrayal.

‘That can’t be.’

She desperately wanted to deny it. That it wasn’t true, that it couldn’t be.

Contrary to Ayla’s earnest wish, Lily, who clapped her hands together, narrowed her eyes and continued.

“Oh, right, do you remember the day you broke the champagne in the banquet hall? The day you almost died at the hands of Grand Duke Ermedi. That was me too, how could you not know that? How could you not have any doubts when you clearly knew I was behind you? It was really amusing, my Young Lady.”

Ayla seemed to tremble all over at the feeling of being belittled.

Ayla’s hands and blue eyes were incessantly shaking.

She couldn’t stand the sight of Lily, whom she used to trust and was now mocking her for being slow-witted.

She held back the tears that were about to flow and tasted the blood coming from her lips, which she was biting.

There seemed to be something hot on her throat, preventing her from breathing.

Ayla tried to suppress the rushing emotions and slowly opened her mouth.

“Why… Did you do that?”

“Hm… I’m not sure. Why was it? You should have behaved well. Why did you hurt the Prince? Who are you to break the Prince’s heart? Lily just gave you a punishment.”

“Only that? Are you saying you did that to me because of your feelings for Louis?”

“Only? Don’t belittle my feelings with words like that. You thought nothing of the feelings I can’t have even if I want to.”

“So you did such a thing?”

Speaking very calmly as if she was talking about other people’s affairs, she was no longer the Lily she knew.

She didn’t seem to feel any guilt or regret towards her at all.

“Because I love him. What should I do when the person I love is hurt? I should give punishment. Ah… I should have just killed you.”

Slap.

Ayla’s fingertips were trembling incessantly as they hit Lily’s cheek.

Ayla’s face was already covered in tears, and Lily, whose head was half turned, remained immobile.

“Crazy bitch… You’re crazy, aren’t you?”

In the quiet natural forest, only Ayla’s cold voice, uttering a swear word in a low tone, was heard.

***

“Daddy did that because he loves you. Do you understand?”

It was always the same.

After sobering up, her bastard father always said that to her, who was beaten all night long without knowing the reason.

He did it because he loved her.

It was the only thing he said to a young girl who was only 8 years old and was beaten until she bled.

Despicable.

“Won’t you smile?”

“Hehe… I know. Me too. It was all my fault. I love Daddy too. I deserved that.”

After the ruthless kicks and punches, the monstrous man always forced her to smile.

She had no choice but to smile, because she knew that if she hesitated even a little, the beating would start again.

A child who was barely 8 years old was performing a desperate play in order to save her life.

And as this nonsensical play continued, she was getting used to all of it.

She considered the abnormalities to be normal, as if everyone lived like that, and became abnormal herself.

I did it because I love you.

They were words that tolerated every behavior.

At least for her.

“Lily, a guest is here.”

“Yes! Dad.”

Lily’s house, which used to be a big bar in the plaza, was visited by knights and male customers such as bards, who came and stayed.

Even though the building was old, they obstinately came to this place to see Lily, who was now a young woman.

Lily was one of the most famous people among the neighborhood taverns.

Even when nasty customers rubbed her buttocks, far from stopping it, her father liked it, saying that it boosted their sales; so, she was often a target for lewd people.

He even talked nonsense about her selling her body this time, but Lily had no choice but to smile. If she showed any signs of dislike, ruthless fists would fly towards her again.

‘Daddy did it because he loves you.’

All these nonsensical situations were being wrapped in the pretty word of love.