Chapter 45.1

Chapter 45 – Part 1

t/w: sexual harassment & physical violence

“Lily, I don’t want to do this either. Really.”

“……”

“But you keep trying to avoid me. You won’t even try to understand my true feelings. I can’t help but resort to this.”

Slowly, Lennon prowled forward, opening his hands palm-side up to me so that he’d look harmless.

I was trapped between him and the locked greenhouse door behind me. I tried to push it with all my strength, but it just wouldn’t budge.

“Lily, c’mon, what’s wrong. No way, do you think I’m trying to threaten you here?”

‘…You’re still the same. F*cking bastard.’

Lennon eventually stopped right in front of me, letting out a long sigh as he brushed a thumb over one corner of my lips.

Evident in his eyes was his disgusting lust for me.

“Lily… Before you married Duke Valentino, what we had between us was good, wasn’t it?”

I couldn’t help but let out a bark of laughter. Was there actually anything ‘between us’?

As dirty and as disgusting as ever, the only thing that Lennon Chester was doggedly determined to do all those times ago was to harass a girl who had barely come of age.

“Because of the circumstances at that time, it was inevitable that you had to marry Duke Valentino at that time. But that’s not how it is anymore, huh? You don’t have to tolerate that bloke’s cold treatment any longer. I’ll be good to you, Lily. You can rely on me.”

Then, Lennon reached out to me.

I gave a sidelong glance at his hand, then shot a ferocious glare at him.

This situation was so hilarious and infuriating at the same time that my mouth twisted all by itself.

Since it’s already come to this, what’s the best way to permanently screw this bastard over this time?

I was grasping the spirit stone in one hand, but it’s not yet the right time to use it.

Calming myself down, I controlled my breathing. I closed my eyes, then opened them again.

With a smirk on my lips, I spoke.

“About two years.”

“……?”

“Two years… is both a very short and very long period of time. And it’s enough time for a person to change.”

Lily Everett. After her meeting with Theodore Valentino brought her undue pain, and after Charlotte Brandon had helped her heal, she was no longer the same person.

When Lily was still within the confines of House Everett, it might be true that she had been all alone, but that’s not who I am today.

Gone are the days when I could endure the thought of just being alone.

Perhaps I’ve become tired and fed up with all the things that I had to suffer through.

I had to be gentle in front of Owen.

I had to tolerate Hessen’s contempt and bullying.

And, I constantly had to withstand the humiliation of feeling that I’ve been stripped naked in front of Lennon’s blatant desire.

I’m just.

So sick and tired of everything.

With a body that’s going to be ruined anyway, with an existence that’s not going to last long anyway, with a life where there are no answers…

I don’t know why I still need to endure.

“Let me say this to you nicely, Lennon Chester. Piss off.”

“…What?”

“Get the hell out of my sight, disgusting prick. Piss off before I can’t stand it anymore and kill you.”

In a daze, Lennon blinked.

Then, he spoke in between his laughter.

“Lily, are you crazy?”

“Have you only found out now? That I’m crazy?”

Like a bright, colorful, poisonous flower, I let out a peal of laughter.

I was the one who’s been running away all this time, but now, I sauntered forward and approached that man in a threatening manner.

“I’ve had to suffer because of trash like you while trying to survive in that hellish Everett manor. How could I not go crazy, hm? In your eyes, did I look normal all that time? Even when you’ve got those persistent eyes trained on me the whole time, wondering when you’d get your hands on me? …Ah, well, you were just looking at my outer shell while you salivated over me. You or Owen—nobody at all knows what I’ve been thinking. You’ve all been fooled. Florentine was the same. Everyone just thinks I’m meek! That I’m pitiful!”

As my words slowly rose into a crescendo, my voice cracked as I shouted, and Lennon could only stare blankly at me.

That look of incredulity on that stupid, godawful face was just hilarious.

Unable to bear the hilarity of the situation, I burst out laughing.

“Oh, greedy little pea-brained Lennon Chester… Did you really think that you’ll ever get to hold me with those grubby hands of yours? You’re nothing but trash. Know your place, why don’t you.”

The anger that was simmering within me finally overflowed, and it was much hotter and more scalding than I thought it was going to be.

Honestly, this extreme hatred would not be resolved until I’d be able to kill the targets behind this raging grudge.

Owen. Hessen. Lennon…

I’ve been suffering the harassment of these three bastards for much too long.

I had been in pain for much too long.

I had to endure for much. too. long.

And right now, there’s no reason left for me to put up with their bullsh*t any longer.

My options before were to die the way that I am now, or to run away from all of this.

Either way, I don’t have to put up with anything anymore.

“It would be so great if you die sometime soon, Lennon. I hope that you can’t rest in peace even after you’ve died. I hope you go straight to hell. F*cking son of a b*tch.”

“……”

Lennon stood there, dumbstruck. But he soon brushed off his shock. The corners of his lips slowly curled up into a sneer.

His hand shot forward and grabbed my arm, clutching it tightly.

It was so painful that I almost groaned. That’s definitely going to leave a bruise.

As he glared down at me so ferociously, he spat out.

“You are the one who doesn’t know your place, impudent wench. …You don’t even know how to be grateful for how I’ve continued to adore you until now…”

I guffawed. I really did.

What am I, your pet cat or dog?

Well, I’d be no different in Lennon’s eyes. I was a dog of his that shouldn’t rebel or bite the hand that feeds it.

This is driving me crazy…

“Come to think of it, you never even had your first night with Duke Valentino, did you?”

Lennon smirked lecherously. There, in his eyes, was a flash of filthy anticipation and excitement.

“Then you’re a virgin, aren’t you? Great. Really, truly, perfect. I wasn’t planning on doing this, but you’re the one who went against me first. You’re just a slut, and yet, how dare you speak like that to me? A b*tch like you should be taught a lesson. You should learn that men can be scary, hm? You have to learn this now— so that when we get married, you’ll bend down to me!”

Then, Lennon pushed me to the ground and immediately got on top of me.

And, immediately as well, I tried to awaken the spiritual power within the gemstone.

Even if I were to burn the skin off Lennon’s face or one of his arms right now, the situation should be dire enough that it could constitute as self-defense.

You’re not the only one who’s feeling ecstatic. I, too, am happy with the thought of being able to cripple you.

My lips automatically turned up into a sneer, but at that moment—

BANG!

Suddenly, the door opened. Someone came in.

That man grabbed Lennon off me, threw him away roughly, then quickly turned back to me.

His eyes were wide open with urgency. He hurriedly crouched down in front of me and examined my condition with great caution.

“Duchess Valentino, are you alright?”

“……”

To my surprise, it was Zen Delacroix.

——