Chapter 78

Chapter 78

“He, Her—”

Tessa let out a faint groan as he tightened his hand on her shoulder. But Hert didn’t care. In the first place, he had no more room to pay attention to that small groan. He was very angry right now. His inside was so messed up that it made him sick to his stomach.

“Do you know why I am angry?”

“…Her, I, I—”

“It’s not enough that you’re defending those women, you’ve even gone ahead to lie to me. But now, you’re also asking a favor from me? For God’s sake, you don’t even care about me, do you?”

He wanted Tessa to be honest about everything. If so, he would understand. Because this is the place that gave her so many bad memories. Hert wouldn’t have been angry with Tessa if she had told him honestly that she didn’t want to stay here because it reminded her of the Young Marquis who had abused her. Rather, he would have moved her to the annex.

But…

To be lying outright?

As expected, she’s a woman who was good at turning people into fools.

Besides, when her lies were discovered, she didn’t ask for forgiveness, but rather prioritized the women’s safety. She really thought he was going to hurt them. It’s evident that she thought little of Hert.

‘Tessa, what am I to you? Am I nothing to you compared to a maid? How can you stand up for those women to the point that you would even lie to me? Me? Towards me, who was trembling with anxiety because you disappeared, do you even care?’

Hert couldn’t understand. He really couldn’t understand Tessa.

Tessa must have feelings for him, too…

She must think of him as much as he’d think of her…

He was under that impression.

“Unless you’re not looking down on me… It can’t be like this. How can you make people so miserable! What do you think of me?”

“He, rt… what are you talking about…”

“Is that maid so precious? Is she important enough for you to leave me, dump me and get away from me? You really don’t care… about me?”

Unknowingly, his clenched fists trembled. Hert grunted and glared at Tessa, who was still bewildered as if she didn’t know anything.

“Tell me, did you ever feel sorry for me from the beginning? I guess not. If you had, you wouldn’t have dared to protect those women in front of me, to even lie.”

His anger shot to the roof like crazy. He was more angry than the moment when Tessa left him with a farewell letter. He couldn’t stand it because it felt like Tessa confirmed that he was nothing to her until now.

In addition, it seemed like he was the only one thinking about and worrying about his relationship with her every time, his insides felt torn.

‘You were just trying to use me…’

To Tessa, Hert’s existence was nothing more than something to take advantage of. So in the midst of this, she was in a hurry to protect others in front of him.

It was clear that she said that she would try hard and that she would not betray him just to let him off guard. Shedding tears in front of him must have been for the same reason.

Hert was dumbfounded. He was so naive. He was an idiot for believing in her once again and dreaming of a new beginning with her. The woman in front of him must have never thought of such a thing… It was just a delusion filled with futile dreams by himself.

It felt like his heart had been ripped open. All the things he pushed into the hole came out like sand flowing down, and he felt like there was nothing left again.

Oh God. Hert suddenly thought that he wanted to cry.

He gave his all, but there was nothing he received in return, he felt miserable.

He thought he had come back alive from hell, but he didn’t.

Hell was still looming right beside him.

“If you’re going to lie, do it properly. How could you…”

Tessa was hell to him.

“Every time, you are so cruel to me…”

Hert pushed Tessa all the way onto the bed. He found it increasingly difficult to think than he would normally. Maybe it was because it came as a terrible shock to him that she had lied to him outright. Hert could no longer contain his resentment towards Tessa and began to pour it out.

“Why did you try to run away? What was lacking? I did a good job. I said I would forget what happened seven years ago and start again! You just didn’t like me, didn’t you? So you waited for an opportunity to run away from me, spitting out words you didn’t even mean in your heart? Huh?”

“It hurts, Her… I never ran away…!”

“Then why were you with that damn woman! At the same place at the same time!”

“I told you, please, Her…! We happened to…”

The man’s grip on her shoulders hurt so much that Tessa cried out in a low, half-crying voice. Suddenly, her face was stained with fear. She looked as if she would suffocate at any moment and lose her breath.

“Please, Her… Really, I was kidnapped… I was running away from them… I just met her. Those, those who lent money to Mani… they, kidnapped me! Really, hiic, really…”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Who would be kidnapping you in this castle? If there were bastards like that, it got into my ears right away. In the first place, they would have never lived to see you in their lives. Do you even know how many guards I put around you to protect you?”

All spies who were discovered were decapitated. If he left any behind, they will surely come back.

As a result, most people couldn’t even see the edge of Tessa’s skirt. All they knew was that there was a woman in the castle that the new lord Hert lived with. They didn’t know if she was Tessa or who else.

How did they know and kidnap Tessa? In the first place, there were numerous people attached for Tessa’s safety. Breaking through the surveillance, and kidnapher?

‘Nonsense.’

Rather, it was more reasonable to think that she had planned to run away with Janet and got away from the escorts. At least, he knew that Janet was someone under Marquis Borwen, so she could ask for help from the soldiers here.

Of course, that was also a serious problem in its own way. It was getting hit in the back of the head by someone he trusted. After today’s events, Hert thought he would overthrow everything.

“See, you’re lying again.”

“No, Her…!”

“Even if you were kidnapped, does it make sense that you ran into that woman there? Again, your lies are full of holes.”

Tessa felt Hert’s anger drain her mind. She had no idea how to solve this situation. She thought she would be fine, and she thought he would just have to explain it to Hert…

Why did things turn out this way?

“Really, if, if you ask Mani…”

“I told you, of course I intend to ask. If they don’t want to die, they’ll tell me.”

“Don’t do that… Please!”

Tessa’s expression became stiff. Now, Hert really looked like someone who would kill Mani and Janet to get the answers he wanted.

Hert also shot back coldly at her with a hard face.

“I don’t have a reason to listen to your requests anymore. And both the woman and the maid must pay for their crimes. The three of them conspired to make me a fool.”

“…He, Her, please… I beg you, please… Don’t do that…”

Tessa pleaded with Hert again. She no longer wanted to see others experiencing bad things because of her. However, Tessa’s attitude only fueled Hert’s anger.

“Ha, is it because you still don’t know what position you’re in right now? You’re still going to be like this to me? You don’t even care about me, do you? You think I’ll accept everything just because I’m nice to you?”

“Her, that’s not it. Please, listen…”

“Then tell me. Why did you betray me seven years ago? Then I’ll consider it.”

“That…”

Tessa hesitated at Hert’s question.

“What’s the matter? You were supposed to tell me today. Right? Tell me, why did you betray me?”

Despite Hert’s urging, Tessa only pursed her lips, but she was unable to speak. To say it right now…? In an unexpected situation, Tessa’s head started spinning.

He thinks that what happened to her today is also an outrageous lie, so she wondered if he would believe that she was deceived by the orphanage director. So Tessa couldn’t speak easily.

“Nothing? So you’re saying it doesn’t matter what happens to the women?”

“…That, that’s not…”

“Then tell me. Why did you betray me!”

Hert yelled at Tessa. Tessa trembled as if she was about to burst into tears. Was she being punished like this for being greedy for things she shouldn’t have? Why now… Tessa looked up at Hert, whose sweet boyish features had disappeared. Only anger remained in him, it seemed to consume him.

‘No. I’m scared. Please…’

Tessa couldn’t breathe. It felt like the nightmare was coming back. It seemed that the man, who always blamed her in her dreams and screamed at her with resentment, was right in front of her. Hert hated her. He was strangling her and pulling her into misery.

Ah…

Can someone…

“…Nothing!”

Tessa let out a cry and screamed.

“What?”

“There, there is nothing…!”

“What are you talking about?”

Hart’s voice lowered for a moment. Then Tessa cried. Her eyes became hazy and she couldn’t see Hert’s face. She continued to let out cries like a child. Her tears continued to flow incessantly. She couldn’t stop it.

“I, hiiic, I too, have, have been fooled… It’s, my fault…”

In fact, she didn’t want to talk about it. Stupid, naive. She didn’t want to tell him that their lives had fallen into this because she was fooled by them.

Tessa wanted to hide the reason as much as she could from Hert. She forever wished he didn’t know. She didn’t want to say it.

Doesn’t it sound like a desperate scream to live alone?

Excuses when she was driven to the edge of a precipice and shouted for help.

Tessa didn’t want to talk to Hert like this.

“The, the director conspired with the broker, fooled me, and sold me and you too… He, Her, I too, never…”

“…….”

“Never… I, I never betrayed you…”

Believe me. Please.

You said you would believe me.

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