Volume 4 - CH 2

‘What are you waiting for? Just beat me hard!’

Because I’m all set to get beat!

I was hoping to hear more from her, but Cedric was on his way.

To irritate Camilla, I shook off my arms, which had been held by the maids.

I mean, I was going to do it anyhow…… but the maids’ strength was no joke.

“Laura, Sandy.”

“Yes!”

“Yes, Madam!”

Ah… so these maids’ names were Laura and Sandy. I better remember their names.

“I’ll have to punish Selina for dishonoring the family name. Pull up her skirt.”

The maids then yanked me up and shoved me against the wall, lifting the hem of my dress to my thighs.

They moved with such skill, as if they’d done this many times before.

“M-M-Mother……!”

The cool air blew against my bare thighs and calves.

“As I’ve mentioned before, you’re the face of our family. But I can’t believe you’ve done anything so heinous.”

Camilla stood behind me, wielding a small whip.

“Your promiscuity has caused issues in the Grandson family, so you should pay for your misdemeanors.”

“M-M-Mother, it wasn’t……!”

“I’m only going to hit you 20 times.”

Camilla began hitting enthusiastically, sliding back and forth between my thighs and calves as if she were a drummer.

‘Eugh, this hurts like hell.’

Ha, even though all I preferred was for her to slap me on the cheek.

Because if I’m slapped in the face, it’ll be noticeable!

Camilla, on the other hand, who values my beauty, never touches my face.

What’s the purpose of being hit if the wound isn’t noticeable?

“Oww, Mo-mother…… Ouch!”

I feigned to fall backward as I wailed and yelled.

“Ahh……!”

The maids who were pressed against my back then began pinching my arms.

“Lady, can’t you just get up now?”

“You’re now being punished, Lady!”

Camilla’s whipping stung like hell, but the maids’ pinching and twisting of my skin was far worse.

It was then. Outside the door, there was a murmur.

It was unmistakably Cedric.

“……why is that old man late……”

I could barely hear what was being spoken outside.

It would be wonderful if I had been slapped down by now if I wanted to create a dramatic scene.

Unable to get rid of my greed, I twisted myself as hard as I could.

A hand flew into my face at the same time.

“I mean, Lady, just remain still!”

One of the maids, whether it was Laura or Sandy, was the one who did it. That maid slapped me in the face when she stopped shoving my shoulder against the walls.

The entire incident felt like a scene from a war movie.

I, who was slapped in the face, fell to the side as if I was flying.

That maid’s eyes trembled as she looked bewildered. Camilla, who remained still, her gaze fixed on the maid. Even the door, which sprung open unexpectedly.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.

‘Come on… have a close look at this!’

Take a look at this poor niece who was assaulted by her stepmother and passed out as a consequence of the abuse!

I could see a man open the door and enter the bedroom through my shutting eyelids.

“…Cedric!”

It was something I expected to hear, but it was Adrian’s face that caught my attention, which had become white.

“Noona.”

Why are you coming out of there?

* * * * *

It was already midnight when I was conscious and opened my eyes.

‘It seemed like I was really fainted.’

My body, which had been struck, was throbbing and sore as I laid on a soft bed.

That amount of brutality was just too much for Selina’s frail body to bear.

As soon as I raise my red arms.

I felt a movement at my feet.

‘What is it?’

Something is resting down on my feet.

“Penny?”

As I stared at the ceiling and my front alternately, I naturally thought it was Penny, because I realized that I was in my room.

“Noona.”

But it wasn’t Penny who was laying on his stomach at my feet, but Adrian.

‘Damn it……’

It was only then that I realized Adrian, not Cedric, had rescued me.

‘When did this man come home?’

Did he come back together with Cedric?

When I was passing by previously, I heard that they had even brought up emergency personnel to prepare for the barbarian onslaught.

‘Did he have to be dragged back here from training camp?’

I was wide awake when I saw his face.

“How are you feeling, Noona? Are you all right?”

Adrian leaped up to my upper body, causing me to turn my head in surprise.

“Ye-yeah.”

In fear of being suspected again this time, I trembled and shook as hard as I could, trying hard to pretend to be the real Selina.

How could he be touching his butt in my room this late?

‘What in the world is Camilla up to? Is she really going to let her son die like this?’

I had a feeling Camilla’s situation wasn’t going to be good.

Cedric would have seen her strike me, and he wouldn’t have pretended to be unaware this time.

“I was worried because you didn’t wake up after two days. Noona, aren’t you thirsty?”

What? Two days?!

I thought I was awake after fainting for only half a day.

‘Then does that mean that this guy has been sticking next to me for two days?’

Eww, that’s weird and creepy. What kind of mind did he have while he was staring at me as I slept?

As I felt irritated, I just wanted to get him out of my bedroom quickly.

“Pe-penny… C-call penny please.”

As I lay on my side and made a small request as if muttering, I felt one side of the bed slumping down.

“……Noona.”

Adrian, who was seated on my bed, took my hand in his. It looked like he never wanted to call Penny.

I drew my hand back, as if I’d been electrified.

“You don’t even want to look at my face?”

“I-it’s not like th-that.”

“Could you then please look at me and speak…… Please?”

“Wh-wh-what is there to speak about…… Y-y-you must be exhausted, so where is Penny……”

I even broke out in a cold sweat, feigning embarrassment.

“Did you hate me because of mother? You don’t even want to look at my face?”

Adrian’s stance and attitude got odd as he kept pressing his face against me.

Then he held me by my shoulder and whispered lamentably.

“I also hate her for being my biological mother.”

Then he gently caressed my face, as if he was apologetic for me.

“Noona, your face is swollen……”

Adrian stroked my scraped neck and bruised shoulder, both of which had been caused by the maids.

“I’d rather be hit, and I’d be delighted if I got hurt instead of you, Noona.”

I flinched despite the fact that it was a simple touch with no other intentions.

‘Ugh, it’s uncomfortable.’

I pushed his hand and barely raised myself, then hugged the blanket as if I were on guard.

“Wh-where has Penny gone?”

“She is being interrogated by the Commander.”

“W-when is she going to c-c-come back?”

“She’ll be here any minute. Do you need something? I will do it for you, Noona.”

“N-no, i-okay. it’s Th-that’ll be okay o-o-once Penny come……”

“You only look for Penny, Noona.”

Adrian gave me a cold gaze.

“I wish my name had been Penny. So, I will be called by my sister a lot.”

Camilla would undoubtedly scream if she overheard that.

Adrian, who had just uttered something creepy, laughed, scorning himself as if he recognized what he had just said was insane.

I felt relieved when I saw his relaxed face, though I couldn’t tell if he was smiling or crying.

‘I suppose he no longer has any doubts about me.’

After that, I inquired about Adrian, and Penny confirmed that Adrian and Selina had reconciled after five years.

‘He was the wrong one. He went so far as to say that I never refer to Countdome as home, which made me suspicious.’

But now Adrian didn’t seem suspicious of me at all.

Maybe he was only apologetic because he witnessed Camilla hit me.

Adrian, who adores Selina, was a tough opponent in any case. If I keep talking to him, nothing positive will happen.

“I……I w-want to be by myself.”

“Noona.”

I avoided his piercing look by speaking harshly.

“P-p-please get out.”

“……Alright. Noona, if you say so.”

He arose softly from my bed and moved carefully to the door.

It was evident that he didn’t want to leave, because he took such a leisurely stride out of my room.

I watched his reflection in the window and never turned my head.

He clutched the doorknob and paused for a long time before asking.

“But, Noona, what mother said must be a lie, right?”

“Wh-what……”

“About you having an affair with some lowly man.”

Adrian pronounced ‘lowly man’, sounded like he was chewing his own flesh.

“Mother made something that wasn’t true and blamed it on you again. Right, Noona?”

His appeal for me was made in soothing tones.

But I felt some madness that I couldn’t bear to say no.

In my eyes, there was an obsession that didn’t match the blonde hair, green eyes, and beautiful face.

For the first time, I felt scared of Adrian.

“That is the truth, isn’t it, Noona?”

“Y-yeah.”

I nodded after making eye contact, and Adrian beamed warmly.

“I was aware of that. My sister could not have developed a relationship with a complete stranger. Let alone a man.”

“……”

“Get some rest.”

I exhaled a sigh of relief as Adrian left.

‘It looks like I am going to keep running into him in the future.’

My neck stiffened with tension.

I examined my face in the mirror while gently stroking my shoulders and neck.

“Oh my gosh……”

This beautiful face is swelled to the fullest. My left cheek was very red, and anyone could see it was a slap mark.

My neck and shoulders were covered with fingernail scratches, and my forearms and arm were damaged.

‘Was I beaten this badly?’

Even if I recall the situation, I don’t believe they beat me hard enough to leave such scars.

It’s simply that this body…… is a little unique…… A body that leaves a lot of hand marks.