Volume 8 - CH 16

Penny had beaten her so badly that when I saw Camilla’s smeared face, I couldn’t help but laugh.

I lowered my head to avoid making eye contact as much as possible.

“Are you comfortable staying in this bedroom?”

She seemed to find the warm and splendid bedroom of the Countess’ bedroom, which she hadn’t felt in a long time, new after spending a long time in the small room of the cold annex.

“This place should be full of happy memories. That way, even after you get married, you won’t miss your home.”

It was the advice a true mother would give to her daughter, but Camilla’s face was emotionless.

“I don’t miss my parents in the least. Rather, after marrying, I felt as if I had been released from a terrible prison.”

Camilla’s eyes were sunken as she told her story slowly, as if she was recalling bad memories from the past. It was a warning sign.

“You shouldn’t be feeling that way, okay?”

“……”

“Selina, my lovely daughter.”

Her graceful hand lifted my chin.

Camilla’s mouth went up like a villain, as if she was satisfied, when her eyes met mine, which were trembling in fear.

“Valhail.”

With our gazes locked, she summoned Valhail, who was standing nearby.

“Hold her.”

I stepped back on my knees, glancing at him and Camilla alternately, acting to be at a lost in fear.

“M-m-mother… f-f-forgive me, m-m-mother……”

“What are you doing?”

He, who had paused, approached my back at Camilla’s call.

The large, hot, and all-too-familiar hands seized both of my wrists behind my back.

I was restrained as if in heavy steel handcuffs.

But because of Valhail’s special scent, which tickles the tip of the nose…… The situation made me feel somewhat relieved.

“Did you order Cedric for that?”

“N-n-no, I-I-I d-d-don’t know. I d-d-don’t know.”

“Did Cedric say he was going to kick me out? Did he say he would become the head of this family?”

“I-I-I don’t know anything……”

“Or, did Lord Patron find him? Did he plead with him to avenge Emma? Did he call me the devil?”

Gradually her voice rose, and a vein formed in Camilla’s slender neck.

It was all nonsense.

Camilla has already investigated Lord Patron.

But he was farming away from the world to forget his daughter’s unjust death, and Cedric was also preparing a banquet for Camilla.

‘She must feel like she’s trapped in a maze.’

Everything she does gets tangled up in her, but no one really wants to harm her, and I, who is the only one who has a justification for revenge, is not her threat.

That’s why she came to me, who had no power, to vent their anger.

“Sob……”

As soon as I burst into tears, Camilla looked at me silently as if she were admiring a beautiful doll.

“Poor thing.”

Her thin fingertips brushed my eyes.

Camilla whispered to me, winking at Valhail as if telling a secret.

“Do you like him?”

I nodded my head very slightly.

However, the two people who were super focused on me recognized my nod.

“He is my person. He’s below me.”

Oops, that’s wrong.

“With one word from me, I could kill you right now here.”

One wink of my eye will kill you.

Every time Camilla, in a big delusion, spewed nonsense at me, it was strangely exhilarating.

“I am the one who gave him the title. You can’t even imagine it. Honor, power, money, family…… It’s me who gave him all of that.”

Well, it was right that Camilla was the one who gave him a title.

“Selina, you should be my person, too.”

Camilla stared at me with a benevolent smile on her face. It really was a villainous smile.

“I will let you know in advance what will happen if you try to leave my hand.”

She looked back at Valhail and said, as I trembled without answering.

“Strangle her.”

Ah, the time has come.

I thought this day would come one day. In the original story, it was Camilla’s favorite method of torture.

That’s why I asked Valhail in advance.

“What are you doing? Why didn’t you strangle her?”

His hands, clutching both my wrists, were pressed close together with great strength.

Camilla turned her eyes upside down when the lowly Toono, whom she had even given the title of, rebelled against her.

“Hurry up and strangle her.”

At Camilla’s cry, sparks finally flew in his deep blue eyes.

For a moment I knew he had a strong urge to kill Camilla right away.

‘No!’

Valhail was avoiding my eyes.

It seemed as if his reason was collapsing due to the intense emotions that were burning inside him.

As if to prove this, his chest, which was as hard as armor, vibrated vigorously.

‘No! You have to do as I said!’

Camilla couldn’t know what was going on behind my back.

I carefully swept the back of his hand with my index finger to calm him down.

And at last, at the same time our eyes met, his large hand grasped my neck.