Chapter 21

She tried to curl up and avoid the blows as much as possible, but bruises were already forming where she’d been struck. Even with her pitiful face, the Earl’s rage only grew stronger.

Another blow landed on Yvonne’s head, making her stagger and collapse. Unable to endure even a moment, the Earl’s rough hand grabbed her hair and shook her violently.

“Mmm… Madam.”

Jane managed to remove her gag and cried out, but Yvonne stared straight into the Earl’s eyes.

“How much I endured to marry you off to him, and you dare submit divorce papers with your own hands.”

“You’ve already more than recovered any losses.”

“What… did you say?”

Knowing that rebellion would bring harsher beatings, Yvonne still retorted fiercely.

“I said you’ve already recovered all the losses you suffered to marry me off. Do you think I don’t know anything? Don’t you think I know that Carlisle saved Sellus Trading Company from bankruptcy three times!”

“You brat. Living with that arrogant Carlisle, you think you can look down on me now too?”

Bernard’s lips trembled in rage. Unable to control himself, he grabbed his discarded cane from the floor and struck Yvonne’s arm.

She curled up desperately, but the pain of the blow to her back made her cry out.

“Hng…”

“Hold her tight!”

The men obeyed the Earl’s command, restraining Yvonne so she couldn’t move.

“Remarry. Go to the Duke right now and kneel and beg.”

“I can’t. He signed willingly.”

Another blow landed on her back like a thunderbolt. Her back burned from the blow, but Yvonne struggled to suppress her groans.

Bernard’s eyes gleamed, realizing Yvonne’s childhood stubbornness hadn’t changed. When he first brought her, she’d been unruly like a wild colt, and he’d beaten her to discipline her. Now, he swung his cane again.

“Madam!”

Unable to bear it, Jane rushed forward, only to be kicked aside by the Earl.

“Jane! If you have something to say, say it to me.”

“You must be insane! I took you in, a wretched girl, gave you expensive clothes and food, educated you, and made you live well, and you don’t even appreciate it?”

Yvonne suppressed a bitter laugh and glared at him coldly.

Expensive clothes and education—what did they matter?

The expensive clothes were the dresses worn by the daughter born to him and his wife before she died, and the expensive education was forced on her to sell her off at a high price, tormenting her without sleep.

Proper etiquette. The praise she received was only the result of being beaten nearly to death whenever her posture or steps faltered.

And now he dared to boast about that.

“Be honest. You’re taking out your anger from when I ruined your business half a year ago.”

“You… you…!”

Bernard’s eyes widened, not expecting her to say that, and he aimed his cane at Yvonne’s head.

“Stop it. Dear, how vulgar.”

At the refined woman’s voice, Bernard’s hand halted as if by magic. Behind him, a noblewoman dressed elegantly walked in slowly.

“Ma…Madame. Why are you here? I told you to wait in the carriage.”

Bernard coughed and straightened his neck, startled by his wife Denise. He’d only become Earl of Sellus thanks to her, the daughter of a minor baron, who brought him into the family as a son-in-law.

Twenty-four years ago, he met a rising artist, and a child was born. After begging her forgiveness, Bernard knew keeping his wife happy was most important.

Ignoring the Earl, Denise, the Countess, looked down at Yvonne with indifferent eyes. She was the epitome of a noblewoman, but Yvonne’s eyes trembled when she saw what Denise held in her hand.

“Here, take it.”

At her gentle voice, fear surged. What was thr*st before her was a bouquet made entirely of lilies.

“My daughter loves lilies.”

Denise shook the flowers, scattering pollen, urging Yvonne to take them.

Yvonne’s face twisted.

“Ugh… Get that away from me.”

“My, you’re still so rude. My daughter was never like this.”

Smiling strangely, Denise swung the bouquet at Yvonne’s face.

As the bouquet struck her, pollen burst everywhere. She held her breath to avoid inhaling, but it was useless.

Denise immediately threw another bouquet at Yvonne.

“I bought these for you on the way here. Our daughter was noble and beautiful like a lily. Unlike you.”

Bouquets of lilies were thrown at Yvonne’s face. Instantly, the pollen touched her skin, and she broke out in hives and struggled to breathe. It was an acute allergic reaction.

Her eyes swelled and tears streamed down. Her trembling hands and legs showed the hives. She instinctively knew her throat was swelling, closing her airway.

As her body convulsed, the men finally let go.

“Ugh…can’t… breathe…”

Denise looked at Yvonne, trembling and curled up, with cold eyes.

“How can you always defy me, when I’ve endured the disgusting sight of a lowborn girl pretending to be my daughter?”

Even lifting her head from the floor made Yvonne’s arms shake uncontrollably.

Through blurred vision, Yvonne glared at Denise, who spoke in a gentle, refined voice. If the Earl used violence when she rebelled, Denise used her weakness to inflict cruel pain with a facade of elegance.

After witnessing the brutal violence inflicted on Yvonne, Denise’s final act was to throw lilies—her fatal allergy—at her.

Ever since she learned that Yvonne shared her mother’s condition, Denise had lilies planted everywhere around the annex Yvonne lived in, and the Earldom regularly purchased lilies for the same reason.

It was all done to turn Yvonne into a puppet to control as they pleased.

Tears streamed from her reddened eyes. Denise smiled with satisfaction at the sight.

“Is it hard? You’re so helpless from just a flower—what a waste of the name I gave you.”

The Lily of Sellus Earldom. The truth behind the nickname, which referred to her lily-like beauty, was that lilies were a deadly poison that suffocated Yvonne.

Denise picked up another bouquet, ready to throw it, but Jane rushed in and hugged Yvonne.

“Madame, please stop. The Lady can’t even breathe. Please, give her medicine… Ugh…”

“How dare you interfere! Do you need another beating to learn your place?”

Jane’s pleading voice turned to groans as she was kicked by the men. Still, Jane endured the pain and hurriedly brushed the petals off Yvonne.

“Hhic.”

Yvonne, her face drained of color, scratched the floor with her nails.

Seeing Yvonne trembling as if she’d suffocate at any moment, the Earl glanced at Denise for her reaction.

“Um… Madame. I think that’s enough.”

Denise’s sharp gaze turned to the Earl. Startled, he coughed and spoke defensively.

“If she dies, we won’t have a reason to get investment money from Duke Polshared. Since she ruined our deal with Asnesh Kingdom, we need the Duke’s name to pursue other options.”

He meant Yvonne’s usefulness was still valid. She’d been brought in as a financial lifeline for the failing family, so if she died now, it would be troublesome.

“Fine.”

Enjoying tormenting her up to the brink of death, Denise finally signaled the men. One took a syringe from a bag and injected it into Yvonne’s thin arm.

As the cold needle pierced her wrist and the clear liquid entered, she felt the chill spread through her veins, and slowly, her breath returned as if she’d been underwater. But being dragged back from the edge of death in such a humiliating way felt filthy.

“Haa…”

Barely able to breathe, Yvonne glared at them with tearful eyes. As always, the Earl and Countess only gave her medicine after she’d suffered.

Even as she gasped for air, her will remained unbroken, and Denise and Bernard sneered.

“If you don’t beg the Duke for forgiveness and crawl back to him, everything you care about in Euphoria will be shipped off on the slave ship leaving at the end of this month.”