Chapter 8

Raven quietly watched Liliana eat so gracefully. She ate well, without being picky. Raven frowned slightly as he recalled a conversation with Rachel.

‘Liliana seems thin.’

‘Oh, Brother. Don’t you see how thin I am too?’

‘Well.’

‘Hmm… Liliana eats very little. She’s very picky and leaves a lot untouched.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. That’s why she’s so thin.’

She’s picky?

Raven looked over the empty dishes Liliana had finished. He wondered what new lie Rachel would come up with if he showed her these plates. In the week since Raven returned, he had learned one painful truth.

This mansion operated while excluding Liliana. If she had lived here for the past two years, she must have been terribly lonely. Raven recalled what he had said when he brought Liliana from Everset.

‘You’ll never go hungry or sleep cold here.’

Had he failed even to keep that promise? Raven let out a bitter laugh. Over the past week, Liliana had slowly begun to recover her health. Even her previously gaunt face was filling out. Raven sat crookedly, fiddling with his fork.

‘Just how rotten is this place?’

Raven narrowed his eyes. It had been nearly seventeen years since he’d left this mansion unattended. He hadn’t cared much since he rarely stayed here. He hadn’t expected the consequences to be so dirty and petty.

But now, it was a place he could no longer ignore. Raven wanted to live here with Liliana, no matter what. For the next three months, his goal was to persuade Liliana and earn another chance. For that, he needed to know the grounds for divorce.

He felt he was gradually uncovering what lay beneath.

“Lily.”

“Yes?”

“Since coming to the territory, have you ever gone out?”

“O-outside?”

Liliana’s cheeks flushed. Her face answered for her. She’d never gone out, not even once. No one in this mansion could stop Liliana from leaving. Yet someone had forcibly confined her.

“This afternoon, I plan to tour the estate.”

Changing the situation was the best way to refresh the atmosphere.

“Great! Will you take me with you, Raven?”

“If you want to.”

Liliana clenched her tiny fist and spoke bravely. Raven lifted his lips in a slight smile.

“I really want to! Please, take me with you, Raven.”

“Alright. Do you know how to ride a horse?”

“A horse…?”

Liliana’s expression turned pale in an instant. Raven didn’t miss it. She seemed to have a strong aversion to the word ‘horse’. Was there a reason? Raven asked another question to probe her feelings.

“There should be a horse prepared for you in the stable.”

Liliana pressed her lips into a line.

“I… I know.”

Liliana replied in a suffocated voice. She had to endure freezing toes sleeping beside that ‘horse’ in winter. The cold was so biting, it felt like her hands and feet would be cut off. She survived the night by pushing her hands and feet under the horse’s belly.

But could she even sleep? Of course not.

She had to guard herself against the red-eyed servants who eyed her, to avoid something terrible happening. Pressed against the horse’s side, trembling, she had to endure their vulgar jokes and harassment.

‘Why not lift your dress, Madame? This fellow knows best what’s between your legs. If you open this door, something warmer than a cold leather pouch will fill the space between your legs. How about it?’

The boundary set by the Grand Madam was that door. The tangled, twisted door. The Grand Madam gave a strict order.

‘Only Liliana can open that door. I won’t allow anyone to cross unless Liliana herself opens it and invites you in at dawn.’

So the servants who joined in torturing Liliana would gather at the stable and do such things. They’d make crude gestures, curling their thumb and forefinger into a circle and miming pistoning inside it. Liliana had to endure, wide-eyed, knowing they wouldn’t cross the door.

‘Madame, doesn’t it itch down there? I’m more skilled than His Grace. If you don’t like it between your legs, how about between your cheeks?’

Liliana curled her toes at the sudden memory. The fear that gripped her heart crept in again. With a cold, hardened face, Liliana shook her head.

“N-no… I don’t like horses, Raven.”

“You don’t like horses.”

Raven repeated Liliana’s words. From her reaction, he could easily guess something had happened in the stable. The stable… The Kreuten Duchy had a long history and had always served in the military. It was only natural that they raised various breeds of horses, including warhorses. With such a large stable and so many horses, there were also many stable hands.

If something had happened to Liliana in the stable, the stable hands were likely involved. Raven curled his lips in a crooked smile and muttered.

“Then, how about taking the carriage?”

“I’d like that!”

Liliana smiled, her face open and honest.

“Good. Then get ready and come down. I’ll have the carriage prepared.”

“Yes!”

Liliana nodded vigorously.

***

Liliana clung to Raven’s side, refusing to leave even a small gap for Rachel and the Grand Madam.

“At this rate… And she refused the medicine Sir Cherville made, right?”

“Brother said so. He said he couldn’t trust Sir Cherville’s treatment.”

“Why is he acting like this all of a sudden? He never cared about the affairs of the mansion before. If Liliana starts spouting nonsense…”

“You know she’s not the type, Mother. She’s timid. Besides, Raven trusts us, not her. If Raven says Sir Cherville made a mistake, so be it.”

“That’s a relief.”

“If Liliana ends up pregnant, it’ll be a disaster. Damon has to inherit Raven’s position, after all.”

That was their ultimate goal for all this. To make Damon the Duke of Kreuten! If it weren’t for the kingdom’s law that forbade passing on the title before the age of twenty, they wouldn’t have gone through such trouble.

They’d already devised a way to kill Raven. But if a new heir was born before then, things would get complicated. So Liliana had to be removed. They’d come this far and couldn’t give up now. The Grand Madam bit her lips harshly.

“A strong move is needed. Liliana’s unexpectedly tough.”

“…Scaring her won’t work. How about letting a servant into her bedroom while Brother’s away?”

“That’s not a bad idea. We could use her chastity to drive her out.”

Rachel and the Grand Madam smiled slyly, unaware of who was listening to their vile plans.

“Oh. The maids are well under control, right?”

“Of course. All the maids caring for Liliana are in our hands. If she forgets pain, she’ll get comfortable, so we must prevent that.”

Rachel spoke languidly. As she popped fruit into her mouth, her face was cruelly fresh.

After preparing the carriage, Raven went up to Liliana’s bedroom.

“Madam?”

“She’s still getting ready.”

The head maid bowed, flustered.

“Hm. She’s taking a long time.”

Raven scanned the head maid up and down with sharp eyes. That kind of flustered reaction meant something unspeakable was happening. Folding his arms, Raven spoke to the head maid.

“Open the door.”

“Pardon?”

“Why are you so flustered? I said open the door.”

“B-but she’s still dressing…”

“What does that matter? I’m entering my wife’s bedroom.”

Raven muttered coldly. The chill and intimidation unique to a soldier poured out of him. Even though Raven wasn’t armed, it felt as if he might draw a sword and point it at her. The head maid stepped back.

“S-still… etiquette…”

“Are you teaching etiquette to me, the Master of this house? How rude and arrogant.”

Raven coldly rebuked her and pushed the head maid aside. When Raven flung open Liliana’s bedroom door, he witnessed an unbelievable scene. Liliana, pale and soaked in tears, was struggling desperately. The maids were pinning her down with their bodies. A white gag was in her mouth, and her light blue eyes were consumed by fear.

And under her pale, slender nails, thin needles were stuck deep. Liliana’s fingers, suspended in the air, trembled violently. The gleaming needles at her fingertips seemed to mock Raven.

‘This happened under your wings, and you didn’t know? Fool. Can’t even manage your own house, but you think you can protect the nation? Tsk.’

Raven wiped his face, swallowing a bitter laugh. He couldn’t accept what he was seeing. Now he understood why Liliana’s simple dressing took so long.

“D-D-Duke, Your Grace!!”

The maids slid off Liliana’s body like beasts, dropping to their knees on the floor. The maid standing outside the bed with needles in hand did the same.

The maids trembled as they pressed their heads to the floor. Raven walked gracefully to Liliana. Liliana, lying on the bed crying, turned her head toward Raven. He gently pulled the white gag from Liliana’s lips.

“Lily.”

“H-huh… h-huh… Ra-Raven. It was supposed to be over now… They said just one more…”

Of Liliana’s five fingers, only her pinky was free. So, five needles, one for each finger. After torturing her with five needles, they would let her go. Raven gave a cold smile and brushed Liliana’s lips.