Chapter 9

He pulled Liliana to sit on the bed. Tears dripped onto Raven’s hand. Imitating a gentle voice, Raven spoke awkwardly.

“You can scream, Lily.”

Pulling them out quickly was the shortest way to lessen the pain. Raven listened to Liliana’s chilling screams as he removed all the needles. He smiled coldly.

“Lily.”

“Sniff… y-yes.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through this wretched ordeal.”

Liliana shook her head vigorously. Raven slowly wiped away the tears of the weeping Liliana and whispered to her.

“I promise this will never happen again.”

“R-Raven?”

“Yes.”

“B-but…”

Liliana tried to object, but soon lowered her head, as if changing her mind. Her shoulders trembled pitifully, still too frightened to express her opinion. Liliana parted her lips and stammered.

“This… this is a punishment I received because I denied it… because I did something wrong….”

“Who said so?”

The sobs of the terrified maids filled the bedroom. Raven kissed Liliana’s aching fingertips. The sound of moisture rubbing together added to the sensual act of licking her fingers with his tongue.

Raven slowly licked her fingers, making sure Liliana could see his bright red tongue. The taste of iron lingered, but there was also a sweet flavor in his mouth. Liliana stared blankly at Raven, who was kneeling on the floor like a servant, performing this act.

“I… I don’t know….”

“Lily, Liliana.”

Raven sucked on her fingers until his cheeks hollowed, then smiled with narrowed eyes and asked. Even if Liliana didn’t answer, those present would surely provide one.

“Should I suck your toes, too?”

Liliana shook her head in surprise.

“N-no!”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Raven helped Liliana up from her seat, wiped her tears with his palm, and wrapped an arm around her waist. He led her gracefully out of the bedroom. Raven’s cloak was draped over Liliana’s shoulders, who was still in her chemise.

“L-like this, right now…”

“There are plenty of dressing rooms outside. What’s the problem? Isn’t that right, Head Maid?”

“Y-yes, Duke!”

Raven gently pulled Liliana into his embrace. Covering her ear, he spoke slowly.

“Everyone here must remain in their place until I return. If you disobey, your child, your family, everyone connected to you—I will hunt them down and sl*ughter them. Not just you. All the families and acquaintances of those maids kneeling there will be turned into meat… so, go ahead.”

Raven coldly added,

“Try running away.”

The head maid, trembling against the wall, collapsed onto the floor. Raven passed by her without a glance.

***

Raven dropped Liliana off at the dressing room.

“Can you be alone here?”

“Raven?”

“I have something to take care of at the mansion. You there.”

“Yes, Duke.”

“This is the most famous dressing room in our territory, correct?”

“Yes, Duke.”

The coachman bowed his head and replied. Raven glanced at the coachman, then, holding Liliana, opened the dressing room door.

“Your Grace…!”

The Madame recognized Raven and greeted them with excitement. Raven spoke coldly to the Madame, who cast her gaze at Liliana standing beside him.

“Madame.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“For today, can you clear out the salon for my wife?”

The Madame gasped. As he spoke, Raven handed her a bundle of bills. This was not a request, but an order. The Madame didn’t feel the least bit displeased by the arrogant and authoritative Duke’s attitude. After all, it wasn’t unusual for a lover or a wife to have the entire salon rented for them.

What was surprising was that the recipient was the famously indifferent Duke Raven. The Madame took the money and ordered the staff to clear out the customers. Liliana tugged at Raven’s sleeve.

“There’s no need… I’m fine.”

“Liliana.”

“Yes.”

“This is a matter of my pride. Lily, I don’t want others to see you like this.”

“Why…?”

Liliana’s eyelids trembled. Rachel and the Grand Madam had restricted her movements, saying, ‘If someone like you goes outside, it’ll be too embarrassing to live. So stay locked up.’ Was Raven thinking the same?

Raven spoke plainly.

“Lily. You’re in a chemise right now. It’s a very intimate attire. I don’t want to share that with anyone else.”

Raven smiled. Liliana’s face turned red. She realized the dark desire in Raven’s eyes. For a moment, Raven and Liliana stared at each other, the s*xual tension thick in the air. Raven lightly kissed Liliana’s cheek.

Raven gave the Madame a cold order.

“Prepare new clothes and shoes for my wife. The ones that suit her best. Do her makeup, too. Dress her in the most expensive things.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

The Madame swallowed nervously. There had been all sorts of rumors about Liliana, who never left the ducal residence. That she was crippled, or her face was disfigured. That was why she never stepped outside. But it was all lies. Her face, though wet with tears, was still beautifully pure.

Moreover, Raven’s cloak, rumored to be a gift from the King, was draped over Liliana’s shoulders, suggesting a strong marital bond. The Madame swallowed again. Raven was the lord of this vast domain. With his favor, Liliana would soon become the center of Kreuten’s social scene. Raven had revealed his possessiveness and affection for her!

***

Raven left Liliana with the Madame in the dressing room and returned to the Duchy. As he had ordered, the head maid was still in Liliana’s room. The maids were lying on the floor, weeping. Raven crossed the room quietly and sat on the bed, legs crossed.

A beastly aura radiated from the slender Raven.

“Have I been such a gentle master all this time?”

The head maid bowed her head.

“I-I’m sorry, Duke! I swear it’ll never happen again… Please, just spare my life!”

Crawling on the floor, the head maid pressed her head to Raven’s shoes, begging desperately.

“We… we only did as we were told! So…”

“Of course.”

Raven cut off their words coldly. The head maid lifted tearful eyes, filled with the desperate will to live, which irritated Raven.

He could read their base and filthy desires. They must have felt pleasure crushing the noble-born Liliana underfoot. Through Liliana, they fulfilled their own desires, and that had continued until now.

And there must have been someone who allowed their actions. Likely, another power in the mansion.

“Of course you only followed orders. You wouldn’t have dared to do this on your own.”

Raven’s eyes boiled with anger. During his week with Liliana, he’d learned to suppress his rage. That week had become a habit, so now, instead of bursting out with curses, he held it in, though he wanted to trample them right now.

“Who ordered you?”

“Uh…”

The head maid shifted her eyes. The ones who’d managed the Kreuten mansion were the Grand Madam and Rachel. But from now on, the one who would rule this mansion was the man sitting before her. No one knew how long Raven would stay, but for a while, he’d be in charge.

And in that time, Raven was capable of carrying out his threats. He could drive even their families to death. The maids trembled and begged for their lives.

The head maid made up her mind. She had to survive, no matter what.

“R-Rachel…”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! We only did as Lady Rachel ordered!”

“Aha. Listen, head maid. There’s something I’ve always kept on the battlefield.”

The head maid swallowed.

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That’s the principle I’ve always lived by. I can’t sleep unless I return what I’ve received. You know my dog-like temper. Normally, a couple is one body. I intend to return everything Liliana suffered.”

Raven clenched his teeth. The head maid saw the veins bulge on the back of his hand.

“Do the same to Rachel.”

“B-but… Duke!”

“What? Are you refusing my order?”

Raven let out a cold laugh and reached out. His hand, like an eagle’s talon, grabbed the head maid’s throat.

“Gack! S-spare… me…!”

“If you want to live, do as you’re told. Don’t dare talk back. Rachel will be sent to her maternal family for a while. You’ll be moved to the annex.”

It would be disguised as Rachel going to her maternal family, but in fact she would be locked in the annex, suffering the same fate as Liliana. Raven tightened his grip. The head maid clawed at his hand with her nails, her eyes rolling back.

Raven didn’t loosen his grip. Eventually, the head maid’s tongue lolled out and she went limp. Raven tossed the still-warm body aside and pointed to the oldest-looking maid.

“From now on, you’re the head maid.”

“Y-Your Grace…!”

“What? Do you refuse too?”

It was a question of whether she wanted to die too. The maid hurriedly shook her head. Knights that Raven had brought back from the battlefield helped clear the scene. The previous head maid’s body was thrown into the fields for the wild dogs.

Raven gently led Rachel to the annex and locked her up with the maids who were now completely loyal to him.

“B-Brother!!!”

“What are you doing? Get on with it.”

Raven spoke as if bored.

“Kyah, kyaaahhh!”

Rachel’s screams filled the bedroom. Raven had given the maids only one order: to return everything Rachel had made Liliana suffer. Watching coarse salt being rubbed into the needle-scraped backs of hands, Raven gritted his teeth. Liliana had endured all that alone.

Perhaps the previous Duchesses who had committed s*icide had also suffered the same.

He hadn’t known what was happening under his own roof, swinging his sword on the battlefield. How pathetic. Raven brushed Rachel’s tear-soaked cheek with the back of his hand.

“This is the price for what you should never have done, Rachel.”

“B-Brother! I can explain! I can explain everything!”

“I only believe what I see and hear myself. Betrayal and conspiracy are always lurking, even on the battlefield.”

Raven coldly turned away from Rachel. She hurled curses at his unyielding back, but soon her words turned into screams.