Leah replied, keeping her tone polite. Adele wandered through the hall, her eyes sparkling as she took in the luxurious surroundings. 

“The decorations are exactly my style,” she remarked, pausing to take in the intricate details. “And the tea smells amazing. The Verbaine family really does have a lot of wealth. Is this column decoration made of gold?” 

“I’m not sure.” 

“What do you know, then?” Adele teased, her tone light. “Look at this. This must be imported, right? I’ve never seen a carpet with this pattern before.” 

Adele continued to admire the mansion, her excitement evident as she examined every detail, leaving Leah to quietly follow, her heart weighed down by conflicting feelings.

The bathroom, connected to the bedroom, was the centrepiece of Zion’s design efforts and immediately caught Adele’s attention. 

The floor was paved with imported marble, while the ceiling and walls were decorated with intricate gold and silver carvings. The bath, a masterpiece in itself, was a blend of gold and marble, and the taps were elegantly decorated with gold detailing. 

“This is incredible,” Adele said, her eyes shining as she admired the luxurious room. “I want to bathe in here too. Can I use this bedroom tonight?”

This room was Leah’s bedroom – the room where she and Zion spent their nights together. 

No… this is my room… she thought, her heart sinking. But she couldn’t bring herself to say no. 

“Go ahead.”

“Thanks, Leah!” Adele beamed. “When I get married, I want this room to be mine. Oh, and of course you’ll have to marry someone wonderful by then. You can’t live with your brother forever. Don’t worry, I’ll help you find a great guy.”

Leah felt a twinge in her chest as she listened. She and Adele had once spent almost two years together at the First Monastery, and later, at the Central Monastery, they had even shared a room. Back then she had thought of Adele as a close friend, someone who understood her deeply. 

But now, as Adele spoke so casually about taking over her room, her life, Leah couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease. What had once felt like camaraderie now seemed reckless and thoughtless. Why did Adele’s words suddenly hurt so much?

“I hope the Marquis returns soon,” Adele said cheerfully. “By the way, is it all right if I fill the tub with water? I’d like to take a bath.” 

“Then go ahead.”

Leah replied, forcing a smile. 

“Thank you,” Adele said with a grin and went to the wardrobe. She pulled out a robe. “I’ll borrow this.” 

“Mmm…”

As she left the bedroom, Leah called for a maid and told her to fill the bath with water. Looking back into the room, she saw that Adele had already undressed and slipped into the borrowed dress. Adele was now lying on Leah’s bed, humming softly, completely at ease. 

Leah quietly descended the stairs, her thoughts swirling. 

‘What will Zion say?’ she wondered. ‘Zion won’t marry Adele and leave me behind. He would never do anything he didn’t want to.’

Leah clung to this certainty as she moved through the mansion, trying to suppress the unease that Adele’s presence had stirred within her. 

He seemed to be someone who lived for her.

Leah knew that.

But she also knew that she couldn’t keep Zion by her side forever.

Leah felt torn, unable to let Zion go, yet unable to keep him by her side.

‘What should I do…?’

Her heart trembled with fear.

—

Leah’s unease soon became reality. 

When Zion returned from his hunting trip, he greeted Adele with warmth and familiarity. 

Later that evening, Leah noticed them standing together on the balcony. She considered approaching them, but stopped herself. The closeness of their interaction made her hesitate. 

The way they smiled at each other, their faces alight with ease and connection, struck Leah deeply. They looked like a perfect match, a couple that fit together effortlessly. 

‘Adele suits my brother so well.’

Leah admitted to herself, the weight of the realisation sinking in. 

Unable to watch any longer, she turned away and quietly walked down the stairs, leaving them behind.

—

“So, are you saying you’re threatening me?”

Zion asked with a calm smile, holding a glass of wine in his hand. A cool breeze swept in from the balcony, causing the curtains to flutter gently. 

“Oh, Marquis, a threat? Not at all,” Adele replied with a bright smile. “I’m simply making a proposal—a proposal that benefits everyone: Leah, you, and me. I believe it’s the best solution for all of us.” 

Her tone was light, but her words carried an unsettling weight. 

“Marquis, I saw everything.”

Adele continued, her smile unwavering.

“That day, when you covered Leah’s face with a sack, dragged her into an empty house, and r*pe her. Even if she’s your stepsister, to force yourself on her like that… But Leah still doesn’t know, does she? That her own brother r*ped her.” 

“She doesn’t know.”

“I also saw you sneaking into our room at night to r*ped Leah.”

Adele said, her tone sharp despite her composed demeanor.

“At first, I didn’t understand what was happening, but something felt off after I woke up. So, I stopped drinking tea before bed. That’s when I realized—you were drugging the tea to make us sleep, then coming into our room to r*pe Leah, night after night.” 

“You did well pretending to sleep.”

“It felt like the safest thing to do, but here’s the deal: if you agree to marry me, I’ll take this secret to my grave. If you refuse, I’ll tell Leah everything. I’ll tell her just how greedy and despicable her so-called caring and kind brother truly is.” 

Zion’s smile didn’t waver as he responded.

“Miss Adele, could you really live with a man like that as your husband? A man who lusts after his own sister’s body?” 

“I don’t care, as long as I have the wealth of the Marquis of Verbaine. I want the riches that will let me live the luxurious, extravagant life I deserve.” 

With that, she burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the room like a sinister melody. 

“The truth is,” Adele began with a smirk, “my family is drowning in debt. On the surface, we may appear well-off, but it’s all just an illusion, a facade built on borrowed money. We can’t even afford a proper wedding or a dress without worrying about the cost. Poverty doesn’t suit me, so when I thought about a man who could give me the freedom to spend and live lavishly, you came to mind, Marquis.” 

“I see.” 

“You’ll agree to the marriage, then?”

“It seems I have little choice, if I want to keep the secret.” 

“In return,” Adele continued with a feigned air of generosity, “I’ll allow you to maintain your… arrangement with Leah, even after we’re married. Tell me, you’re still involved with her, aren’t you?” 

“And what makes you think that?”

“Leah is so naive,” Adele said with a laugh. “She was probably seduced by your sweet words. When I mentioned I was going to marry you, her face completely changed—it was priceless. Tell me, is Leah’s body really so irresistible? So sweet that you just can’t stop yourself?”