The Beast Who Has Returned Obsesses Over Me - Chapter 5

She dragged her exhausted body and sat down on the chair in the hallway. So many shocking things happened at once that she felt like she was going to collapse.

Leon had never slept here once. He had never even taken a nap. Even when he sat on the old sofa in his study, she had to lay a clean blanket for him to sit on. He was a man who was only satisfied when his surroundings were neat. Yet, the place he left was far from neat. Everything he touched was lying around and on the floor. Cleaning was for the maids, so he used the study as he pleased and left. As if everything he saw didn’t suit him—his noble self—and he would just give a scornful glance and not stay long.

So there was no way he would sleep in such a shabby room.

She didn’t know why he fell asleep, but it bought her some time to breathe.

Sigh… But all that came out of her mouth was a gloomy sigh.

Just then, someone gently held her hand. She froze in surprise and quickly came to her senses. It was Emil. The memory of being caught by Leon still dominated her. Like before.

“Eve. Are you alright?”

Emil, who had been outside, seemed to have belatedly found out that Leon had returned. He seemed to have been drawing somewhere. Emil’s angelic face was filled with concern for her rather than surprise. Their mother passed away when he was 5 years old, and she had raised him ever since. So she always took good care of him.

“I’m alright.”

I have to be alright. Yes… I have to be.

Emil’s face darkened as he stared at Yvonne’s face, who was trying to pretend to be fine. As if he knew something, Emil patted her hand. Yes. I have Emil.

My lovely brother. I must protect him.

“Yvonne. Yvonne.”

Leon’s urgent voice came from inside the bedroom. They both flinched at the sound. He seemed to have woken up already.

Her break was too short. She barely managed to lift her heavy body and gave Emil a small smile before entering the room.

Emil, who was staring at the door she had disappeared through, tilted his head sideways.

Toto, the black cat who had followed him, was rubbing its body against Emil’s leg. Emil lifted Toto and held him in his arms, then looked at the bedroom door again. As if puzzled, this time his head tilted to the other side.

***

When she entered, Leon’s face was visibly relieved. He felt relieved when she was in sight, and she felt relieved when he was out of sight. It had become a ridiculous situation where they could neither laugh nor cry.

“Where were you?”

He sounded as if he had been anxious because he couldn’t see her.

“You shouldn’t take your eyes off the patient.”

She got goosebumps at his words. He was saying that, but in the end, wasn’t he telling her to stay by his side? Yvonne avoided answering and turned her gaze slightly. She was afraid that her rejecting expression would show, that he would notice.

Knock, knock.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. There was no reason to knock, so what was it? It was an uncomfortable situation, but it was rather fortunate. It was a relief that the awkward and embarrassing conversation had been cut off.

“The butler told me to bring this to you.”

When she opened the door, she saw that other servants of the Duke’s house had returned. She looked down and understood why. It was a wheelchair. It seemed that the butler had belatedly sent this, as if he had come alone in such a hurry. She wondered why he was in such a hurry to come. But there was a flower basket behind the servants. It seemed that a flower basket congratulating him on his birthday had already arrived at the Duke’s house.

She opened the door wide and watched the servants bustle about. Leon, on the bed, was displeased that the conversation had been cut off, so he sat up and glared at them with sharp eyes.

The servants flinched at his fierce gaze, hurriedly moved the chair and flower basket, and quickly turned away.

The faint scent of flowers seemed to calm her mind a little. The flower basket, which brought some life to the shabby bedroom, was pleasant to look at.

“These have already arrived.”

She approached him, holding the gorgeous flower basket. His expression still hadn’t softened, even after seeing these beautiful flowers.

“Who sent them?”

He asked indifferently. She pulled out the note tucked in the flower basket and read it without a second thought.

“Wishing you a speedy recovery. Your loving Cecilia.”

“Who’s Cecilia?”

He really looked like he didn’t know who she was.

“Well… perhaps… a woman you’re seeing?”

She knew that Leon was seeing other women. But she couldn’t even express her discomfort about it. Once, she had spoken up and he had severely scolded her. After that, she had to pretend that everything was fine.

Did he see so many women that he couldn’t even remember their names?

Suddenly, Leon’s face crumpled severely, and he glared at Yvonne sharply. Startled again, she opened her eyes wide with fear. She wondered what she had done wrong to be glared at like this again.

“And you read that so casually?”

Then how should I have read it? Her eyes wavered.

“You asked who it was, so….”

His eyes narrowed as if he didn’t like her answer.

“Unbelievable.”

Then what was she supposed to do? She just answered his question. She still didn’t know what she had done wrong.

As if he didn’t like the expression on her face, his eyes sank deeply, and it felt like he was clutching her with an invisible hand. She immediately stepped back.

“Do you even realize you’re my fiancée?”

He growled. However, Yvonne’s eyes began to wander in confusion.

She clearly remembered being severely punished for asking about the rumors of him seeing other women.

[You think being my fiancée makes you so special? Now you’re getting ahead of yourself.]

Saying he’d teach her a lesson, he grabbed her hair and threw her against the wall. She was so badly bruised that her face and shoulders turned purple.

But… what did he mean by this now?

“Shouldn’t you be angry?”

She couldn’t figure out what to do in front of Leon, who was saying different things from before, things she couldn’t understand.

Angry…? Me? How can I be angry in front of you? You were always the one who was angry.

He was asking for something absurd. Did he forget everything from the past?

Her legs involuntarily tried to move away from him.

His gaze towards Yvonne, who was still not coming closer and kept backing away, began to sink deeply. A gloomy aura emanated from him. Then, he slowly clenched his fists. Was he… going to hit her with those fists?

But then, his eyes flickered strangely with anxiety. Why…? What was there for him to be anxious about in this situation?

“You have another man.”

The words he spat out through clenched teeth were terrifying. But she didn’t understand why a man was being brought up here.

His eyes sank deep, very deep, and a violent whirlpool raged within them.

The rage he was suppressing… was immense. She felt like she might actually die by his hand if he recovered.

Overwhelmed by his force, she stumbled backward.

“You don’t realize you’re my fiancée.”

His eyes blazed fiercely.

“Don’t tell me someone else appeared during this past year.”

His low, menacing voice sounded like it was on the verge of exploding, making it even more eerie. Her clasped hands trembled. She had no idea what he was talking about.

“What… what are you talking about?”

Her terrified voice sounded utterly pathetic.

“Who is it?”

He was being unreasonable. She didn’t know what misunderstanding he was under or how that was even possible, but the only thing that mattered to her was that he was furious.

Frozen, she shook her head fervently. Another man? No. There’s no one. How could you even think that?

His eyes, staring at her trembling figure, narrowed like a hawk’s.

She swallowed hard, barely able to breathe.

Leon’s gleaming eyes… If he were well, he’d be holding a whip with that look in his eyes. Moreover, he possessed an unusual air of dignity. The Leon of the past was more dangerous than dignified. That made him even more frightening.

Her mind struggled to resist, but her body reacted as if it were accustomed to this. Even after a year of not seeing him, she hated how her body cringed and shrank at a single look, a single word. She’d thought she’d grown stronger while her father was away, but she was still the same. She hadn’t changed at all.

Yvonne clasped her trembling hands together and held on for dear life. He was always terrifying. She hated herself for still being like this.

She wanted to get further away from Leon. This atmosphere… was all too familiar. Her whole body tensed, recognizing the prelude to violence. She was definitely going to get hit.

“You know what happens if you hide it, right?”

She nodded vigorously. Of course, she knew. He’d beat her to death. She was the one who always fell for his threats. How easily Leon, six years her senior, had subdued and crushed her naive self. It was the same now. That, too, hadn’t changed.