Just stay alive, Angie. That's all I need. That's all...
Michael had harbored ill feelings for her for a long time. Even though she had married him on his terms, those feelings would still remain. That was why he had taken her to Te Deum and kept her there. He believed that he would not kill her or harm her. He believed that he would not treat her carelessly or hurt her.
But a strange sense of unease gripped his heart and wouldn't let go. Michael Randall, who had been a loyal servant of the family for so long. Another son of his father who had beheaded and burned his grandfather, who had become an undead three years ago.
The latter was definitely his true self. Those purple eyes seemed infinitely kind. Behind them lurked the abyss of lightlessness. That ominous darkness that he had never actually encountered before kept digging into his heart.
Angie. Please... stay safe. I'll be there soon.
He put his blood-stained hands together and covered his forehead as if praying. He didn't care what happened to him. He repeated his determination over and over again that he would save Angie even if it meant sacrificing his life.
If only she could be safe, I would gladly kill, destroy, and annihilate anyone. I didn't care if the whole world became a sea of blood before my eyes.
As soon as she heard Mrs. Dunst's footsteps, Angie moved quickly despite her state of shock. She quickly pushed Annette into the closet and tried to close the door, but the hinge was stuck in the middle and it wouldn't close properly.
“Annette, just wait a moment and when it’s quiet, come back over there.”
She threw the quilt towards Annette and covered her half-exposed body. Then she picked up a chair and threw it at the window, making a mess of the room to distract her as much as possible. The window slammed, glass and vases shattered, and shards flew everywhere. Only then did the locks come off one by one and the door swung open.
“What is this... What the hell is all this noise about?”
Louis Dunst, who had come in on time, looked around the room with a furious expression. Her eyes were sharp as she looked at Angie, but fortunately, she didn't even look at the closet.
“You tried to run away again as soon as you woke up.”
Angie glared at her, panting silently. Louis came over and slapped Angie hard on the cheek. Even for a woman, the force was incredible. Angie was pushed back and fell flat on the carpet. The moment her arm swept the floor, a sharp pain shot through her. A piece of broken glass was stuck in her wrist.
“Are you causing trouble again?”
Another woman also entered from behind the door. It was the chamberlain, Jasmine. Angie flinched at the memory of a few days ago. She had strangled her and held her down with her large body, preventing her from moving, for refusing to eat while Michael was away in town.
All the helpers in the mansion were out of their minds. It seemed like all the kind and sensible people of the past had disappeared, and fakes wearing the same masks had appeared.
“You are crazy, all of you... not human! You are beasts!”
At that moment, Michael appeared at the door. Jasmine flinched and stepped out of the room. He looked at Angie, curled up on the carpet, and turned his frowning face to Mrs. Dunst. His purple eyes were now right in front of her nose.
“Louis. Did you touch Angie?”
“Yes, I thought she was having a strange thought again, so I’m punishing her as a warning... ”
Louis's words were instantly cut off. The moment Michael slapped her cheek, she almost fell over too, but she braced herself with one hand on the wall. With Michael's mask removed, he swung at the butler roughly.
“Don’t touch that woman. She’s mine. Whether she lives or dies, whether she suffers, I’m the only one who can do it.”
“...I’m sorry, Michael.”
Louis lowered her gaze and apologized obediently. Michael took a deep breath, tilted his head back, and whispered quietly.
“Don’t interfere, Louis. I’m just slowly taming her.”
Louis nodded and turned around to leave. After the door closed, Angie sat there in a daze, completely oblivious to the fact that she had been slapped.
Her mind was full of Noah. Tears filled her eyes from longing and worrying about Noah. Angie was lost in thought like that, and when Michael knelt down and grabbed her arm, she screamed in surprise.
“Let go of me! Go away...”
“Hold still! I have to get the glass shards out, so don’t move.”
Blood was flowing out of her arm where the glass shards were embedded. But she didn't even know it hurt. Angie let out a hollow laugh.
It was so disgusting. How dare he, a demon who was secretly waiting to use her baby for rituals. Angie hated the idea of him touching her body so much. Even just looking at him like this, even being in the same space with him, made her shiver with disgust.
“Let go of me! Please leave me alone!”
Angie glared at him with angry eyes. She couldn't mention Noah. Then all she could do was confirm with her own mouth that Noah was indeed the child between Kyle and her. Noah would be okay. She believed that Uncle Willem, Martin, and Bryn would protect him thoroughly and never give these demons a chance.
“Monsters... Monsters. You. You’re all crazy. God will never forgive you, all of you!”
“Angie...”
Michael looked at her again with wounded eyes.
“Please don’t even touch my fingertips. I’d rather get stabbed by glass than touch you.”
Angie gasped and glared at him as if she was going to kill him. The hatred and contempt, the fear and wariness, all the negative emotions in the world that she had been trying to suppress for a while were revealed in her eyes. Her gaze was focused solely on Michael.
For the first time, she felt grateful for the side effects of Eternity. If his manhood was normal, it was horrible to even imagine. If it was, he would have committed the crime countless times already.
She was gripped by extreme fear that instead of direct contact, he might do something else perverted. But he didn't do that. Wasn't it because that would only make him more miserable? He was afraid that if he saw her naked body, his instincts would stir and he wouldn't be able to control himself, but his body wouldn't respond, and he would be overcome with a sense of defeat and self-loathing.
Even if he had resorted to beating and violence instead of engaging in sexual perversion, that would have been better. Angie had thought it was much better than being held as a woman, but now the murderous intent against him was coming in waves.
“Please come to your senses, Michael. If not, I wish you would just be struck down by lightning from the sky and die.”
How dare you, sacrifice my child to fulfill that beastly desire.
"Yes...?"
Michael's mouth twisted into an ugly grimace. He grabbed Angie's wrist again. After a moment of pushing and shoving and struggling, he slapped her hard across the face. Angie fell backward with a scream, and Michael climbed on top of her, grabbing her arm roughly.
Then he grabbed the end of the glass shard he was trying to pull out and pushed it in the opposite direction. The sharp shard dug deeper into her flesh. A scream burst from Angie's mouth. A desperate, painful scream echoed through the room as if her organs were being torn apart.
The fragments slowly pushed in and stopped just before they touched the blood vessel. Angie’s screams also stopped. Her trembling body also went limp. Only then did Michael let out a ragged breath and pull out the piece. Blood spurted out. Her face, clothes, and everywhere were covered in blood, but he paid no attention and focused only on Angie’s wounds.
He gave her a makeshift treatment, as he had originally intended, with a tetanus antiseptic and a bandage. Soon the doctor and the maid were called. After a brief and brutal uproar, the room became quiet again.
Michael, who was left alone, sat at the head of the bed and stared at Angie lying there like a corpse. His heart ached and was complicated at the sight of her tightly bandaged arms and her red, swollen cheeks.
Is there any way to make an oblivion potion? It would be best for both of us if we just reset...
Annette shivered in the closet. Several times she tried to throw off the covers and run to Angie, but she couldn't. She was scared. She was so scared of Michael that she couldn't even breathe. She felt like she would be killed on the spot if she was caught.
Sister Angie, I'm sorry. But I'll help you somehow. I'll help you escape from here... I don't want to be in this scary place any longer. Let's run away together. So just bear with me for a little longer...
The girl bit her lip and held her breath until she heard the door close. She couldn't even cry out of fear that the sound would escape.
The next morning, the Duke's physician, Glenn Adams, was found dead. Like Charlotte Randall, who had died earlier, the cause of death was food poisoning, and his body was quietly laid to rest in the chapel.
Michael, the temporary head of the household and the Duke's deputy expressed his sorrow with a brief condolence. Mrs. Dunst announced that the funeral would be held in three days and that another doctor would be assigned from the capital soon. The helpers returned to their respective positions and moved about in perfect order as if nothing had happened.
Te Deum returned to its peaceful routine. As always, the castle in the middle of the lake was boringly peaceful and quiet. The winter of December was still mild, and only the lake surrounding the mansion was as cold as ice.
Michael had harbored ill feelings for her for a long time. Even though she had married him on his terms, those feelings would still remain. That was why he had taken her to Te Deum and kept her there. He believed that he would not kill her or harm her. He believed that he would not treat her carelessly or hurt her.
But a strange sense of unease gripped his heart and wouldn't let go. Michael Randall, who had been a loyal servant of the family for so long. Another son of his father who had beheaded and burned his grandfather, who had become an undead three years ago.
The latter was definitely his true self. Those purple eyes seemed infinitely kind. Behind them lurked the abyss of lightlessness. That ominous darkness that he had never actually encountered before kept digging into his heart.
Angie. Please... stay safe. I'll be there soon.
He put his blood-stained hands together and covered his forehead as if praying. He didn't care what happened to him. He repeated his determination over and over again that he would save Angie even if it meant sacrificing his life.
If only she could be safe, I would gladly kill, destroy, and annihilate anyone. I didn't care if the whole world became a sea of blood before my eyes.
***
As soon as she heard Mrs. Dunst's footsteps, Angie moved quickly despite her state of shock. She quickly pushed Annette into the closet and tried to close the door, but the hinge was stuck in the middle and it wouldn't close properly.
“Annette, just wait a moment and when it’s quiet, come back over there.”
She threw the quilt towards Annette and covered her half-exposed body. Then she picked up a chair and threw it at the window, making a mess of the room to distract her as much as possible. The window slammed, glass and vases shattered, and shards flew everywhere. Only then did the locks come off one by one and the door swung open.
“What is this... What the hell is all this noise about?”
Louis Dunst, who had come in on time, looked around the room with a furious expression. Her eyes were sharp as she looked at Angie, but fortunately, she didn't even look at the closet.
“You tried to run away again as soon as you woke up.”
Angie glared at her, panting silently. Louis came over and slapped Angie hard on the cheek. Even for a woman, the force was incredible. Angie was pushed back and fell flat on the carpet. The moment her arm swept the floor, a sharp pain shot through her. A piece of broken glass was stuck in her wrist.
“Are you causing trouble again?”
Another woman also entered from behind the door. It was the chamberlain, Jasmine. Angie flinched at the memory of a few days ago. She had strangled her and held her down with her large body, preventing her from moving, for refusing to eat while Michael was away in town.
All the helpers in the mansion were out of their minds. It seemed like all the kind and sensible people of the past had disappeared, and fakes wearing the same masks had appeared.
“You are crazy, all of you... not human! You are beasts!”
At that moment, Michael appeared at the door. Jasmine flinched and stepped out of the room. He looked at Angie, curled up on the carpet, and turned his frowning face to Mrs. Dunst. His purple eyes were now right in front of her nose.
“Louis. Did you touch Angie?”
“Yes, I thought she was having a strange thought again, so I’m punishing her as a warning... ”
Louis's words were instantly cut off. The moment Michael slapped her cheek, she almost fell over too, but she braced herself with one hand on the wall. With Michael's mask removed, he swung at the butler roughly.
“Don’t touch that woman. She’s mine. Whether she lives or dies, whether she suffers, I’m the only one who can do it.”
“...I’m sorry, Michael.”
Louis lowered her gaze and apologized obediently. Michael took a deep breath, tilted his head back, and whispered quietly.
“Don’t interfere, Louis. I’m just slowly taming her.”
Louis nodded and turned around to leave. After the door closed, Angie sat there in a daze, completely oblivious to the fact that she had been slapped.
Her mind was full of Noah. Tears filled her eyes from longing and worrying about Noah. Angie was lost in thought like that, and when Michael knelt down and grabbed her arm, she screamed in surprise.
“Let go of me! Go away...”
“Hold still! I have to get the glass shards out, so don’t move.”
Blood was flowing out of her arm where the glass shards were embedded. But she didn't even know it hurt. Angie let out a hollow laugh.
It was so disgusting. How dare he, a demon who was secretly waiting to use her baby for rituals. Angie hated the idea of him touching her body so much. Even just looking at him like this, even being in the same space with him, made her shiver with disgust.
“Let go of me! Please leave me alone!”
Angie glared at him with angry eyes. She couldn't mention Noah. Then all she could do was confirm with her own mouth that Noah was indeed the child between Kyle and her. Noah would be okay. She believed that Uncle Willem, Martin, and Bryn would protect him thoroughly and never give these demons a chance.
“Monsters... Monsters. You. You’re all crazy. God will never forgive you, all of you!”
“Angie...”
Michael looked at her again with wounded eyes.
“Please don’t even touch my fingertips. I’d rather get stabbed by glass than touch you.”
Angie gasped and glared at him as if she was going to kill him. The hatred and contempt, the fear and wariness, all the negative emotions in the world that she had been trying to suppress for a while were revealed in her eyes. Her gaze was focused solely on Michael.
For the first time, she felt grateful for the side effects of Eternity. If his manhood was normal, it was horrible to even imagine. If it was, he would have committed the crime countless times already.
She was gripped by extreme fear that instead of direct contact, he might do something else perverted. But he didn't do that. Wasn't it because that would only make him more miserable? He was afraid that if he saw her naked body, his instincts would stir and he wouldn't be able to control himself, but his body wouldn't respond, and he would be overcome with a sense of defeat and self-loathing.
Even if he had resorted to beating and violence instead of engaging in sexual perversion, that would have been better. Angie had thought it was much better than being held as a woman, but now the murderous intent against him was coming in waves.
“Please come to your senses, Michael. If not, I wish you would just be struck down by lightning from the sky and die.”
How dare you, sacrifice my child to fulfill that beastly desire.
"Yes...?"
Michael's mouth twisted into an ugly grimace. He grabbed Angie's wrist again. After a moment of pushing and shoving and struggling, he slapped her hard across the face. Angie fell backward with a scream, and Michael climbed on top of her, grabbing her arm roughly.
Then he grabbed the end of the glass shard he was trying to pull out and pushed it in the opposite direction. The sharp shard dug deeper into her flesh. A scream burst from Angie's mouth. A desperate, painful scream echoed through the room as if her organs were being torn apart.
The fragments slowly pushed in and stopped just before they touched the blood vessel. Angie’s screams also stopped. Her trembling body also went limp. Only then did Michael let out a ragged breath and pull out the piece. Blood spurted out. Her face, clothes, and everywhere were covered in blood, but he paid no attention and focused only on Angie’s wounds.
He gave her a makeshift treatment, as he had originally intended, with a tetanus antiseptic and a bandage. Soon the doctor and the maid were called. After a brief and brutal uproar, the room became quiet again.
Michael, who was left alone, sat at the head of the bed and stared at Angie lying there like a corpse. His heart ached and was complicated at the sight of her tightly bandaged arms and her red, swollen cheeks.
Is there any way to make an oblivion potion? It would be best for both of us if we just reset...
Annette shivered in the closet. Several times she tried to throw off the covers and run to Angie, but she couldn't. She was scared. She was so scared of Michael that she couldn't even breathe. She felt like she would be killed on the spot if she was caught.
Sister Angie, I'm sorry. But I'll help you somehow. I'll help you escape from here... I don't want to be in this scary place any longer. Let's run away together. So just bear with me for a little longer...
The girl bit her lip and held her breath until she heard the door close. She couldn't even cry out of fear that the sound would escape.
The next morning, the Duke's physician, Glenn Adams, was found dead. Like Charlotte Randall, who had died earlier, the cause of death was food poisoning, and his body was quietly laid to rest in the chapel.
Michael, the temporary head of the household and the Duke's deputy expressed his sorrow with a brief condolence. Mrs. Dunst announced that the funeral would be held in three days and that another doctor would be assigned from the capital soon. The helpers returned to their respective positions and moved about in perfect order as if nothing had happened.
Te Deum returned to its peaceful routine. As always, the castle in the middle of the lake was boringly peaceful and quiet. The winter of December was still mild, and only the lake surrounding the mansion was as cold as ice.
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