Chapter 43
Yuria woke up in the morning with a throbbing body. The figure of the Count lying next to her was nowhere to be seen.
She got up and limped towards the curtained window. And she looked out the window blankly. Under a clear, cloudless sky, there was a beautifully manicured garden. Yuria stretched out her hand towards the fantastic scenery, then picked it up again. She was tainted and she felt like she was going to taint it the moment she touched it.
‘Dirty…’
Yuria looked down at her hand and suddenly felt her feelings start to sag. Because her hands, which were always pure white, were stained black. It’s not just the hands. My face and body, reflected in the dimly lit window, were all painted black.
With these dirty hands… You will never be able to reach your loved one with this disgusting and stinking body. It was so sad that I felt like crying.
Yuria clenched her fists and tried to think of a good idea. Yes, for example, the promise I made with the Count yesterday. She obtained the promise from the Count last night that he would not torment her sister any more and let her go.
‘He said that depending on what I do in the future, he could let her go…’
Do you really, really will let go of my little sister if I stay quiet?
Knock—
Then I heard a knock coming from behind.
“I will go in.”
Yuria turned and looked at the person entering the room. She was the maid who gave her advice yesterday. The maid handed a robe that she had draped over one arm to Yuria. Yuria put on the robe, the maid said to her.
“Now follow me.”
Yuria followed the maid to a room located on the second floor of the mansion. The room, which is neither large nor small, was neatly arranged, but traces of someone staying there remained. As if reading Yuria’s thoughts, the maid who took out the towel from the drawer said at once.
“This is the place where the women invited by the Count have lived before. From now on, this is the room you’ll be staying in.”
The maid closed the drawer and turned to Yuria.
“Are you embarrassed?”
Yuria’s face darkened.
‘Of course…’
Isn’t this the room where the women who were captured stayed? Everyone had a bad ending. The maid who scanned Yuria’s face said bluntly.
“… Well, I can’t help it, even if it’s embarrassing. Because the room has already been decided. Until the Count tells you to leave this mansion, you will have to stay here.”
The maid opened the door on one side of the room. It was the bathroom.
“Come in. Is it sticky and uncomfortable? I will wash you.”
“… It’s okay. I can wash.”
“Leave it to me. From today on, I will become your exclusive servant. In the future, I have to wait by your side. Meals and baths. You better get used to it.”
The maid reached out to Yuria. At that moment, Yuria recalled her memories of last night. A hand approaching her. His hand slipped through the cracks in her clothes and caressed her body… Terrible memory! Yuria screamed and shook off the maid’s hand.
“It’s okay!”
Ugh!
Yuria’s face was full of embarrassment and fear as she looked at the maid while holding her tingling hand. As if she didn’t know she would do something like this. She lowered her head and sighed helplessly.
“… Sorry…”
The maid handed the towel to Yuria with a nonchalant face.
“Then you can wash by yourself today. When you come out, I will heal your wounds.”
Yuria’s face was reflected in the maid’s brown eyes. She was as pale as a sick human. Her face, which was as white as the drawing paper, was smeared with various colors. Red, purple, blue. Anyone who sees this will know that Yuria had a bad night.
Yuria took the towel and entered the bathroom. The bathtub was already ready there. The bathtub, which could fit only one person, was filled with lukewarm water, and bath products were placed around it.
Yuria applied soap until her skin turned red. Doing so will make your body even a little cleaner. But the dirty things on her body never fall from her like the memories of last night.
Immediately after realizing that her actions were of no avail, Yuria sighed and wiped the soap off with water. Then she got up from her seat and slowly went into the bathtub. Every time water touched her wounds, a stinging pain came over her.
Yuria’s face was wrinkled, and then she immersed herself in it. Then she crouched down and hugged her knees. Tears began to flow from Yuria’s eyes, who sat quietly with her head bowed. The maid outside gazed out of the window, trying to ignore the cries from the bathroom.
It was a nice day with a clear blue sky without a single cloud and a shining sun.
****
Yuria was not kicked out of the mansion even after two weeks. Far from getting tired of her, the Count seemed to like her as the days went by. As proof of that, he called Yuria into his room every day. He even came to spend time with her during the day as well as at night.
Sometimes she could not stand the horror of facing the Count or the disgust of the act itself, and when she could not see the Count, she would lie down on the floor to mourn.
Yuria continued to vomit, imagining in vain hoping that all her memories with the Count would disappear along with gastric juice that wets the floor. At that time, Emma would gently pat Yuria on the back.
It was all because of my sister that I was able to endure such hellish times. My dear Layla, my one and only precious family. Only the fact that Lala was safe by her own sacrifice supported Yuria.
As promised, the Count was merciful, even freeing Layla from the dungeon. Yuria looked back at Layla as she left the mansion and waved her hand slightly. The Count clasped her shoulders tightly and whispered in her ear.
– Be mindful. I can catch your sister at any time.
It was a warning not to even think of running away. Yuria could not understand why the Count was trying to hold her. Isn’t he the man who kicked out a lot of women because he was bored or annoyed?
Why the hell?
‘… Is it because of the face?’
Yuria stares blankly at her reflection in the mirror. Long light brown hair fluttering near her waist and blue eyes as the sea. Her skin is as white as pale, and her lips are dyed peach-colored. There was a girl as beautiful as a paint. She couldn’t sleep, so dark circles covered her eyes, and she vomited most of everything she ate, so her cheeks were thin and dry, but it couldn’t hide the girl’s beauty.
Yuria’s hand stroked her cheek and fell on her knee.
The Count would sometimes look into Yuria’s face and say. It’s beautiful, it’s pretty. He said that the reason he chose her and brought her was all because of her beauty.
He added that if it weren’t for that, he would throw her into a dungeon whenever he was annoyed.
After those words, there are always more beautiful people in the capital than me, so don’t be arrogant.
Yuria’s beauty caused a tragedy that hurt her family and caused her to rot next to someone she didn’t want, while still keeping her body intact. Whether this is luck or unhappiness, Yuria didn’t know.
As time passed, the Count became strange. He was kind and courteous, and if Yuria was injured, he even sprinkled the expensive potion. Maybe that’s all, he secretly cared about Yuria’s taste.
The white lilies that someone put in a vase on the table, the pink dress in the closet, and the sweet chocolate cake that came out every meal were enough to offend Yuria. That disgusting kindness would sometimes benefit Yuria.
That’s it. Yuria smiled brightly as she took the letter from the maid, Emma.
The Count made special arrangements for receiving letters from her sister. She would have been better if she had been able to receive and send the letter, but she knew that she couldn’t hope for that far. Yuria carefully opened the envelope and took out the letter. It took some time, one sentence at a time, reading it slowly, savoring the contents.
The letter contained brief greetings from Layla and her concern for her older sister. After she had read all the sentences, Yuria closed her eyes tightly and hugged it as if the letter was a precious treasure.
Emma quietly watched Yuria’s actions and handed over the box as usual. Yuria put the new letter in the box full of Layla’s letters and kept it deep in her closet.