Even Death Was Taken Away by That Obsession - Chapter 6
He never let me go in my memories.
Even if I died right in front of him, no matter how far I ran away.
He would somehow find me and inevitably confine me tightly in his broad embrace.
‘I want to die.’
Really, I want to escape from him even if I have to die…
Thinking that being alive now was more terrible than being dead, I couldn’t easily fall asleep.
As I was buried in the soft bedding, sighing heavily enough to sink into the white bed, it happened.
“Lady Haine.”
Someone knocked on the door with a trembling voice.
‘At this late hour?’
Although it was already close to midnight, the voice sounded familiar, so I readily opened the door.
Standing there was, as expected, Bonnie, trembling in fear of my red eyes.
“What’s the matter?”
I showed a gentle smile and let Bonnie in. Despite being a young girl, she was taller than me.
As I was wondering why she had come here at such a late hour, I saw something glittering.
The moment I realized it was a short dagger just a bit longer than a palm.
“I’m sorry, my lady.”
A tearing pain stabbed into my chest.
“I… I heard everything that day…!”
Bonnie, who had committed the bold act of stabbing me in the chest, immediately burst into tears full of fear.
“Both the High Priest and you…! You’re strange beings, aren’t you!”
How pitiful, muttering to confirm something while trembling at her own action of killing a person.
“Strange beings?”
Blood gushed out between my lips as I tried to ask back.
As expected, Bonnie’s face turned pale at this cruel sight, familiar to me but strange to her.
“You… you have a body that can’t die!”
“……”
“For the sake of the Grand Duke’s family, someone as ominous as you shouldn’t be in this mansion…!”
A body that can’t die. An ominous person.
“Ha……”
A bitter laugh escaped at those words that only irritated me one by one.
It was closer to the sound an evil lady might make when treading on blood, rather than the light laughter of an innocent young lady.
‘Really, I’m tired of this.’
I had intended to be a benevolent benefactor in this mansion, if only out of gratitude to Ian.
If I couldn’t die right away because of the bet, I wanted to live like a human being at least while I was alive.
The face that had been imitating an innocent lady gradually sank.
Eventually, it left no trace of any expression.
“Then what do you intend to do?”
I grabbed the blade that was piercing my chest hard and widened my eyes.
It was a chilling question spat out while enduring the tearing pain.
“Even if you know I can’t die, what can you do?”
I even gave a casual eye-smile, so Bonnie, unable to hide her bewilderment, revealed her plan.
“I… I’m going to call people right away. This knife and the blood-stained clothes will all be evidence. I don’t know what has bewitched the young master, but I…!”
Judging by her actions, it seems she really did overhear the conversation between Feiden and me.
It was admirable that a mere servant would even take up a knife for her master’s sake.
On the other hand, I was also impressed by the authority of the Grand Duke’s residence that could inspire such loyalty even in a mere maid.
The silk nightgown was slowly being dyed with blood.
As if that blood wasn’t mine, like someone accustomed to pain, I whispered monotonously.
“What should I do? I have no intention of allowing that.”
If I stop breathing here, I will fall asleep instead of dying.
And I will wake up within a few hours, but I didn’t know what Bonnie would do in the meantime.
I closed and opened my eyes while enduring the pain in my chest.
I felt my eyes turning golden along with a burning heat.
And with the power I had skillfully used hundreds of times over a long past, I asked.
“Would you tell me your name?”
Immediately captivated by these eyes, Bonnie smoothed her contorted face and lost focus.
Then she calmly answered the question.
“It’s Bonnie Enid.”
Fortunately, it seemed there was no problem in using my ability.
“Yes, Bonnie. First, to kill someone…”
As I roughly pulled out the knife stuck in my chest, a gush of red blood poured out.
“Just stabbing isn’t enough. You need to pull it out right away to make the blood flow, to lead to a quick death.”
Of course, stabbing multiple places is more effective.
I advised, recalling the countless deaths I had experienced. This child won’t remember any of this anyway.
“You know, I desire my own death more desperately than anyone else.”
I pulled Bonnie’s hand and placed it on my chest where the dagger had been. Then I recited affectionately.
“If I could die from something like this, I would have stabbed myself dozens of times more. I wouldn’t have had to make any bet.”
My chest had already stopped bleeding and the wound was already healing.
“Isn’t it funny? That death is the only way to escape from him.”
That I have to love someone else to die, that I can only get death back from him by winning some bet.
I lowered Bonnie’s hand and gently stroked her still-unfocused face.
“If it were the old me, I might have easily disposed of a child like you, telling you to jump off by yourself.”
Since this is the Grand Duke’s residence full of goodwill towards me, I didn’t want to trouble Ian’s heart with an unpleasant incident.
Also, I thought it might not be comfortable going forward if such deep loyalty for her master was directed towards me as well.
“Will you forget everything that happened today and devote your loyalty to me?”
“Yes, I will do that.”
Bonnie nodded calmly and moved her lips.
It was a satisfactory answer, even if it wasn’t of her own will.
I roughly pulled the girl’s nape to match her eye level with mine.
“But there won’t be a second time. You must become my hands and feet with all your might.”
So that I can win the bet and meet a human-like death, escaping from him.
“It seems I’ll have to use this place as my stage for this life.”
As those caught by this power usually do, Bonnie soon bowed politely.
Then she cleared away the knife she had prepared herself, checked my disheveled appearance, and quietly left the room.
Bonnie’s remaining night will be busy secretly dealing with the traces of what she has done.
Even if she encounters someone and is questioned about the bloodstains, she’ll escape with a plausible excuse, and won’t even remember that she did it herself.
Those caught by my power have always kept secrets perfectly in this way.
***
Early morning.
I wore a light blue dress that closely resembled Ian’s eyes and tied up my silver hair high.
Dressed so purely, my reflection in the mirror looked very young, about the same age as Dantea.
“It suits you so well indeed!”
Dantea put one hand on her forehead and wiped away the sweat that hadn’t even formed.
I smiled like a wildflower while brushing back a few strands of hair I had deliberately left down.
“Thank you. You’ve worked hard.”
“Oh! It’s nothing.”
Dantea waved her hands and acted cutely, giggling.
The maids were so excited, not knowing what to do with themselves, as they found me lovely, examining my clothes from all angles.
“As expected, you’re so beautiful.”
“Like a fairy from mythology.”
“If a god were to descend to this land, wouldn’t they look like the young lady?”
While everyone was chattering as they pleased, Dantea spread out the skirt of the dress that had no more places to touch, and chattered.
“The young master instructed us several times. He said to grant everything you wish for and take care of you meticulously so you won’t be uncomfortable. It’s the first time I’ve seen him speak so emphatically.”
Dantea asked Bonnie, who had just opened the door and entered.
“Right? You heard it too, Bonnie.”
That child who had stabbed my chest last night nodded quietly with a smile.
“Yes, I certainly heard it.”
I quietly observed Bonnie.
Unlike the other children, this particularly calm and quiet girl was carefully considering what would suit me, alternating between several earrings with neat gestures.
No matter how I looked at her, she was an ordinary maid.
An ordinary servant with neatly tied hair, a small nose, and lips that were modestly cute despite her tall stature.
‘To think she stabbed me with such an innocent appearance.’
I couldn’t help but laugh.
‘People’s true nature indeed.’
While following Bonnie with my eyes and recalling last night’s events, Dantea opened the door with a satisfied smile.
“Shall we go then!”
As the door opened, Butler Hubert, who had been waiting in front, bowed politely.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“Thanks to you.”
“The young master is waiting in the garden. I will escort you there.”
After lightly nodding in response to Hubert’s kindness, I followed him.
I thought spring had just begun, but the garden of the Grand Duke’s residence was already full of green.
The fragrance of brightly blooming flowers scattered on the gentle breeze, and white butterflies fluttered beautifully here and there.
Amidst the beautiful scenery, a white canopy was visible.
Under it, on a marble table, was a breakfast set so lavishly for two people that it seemed too much, and a man.
“Haine!”
Ian, wrapped in luxurious things from head to toe befitting his status as the son of the Grand Duke.
He stood up and waved brightly.
