For Sale: Male Lead, Obsession Included - Chapter 20
I quietly pulled out my chair and looked at the homework paper he had been working on.
The word I had taught him, ‘Declan’, was written dozens of times… and below it, the paper was filled with the word ‘Master’.
The white paper had turned nearly black.
My smile faded as quickly as it had appeared.
While it was good to see a student so dedicated to his homework… I felt a chill as I realized what those clumsy letters meant.
‘Am I… safe from his obsession?’
I swallowed hard.
Declan’s behavior had been suspicious since yesterday.
Trying to shake off the uneasy feeling, I quietly removed the now-blackened paper and tossed it in the trash.
***
It was during an awkward breakfast, with Declan glancing at me, that the commotion outside my room began, and Lavelier, tear-streaked, burst in.
‘I really wish I could lock my door.’
I looked at the half-finished soup with regret. Judging by Lavelier’s demeanor, it didn’t seem like I would be able to finish it.
Sighing, I cleared the table and stood up.
“You, you… Huff. Return them immediately!”
“What?”
“All my invitations! I know you blocked all of them!”
“Oh, that.”
I calmly wiped my mouth with a napkin and smiled.
“I left a letter saying I’d return them if you sincerely apologized.”
I wondered why there was no response.
Those invitations were the result of five years of hard work, pleading, and brainstorming to drag Lavelier down.
Tea parties, balls, social gatherings, book clubs, and so on.
Lavelier had gotten them by sitting elegantly in her room with her teacup.
And now she wanted them back for free.
‘You have no conscience, dear sister.’
“What did you do to get them that even my personal contacts won’t respond?”
Of course.
They gave the invitations in exchange for the valuable information I provided, not because of Lavelier’s pretty yet useless face.
‘But honestly, this is surprising.’
I expected her to come at me furiously when I canceled all her invitations and reservations. Instead, she even sent a personal letter first to salvage her social life on her own.
‘And now, she’s showing tears.’
Pretending to cover my mouth with the napkin, I smiled even more deeply.
“At least do something about Lady Josette’s teatime! It’s an important occasion! Charlie is going to attend, and there’s…!”
Charlie is Lavelier’s secret crush, a handsome young man. No wonder she was crying those chicken poop tears—he’s going to be there.
I put on an even broader smile, feigning sympathy.
“That deadline has already passed.”
“Eek!”
She probably thought tears would work on me.
Suddenly, Lavelier wiped her tears away and twisted her face in anger.
“You foolish illegitimate brat! Are you trying to mess with me?!”
Seeing the rings piled high on her raised hand, I clicked my tongue.
That’s going to hurt.
Thinking that, I tensed my whole body, but the one who was struck wasn’t my face, but Declan’s.
“Declan!”
“Ha! You’ve raised a slave well. Did your master teach you to take the slap for her? Huh?”
I felt indescribable rage as I looked at Declan’s scratched-up cheek.
The only thing he knew how to do was be a brute, to raise his hand.
I pushed Declan behind me and looked straight at Lavelier.
“Father should have told you. Don’t touch my slave.”
“Really… you think my father would just listen to you? You?”
“…”
“Stupid. You think just because he took your side once, you’re above your station?”
Lavelier signaled to the maid behind her to spread her palm.
“Bring the cane. It’s been a while since I last beat this arrogant thing.”
Lavelier remembered the day she had gone to her father, pleading with tears. Their father had said, ‘That kind of thing doesn’t matter at all.’
He must have felt sorry for his daughter who was humiliated by this foolish bastard.
Yeah, little sister.
To Father, that was just ‘that kind of thing.’ After living your whole life that way, why don’t you know your place?
Lavelier shook her head sadly, looking at the pathetic relative in front of her.
“I need to fix that habit of daring to look me in the eye. You.”
As soon as the maid quickly brought the cane and whip to Lavelier’s hand, my heartbeat quickened and my breath shortened, against my will.
…Because it was that special cane, the one Lavelier had always used to beat me whenever she tried to correct my behavior from a very young age.
They say fear is engraved in you.
Even though I had no reason to fear Lavelier now, I couldn’t help but hesitate, my steps faltering.
“Hit the calves.”
Swish—.
The threatening sound of the whip echoed through the room.
