Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 36
Now, the responsibility for the loss was entirely Nigel’s. He couldn’t contain his emotions and punched the wall several times. Finally, a crack appeared in a corner of the room.
“Are you okay, Sir Nigel?”
As he was punching the wall with his bloodied fist, someone entered the open room. It was Cecilia.
“Get out.”
Cecilia frowned at his blunt dismissal.
“I would like to, but you keep hitting my room wall.”
She spoke roughly, covering her ears as if the noise was bothering her.
“It’s a bit noisy.”
Nigel’s face contorted horribly. In two strides of his long legs, he was right in front of Cecilia.
“Was it you?”
“What?”
“You touched my belongings. Didn’t you, mongrel?”
Cecilia narrowed her eyes and looked up at him.
“Why would I?”
“Are you asking me for a reason? Obviously, because…”
“Because I hate you?”
He stopped talking. Cecilia didn’t stop, her words flowing like water.
“Because you’re so detestable? Because you make me sick? Because I wish you’d just disappear?”
Nigel stiffened, his thick neck veins bulging.
“Did that hurt you?”
“What?”
After a brief pause, a cold laugh burst out.
“Haha, are you insane? Do you think I’d care about…”
“Exactly. I’m just returning your own words back to you.”
“…What? My words?”
He looked uncharacteristically flustered.
“When did I ever say something like that to you…”
“I see. You don’t remember.”
Some people could vividly remember things that happened even ten years ago.
She remembered the insults and scorn he had hurled at her during their first encounter, his eyes bloodshot as he swung his fists at her.
“You were nine, not four or five. Shouldn’t you remember something from that age?”
She murmured softly.
“Is your memory that bad, or is it because you’re…”
‘Die, you shameless and filthy scum!’
“…just shameless?”
She lifted her eyes, and that simple action unsettled the man.
“There was a time before. You accused me of stealing. You said I took your handkerchief.”
No one believed her then. No matter how much she protested or raged, it was useless. Even Lilith had subtly asked her if she did it because she liked Nigel.
She had said it over and over. She hadn’t done it. It wasn’t true. She didn’t like him. She would never like someone like Nigel, not even in a million years.
In the end, Cecilia had knelt in front of Nigel and apologized. Tears streaming for something she shouldn’t even be sorry for.
It was utterly humiliating and shameful.
“A few days later, you casually pulled out that handkerchief in front of me.”
“…”
“You never lost in the first place, did you?”
Nigel just glared at Cecilia with bloodshot eyes, not making a sound, as if even his breath had stopped.
“So, I really can’t feel genuinely sorry for your loss this time, Sir Nigel. Who knows? Maybe you’ll pull out the ‘lost’ item from your pocket again, acting as if it was no big deal.”
Blue veins popped on Nigel’s hand. Cecilia, undeterred, twisted her lips in a sneer.
“If it happens again, it would be such a waste of my emotions, wouldn’t it?”
His eyes, red as if about to burst, were fixed on her.
“You…”
His tightly closed lips parted, and his mouth twisted strangely.
“It was you, after all.”
He reached behind Cecilia. The door slowly moved, clicking shut.
Alone in the closed room, Nigel cornered Cecilia against the wall. His amber gaze bore down on her from above.
“Where did you hide the pendant?”
“It’s no use asking me.”
“Where is it?”
“It’s usele…ugh!”
Her chin was seized. A strong force pulled her face helplessly forward.
“Do I look like someone who’ll just ask nicely?”
“Ugh…”
“I’m not soft like your idiotic relatives.”
After a painful pressure that felt like her jawbone might shatter, he slightly released his grip, just enough for her to speak.
“It wasn’t me.”
“Lies.”
“I was in the drawing room with Carol until just before midnight. It’s impossible, timewise.”
Nigel laughed cruelly.
“That’s a lie.”
“How can you be so sure…?”
“I want to rip your face off to show you. It’s obviously a lie.”
Cecilia managed to laugh weakly.
“You seem to know me very well.”
Suddenly, Nigel’s gaze wavered uncontrollably. Cecilia didn’t miss her chance and ducked away.
“If I had stolen it, though.”
She placed her hand on her chest.
“I would have hidden it right here.”
“…”
Nigel’s face stiffened slightly, then a sharp laugh burst out.
“This crazy woman.”
Cecilia provocatively pulled down her collar slightly.
“Would you like to check?”
