I Will Die for You, My Darling! - Chapter 45
Chapter 45
The attending physician, eyes darting nervously, quickly picked up the scissors. Gamon silently extended his hand. First aid was swiftly administered.
“Izzy left you with a troublesome task.”
“I appreciate the compliment.”
Gamon’s voice was high and taut, his thin lips pressed into a tight line.
‘Truly a cunning appearance,’ she thought.
“You should have been at the welcoming reception for the Hazard Investigation Team today. Such a waste. I hear they had a grand banquet with all sorts of delicacies. It’s an opportunity that comes only once every few months. You missed it because you were watching me.”
“That’s…” A soft crackle, like grinding teeth, seemed to emanate from Gamon. When Arietta looked at him, he wore an artificial smile, his expression carefully composed. “Outside my interests.”
“Not very Downstream of you.” The words could be taken as either praise or sarcasm. Arietta tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“So, what are you interested in?”
She’d lived a long life, repeating countless regressions, but this was the first time she’d asked Gamon anything.
‘Had I really been this indifferent to the inhabitants of the Glass Dome Estate?’
Of course, before this dramatic incident, she’d barely had any interaction with Gamon. He rarely set foot in the annex. Isaac thoroughly blocked any contact between Arietta and his inner circle. Isolation—that was Isaac’s way of keeping her in check. He kept her locked away in the annex like a collectible, providing a life of luxury but severing all ties with influential individuals.
‘If her wings are clipped, she can’t fly.’
In most cases, it was an effective tactic. ‘That boy… he was so reckless when he was younger, but he’s become quite shrewd with age.’ Arietta inwardly praised Isaac, but with a chilling afterthought: ‘Still, I’ll die before December 31st. I definitely will.’
To ensure that, she needed to learn more about the other influential members of the Glass Dome Estate, besides Isaac. Because when Isaac was inevitably called away, as he was now, Gamon would be the one to watch her. She needed to gauge whether Gamon would be easier or harder to outmaneuver than Isaac.
“Well? What are you interested in?” Arietta pressed again. Gamon’s cheek twitched, irritated by her persistence.
“Naturally, attending to the Big Cat.”
A dull answer. Arietta clicked her tongue. “Oh, is that so?”
“So please don’t be a hindrance to him.”
Now this was interesting. Arietta’s eyes widened. A hindrance? She’d been lying quietly for weeks; how could that possibly hinder Isaac?
Her innocent expression had a way of grating on her overseer’s nerves. Gamon’s carefully maintained composure faltered slightly.
“The 26th Hazard Investigation Team’s visit was originally scheduled for the day before yesterday. Your actions disrupted the Big Cat’s schedule.”
“My actions disrupted his schedule?”
Was she genuinely asking, or was she parroting his words? Gamon’s hands, clasped behind his back, twitched. He’d never seen a parrot, but he’d heard the Sky City Hazard Investigation Team use the analogy. Regardless, he had to maintain a semblance of respect towards Arietta, no matter how much she was treated like an object.
“He postponed his schedule because of you.”
Gamon managed to speak with a degree of civility, but the air had grown thick with tension, making the timid physician long to flee.
Arietta, however, seemed oblivious to Gamon’s simmering anger. She sat up in bed, pulling her knees to her chest and burying her face in them. Muffled giggles escaped.
After a moment of quiet laughter, Arietta slowly lifted her head, her beautifully curved eyes meeting Gamon’s.
“That makes me feel incredibly important. I thought I was just a meaningless collectible?”
