I Will Die for You, My Darling! - Chapter 54
Chapter 54
Of course, this was a façade. She’d been secretly collecting sleeping pills from the physician, stashing them one by one in her jewelry box. A fact unknown to both Gamon and Isaac.
Despite this apparent tranquility, Isaac seemed reluctant to leave Arietta alone in the Glass Dome mansion. His unease had only intensified since his early departure from the welcome party. Gamon resented Isaac’s behavior. His small eyes, sharp beneath his brows, scanned the pampered faces of the Sky City scholars. Plump cheeks, healthy glows.
‘How different is it up there from this wasteland?’
He expertly concealed his envy and greed behind his spectacles. Gamon’s ultimate goal was to conquer ‘up there.’ He’d chosen Isaac for this purpose, convinced of his ability to seize the heavens.
Having subdued the surface world at such a young age, it seemed inevitable that he would blossom into a force capable of conquering the skies as well. That initial instinct remained unshaken.
Isaac did seem to possess ambition. He’d directed the resources traded from the Sky City to the plant, commissioning various experiments. All for the purpose of creating weapons. Gamon hoped that ambition was the driving force in Isaac’s mind. But… unexpectedly, it seemed to be Arietta.
“You handle the Sky City people.”
“Pardon?”
“Can’t you?”
“Of course I can…”
“Can you? Anything else to add?”
“No. I can handle it.”
Isaac had entrusted the management of the Remains Retrieval Team to Gamon. This should have been a sign of trust, something to bolster his ego, yet it left him strangely dissatisfied.
Isaac’s judgment was sound; Gamon was capable. He possessed the meticulousness to monitor them effectively and the experience to avoid being manipulated by a young nobleman like Benjamin.
Entrusting him with this task was a wise decision. Yet Gamon wished Isaac had left him with Arietta and taken this position himself. What Isaac chose to handle personally revealed his priorities.
The boss cared about the woman far more than a mere collectible. Her disruptive behavior only made it more apparent. This was problematic for Gamon. However, now was not the time to reveal his concerns. Like the loyal right hand he was, he would diligently carry out his assigned task.
“There’s no need for us to explain our internal arrangements, is there? We guarantee your safety during the exploration, and you receive that guarantee.” His tone was subtly domineering. Benjamin frowned.
Gamon thought the same thing Isaac had thought upon first meeting him: What a child. “Then I’ll continue. For the next week, you’ll be exploring the northwest region. It’s somewhat more dangerous than your previous routes. A word of caution.”
Gamon’s voice was smooth as silk, yet to Benjamin, it felt barbed. “Do not enter the forest.” Benjamin’s stomach churned.
***
Lately, Isaac had been sleeping in the annex. Even when he stepped away briefly, a guard was stationed right outside the door. The slightest sound from within would send the staff bursting in, as if determined to prevent Arietta from attempting anything new. Isaac frequently reminded her, “I hold your life in my hands.”
Arietta scoffed inwardly.
‘You’ve had plenty of chances to take it, and yet, here I am.’
She’d been compliant for a week. The result: seven sleeping pills. She was certain the physician wouldn’t mention the pills to Isaac. Reporting the prescription would lead to questions, and that would mean revealing the incident at the welcome party. Impossible.
The timid physician’s only recourse was to ensure she swallowed the pills in his presence. Arietta, however, had perfected the art of hiding the pills under her tongue, swallowing only the water before tucking them away in her jewelry box once he’d left. She opened the box. The seven pills, their coatings slightly worn, were now more precious to her than any rare mineral.
‘Today.’
Arietta upended the jewelry box, spilling the seven pills into her palm. ‘Today, I make my move.’
