My Husband Never Dies - Chapter 25
Laura, sensing the change in the air, hesitated before speaking softly.
“U-um, my Lady… Still, it’s a gift from the master himself…”
Evelyn didn’t respond immediately. Finally, she asked coolly:
“What do you think is inside?”
“Uh… Well, I guess… a necklace that would suit you, my Lady?”
Laura answered with the kind of response one would expect, a practical answer. Evelyn let out a quiet, humorless laugh.
It was hard to believe that this was the same Laura who had once babbled on about how beautiful Adrian’s bloodied eyeball was, how lovely its color was, how perfectly delicate it looked.
Evelyn was done with it all — the twisted reality, the absurdity of it all.
“Laura. Did you know?”
“Yes, my Lady?”
“There are far too few people in Brumfield. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Huh…?”
Laura hesitated, as if the thought had never crossed her mind. Evelyn cxcked her head slightly, a faint, almost sad smile gracing her lips as she began her inquiry.
“What’s the gardener’s name?”
“Uh, I’m not sure.”
“Have you seen the stableman?”
“No, I don’t deal with that side of things.”
“Who brings up the food every day?”
“I’m in charge of the kitchen, my Lady…”
“Laura, do you do the cleaning?”
“No, I only attend to you, my Lady. The maids rotate for the cleaning.”
“I’ve never seen any maids.”
“Well, they probably come when you’re not around…”
“There were so many people in the palace. Brumfield is just as big as the palace, and yet it’s so sparse in comparison. Doesn’t that seem strange?”
Laura chose silence instead of an answer. In the heavy, uncomfortable pause, Evelyn spoke first.
“Yes, well, what can I even say…”
Muttering in resignation, she opened the deep blue velvet box as if it didn’t matter anymore.
Where the green eyeball had been, there was now a tiny emerald ring, about the size of her thumb.
“Oh my!”
Laura’s eyes widened in surprise. She clasped her hands together in awe and began to gush.
“Look, my Lady! It seems like the master personally picked out this ring. My goodness… it’s so beautiful! Please, try it on. Go on?”
The brilliant green gemstone gleamed eerily.
“It seems like the master chose it to match the color of your eyes. Doesn’t it? Why don’t you ask him about it?”
“…My eyes?”
A chill ran down Evelyn’s spine.
The Duke hadn’t meant to kill her, but could she really trust that fully? If things went awry, he might very well gouge out her eyes, just like he had with the prince’s.
“My Lady! Please, try it on!”
At Laura’s urging, Evelyn reluctantly picked up the ring, a sense of foreboding settling over her. The large emerald felt grotesquely heavy.
The ring fit perfectly on her left ring finger. Laura beamed at Evelyn’s hand and face, alternating between them with a look of rapture.
“It suits you so well. Really… it seems the master is always thinking of you!”
The emerald was so heavy that Evelyn felt as if her left hand, along with her body, might sink into the floor.
“I think I’ll have some tea. Do you mind if I ask?”
“Of course! I’ll bring it right away!”
Laura, as if she had received her own gift, skipped out of the room in high spirits.
The moment the door closed, Evelyn ripped the heavy ring off her finger and tossed it away. There was a sharp clink as it struck something and fell to the ground.
In the past, she would have treated that ring like a precious item. She would have been filled with anticipation, imagining herself selling it for a high price once her mission was completed, and she had gained a new identity.
But now…
Now, she wasn’t so sure.
The mission didn’t matter, and she wasn’t certain if she’d ever escape this mansion or the man who held her captive.
A sigh slipped from Evelyn’s lips just as she heard footsteps. Thinking it was Laura returning without a word, she lifted her head, only to find a man bending toward an elegant table.
“Eve.”
Calix picked up the ring, rolling it between his fingers as he approached Evelyn.
“You shouldn’t treat a man’s gift with such disregard.”
“A man?”
Her question came out with a bitter laugh, and he shrugged nonchalantly.
“Anything.”
