Portrait of An Arrogant Master - Chapter 4
Before long, the contract bore Macy Horton’s name clearly inscribed on it. She stared intently at the signature space next to it, marked ‘Eren Wood.’
‘I wonder what kind of person he is…’
The last alphabet of his name had a broad ink smudge at its end, as if the decision had been tough for him too. The trace left by the name’s bearer lingered in her vision for a long time.
* * *
A few days later, on a dark night, Kronen arrived in a carriage. It was a plain black carriage, which appeared to be made of willow.
“Macy, remember what I told you?”
Yannick reminded her as he came to see her off.
“You have to do well. Make sure not to stop the treatment midway.”
“I understand…”
The Name’s curse was not fair. Having never met the other person, Macy couldn’t be sure what to expect, but it seemed likely she was in the more desperate position.
She was born with the name, and it seemed the other party had manifested it only recently. If the counterpart deemed only hand-holding sufficient, Macy, with her advanced stiffness, might not see any significant therapeutic effect.
In the worst case, they might agree to treat only once a year…
Yannick had said she must somehow win the counterpart’s favor to maintain a continuous relationship. But….
‘The perfume was too strong, and the dress was cut too low…’
The approach felt somewhat vulgar. It was less about gaining favor and more like she was being sold. Moreover, it was the middle of winter, and she shivered with cold. Macy glanced at Yannick and, after boarding the carriage, quickly draped a shawl she had brought with her.
“We’re departing.”
Kronen tapped the coachman’s seat, and the carriage began to move slowly. Although there seemed to be windows from the outside, inside it was pitch black without a single window.
Sounds of people murmuring made her think they were headed towards the city, but the carriage did not stop and continued for a long time.
‘Where is this…’
They arrived in the middle of a forest. An old cabin stood alone there, looking like a place where ghosts might emerge.
“Has Mr. Eren Wood arrived?”
“Not yet, he hasn’t arrived.”
Two security guards stood at the door for safety as they entered the cabin, revealing a long hallway within. Contrary to its dilapidated exterior, the interior appeared periodically maintained and was clean. The walls were adorned with hunting rifles and deer antlers.
As Macy looked around, a middle-aged woman in a maid’s outfit approached silently.
“I am Dia, the exclusive maid from Krygen Brokerage. I will assist you.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Macy Horton. Thank you in advance, Ms. Dia.”
Dia, with her chestnut-colored hair, led the way with a rigid posture.
“I will wait in the adjacent room with the guards. Please call immediately if there’s any problem.”
“Alright.”
Kronen and the guards moved to the next room while Macy followed Dia into a moderately sized bedroom.
‘So, this is where the treatment will take place.’
Ignoring the secretive connotation of the word ‘bedroom,’ it wasn’t a bad space. It was clean and tidy, giving no sense of discomfort. Sitting on the bed, she was enveloped by its softness, likely filled with feathers and cotton wool.
‘But why does it feel so awkward?’
Macy had sensed something out of place during her arrival. Having spent a long time observing details as an artist, she felt something about the environment was off.
It seemed like a hunting lodge or a temporary shelter at a glance, but a closer look revealed a lack of lived-in warmth.
Moreover, while items like the carriage and decorations seemed ordinary, essentials like chairs and the bed were made of luxurious materials like mahogany or walnut.
‘It’s as if everything was freshly prepared for today, made to look as ordinary as possible…’
Now aware of the facts, even the warm light from the fireplace felt precarious. Was she inadvertently stepping into the maw of a venomous snake?
With these suspicions, her tension refused to ease.
“I will assist with the preparations for the name treatment.”
Soon after, Dia brought some refreshments along with a smooth black silk cloth. Although everything seemed dubious, there was no turning back now.
As Macy closed her eyes, a cloth was draped over them, reaching down to the tip of her nose. No matter how much she rolled her eyes, not a sliver of light penetrated the darkness.
The click of the door closing indicated that she was now alone in the unfamiliar space. The interior that had felt warm moments ago now seemed chillingly cold.
After some time, the door opened again. The sound of neat footsteps echoed at regular intervals.
‘It must be him.’
As the footsteps drew nearer, her heart rate quickened.
“……”
But no matter how long she waited, no words came. She thought to speak up herself, but the words were stuck in her throat. A quiet tension made her back stiff. Eventually, the bed slightly tilted to the left, perhaps because he had sat down next to her.
It might have been her imagination, but it felt as though he was looking at her. A piercing gaze seemed to travel from her frozen lips, down her neck, over her voluminous dress.
Her toes curled under the intensity of that sharp gaze, and a tightness gripped her chest with an unknown anxiety. She lightly placed her hand on her chest to calm herself when a stern voice cut through from beyond the cloth.
“Take it off.”
“Excuse me?”
What did she just hear?
“Take it off. Are you deaf too?”
