The Abandoned and Terminally Ill Lady Married a Monster - Chapter 10
Chapter 10
“You have to come back tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Kin stared at her for a moment before disappearing into the hole.
‘You have to come back tomorrow.’
She repeated the words to herself, watching until he was completely out of sight.
***
The Count’s twins hummed, recalling the earlier incident. Their older sister’s white, thread-like hair, soaked through, had looked pathetic. To think she was their elder sister. It was utterly laughable.
Lizzy, replaying the scene in her mind, spoke first.
“She’s so boring these days. No reaction at all, even earlier. She would have cried before.”
“I know, right? No crying. So dull. Like she’s trying to be considerate of us or something.”
“Considerate? Of us? She’s powerless. All she gets from Father is disdain.”
“Father was saying something about sending her away, or abandoning her.”
“Oh, Mother and Father had a huge fight about that. Mother said it would damage the family’s reputation if word got out that they abandoned a child.”
“I want her to stay.”
“Me too. It’s fun. It makes us look even better.”
The twins knew perfectly well that their foolish older sister made them shine even brighter. And her presence, a flaw in their family, meant they didn’t have to compete so fiercely with each other.
If Ailee disappeared, they would be the ones in trouble. Their parents would start comparing them, deciding who was better and who was worse. They wanted no part of that. They knew exactly how the loser of that competition would be treated, thanks to Ailee.
If Ailee were gone, one of them might end up treated just like her. It was an unspoken understanding, the way things worked in their house.
Lane twirled Lizzy’s pendant around his finger. Lizzy told him to stop, that it was distracting. Lane ignored her, lost in thought.
“Stop playing with mine and twirl your own. Give it back!”
“Oh, I don’t have mine.”
“What? You lost it already?”
“No, I left it at Ailee’s. I slipped it into the vase on the table when she was all wet.”
“Why?”
Lizzy frowned, unable to understand. Why would he do that?
Lane grinned at her confusion.
“Sister, want to have some fun? Once we go to the academy, we won’t be home during the day. We need to torment her while we still can.”
Lane held up the pendant and dangled it in front of Lizzy’s eyes. Lizzy blinked, still bewildered.
“See? I don’t have mine anymore.”
“Obviously. It’s with Ailee.”
“Yes, it’s with Ailee.”
With that, Lane returned the pendant to Lizzy. She took it, her expression still blank. Lane decided to explain his plan more clearly.
“Let me put it another way. Ailee stole it.”
“Wow,” Lizzy whistled softly. Understanding dawned on her face, and she clapped twice. “Brilliant. When did you come up with that? If I were Ailee, I’d die of shame.”
“We can’t let that happen. After we’ve had our fun, we’ll give her a little present, and she’ll be happy as a clam.”
Lane opened the door. Lizzy giggled, covering her mouth. They arrived at their mother’s room, Countess Illina’s chambers.
Lane, a truly gifted actor, instantly burst into tears and rushed to his mother. Illina embraced him, asking with concern,
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“No.”
Lane shook his head, his face a picture of dejection.
Seeing her precious son so subdued made her heart ache. What had happened? What could have upset him so?
“Then why are you crying? You’re breaking my heart.”
“Mother…sniff…my pendant…the pendant you gave me…”
Lizzy watched Lane’s performance with inward admiration. He would have made a brilliant stage actor, even if he hadn’t been born a nobleman.
At Lane’s subtle signal, Lizzy chimed in, seamlessly blending truth and lies.
“He had it when we went to Ailee’s room, but it was gone afterward. They were playing nicely before that. I think the last thing I remember was Ailee admiring our gifts and touching Lane’s pendant…”
“That girl is always causing trouble.”
No one had actually said Ailee stole it. But Illina immediately assumed that the penniless, spiteful Ailee was the culprit. It was always those who had nothing who were driven by greed and caused such problems.
“Mother, I think we should ask Ailee about it first.”
Lizzy subtly fanned the flames, pretending to be reasonable. ‘The game will be much more fun if Ailee throws a fit denying everything before we ‘find’ it in her room. It’s no fun if she’s punished right away.’
Illina stroked Lizzy’s hair affectionately.
“My sweet Lizzy. Looking out for your sister, even though she’s like that? We should give her a chance, shouldn’t we?”
‘Not really, but it’s more entertaining to watch her squirm.’
Hiding her true feelings, Lizzy smiled sweetly and nodded.
“I wish she were as kind as you, Lizzy. I invite her to dinner, and she just sits there sullen and gloomy. She’s my daughter, but she truly unnerves me. I sometimes wonder if someone switched her at birth. I’d almost prefer to believe that.”
Illina sighed. Nestled in her arms, Lane smiled meaningfully, unseen by his mother.
Illina patted Lane’s back and called for a maid.
“Bring Ailee to my room. Immediately.”
