The Abandoned and Terminally Ill Lady Married a Monster - Chapter 6
Chapter 6
“Why are you standing there like an idiot?”
“Yeah, you look even more stupid than usual.” Lizzy giggled, her blue hair, which reached her collarbone, swaying slightly with each laugh. But her mockery didn’t register. My attention was entirely focused on the boy.
“What’s that? I thought I heard someone talking just now. Was I imagining things?”
‘Did… did they hear him?’
My new friend had asked me to keep his presence a secret. It was a strange request, but I genuinely wanted to honor it.
‘He seemed nice.’
He hadn’t looked at me with the usual disdain; his gaze had been clear and open. I took a shallow breath, gauging the twins’ expressions.
“…Who would I be talking to here?”
“Exactly, there’s no one here.” They chuckled, talking amongst themselves.
‘No one here?’
I gasped and glanced down at the spot where the boy had been standing. He was gone.
‘Where did he go? The wardrobe? Under the bed? Or… is he a teleporter?’
I let out a shaky breath and turned back to the twins.
“Why are you here?” I asked. They exchanged glances, mischief dancing in their eyes. Their matching violet eyes sparkled, and their blue hair swayed dramatically. Then, with a flourish, they presented what they were holding.
“Look what we got. Aren’t you jealous?”
“Mother gave them to us. We got other amazing presents too, ones you’ve never even seen, but we couldn’t carry them all, so we just brought these.”
I’d been wondering why they’d come here while the birthday party was in full swing. Now, looking at their hands, I understood.
‘They came to show off their presents.’
I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again, trying not to look at what they’d received. But they kept thrusting their gifts forward, making it impossible to ignore them.
“They’re pretty…” I said, the words escaping before I could stop them. My pride stung, but the pendants truly were beautiful. Each one featured a prominent sapphire, glittering brilliantly.
“These are artifacts imbued with powers. You can use three different powers about three times each.”
“Mine has water, electricity, and wind, and hers has water, ice, and teleportation.”
“…Lucky you.”
“Lucky? Of course, we’re lucky.”
I stared blankly at the shimmering blue pendants. They were beautiful, and I envied them. More than anything, I envied the ability to use powers, even with a limited number of uses. For someone like me, with no powers at all, they were an impossible dream.
“What did you get, Sister?”
“Don’t be stupid. She got kicked out.”
“But maybe they secretly gave her something.”
“She’s been banished here for almost a year. Do you think she’d get a present? And who besides our parents would even bother giving her a birthday present?”
The twins’ words were undeniably true, leaving me speechless. I knew it was better to stay silent than to lie and say I’d received something. That way, the ordeal would end faster. But right now, something else was bothering me more.
‘If that boy was hiding here, he must have heard all of that.’
‘I hope he’s a teleporter and went far, far away.’
Even though I was used to this treatment, I didn’t want anyone else to witness it.
Seeing my silence, the twins seemed to grow bored and pouted. Then, Lane’s eyes lit up, and he nudged Lizzy.
“Hey, Sister, aren’t you curious if these actually work?”
“What? Of course, they work. Mother gave them to us.”
“But aren’t you curious? If they really activate?”
At Lane’s words, Lizzy’s smile turned sly.
‘What are they planning?’
“Hmm, I am curious. If they really work.” A bad feeling crept over me, and I took a step back.
“Sister, do you feel hot?”
* * *
Daykin stifled a groan from beneath the bed. While a boy of fifteen of average size wouldn’t have fit, his small, thin frame allowed him to squeeze in with relative ease.
The hasty maneuver, however, had resulted in a bruised knee. Ignoring the throbbing pain, he held his breath. He narrowed his eyes, watching the feet of the visitors. Unlike the worn shoes of the homeowner, theirs were pristine and expensive.
‘At least they haven’t found me.’
Discovery would not only be embarrassing but also disastrous. If they knew he was Daykin Blusher, the news of Duke Blusher’s illness and convalescence would surely spread.
“Look at this. Aren’t you jealous?”
“Mother gave it to me. She gave me other gifts too, things you couldn’t even dream of.”
“What did you get, Sister?”
Sister? He’d assumed, given she lived alone, that she was a gardener’s daughter, or perhaps a maid.
Fragments of memory surfaced—he recalled climbing over a high, ornate wall. He knew he was near the estate of the Count of Lizziana.
‘A servant wouldn’t have the means to buy artifacts. Could it be…?’
He’d learned about the noble families during his history lessons. At only fifteen, his memory was sharp, and someone of his standing, heir to the Duchy, was expected to know the prominent houses.
The Count of Lizziana, in particular, was surrounded by such unusual rumors that it was impossible not to know of them.
