The Beast of the Albard Mansion - Chapter 25
I always put my desires last. Just as others sidelined me, I sidelined myself. That’s why I wanted Desi to leave this mansion. Because thinking of Desi before myself was the right thing to do.
But for the first time, I prioritized my own thoughts. I decided to put my feelings first and keep Desi by my side. So, I gave up on persuading Desi. I ignored the fear gripping the people in the mansion.
Even if Desi became unhappy by staying with me, I decided to cling to him. After making up my mind, I felt an unexpected calmness. Suddenly, the world seemed brighter, and my heart felt at peace. It was like being a leaf gently floating on a tranquil lake.
If I had known that living selfishly could be this comfortable, I would have changed my mindset long ago. I freed myself from the chains of being the ‘good child’. I couldn’t contain my excitement. Just thinking about keeping Desi by my side forever made me happy. Normally, a child who does something wrong should be anxious about getting caught and punished. But I was different.
“Desi, you’ll live in my room from now on.”
“Is this really okay?”
“Why not? No one will know. When the maids come to clean, hide in that wardrobe. At night, sleep under the bed. There’s a space here.”
I brought Desi from the dungeon to my room. Around that time, Father was leaving the drawing room to gather all the mansion staff.
The hunter stood next to Father. The servants looked up at Father on the platform. When Father was explaining to the servants how he was going to kill Desi, that was my chance. Everyone’s attention was on Father.
While everyone was eagerly listening to Father and the hunter, I slipped out of the dungeon. As soon as I did, Desi stepped out of the dungeon as well, climbing out the nearby window.
I went up the stairs to my room, and Desi scaled the wall to the third floor. I opened the locked window, and Desi, hanging on the wall, jumped into my room.
Desi looked out of place sitting among the white lace and pink decorations. He seemed awkward and kept looking around.
“If the floor is uncomfortable, you can sleep next to me. Sleep in my bed, and if a maid comes, quickly hide under the bed. You can do that, right?”
“……”
Desi stared blankly at me, unable to adapt to my sudden change in attitude.
“What are you doing there? Lie down over there.”
I pointed to my bed. Desi hesitated for a while and then lay down on my bed.
Even though my bed was wide enough for me to roll around without falling, it looked small with Desi lying on it. Plus, seeing Desi neatly lying on the white bed was amusing. His black hair and tanned skin, marked with scars, made his sharp yellow eyes look even fiercer. He didn’t fit at all in the cute bed.
I covered my mouth, trying to suppress my laughter. I wondered why I hadn’t realized how funny this was before. I felt foolish for being so timid. The time I had kept Desi in the boring dungeon seemed like a waste because his current appearance was so amusing and pleasing.
“Desi, how is it? Comfortable?”
“It’s a bit strange.”
“Why?”
“It’s too soft, like you.”
I sat down next to the lying Desi. He seemed unfamiliar with the soft bed, accustomed to the hard stone floor of the dungeon. I felt sorry for Desi, who found the soft bed unfamiliar.
“From now on, you’ll sleep in my room every day. With me. I’ve decided to stay with you forever, so you can’t change your mind.”
“That won’t ever happen.”
I leaned over and placed my ear on Desi’s chest. I heard his rough, fast heartbeat. Desi seemed very tense, and I assumed it was because he was in an unfamiliar place. I decided to give him some sweet cookies to calm him down.
“Stay still.”
I walked over to the table with the leftover cookies.
“Where are you going?”
“To get you some cookies.”
“Can’t I get up?”
“No. If you move around, my room will be a mess. Stay still.”
Desi seemed to agree with my words and remained quiet. My room had many decorations compared to the empty dungeon. If Desi moved around roughly, everything would probably break.
