The Beast of the Albard Mansion - Chapter 58
Time in the dungeon passed slowly. It was dark everywhere, and with nothing to do, his mind felt like it was going to break. He wandered aimlessly around the dungeon in slow, repetitive steps, going back and forth in the same place. At least he could go outside at night, which helped him stay somewhat sane.
The problem was the long daylight hours. Since he was waiting for Seli, time seemed to pass even more slowly.
‘She’s not coming. She’s not coming to see me anymore. Has she abandoned me? Did I do something wrong? Has she forgotten me? Is she having more fun elsewhere?’
Thinking that Seli might not come anymore made it hard for him to breathe and weighed down his body. It was an unbearable pain, as if there was a bottomless pit of darkness beneath his feet.
He stared endlessly at the stairs. That period of waiting, where nothing was certain, shattered him once again. Seli couldn’t have possibly abandoned him. She couldn’t be so cruel after taming him like this.
His heart was shredded with pain, and he cried every night.
“You crazy beast! You won’t shut up unless you die!”
The Count, who had lost sleep because of Desi’s howling, came down to the dungeon with a leather whip. He was deeply disappointed it wasn’t who he had been waiting for.
His skin tore, and his whole body burned as if it were on fire. The Count swung the whip like a madman. He lay there powerlessly, enduring the Count’s wrath. After being beaten for a long time, a thought crossed his mind.
‘Seli has a kind heart. She won’t let me die. If I cling to her, she’ll accept me.’
Knowing the gentle and good nature of the child, he revealed his cunning side.
And he was right. Seli held him, crying sorrowfully. She looked after him, as if she were in pain herself.
He clung to Seli’s hand, begging desperately. It was the only way he could survive. Holding onto Seli’s hand, he pleaded as if asking her to save his life.
***
The arrival of the hunter was a good opportunity for him. As expected, the hunter immediately recognized who he was. The Count began to tremble with fear, and the mansion’s atmosphere grew darker. He laughed joyfully alone in the dark dungeon, baring his fangs.
‘The Count will try to kill me. When that happens, I’ll make it look like an accident and kill him instead. Then Seli will understand.’
A coincidental accident. A mistake made by someone who’d been cornered to the precipice of death. Others might not understand, but Seli would. She would mourn her father’s death but wouldn’t blame him. It would be seen as an unavoidable accident.
When Seli was in her room, he planned to kill the Count and the hunter and go to her. Then, by making it look like an accident, he intended to once again evoke Seli’s sympathy.
But Seli came down to see him. He thought she’d be too scared to do anything, but she defied his expectations and came to him.
Her actions afterward surprised him even more. She told him to run away, but when he refused, she dragged him to her room. While he obediently followed her, he was bewildered.
‘Did the daughter of a noble family just bring a beast into her room?’
Seli was unpredictable. A timid and quiet child wouldn’t have dared to venture into a dungeon inhabited by a monster.
At this point, he was the one trying to stop Seli as she closed the distance between them. Without any time to adjust, Seli’s sudden approach made his hands tremble.
Sleeping in the same bed? Oh, you’re trying to kill me.
It was always like this. He would devise plans, only to have them fall apart because of Seli’s unexpected actions.
He wanted to hide Seli somewhere only he could see her, but seeing her jump around and cling to him when she came in late made his malicious thoughts dissipate.
Seli couldn’t hide her emotions. Every night, she would sneak peeks at him sleeping and giggle. She would glare with jealousy. On rainy nights, she couldn’t sleep out of concern for him. She would chatter endlessly about her day, cuddle up, cling to him, and look at him with such warmth in her eyes.
There was no room for his twisted feelings to emerge amidst her honest and cheerful demeanor. Those emotions were shadows that couldn’t exert power under the bright sunlight.
It took him a long time to realize how powerless he was before Seli, and he hung his head in resignation.
He became a well-fed beast, nourished by the overflow of emotions that Seli showered upon him. As he grew full, his anger and darkness subsided. He wanted nothing more than to lie down in satisfaction.
Being tamed was so incredibly happy and fulfilling.
