When That Door Opens - Chapter 45
“One of his eyes might be saved if you act quickly, don’t you think?”
Hearing those words, I had no choice but to succumb to Roman’s threat.
“…His Grace is right.”
My eyes burned with tears. Beautiful memories were being trampled. Our first night together, the times we held hands and walked, the soft kisses and sweet whispers. His tender touch and warm gaze.
“He… forced himself on me…”
A fierce regret clawed at my heart. I shouldn’t have approached you. I shouldn’t have coveted you or cared about your life.
“… against my will…”
“Speak properly! Loud enough for everyone beyond the door to hear you!”
When I couldn’t continue, Roman grabbed my collar in frustration. Listening to his curses, I thought, ‘I need to survive. Even a ruined life is better than nothing.’
But is that what he would want?
I didn’t know.
I had already decided his fate once before.
And what was the outcome? Instead of giving him freedom, I ruined everything.
But what else could I do?
I still wanted him to survive.
“Your Excellency.”
I gripped Roman’s arm tightly, with more strength than I thought I had.
“Please help me up properly. Treating me like this will only bring trouble to you.”
“You b*tch. Who do you think you are, threatening me?”
“Isn’t it in your interest for me to cooperate fully? What if I decide to give up everything and choose to die with him?”
“..…!”
“If he dies, I have nothing left to lose. I could expose everything you’ve done. I could reveal to everyone that I’ve been pretending to be Astel. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”
“Crazy b*tch! Do you want to die? Do you think your life will be spared if you do something like that?”
Roman, enraged, raised his hand. I stared back at him without flinching.
“Do I look like someone who’s afraid of death to you?”
There was a time when I feared that hand, when I feared death. But now, what difference did it make?
I had desperately wanted to survive, but this was the result of that survival.
I wasn’t sure what was right anymore.
“I have to save him.”
Even so, I remained selfish to the end. Unlike me, I wanted him to survive, no matter what.
Even if he had to crawl through the muck like a worm, I wanted him to survive and someday have happiness in his grasp.
“Damn it!”
Roman, who had been glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me, finally lowered his hand. He seemed to decide that he didn’t know what I might do if he hit me.
“Stand up!”
He dragged me up and stood me by the door. With his hand on the doorknob, he warned me.
“If you pull any tricks, I’ll kill all of you. All three of you. No, I’ll make you live a fate worse than death. I’ll lock you in a windowless house, make you eat bugs for the rest of your life. I’ll engrave into your soul how horrifying life can be.”
“Ha ha. Do as you please.”
A bitter laugh escaped me at Roman’s threats. At this moment, the things I had feared all my life seemed meaningless.
A windowless house? Eating bugs for survival? What was there to be afraid of?
I had faced worse despair.
The place I was heading to was already a hell worse than that.
“Greetings, Lady Astel.”
As I entered the room, Roman’s knights bowed their heads. My eyes were fixed on Lakian, who was tied to a chair and covered in blood.
He was a mess from head to toe, but the injury to one eye was particularly severe. It was bruised and swollen, with blood flowing from beneath the closed eyelid. I felt like I was going mad. Could that eye be healed? Shouldn’t he see a doctor right away? Would he lose the eye forever?
“Lady Astel has something to say in front of everyone.”
Roman arrogantly declared. Lakian looked at me with his one good eye. He seemed to struggle with even the smallest movement, likely due to the pain. Roman was saying something beside me, but his words seemed to dissipate into nothingness. I was terrified to death.
Afraid that you would get hurt. Afraid that you would die.
Afraid that you would hate me.
At that moment, the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. I doubted my eyes, but it wasn’t a mistake.
Despite his swollen face, he was smiling at me. His sincerity was clear even without words.
Don’t worry.
As long as you’re okay, I’m okay too.
I realized at that moment what I had to do right then and there.
