You Think I Won't Talk?-Chapter 695

"... Fine... as long as you smile, my love." — Coming closer, Paul kissed her cheek. Indifferent to the disgusted chill he provoked in the child and those watching.

"GET AWAY FROM HER—!"

"I will meet you later Dad." — Marianne prevented her father from making any rushed decision. Peeking at the mother who from below also grabbed onto a bit of her skirt, letting her golden eyes look the most soft as they had looked while meeting her gaze between tears.

’Don’t... rescuing me when I do not deserve it... Marianne... do not leave... my child...’

"... take care of mom." — Marianne, conflicted by what must have happened for the duchess to see her as her own lifted her head to see the shock in her father’s, Thomas’s and Clemente’s hues. Nodding at the last one as the artefact Paul possessed wrapped them up to take them to the witch’s presence. Yet in the confusion Marianne also dropped something of hers, hoping that it would help those she left. — ’I trust them to you Clemente.’

... in a blink, the sight of the siblings disappeared before their eyes.

In Elenaide’s fingertips, a piece of Marianne’s gown stayed as she refused to let go and as the daughter had requested...

"... let us leave this place first... We will treat your wounds, dear." — Orland, lucid about what was best to do, said while he took his wife in his arms acting unfazed when fully disheartened. — "Thomas, since Paul is gone I will use a blast of aura, find within it the servants with Clemente’s aid."

"Huh?... y-Yes, my lord."

"Once you gather them tell them to go to the library and to leave through the hidden door. I will go ahead to tend to Elenaide."

As told a blast was provoked with his aura, slowing down the fire and leaving useless the remaining enemies that Marianne’s powers had unintentionally left out of combat.

Clemente and Thomas forced themselves to overcome the shock of losing sight of the young lady to fulfil Orland’s instructions and swiftly started to find the people of the household who had survived until that moment.

’She signalled something... what did she mean by it...’ — Clemente thought while discreetly looking through the place she stood. Understanding that it was a secret... but unable to find what the woman had dropped.

"... s...band..." — Short of air, Elenaide called for the man who was her husband as he lay her in an empty library.

"... don’t force yourself. It will only worsen the pain." — Orland said, gently unlike the tone used when leaving their chambers.

"... m... sorry..."

"..." — Ignorant of what it was that the wife said sorry for, he remained silent. However... her hand clasped tightly to herself the piece of cloth from their daughter’s dress, bruised, injured, crying to the coldness of it. — "... I am also sorry..."

"...h... m... anne... gh..."

"... fuhh... yes. I am sorry, my love." — Orland cried along with his wife grieving the fact that it was under these circumstances that they finally could see eye to eye and agree on what was to be done. — "Thomas will treat your wounds once he’s back... I will be going now..."

"... prom... se..... ove..."

"Yes..... I promise you..."

Elenaide smiled at the kiss her husband laid on her forehead before leaving her side. She waited there until the butler arrived, confident that her kind and powerful man would succeed in his promise.

’Make sure our daughter survives... I cannot allow for the true demon to kill the innocent it used me to torment.’

— You always thought Marianne was at fault and I do not blame you for dumb you are. Had you been sharper you would have noticed how the evil’s source was not in her. —

— Lies. It always came from her, this nauseating feeling... i-it’s source is her! It all began once I conceived her in my belly! — 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

— Hah... The witch was right, you truly were an easy target but also the most useless. Let me show you. —

The hand of the son possessed a piece of bone cursed by the witch. The recall of the scene sent Elenaide to the bottom of despair and guilt... yet even so happy she was to know the truth after that.

Once the hand took hold of her neck, strangling her as he tried to prove his own, Elenaide felt a whirlpool open in her heart. The immense pain broke her apart as something tried to be pulled from the deepest of her insides. As she lost breath... finally, something came out from her throat along the bone. Freeing her not only from his clutch but also from the nauseating fright she has experienced for Marianne’s whole life.

— This tiny piece of bone was inserted within you and sufficed to turn you against your child... Elenaide, you will find death while knowing that Marianne was actually the daughter you expected most. The sweet daughter you weren’t allowed to love since it would not please a witch’s hatred. —

’I am glad to know this Paul..... it is actually a blessing to know I can find love in myself for my child even for a moment.’

*******

He had approached me so quietly that nothing I was able to do as he was already standing next to me when I noticed him.

"How irresponsible to leave you here alone, Marianne." — Paul leisurely said, dropping the duchess next to us as if she were a useless bag. — "However, it serves us perfectly."

"... Paul... what have you done?" — I asked trying to keep as calm as possible while seeing how little sound the duchess was able to make after being dragged by him.

The wounds and blood were apparent. She must have been suffering even while still on the ground... and yet, the way he released her made me recall the days he would torture me and for a moment... I thought that how he released her was much nicer than he usually was with me.

"Don’t pay her any mind. She will die soon enough. I thought you would like to see it the moment I sensed you around. Have you come to meet me? After this, we will be able to finally be together... although that witch did tell me she wants to see you before we leave."