Leaving those words to the middle-aged man, I pulled Sarah toward me and left the drawing room. Breathing the same air as that b*stard, who treated his own niece like that, was utterly repulsive.
“…Cain.”
What annoyed me even more was this foolish girl who always acted intelligent in front of me but couldn’t utter a single word before her uncle.
“…I understand.”
And suddenly, I realized—watching the woman I once loved being treated like garbage by someone else was never a pleasant experience.
***
“…Thank you. I will always be indebted to you, Cain.”
After dragging Sarah to the room assigned to her by the Decaraznan, those were the first words she spoke once we were alone. Yet, her expression held no shame. She wasn’t embarrassed by the way she had been treated in front of me.
Instead, all I could sense from her was a dreadful familiarity. As if, after being subjected to this over and over again by that d*mned uncle, her heart had been worn down to nothing, leaving her numb to it all.
And that… that enraged me even more.
I had vaguely anticipated something like this. On the night of the banquet, she had said something along these lines—something about accepting herself. About hoping that Estel’s family and I could become her own resting place.
That was why I had expected it.
The woman named Sarah Cernard was never as bright and beautiful as she appeared on the surface. Behind that elegance, there had to be burdens I couldn’t even begin to fathom.
But this… this was too much.
No, there was a vast difference between imagining something and seeing it firsthand. I never could have guessed Sarah was treated this way by her own family. And if this was how she was treated even in my presence, I didn’t want to imagine what happened when she was out of sight.
“…Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“What?”
At her indifferent response, I grabbed her arm. Even after all this time, angry red bruises still marred her skin.
“Why didn’t you ask for help? Why didn’t you tell me you were being treated like this?!”
Rage surged within me. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like a fool.
Pretending to be sick in the past just to test her feelings. Mocking her on the terrace just to provoke a reaction. Every bit of it felt pathetic now.
I hated myself for being so self-centered, for never realizing what Sarah had been going through.
“…It hurts.”
When Sarah looked up at me and whispered those words, I realized just how riled up I had become. At this rate, I was no different from that wretched uncle who had left those bruises on her.
“…I’m sorry.”
Muttering an apology, I reached into my pocket and pulled out an ointment, carefully applying it to her forearm.
Bianca had made this ointment herself through alchemy, a potent salve that could heal most wounds instantly. She had practically shoved it into my hands, insisting I always carry it to avoid getting hurt.
I never imagined I would be using it like this.
As I gently rubbed the ointment into Sarah’s skin, her expression eased. The pain must have been unbearable, yet she had endured it without a word.
“…I was embarrassed.”
“What?”
“It was humiliating,” she admitted, her voice quiet. “In front of you, I always tried to act like the daughter of a noble family. But in reality, I was nothing more than a disgrace, someone who was treated like trash by my own blood. That’s why I never said anything. No—I couldn’t.
“I’m a woman too, Cain. I never wanted to be looked at with pity by another man.”
With that, Sarah closed her eyes.
It was a clear sign—she didn’t want to talk about it any further. And because I had known her for a long time, I understood. Pushing her now would be pointless.
So instead, I asked a different question.
“…Then why are you staying with the Decaraznan? No matter how I look at it, I can’t see any connection between Count Cernard and him.”
At my words, Sarah simply nodded, as if confirming I had reached the right conclusion.
“That’s exactly why, Cain.”
“…What do you mean?”
“There is no connection between the Cernard and the Decaraznan,” she explained. “That’s why I was sent here—to establish one.
“At least, that’s the official story.”
“…Officially?”
“Yes,” she said, a bitter smile curving her lips. “In reality, my family ordered me to use my body as bait—to seduce the Decaraznan.
“Like some cheap pr0stitute luring men on the streets for a handful of coins.”
Her words were laced with self-deprecation.
“Do you understand now, Cain?” she whispered. “Do you see what kind of situation I was in under Count Cernard’s household?”
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