Chapter Thirty-Two and a Half: A Flower Stained with Evil

Why?! Why?! Why?!

Why won’t that girl fall?!

Her waist seemed so thin that it might break, yet she stood tall, bowing her head deeply toward me.

“But I’m truly grateful that you gave birth to Cedric.”

A silvery voice like a chiming bell expressed her heartfelt gratitude toward me.

My former stepdaughter, whom I had attempted to kill, gave a permanent scar, locked up, and whipped for fifteen years, slowly lifted her head and smiled.

“I forgive you for everything. All that remains of you mean nothing to me.”

Her smile was so pure—so beautiful that it was scary, I couldn’t help but be fixated at it.

The words she had spoken upset my heart.

Why, just why doesn’t she burn with hatred like me?! Why doesn’t she become like me?! Harboring resentment, resenting me, and hating me!

That girl was as dignified and pure as the unattainable moon floating in the night sky.

Her appearance was just like that woman.

—Catherine Maria de Everett.

The goddess-like beauty of a woman who had taken everything from me! Who stained me with hatred!

“Unforgivable, unforgivable, unforgivable!”

I lost count of how many times I cried for her to give it back.

“I won’t forgive you for taking my beloved away from me!!”

A deadly poison that burned the skin spurted out of the vial.

The duke shielded that girl and held her close. However, what blocked my view was the body of a strong, well-trained knight. The liquid dripped from the left shoulder of his white cotton shirt onto his chest.

But his vivid blue eyes, reminiscent of the blue sky, pierced me without wavering in the slightest.

“…What the hell… are you going to do to my wife…”

“Lord William!”

I heard my daughter scream.

Why? Why would you protect her?! Women are nothing more than an outlet for a man’s desires! So why would the duke and this man willing to risk their lives to protect her to such an extent?!

There was no such person in my world.

I stumbled down and touched something warm. Then, I felt a sudden coldness on my back. In an instant, a sharp pain pierced my chest.

“See, I told you. You’re better off not laying hands on her. Unlike you, Lady Liliana is loved.”

“What are you doing… Ugh…”

Unable to finish my words, I looked up at the man—Aqrab—in shock, then at the silver tip sticking out from my chest.

With a beautiful smile, he gave me a loving smile and caressed my cheek. He drew me closer and sealed my lips.

“You were certainly gorgeous. You were my favorite. So harsh and cruel, yet beautiful. Still, it’d be inconvenient to keep you alive as I leave this country. Farewell, Sandie.”

Then, he pulled out the knife. The warmth that had been covering my back left me.

My body tumbled to the floor like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

The noisy footsteps and angry shouts were muffled as if my ears were blocked by something. My eyes were fixed on Liliana, who was being shielded by the duke as she reached out for her husband. The maids and butlers who had rushed into the scene were in a panic, their faces pale at the horrific scene their masters faced.

Suddenly, looking over the duke’s shoulder, my eyes met with the star-colored eyes.

***

A world where intrigue, desire, perfume, alcohol, and many other things mixed together was dazzling, ugly, and beautiful.

Colorful dresses—akin to butterfly and flower—blossomed in full bloom in the great hall, accentuated by the dark, deep colors of the gentlemen’s formal attires.

I enjoyed the dance and the conversation, but I was getting a little tired. After dealing with the crowd of men, I went out to the balcony. In the darkness, I found a guest.

A mesmerizing moon hung on the beautiful night sky, and for a moment, I truly thought the moon goddess had descended from the sky.

She wore an ultramarine dress that seemed to blend into the deep, bottomless night. Her lustrous blonde hair was tied up with a pearl hair accessory, while the large opal on her chest gave off a rainbow-like glow.

Her translucent white skin was somewhat red, perhaps due to the heat of the venue. Her moist silver gaze, framed by surprisingly long eyelashes, gave off an impression of fragility. She seemed so ephemeral, even a woman would be out of her wits.

Just in case she was expecting someone, I turned around to move to other balcony. Then, two gentlemen appeared.

“Lady Everett, here you are.”

Upon hearing that, I realized that she was the daughter of Viscount Everett, known as the flower of high society.

I was sure she was the same age as me, but due to her stature, we had no connection.

“You haven’t danced much. Why don’t you dance with me?”

“No, no, I’m better than him. Lady Everett, choose me.”

It seemed that she’d fled from an invitation to dance.

“Uhm, I…”

The young lady was confused by the two hands that were timidly extended to her. She seemed to have no idea how to handle them.

On a whim, I took a step forward and emerged from the darkness. The two gentlemen finally took notice of me.

“I’m sorry, but she doesn’t seem to be feeling well, so my friend is calling for her brother.”

“Oh, I see, I’m sorry about that. I guess I got all worked up seeing you after such a long time.”

“The party might be more crowded than usual, so I’ll go and help you look for Lord Rolf.”

With that, the two gentlemen bowed, said goodbye to the young lady, and left. The young lady looked obviously relieved and let out a sigh.

“Uhm, thank you. I decided to attend after a long time, so it must’ve been such a strange sight. I was surrounded by a lot of people, it made me feel ill…”

It seemed that she was really sick. Come to think of it, I heard that Viscount Everett’s daughter was a frail person. Because of that, she didn’t come to evening parties very often, making her participation anticipated among the gentlemen.

“I see. Please take care of yourself. I’ll be off now.”

“Oh, wait. May I know your name? I want to thank you.”

Unable to stand her purity, I tried to leave, but a delicate hand grabbed mine. A soft, sweet scent of flowers wafted across my nose.

“Someone as lofty as you don’t need to know my name. We’ll never meet again, so just forget about me.”

“But… won’t you be my friend? Due to some circumstances, I haven’t been able to go to school much, and I don’t have anyone I can call my friend. I’d be honored to be friends with a beautiful and amazing person like you.”

A lovely smile, akin to a gently blossoming flower, spread across her face.

A princess-like young lady who was cute, beautiful, fragile, pure, and made you want to protect her.

The polar opposite of me, I thought, sneering.

True to her words, she didn’t have much to do with the high society, so she probably didn’t know. She didn’t know that I was looked down as a whore, or that I was a despicable woman who took advantage of men while never truly loving them. In fact, I hated them.

She truly and genuinely believed that I was a good Samaritan.

She seemed so dazzling, I felt that her purity only emphasized my wretchedness. I gently removed her delicate hand. Right then, a gentleman who resembled her a lot came with the previous gentlemen. It should be okay for me to leave.

“…Choose your friends carefully, or you’ll end up in a terrible situation like me… Good day, take care.”

I gave her a smile and left the balcony.

Her brother must’ve recognized me. I could hear him asking Catherine if I did something to her, and smiled bitterly.

“Sandra.”

Then, a man called me.

When I looked up at him, my usual sweet smile was on my face.

That was the only time I ever spoke to Catherine directly.

***

“…How, dazzling.”

The silver eyes peering into mine were as clear and beautiful as ever.

The blue eyes next to them were just as clear, making me feel bitter and repulsed.

“…Lady Sandra, please don’t worry about Cedric.”

Cedric.

My child, the one I loved and desired with my heart.

But I just couldn’t forgive his betrayal. My resentment crippled my heart more and more each day. In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to love my son, who didn’t resemble him at all.

I loved him. I truly loved Ramos, the only person who had ever loved me with all his heart.

In truth, even now, deep down in my heart, I only loved him.

“…Take care of Cedric.”

My precious child, whom I couldn’t love.

I was sure that he’d grow up healthy under the care of his loving sister and her husband.

Although he didn’t look like Ramos, there was one thing he had in common with him.

“He dislikes green peppers.”

“Yes.”

No one would believe it, but from the time we were in a relationship until his engagement, I never let another man touch me.

And yet, he betrayed me and slept with another woman, Catherine. And the result was right in front of my eyes.

I knew it in my head. Catherine’s husband didn’t love her—he had another woman he loved. I also knew the fear of being embraced by the man you didn’t love far than anyone else.

But if I were to forgive him, wouldn’t the pain in my heart, from being betrayed over and over again, disappear without anyone knowing?

If I had been able to forgive him, would I have been able to love this child?

Would I have been able to love this kind-hearted girl just as I loved Margaret? With that beautiful person, who asked to be friends with a woman who helped her purely on a whim?

“I hate you.”

When I opened my mouth, blood flowed out, so I didn’t know if I managed to convey those words.

With the last ounce of my strength, I reached out and pinched her pale cheek between my fingers.

“I hate you, I hate you.”

If I were a generous person who could forgive everything, I’d have loved this child as much as I loved Margaret, and I’d have cherished Cedric in the same way. I’d have been able to build a happy future for the five of us with my beloved husband.

But I couldn’t.

I’d decided that even if my pain and hatred, my mere jealousy and obsession, were called out as mere resentment—or even if I was ridiculed and told that I brought it upon myself, I wouldn’t regret it.

Make fun of me as much as I want. Laugh at me. Call me a fool.

But no matter who makes fun or laugh at me, I have no regrets.

I’m Lady Sandra.

A noble woman, akin to a beautiful rose that bloomed in evil.

I’d lived my life according to my beliefs.

***

(POV: William)

I reached out toward her eyes. They were wide open, yet unseeing. I gently closed them.

Even in death, she smiled sweetly, as if letting us know that even though she was laughed as a fool, the woman named Sandra lived a proud life.

“Liliana.”

Tears started to trickle down Liliana’s cheeks.

“I don’t know… I don’t know if I’m sad, in pain, or relieved, but the tears just come out.”

I held her slender shoulders close as she trembled and quietly shed tears.

---

***T/N: Dayum, they never even spoke after the marriage happened. I was expecting more tea.

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