Chapter 9

I have visited the Trales family many times, but this is the first time I am staying overnight.

Sadias nodded without a single frown, even in response to my abrupt and unreasonable request.

He had the carriage moved to a less conspicuous place to avoid drawing attention and even went as far as to inform my father and, surprisingly, the king that we would be staying here.

Since the royal family is involved, he must have considered many things for us.

Olvia, exhausted from crying, is sleeping on the bed.

Even though she is now in good health, I am still worried and plan to sleep in the same room with her.

This bedroom and the nightgown I am wearing seem to have belonged to the late duchess. Since there were no women's items available, I had to borrow the late duchess's nightgown, which makes me feel very apologetic.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I was smoothing out Olvia's disheveled bangs when I heard a gentle knock.

As I reached for the doorknob to open the door, Sadias's panicked voice stopped me.

"Stay as you are."

He must be pressing his hand against the door to keep it from opening, as it doesn't budge at all.

"But..."

"You shouldn't let a man see you in your nightgown so easily."

Indeed, I might have shown something unseemly.

I am not wearing any makeup, and the duchess's nightgown doesn't fit me well. The fabric around the chest is loose, while the waist doesn't change much, suggesting that the late duchess must have had an incredible figure.

"The earl sent a message saying he will come to pick you up tomorrow."

"Understood."

His voice through the door is muffled and hard to hear, so I naturally lean my forehead against it.

"Thank you."

I am grateful for everything: for hiding us without a word, for getting angry on my behalf, and for calling me special. I can only feel grateful for everything.

After a while, when I thought he might have left, his voice came again.

"Do you want to go back to that house?"

Home is always the place I should return to, the place I belong.

I have never thought of not wanting to go back.

No, that's not right.

I have been avoiding thinking about it.

As I grow, I have started to feel uncomfortable and suffocated, but I have been turning a blind eye to it.

I, in truth...

"I don't want to go back."

The moment I said those words, tears started to fall uncontrollably.

I clench my teeth and hold my breath to stop the tears.

But no matter how long I hold my breath, the tears keep flowing, and when I finally take a breath, a terrible moan escapes.

Embarrassed by the thought of being caught crying, I roughly wipe away the tears.

The more I try to stop, the more sobs escape through my clenched teeth.

"...Amarie. Can I come in?"

"No."

I answered immediately, and I could sense a bitter smile.

"I know it's selfish to ask you not to open the door, but I want to hold you."

His voice was gentle, like he was comforting a small child.

It felt as if I were an eight-year-old girl and Sadias were a kind older brother.

Instead of answering, I slightly opened the door.

From the other side, the door was pushed open with a gentle but firm strength, and the light from the corridor chased away the darkness in the room.

He must have been about to go to bed.

Sadias, dressed only in a shirt, opened his arms and embraced me.

Despite his slender build, I fit perfectly in his embrace.

"Thank you for telling me your true feelings."

When I shook my head, our foreheads touched.

Sadias bent his tall frame and held me tightly.

Then, in a hoarse voice, he whispered,

"Even if I become a true gluttonous duke for you, will you forgive me?"

---

When we finally met my parents face-to-face, their faces were completely drained.

They looked as if they had aged overnight.

Olvia and I cried a lot last night, and our eyes were swollen, even with makeup.

Olvia, in particular, looked like a different person, with a dark expression and her head bowed.

My face was pale, and I looked terrible.

Everyone looked awful.

Sadias sat next to me, like a protective brother.

"Our daughters have caused you much trouble, and I apologize."

Father bowed, but his expression was stiff and tense.

"I will come to apologize again later, but for now, I would like to take my daughters home."

"There's no need for an apology. Would you like some tea? I've recently become quite fond of mint tea."

"I'll pass."

Father's irritation was evident as he firmly declined and started to stand.

Sadias, however, stood up even faster and reached out to press Father's shoulder back down.

Father, who was forced back into his seat, looked even more stern.

"What are you doing?"

"I am known as the gluttonous duke who feeds on human emotions. Many people have come here, wishing for me to consume their various emotions."

"That's irrelevant now."

"It is not. Many of them suffered from relationships they couldn't fix. Unrequited love, unbreakable obsession, and self-destructive hatred and jealousy. They came here, wishing to be freed from these emotions."

I tried to stop him, thinking he was going too far.

But he clearly said to my parents,

"I met Amarie because she came here on her own."

"What?"

Mother, who had been wringing her handkerchief, spoke for the first time.

"Amarie asked me to consume all her emotions. She wanted to feel nothing so she could remain a good daughter."

"But... why, Amarie? What upset you so much?"

"I'm sorry, Mother... It's not that I was upset."

"Then why? ...Because we always favored Olvia. Isn't that it?"

"No."

"Don't lie. If that's the case, why didn't you tell us? Oh, it's my fault... I prioritized Olvia because you were a good girl..."

"Father, calm down."

"But, you!"

"Be quiet!"

Mother, scolded, shrank back, her fists trembling.

"Amarie, please forgive your mother. She doesn't mean to say you're not loved."

"I know."

"But you are also at fault. You were so self-centered, even when Olvia was going through a tough time, you kept visiting the duke's house, and the reason was to have your emotions consumed? How selfish. Do you think only you suffer?"

"No, I don't!"

"Don't make excuses. That's why you weren't chosen by the prince like Olvia."

"Father, I never wanted to be chosen by the prince!"

"Enough, you always argue. That's why you're not cute! I only say these things because I love you and care about you!"

Pointing at me, Father's intense criticism shattered the last of my hope that he might understand one day.

Father continued to glare at me, who was silent as if my soul had left my body.

At that moment, I felt a warm touch on my cold fingers.

Sadias was holding my hand, his amber eyes glaring at Father with a fierce intensity.

At least here, I have one person who is on my side.

Suddenly, everything seemed absurd.

What am I trying to protect?

These people, who came to take us back, didn't even say a word of concern for Olvia.

What is important?

What is love?

To hell with it all.

"Father always thinks that because he loves us, he can do and say anything he wants."

"What?"

"You're the one making excuses. You're not really angry at me."

"Calling me 'you'? What kind of way to speak to your father..."

Interrupting Father, I stood up.

Looking down at him, I realized he was smaller than I had imagined, and it made me feel incredibly sad.

"You're just upset that the recovered Olvia isn't behaving as you want. You were just pretending to be a kind father to a sick daughter. Now that you can't do that, and Olvia rejected the prince's proposal on her own, your ego is hurt, and you're taking it out on me."

Father was speechless, looking at me as if I were a stranger.

"I never thought you were such a terrible daughter."

"Terrible? Me? I always believed that no matter how much you scolded, hit, or belittled me in front of others, you would eventually hug me and say you were sorry. I tried to understand why you prioritized Olvia. But you never listened to me, or even to Olvia. Why couldn't you understand why Olvia rejected the proposal? How could you decide her happiness without even asking her?"

"That's because you are children and don't understand anything!"

Father's angry voice made my lungs vibrate, but I wasn't afraid.

"Yes, we are your children. But before that, we are individuals. I, Olvia, Mother, and even Father are not possessions. My heart and my life are mine alone! I hate you! I hate you so much!"

I realized I was crying.

For the first time, I was able to speak back to Father.

For the first time, I was able to say I hated him.

It took a very long time to get to this point.

But for me, it was a big step forward.

"Amarie!"

Father's face turned red, and he stood up.

He reached out to me, as if to knock over the table in front of him.

His other hand was raised, open and high.

He's going to hit me!

"You! Stop it!"

Mother's anguished voice.

I closed my eyes tightly and cowered.

Olvia jumped from behind, trying to shield me with her small body.

Smack!

A loud, dry sound.

But it didn't hurt.

Why?

I opened my eyes cautiously and saw Sadias standing in front of me.

"Du... Duke..."

He straightened his head and brushed his hair back.

His cheek was red.

He had shielded me and taken the hit instead.

Father's face turned pale.

He had just slapped the gluttonous duke, despite being a mere earl.

"I don't think your love for your daughter is a lie, but it has become a twisted obsession. A twisted obsession forces a distorted ideal on the other person and hurts them."

"I... I..."

"And you have just harmed your daughter and me. As the gluttonous duke, I will consume your obsession."

His pale, tense hands grabbed Father's head.

His amber eyes glowed with a terrifying light.

"A... Ah...!"

A black mist began to emerge from Father's trembling body, forming a thin, wispy smoke that was sucked into Sadias's mouth.

As the mist's color began to fade, Sadias closed his mouth.

Father's body suddenly lost its strength, and he collapsed on the spot.

"Father!"

Mother clung to him, her tear-stained face checking if he was still alive.

Father was alive.

But he looked as if he had lost something significant, staring at us with a vacant expression.