Chapter 4
“From what I hear, that purification ritual involves learning all sorts of bizarre bedchamber arts to please the queen.”
“…What?”
“Vampires live an immortal life, so what would a married couple have to do? What would one do with an innocent maiden who knows nothing?”
Rose used both hands to illustrate the size of the vampire queen’s cock. Instinctively, Gyeongju’s face flushed red. At that, Rose kicked her feet wildly and let out a merry laugh.
“If something that large were inserted, it would rip everything apart between one’s legs.”
“Please stop, Young Lady.”
“Do you not wish to confirm if it is true? How beautiful that queen is, and how large the dreadful demon attached to that beautiful being might be!”
When Gyeongju turned her head away to avoid listening, Rose’s relentless explanations continued. She seemed utterly thrilled at teasing Gyeongju, who remained stoic as a stone, offering no reaction.
“They say when the demon attached to the crotch becomes excited, it grows immensely hard. Just like a rye baguette neglected for a month. Is it not terrifying to think of something so large, hard, and rough mercilessly shoved inside?”
Gyeongju gritted her teeth, and her face turned pale with disgust. Being whipped or beaten with a club seemed preferable.
“There would be blood. And the vampire queen would bury her face between the bride’s legs and drink that blood…”
It was just as the pale-faced Gyeongju parted her lips to shout for her to stop that someone knocked on the door. Sensing her chance, Gyeongju gently pushed out of Rose’s desperate clinging embrace and hurriedly stepped out of the bathtub. Wrapping a large cloth around her body, she walked toward the door.
“Who is it?”
“Sister, it is me,” Inju’s small voice echoed softly from beyond the door. Startled, Gyeongju gripped the cloth wrapped around her body even tighter.
“Uh, wait a moment. Inju, wait right there for a moment.”
Her face turned white as ash, Gyeongju looked around in panic before sprinting toward the spot where her discarded clothes lay. The cloth did not conceal the marks left by Rose, and she could not let Inju discover them. Rose silently watched Gyeongju scrambling to put on her clothes, then rose from the bathtub and walked across the room stark naked, wearing nothing at all.
“Ah, Young Lady!”
Ignoring Gyeongju’s cry of despair, she threw the door wide open.
“Lady Rose, greetings—oh!”
Catching sight of Rose’s naked body, chaotic with red marks, Inju stumbled backward and collapsed onto the floor. The two hands Inju used to cover her own eyes were pitifully small.
“What is the meaning of this? How dare you come up here and knock on the door?”
“Yo-Young Lady… Th-That is.”
“I told you never to disturb us when I call your sister to my room! Are you a fool?”
Unable to contain her rage, Rose reached toward Inju, who was cowering on the floor, and snatched her hair.
“Young Lady!” Gyeongju screamed, rushing forward to embrace Rose’s body from behind. Inju gasped in terror, unable even to cry, letting out suffocating wheezes.
“What is the meaning of this commotion?”
At the stern voice, the uproar ceased. Rose released Inju’s hair and stepped back to hide in Gyeongju’s embrace.
“My lady.”
Gyeongju bowed low to pay her respects. Still sprawled on the floor, Inju likewise bowed her head. Saxon, the head of House Clovis, slowly revealed herself at the end of the attic corridor.
Saxon Clovis walked slowly toward Gyeongju. Though she was walking toward Rose rather than Gyeongju, Rose was stuck to Gyeongju’s back as if they were a single body, so the destination was the same regardless.
Gyeongju did not fear Saxon. Yet having never once encountered her in the attic for over three years since having brought them into this manor herself, a pressing question arose.
Why now? Surely something must have transpired.
Gyeongju felt shaken in the face of a situation she could not comprehend. Something was slipping through her fingers, yet she could not tell what it was at all. And she feared that once she found out, everything would come to an end.
If not here, where else would we go? What will become of Inju? Gyeongju’s mind felt as though it would explode at any moment as it raced through the possibilities.
“D-Duchess Clovis…”
Suddenly appearing right before Gyeongju’s eyes, Saxon roughly grabbed Rose, who was still hiding behind her. Rose staggered as she pleaded with Saxon, the Duchess, the mistress of her house, and her owner.
“I instructed you to conduct yourself properly as a Lady.”
“I was, I was taking a bath.”
“A bath, you say?”
Saxon swept her stern eyes over Rose’s naked form. As those eyes settled upon her chest, which was covered in improper marks, Rose concealed her body with both hands. Her face flushed bright red with embarrassment.
Saxon clicked her tongue. Gyeongju caught the faint scent of alcohol lingering on her breath.
“What were you doing to allow your mistress’s naked body to be exposed in front of another?”
Saxon harshly berated Gyeongju, forcing her bowed head upward. Gyeongju raised her head, as if following a predetermined sequence, and clamped her back teeth together. Simultaneously, Saxon struck Gyeongju across the cheek.
As her head spun to the side, Inju entered Gyeongju’s view. Anger flared in her younger sister’s eyes, and she trembled as if she might faint at any moment. Subtly, so that only Inju could tell, Gyeongju blinked her eyes and shook her head.
Do nothing. Stay still. Do not interfere. Keep quiet.
No matter how helpless it made Inju feel, Gyeongju had no choice but to force her to stay low and survive for the moment.
“I am sorry, Duchess. I was careless.”
Gyeongju begged for forgiveness with all her heart, yet her sincerity was not recognized. Saxon struck her cheek twice more in succession. It was a merciless beating. The tight, short vest Saxon wore pulled up nearly to her chest from the recoil of the force.
“As punishment for today’s fault, you shall forfeit lunch.”
“…I understand.”
When Inju attempted to protest Saxon’s words, Gyeongju stomped firmly on her hand. The girl’s slender fingers crushed beneath her sole clawed at Gyeongju’s heart.
“Come to my study in ten minutes.”
“Yes, Duchess.”
Saxon straightened her body and adjusted her ruffled clothing until the crimson vest returned to its place. Only nobles were permitted to wear garments of that color. Staring at the gold tassels decorating the vest collar, Gyeongju fell into a deep sadness.
Damn it. I did not cater to Rose’s every whim since dawn just for this. Gyeongju’s eyes burned at the regret of losing the beef pie. None of those bearing the Clovis name could ever comprehend how happy that single meal could have made Gyeongju and Inju.
Saxon did not enter Rose’s room, but simply turned and departed. Only then did Rose extend her hand toward Gyeongju’s heavily swollen cheek. Though she knew defying the mistress of the house was difficult, Gyeongju could not welcome Rose’s touch.
“I must go to the Duchess’ study.”
“Ah? Ah… right.”
Rose could not snap in annoyance at Gyeongju, who brushed off her hand. She observed in silence as Gyeongju gathered her younger sister from the floor into her arms. Rose’s eyes darted around pathetically, burdened with embarrassment. Soothing Inju’s cries, Gyeongju left the corridor without sparing Rose a single glance.
As they descended from the attic, Inju could no longer suppress her loud sobs.
“It was Lady Rose who did wrong, so why must you be beaten, Sister?”
“Because I am a maid. Enduring the mistress’s beatings is what a maid must do.”
“Getting beaten, missing meals… Why on earth must we live like this?”
“Why did you come up to the attic, hmm? I told you not to go up there.”
“Duchess Clovis instructed me to go and call you. I was merely obeying her word…”
Inju could not continue and succumbed to her weeping. Gyeongju could not bring herself to chastise her crying. Once they reached their tiny room, she held her sister in a tight embrace and patted her back. I am sorry, I am so sorry. I am always sorry to you. Being sorry to you is part of my job, too. Her expression twisted wearily as she soothed Inju.
“Let us stop this. Let us leave this place. I would rather go back to Kintol,” Inju pleaded, clinging to her sister’s waist.
Gyeongju firmly shook her head. She led Inju to the bed and sat her down there. She had to go to the study without delay. Saxon was not like Rose. She could not just physically endure her anger and be done with it.
“There is no time for this. Do you wish for me to be beaten by Lady Clovis again?”
“Gyeongju!”
“We shall talk later.”
Gyeongju turned away. From the bed, Inju grabbed her sister’s skirt.
“When is later? You always say later. Three years have passed like that.”
“During those three years, you have stayed alive and unharmed. That is enough.”
Gyeongju shook her dress harshly with her hand, as if flicking something off, and the force of it knocked Inju back onto the bed with a thud.
“Before, you were young enough to receive food at orphanages or poorhouses. Not anymore. Here, if you are obedient, you can at least secure one meal a day, but outside is different!”
“Is food everything? Are we pigs? At least in Kintol, we would not be beaten for no reason!”
“Then leave!” Inju’s shoulders drooped under her sister’s cold glare. “Leave. I shall ask the mistress, so leave now.”
“…Seo Gyeongju.”
“I shall stay here like a pig, clinging relentlessly. If you dislike it so much, then leave. I shall not stop you.”
Gyeongju’s fists trembled violently. Her dark blue eyes glared furiously down at the sister she cherished more than herself. Then, she spun and strode out.
With every step down the corridor, tears spilled in rivers from Gyeongju’s eyes. Thinking of Inju, who would be grieving alone over words that could not be taken back, the tears would not cease. She should never have spoken so harshly.
Gyeongju, who rarely spoke out of turn, did not know how to fix her outburst. She wiped her eyes roughly with her clenched fists, wanting only to collapse and cry. Yet she lacked even the luxury to weep.
“Haa…”
Gyeongju caught her breath before Saxon’s study. Her cheeks, cradled in both hands, felt terribly hot. Gyeongju gave her swollen face a few slaps with her palms to compose herself.
She knocked gently on the study door. There was no answer. Gyeongju carefully turned the doorknob. As the door opened halfway, the cozy warmth of the room slowly spread from within. Saxon, dining alone at a table, glanced at Gyeongju, who held the doorknob while gauging her reaction.
“I apologize for disturbing your meal. I shall wait outside until you are finished.”
“Enough. Come in.”
