Chapter 95: Interlude (2)

༺ Interlude (2) ༻

"......"

Yuriel, who rode a carriage to the academy, poked her head out of the window with a sullen expression plastered on her face.

In front of her own carriage, was another one that housed Euphemia and Ferzen.

She was slightly annoyed by that fact. However, this made her look at the situation objectively. After all, the classes of the academy were divided into morning and afternoon sessions instead of all being lumped together in the morning.

Therefore, two wagons were needed due to the difference between Ferzen and her work hours.

Since Yuriel didn't want to be seen as jealous as it would only make her look uglier, she stopped staring and closed the window shut.

Inside the enclosed space, the fragrance of the perfume that covered her own body scent spread softly. The tip of her nose twitched thanks to it, and then Yuriel rested her chin on her hand.

She had become Ferzen's concubine, and during most of the time she was with him, she struggled to get rid of one name from her mind.

Lizzy Poliana Claudia.

She didn't know how to face the child anymore, and it made her feel uneasy.

'Will she.....'

Resent her?

'Or......'

Would she just turn away from her, without even looking at her like a cold, freezing midwinter wind?

'Just why......'

Did Ferzen do such a terrible thing to that child?

Yuriel let out a heavy sigh.

'The you in my mind back when I was young......'

Was a prince who could only be found in a fairy tale.

But now, after a long time has passed......

'He has become a villain.'

Even so, she still likes him. Her body and mind desire him so much.

'......'

The ending of a heroine who did not meet with her prince was not known to Yuriel since she had never read it. So, she could only earnestly hope that only happiness and not ruin awaited her at the end of the road she had chosen.

* * * * *

Early in the morning, Lizzy received a piece of news that she couldn't bear to ignore. It was something she had heard by word of mouth.

No, to say it was mere word of mouth was an understatement. After all, the source of the rumor was the newspaper of the capital. This means, there was a high probability that the word of mouth was a fact. But nonetheless, Lizzy hoped it would turn out to be nothing but a rumor.

With that in mind, she purchased a copy of the capital's newspaper and held it in her hands.

She then skipped through the pages quickly, skimming through the column of the current hottest events.

"......"

Then, a headline that was hard to believe naturally caught her eye.

< The marriage of Yuriel Wayne Dana Alfred, the second daughter of the Alfreds! >

"It must be a lie......"

When Lizzy found out that the subject of the article was Ferzen von Schweig Louerg, she crumpled the newspaper. However, as she thought that she had read it wrong, she opened it again with trembling hands.

Unfortunately for her, the news that Yuriel had become the concubine of that evil man hadn't changed.

"......"

Suddenly, Lizzy froze.

Regardless of that, the people around her still moved as usual, buying a newspaper, and leaving.

In fact, the capital's newspapers print each issue two to three days before the selling day.

Even though the quantity was important, it was only natural that each and every bit of information had to be inspected.

Due to this, the fact that Yuriel had become Ferzen's concubine shouldn't have been written in the newspaper as it had only happened a day ago.

What made it possible was purely the wealth of the Alfred family.

That's right, Corleone Wayne Barretta Alfred——that old snake, in order to publish the fact in the newspaper only after a day had passed, he bought all the existing newspapers at a whopping ten times the original price. He then got them reprinted with more manpower in the middle of the night.

That old man did it to let the world know, and to leave it as an official record that finally, Alfred's blood was mixed with the Brutein's.

Of course, that's not all. There was also Corleone's desire to show off his joy to the world.

However, just like the saying goes, someone's joy was someone else's despair.

The news brought the greatest despair to a girl, no, to a full-fledged woman called Lizzy.

After all, her oldest brother, Roer, was married into the Alfred family even though he was treated unfairly there.

Squeak!

Lizzy's controlled corpse pushed her wheelchair at that moment. Even on a well-paved road, its speed made Lizzy's wheelchair rock unsteadily.

As soon as she returned to the academy, she entered the main building. She then went up to the professor's offices on the fourth floor.

To be precise, she went to room 403.

As she grabbed the doorknob of the office, her eyes wandered toward the nameplate. The name —- Yuriel Wayne Dana Alfred was written there.

Creak-!!

She opened the door and entered without knocking.

"......"

There, beyond the door, someone was looking at her.

Even though the woman looked surprised, she was making a face that said 'so she has finally come'.

At one point in time, Yuriel was her strongest support.

"So you are finally here?"

At the sound of her voice, which was hard for her to hear now, Lizzy gritted her teeth and dragged her wheelchair forward.

Woosh-!!

She then threw a copy of the newspaper at her in a fit of rage.

"......"

Yuriel did not get angry and only picked the newspaper up. After all, she had already heard from the other professors about what was in today's newspaper.

"H-how could you..."

"......"

"How could you!"

To me...... To us......

How could you do that!

Lizzy groaned, her little fists clenched.

The marriage of Yuriel and Ferzen.

Aside from the mere business of mixing of the two different bloods, the marriage also meant that if the Claudias tried to fight against Ferzen, they would not have the support of the Alfreds.

No, what would happen was quite the opposite.

If Ferzen tried to antagonize the Claudia family by using Yuriel.

The Alfreds wouldn't even ask anything, they would just move on.

Yuriel knew that too, so she didn't say much.

......At first, she had nothing to say.

"Everything you said to me... What was it? Your hatred towards that person was nothing but a blatant lie all this time? Did you say all of that to match my rhythm because you pitied me?"

"No... It's not like that."

It was not a lie.

However, what she felt for him was something close to a love-hate emotion, rather than only hate.

"It's not like that my foot... Not like that! My foot—!"

"......"

"How can someone's emotions change in only one day... How!"

Yuriel stood still in the face of Lizzy's barrage.

She hoped that Lizzy would use her as her emotional dumpster.

She was a child who made a mistake by stepping on her partner's instep while dancing and injured it.

The price for that mistake was one broken leg which would make her spend the rest of her life sitting in a wheelchair.

On top of that, a lot of people severed their relationship with her family due to the stigma they received for being hated by the Bruteins.

At the eye of the storm of all those circumstances was her own husband—Ferzen von Schweig Louerg.

And, since she was now his wife......

Creak-!!

"Ah......"

The door opened.

Step-!!

Ferzen, who instantly suppressed the gloomy atmosphere, entered the room with a calm gait.

And at his appearance, Lizzy, who had turned her head back due to the sound, flinched.

Fortunately, Yuriel was by her side, so the trauma that was deeply engraved within her did not resurface.

However, Ferzen slowly approached Yuriel, pushed her back, and gave a cruel order in a nonchalant voice.

"Stay out for a while."

"You......"

"Leave."

At Ferzen's words, Lizzy trembled violently and grabbed Yuriel's wrist who walked past her.

Shake-!! Shake-!!

In the midst of her pathetically trembling body, Lizzy's purple eyes which were stained with tears looked up at Yuriel.

"D-don't go......"

Snap-!!

However, Ferzen then reached out to her and mercilessly shook her hand off of Yuriel and forced her out of her room.

Inside......

Clack-!!

The door closed.

Click!

And it was then locked.

For a moment, Lizzy had a hallucination in which the room went black, despite the bright sunlight coming in.

And among the darkness, she could clearly see the demon.

Ferzen von Schweig Louerg.

"Ah, ah......"

Her bouts of trauma drove her into the dumps.

Her whole body stiffened like a stone, unable to move, and pain assaulted her as she found it difficult to breathe.

"You...... You are a cunning and nasty child."

"Hu...... Hu...... Huk......"

"Yuriel Wayne Dana Alfred. Did you think she became my wife of her own volition?"

While arranging his messy sleeves, Ferzen approached Lizzy and lowered his head.

"I know you are aware of the truth. You picked her up as a trash bin to pour your emotions into because you deny reality."

"N...... No......You're...... Wrong......"

"Were you afraid to directly come at me and pour your emotions into me? I wanted Yuriel, so she became my wife by force. That's why it wasn't right for you to use her as your emotional dumpster."

After placing Lizzy's reddish hair on the palm of his hand, Ferzen gently touched it.

"If it weren't for your Claudia family, Yuriel wouldn't have become my wife."

The main reason behind their marriage was because of the North, but the thing Ferzen just spoke about was also one of the points.

Ferzen tried to drive the guilt into Lizzy's chest even further..

"Even after what she went through under me last night, she still greeted you calmly."

"Ah...... Ah......"

"Did you think I wouldn't be able to use my hands if I just sat still?"

Letting her hair down, Ferzen stroked Lizzy's cheek.

At the terrifying sensation, Lizzy felt her lungs constrict.

"Even if there was no reason. I could tear down the walls you that are building, throw away those who will fight alongside you, pick up their weapons to fight alongside you, or at least act as an armor to cover your body... I can disarm you anytime."

Ferzen's whispers laughed and mocked her.

"So, even after seeing me take a bloodless approach, will you guys still dare to bare your teeth?"

Ferzen's overbearing red eyes seemed to look down on her from an infinitely high place.

Facing his gaze without avoiding it as much as possible, Lizzy bit her own lips hard, strong enough to make blood ooze out from it.

Then she stretched out her trembling hands and strangled Ferzen as she looked at him with hateful eyes.

"......"

However, there was no strength in her trembling hands, making her anything but a threat.

At her action, Ferzen raised the corners of his mouth and grabbed her left foot.

"As a matter of fact, let's make you unable to walk or run away on your foot ever again. It couldn't be helped."

Snap-!!

"Ah...... Ah...... N...... No......"

Ferzen, who had lifted her left foot, brought Lizzy's white ankle to his mouth and carefully bit it.

It was the leg he had broken a long time ago until she was unable to walk.

Above that pure white skin, his teeth seemed to growl.

"Ah...... Hu...... Heuk......"

Cringe, horror, and fear.

Lizzy, unable to overcome the despair and frustration, started to shed a lot of tears.

Her skirt rolled up thanks to the lifted leg, and the white underwear exposed in the middle covered her private area, which was tightly closed with tension.

Eventually, Ferzen lifted her other leg, which was not damaged, and made a sound with his own teeth.

"He... Heuk..."

Lizzy's pure white underwear was gradually stained with embarrassing marks.

Along with feeling humiliated and harassed as she was sitting in a wheelchair in an unsightly posture, Lizzy felt resentful because she couldn't even control her own body.

Regardless of her own will, her body urinated following her instincts.

"Either I shed no blood or did a bloodless entry, It still smells."

His sneer, which mercilessly trampled on and crushed her self-esteem, entered her ears.

But there was nothing that Lizzy could do.

Even after he lowered her legs, all she could do was just sob with her head bowed like a doll with its string cut.

In response, Ferzen reached out to her, gently wiping the tears from Lizzy's eyes, and recited the cold reality.

"Among those who are prepared to lose everything, there is no one who does not regret it when they really lose everything......"

You who love your family so much.

Will you be an exception?

Ferzen took a few steps back, then rested her uncontrolled body back on her wheelchair and led her to the door.

"It will be time for the lecture soon. Tardiness will undoubtedly be penalized."

"......"

"If you're interested in the reward I will give out depending on the grades, you'd better wash up quickly."

Click-!!

After unlocking the door, Ferzen kindly pushed Lizzy out of the door and handed her to her controlled corpse.

"Ah......"

Then, Yuriel, who was standing outside the door, looked at Lizzy's haggard figure and held her hand out while pitying her.

But Lizzy rejected that touch.

However, she did not show any signs of resentment anymore.

Rather......

"I-I'm sorry."

She spat those words of apology and left.

"......"

Looking at her from the behind, Yuriel felt mixed emotions brimming in her heart.

"Ouch....."

Without even being able to get rid of those feelings, she was dragged into the room by Ferzen.

From his expression, it seemed like he was displeased and angry. Yuriel quickly shrank because of it.

"Yuriel."

"Y-yes?"

"Why did you allow yourself to become her emotional trash can?"

"......"

"You have no reason to feel guilty. You didn't become my concubine of your own volition. I am the one who forced you."

"Even so...... I'm still your wife......"

"Yuriel."

"......"

"Don't cross the line."

Ferzen, who held her chin up, looked at her with his usual overbearing, unwavering gaze.

"Concerning the affairs of the Claudia family, you don't have to bear any part of the burden for them."

"......"

"I can handle it alone, so don't intervene. As you said, since you are my wife......"

Flinch!

"If it's you...... Wouldn't it only be right for you to refrain from doing things I don't like?"

Yuriel flinched at Ferzen's words.

What she did out of concern for him was, on the contrary, something he hated.

"Your answer, Yuriel?"

"Eung......"

She had no option other than to agree with what he had said.

Ferzen gave a satisfied smile at Yuriel's answer.

In the first place, it was always difficult to carry the burden alone, so people always looked to someone for their sympathy.

But, if he wasn't going to be able to endure the burden of being a villain.

He wouldn't have killed Ciel Midford that night.

That karma was something he would have to pay entirely by himself.

He was not soft enough to even try passing the burden to someone else.

In the first place, how can an existence that does not bear any evil be called a villain.

"Sigh......"

Eventually, in response to Ferzen's affectionate kiss, Yuriel carefully brought her body closer to him.

In fact, Ferzen was not wrong.

She had no say in the matter of her becoming his concubine.

However, if she had a choice...... She knew very well what decision she would have made.

The image of Lizzy and the image of herself yearning for his affection passed through her mind.

Among the two, she could feel the strange pleasure germinating a feeling of being someone's lover.

TL: Im posting dius on da beach and um poroblaly gun do it wrong but i have my little salve to fix it for me so fuck it here;s a chapter