INOTV 05

Chapter 05

Stay With Me

“What’s strange. What could have happened?”

Meanwhile, Countess Diana found it suspicious that Sara had not shown her face the entire evening.

“Surely she didn’t run away like that.”

Not seeing Sara was honestly refreshing to her, but because the girl was so cunning, an uneasy feeling settled in Diana’s heart first.

It felt like that girl was definitely planning something.

Deep inside, Diana’s thoughts were rooted in distrust toward Sara.

Looking at Meiri, who had returned alone, the Countess coldly threatened her not to lie.

“Meiri, you. Answer me properly. Did that child really go to buy flowers?”

“Y-Yes, really! Please believe me, Madam!”

Meiri answered with a trembling voice, already frightened.

“Oh? Can I truly trust you?”

“O-Of course!”

The Countess lowered her cold gaze and crossed her arms while staring at Meiri, who stood bent at the waist before her.

She did not seem to be lying…

Still, Diana found Sara’s absence deeply suspicious.

“Then why did you return alone? Did something happen to her? Speak. Quickly!”

At the Countess’s sharp questioning, Meiri flinched and her shoulders shook.

How should she answer this?

After thinking desperately, Meiri spoke with pleading eyes.

“T-That is… Madam said not to return unless we brought back the exact same flower. So the young lady is still searching for it. Really…!”

Hah, what nonsense.

‘That girl is still wandering around the market searching for flowers?’

The Countess snorted mockingly at Meiri’s answer.

For a moment she nearly burst out laughing, so she covered her mouth with her fan.

‘Trying to fool me? What a sly little bitch.’

Diana believed Sara was deceiving her.

There had to be some hidden scheme behind this.

The Countess narrowed her eyes sharply.

“You……!”

She was just about to explode in anger and pressure Meiri further—

“Mother!”

The eldest son, Derek, came rushing toward her.

The moment she saw him, Diana clenched her teeth and suppressed her rage.

“So that’s how it is?”

If she caused another scene over Sara in front of Derek, things would obviously turn unpleasant.

He always defended Sara and became especially emotional whenever the topic involved her.

Every time that happened, Diana felt hurt despite him being the son she had personally given birth to.

And those impulsive emotions only made her torment Sara even more.

“Yes……”

“That’s enough. You may leave now. I’ll send people to search tomorrow.”

As soon as Meiri left, Derek hurried over and questioned his mother.

He had also heard that Sara was missing.

“Mother, what do you mean Sara still hasn’t returned? It’s already night! And why did Meiri come back alone again……?”

Derek demanded angrily.

The Countess slowly opened her eyes and unfolded her fan gracefully.

“Why are you always overreacting about that child? She’s fine. Stop worrying.”

“You know where she is? Mother, what happened? …Don’t tell me you did something to her again?”

“……What do you take your own mother for?!”

Unable to endure Derek’s suspicion, Diana finally shouted.

This was exactly why she held back from yelling at Meiri earlier.

Because Derek always took Sara’s side.

To Diana, her son felt unbearably cold-hearted for never understanding his mother’s feelings.

Everything had gone terribly wrong.

With a deep sigh, Diana finally explained.

“Sara broke my flower pot. So I told her to buy me the exact same flower. ……It seems she still hasn’t returned because she’s searching for it. Are you satisfied now?”

“Mother……! How could you do something like that?!”

Seeing his mother act completely unconcerned, as though nothing was wrong, Derek became speechless.

Frowning deeply, he brushed back his golden hair.

“I’ll go find her myself.”

At his unexpected declaration, the Countess snapped her fan shut and glared at him.

“You! What nonsense are you saying right now? Come back here immediately! Derek!”

Despite her shouting, Derek coldly turned around and left the room.

Watching him walk away, Diana breathed heavily in fury.

As her breathing became rough, the nearby maids hurried over and helped her sit down.

“Derek! Honestly, that child! Ah… my head hurts.”

“Madam, I’ll prepare calming tea for you.”

“Haa…”

The Countess let out a troubled sigh.

No matter how angry she became with Derek, he was still her real son, so she could not truly hate him.

Naturally, all of that resentment turned toward Sara instead.

“He never once paid this much attention to his younger sister Beria… Honestly, what will become of him?”

Whenever she thought of her youngest daughter, Beria, it felt as though her heart was tearing apart.

All of Derek’s affection and protection were directed toward the unwanted Sara instead.

Everyone in the mansion knew Derek behaved unusually sensitive whenever it came to Sara.

That was why they had to be careful.

With a troubled expression, Diana stared out the window into the dark sky.

Then suddenly, something crossed her mind.

“Ah, right. There was that.”

The Countess quickly walked to her vanity and pulled out a box she had secretly hidden from the Count.

Inside was a necklace decorated with a deep red jewel.

The necklace sparkled brilliantly beneath the light.

As Diana stared at it, her eyes gleamed sharply as well.

“When that child returns home again… perhaps I should give this to her as a gift.”

The moment the thought appeared, her gloomy mood seemed to vanish completely.

“Heh… heh… hahaha……”

As if excited by her own idea, she began giggling to herself.

Soon after, she scratched at her own throat while bursting into loud laughter.

The maid bringing tea froze in fear at the chilling sound.

“D-Don’t go. I’m scared of being alone, so…….”

“……”

“Stay beside me.”

Holding onto his sleeve, Sara spoke desperately.

Seeing her large clear eyes trembling as though she might cry any second, Cassian let out a quiet sigh.

Though her voice sounded almost seductive as she asked him to stay, the hand clutching his sleeve trembled violently with fear.

Cassian quickly realized that Sara was afraid.

And he also realized the thing she feared was not loneliness—

It was him.

“……”

It was truly strange.

She trembled in fear of him, yet still begged him to stay beside her.

Most people would never act that way.

But Sara did.

That contradiction only made Cassian even more curious.

Lowering himself slightly, Cassian met Sara’s eyes at the same level as hers on the bed.

“……”

Her eyes were filled with tears that looked ready to fall at any moment.

“If I stay beside you, will the Lady stop being afraid?”

Cassian asked with a faint smile.

Unlike his calm voice, Sara nodded her head quickly as if desperate.

“Yes.”

At first, she wanted to run away.

After all, this was the man who might kill her someday.

Staying beside him only seemed more dangerous.

But after realizing this was his mansion, she understood escape was impossible.

In the end, Sara chose to accept her fate.

A future where she died at the hands of a tyrant.

And perhaps… if she changed the future, she might avoid that death.

Running away was not the answer.

At least not here.

Here, she needed to hold onto this man.

To Sara, tonight was an opportunity.

Perhaps a fateful chance to change her future.

Whether she became his friend or spent the night with him, she had to keep him close somehow.

But unlike her determined thoughts, her body still reacted with fear.

“D-Don’t leave.”

Even as she said it, Sara could not look directly into Cassian’s eyes.

She was too frightened.

Eventually, she lowered her gaze.

She hated herself for sounding so foolish.

If she was going to stop him, she should have said something more convincing.

Yet the only words she could manage were don’t leave.

Watching her behavior, a small crack appeared in Cassian’s calm expression.

‘Why does she look at me like that… and avoid me?’

He clenched one hand tightly into a fist.

The veins in his hand bulged from the force.

For a moment, he considered asking why she looked at him with such fear—

Or dealing with the matter in his own way.

But this was not the right moment for that.

“……”

Sara was frightened.

And when she remembered the future awaiting her, tears welled up uncontrollably.

She blinked rapidly, trying not to cry.

But the stubborn tears eventually rolled down both cheeks anyway.

Just as she hurriedly tried to wipe them away—

Cassian suddenly grabbed her hand.

Startled, Sara looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Why are you crying again?”

In the darkness, the only light came from the small lamp and the faint moonlight entering the room.

Bathed in that soft light, Cassian’s appearance was breathtakingly beautiful.

Anyone would gasp upon seeing him.

His face looked almost unreal, like a perfectly painted portrait.

Yet this man would someday stain himself with blood.

Sara’s heart pounded violently as Cassian held onto her hand without letting go.

Then Cassian slowly reached his other hand toward her face.

At his sudden movement, Sara immediately turned away and tightly shut her eyes.

“……Ugh.”

It was a misunderstanding.

She thought Cassian was going to hurt her.

Or cast her aside like Diana always did.

Whenever Sara cried, the Countess only scolded and beat her even harder.

Because of that, the instinct to avoid pain was deeply rooted inside her.

So all she could do was shut her eyes tightly in fear.

“Shh… stop crying.”

But instead of harsh words, Cassian carefully wiped away her tears with gentle fingers.

“You cry so sadly, Lady.”

“……”

“It almost makes me feel like I’ve become some sort of beast. It doesn’t feel very pleasant. So stop crying, hm?”

Slowly, Sara opened her eyes and turned her head toward him.

His hands were rough, yet unexpectedly warm and gentle.

She was a child who had always been beaten.

People only shouted at her asking why are you crying?

No one had ever comforted her by saying don’t cry.

Sara felt as though she had been struck in the back of the head.

Her nose stung painfully.

This was the man who would one day kill her.

The man whose hands might eventually take her life.

And yet—

His touch was unnecessarily warm.

Because of that, Sara bit her lip tightly.

“Well… for now, at least, I’m not a beast.”

“……!”

Trying to ease the atmosphere, Cassian joked lightly.

But even his joke startled Sara, leaving her frozen.

Cassian shrugged his shoulders and sat beside her.

What exactly was he supposed to do with this girl?

This innocent woman who knew nothing, yet desperately begged him not to leave.

His words could have been a joke.

Or perhaps the truth.

Hiding his real thoughts, Cassian smiled gently.

“Are you cold?”

“I’m alright. Thank you.”

She definitely seemed slightly calmer now.

Noticing the small changes in her behavior, Cassian smiled faintly in satisfaction.

“Then now…… there’s something I want to ask you. May I?”

Just as Sara parted her lips, thinking they might finally talk—

The tightly closed door suddenly burst open with a loud crash.