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Chapter 05
“Father!”
“Now!”
At Viscount Hoffman’s command, Rodin, who had been standing like a shadow by the door, moved. He skillfully pulled a whip out of the side table.
As Rodin took out the whip, Viscount Hoffman drew back the thick curtains.
Suddenly flooded with sunlight, Eliana—sitting on the bed—raised her hand to block the light. Her eyes, adjusted to the darkness, reflexively shut from the blinding glare.
But Eliana’s darkness didn’t last long.
Crack!
Without even a moment to resist the dazzling light, Eliana rolled off the bed and clung to Viscount Hoffman’s leg.
Crack!
Meanwhile, the whip slashed through the air again, tearing across Rodin’s back. Red drops of blood sprayed into the air along the thin lash.
“Father!”
Despite Eliana’s cries, Viscount Hoffman did not stop. He continued striking Rodin’s back with the whip, his expressionless face resembling a demon.
“Father! Please, I beg you!”
At Eliana’s pleading as she knelt, Viscount Hoffman finally halted and looked down at her.
“Say it, Eliana.”
“……”
“What is it you’re supposed to do?”
At his demand, Eliana bit her lip. Blood welled up from the torn flesh.
At last, just as her lips parted to speak—
“Viscount!”
A frantic knock rang out, followed by the door bursting open.
“He’s here!”
Before Viscount Hoffman could shout, the butler hastily announced it.
“He?”
“The Grand Duke of Criber is here. He’s asking for Lady Eliana.”
At the butler’s urgent words, Viscount Hoffman looked down at Eliana. She too stared at the butler, her face a mess, clearly shocked.
“What nonsense is that?!”
Still gripping the whip, Viscount Hoffman demanded an explanation. Unclotted drops of blood were still trailing down the whip.
“The Grand Duke of Criber is waiting for Lady Eliana at the front entrance.”
The butler repeated the situation calmly.
“Ha!”
Caught off guard, Viscount Hoffman clicked his tongue and ran a rough hand through his hair. Eliana, who had been looking up at him, swallowed hard.
‘Maybe… maybe there’s still a chance.’
“……”
“They had a date scheduled for today.”
The butler added, and no one dared to speak again after Viscount Hoffman let out a long sigh through clenched lips. Meanwhile, Eliana’s mind was racing faster than ever.
“…Insanity.”
Viscount Hoffman muttered bitterly as he looked down at Eliana lying on the floor.
“She’s not going.”
“Tell him to wait.”
Eliana and Viscount Hoffman spoke at the same time, leaving the butler flustered.
Eliana staggered as she got to her feet.
She wiped Rodin’s blood, splattered across her pale cheek, with the back of her hand and lifted her head.
She hadn’t eaten in three days. It wouldn’t be strange if she collapsed right then. But some unknown force kept her on her feet.
“If you take one more step, I can’t guarantee Rodin’s life, Eliana.”
Viscount Hoffman’s threat followed, but Eliana didn’t stop walking.
‘If I escape, Rodin might be able to escape too.’
Crack!
The horrific sound of the whip and a groan of pain followed, but Eliana didn’t look back.
Crack!
Eliana clenched her eyes shut.
“Ugh!”
Rodin, who had previously endured in silence, was now groaning louder with each strike.
Eliana kept walking, never looking back.
She staggered to the dressing room door and turned around. Viscount Hoffman, clearly displeased with her defiance, continued lashing Rodin.
“Please stop, Father.”
“What?”
“I’m going out with the Grand Duke of Criber. If Rodin can’t move, who will watch over me?”
At her words, Viscount Hoffman slowly lowered the whip he had raised.
‘She’s changed.’
He had thought that using fear and violence would break her again, as it had always done—head bowed, knees to the ground.
But Eliana’s gaze was different now.
Once she confirmed that Hoffman had stopped whipping Rodin, Eliana slipped into the dressing room.
Thud!
The whip clattered loudly onto the floor.
Eliana took a deep breath and pulled the bell cord.
No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn’t recall having had a proper conversation with Grand Duke Grady Criber. It was shocking enough that he had shown up at her ex-husband’s funeral after reeking of alcohol and stopping her from dying.
‘I thought that was the end of it.’
“Eliana.”
The maid’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. Eliana lifted her head.
“Thank you.”
She stood after finishing her preparations.
Even in that short time, Viscount Hoffman could have sent Grand Duke Criber away.
Driven by urgency, Eliana quickened her pace.
Her back ached with every step, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t let this final chance slip away.
“Eliana!”
As she descended the stairs, the butler hurriedly called out. He was likely trying to stop her, having failed to chase Grady away.
During her marriage, the people of Viscount Hoffman’s household had slowly devoured her family’s marquessate. Yet still, Eliana was the mistress of this mansion.
She knew the estate better than anyone. That’s why, when the miracle opportunity came that night, she escaped. Though she was recaptured soon after.
“Grady!”
“Eliana!”
Neither the title of Marchioness nor “young lady” was used.
Though she was both Viscount Hoffman’s daughter and the Marchioness, no one in the household called her as such.
“Grady!”
Eliana chose to use his name instead of calling him Grand Duke. She stood tall, grounding herself to keep from collapsing.
As if singing, she engaged her core and shouted the name of Grand Duke Grady Criber, which she had previously only uttered like a beggar pleading.
Just as the butler grabbed her shoulder and tried to drag her back up the stairs—
“Ah!”
Like magic, Grand Duke Grady Criber appeared. Seeing Eliana on the stairs, he raised both hands dramatically and gave a theatrical shrug. He looked like a stage actor—but since he was Grady Criber, no one dared to laugh.
“Am I late?”
“I thought you were—until I saw you. Now I see it was well worth the wait.”
Admiring Eliana’s form wrapped in her red lace dress, Grady ascended the stairs. Behind him, Viscount Hoffman swiped his face with frustration.
“I’m glad… I didn’t disappoint you.”
Eliana, careful not to let her voice tremble, descended the stairs. Grady never took his eyes off her. With every step, the hem of her red dress swayed like a dream.
“Your father doesn’t seem to like me very much.”
Grady pouted and shrugged. At his jab, Viscount Hoffman’s face stiffened.
“All fathers are like that with the men who want their daughters.”
“Is that so!”
Grady nodded at Eliana’s words.
“So don’t worry about him. I don’t want your attention to stray to anyone else.”
Her crimson lips bloomed like a flower and closed again. Her slender fingers naturally reached out to him. Grady took her hand and wrapped it around his arm.
“I’ll have to step up my game. Shall we go?”
At his words, Eliana gave a small nod. Grady, naturally escorting her, began walking.
“Oh!”
Eliana paused and turned back.
“I’ll be back, Father.”
She smiled toward Viscount Hoffman, who was watching them from the second-floor landing.
“Should I say something too?”
“Pardon?”
“Like… ‘Viscount, I’ll bring her back by a certain time.’ Do I need to promise that?”
Grady joked, mocking the scuffle he must’ve had with Hoffman while waiting.
“My father’s probably hoping I won’t come back today. So don’t worry.”
“So his strictness depends on the situation, huh.”
Grady chuckled and walked on.
Even as he watched the two walk away arm in arm, Viscount Hoffman couldn’t do anything. Face flushed with barely contained rage, he retreated into the parlor just to hide it.
