WAV 37

chapter 37

I hurriedly descended the stairs, escaping from Ruellin’s room.

My legs buckled intermittently, like a newborn fawn, but I gritted my teeth and forced myself upright each time.

I have to get away before that maniac wakes up…!

Looking back, striking him with the stool had been absolutely the right move. But, of course, it had a fatal drawback: it risked waking a monster of a man.

― Ugh…

My trembling eyes and low groans startled me enough to throw the stool aside and bolt out.

Usually, getting hit that hard would knock someone out. How does he wake up instead?

Grumbling to myself, I finally reached the first floor.

I slipped out through the back door and reached the corridor without running into anyone.

Relieved, I quickly crossed the hall. Then, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the outer window and froze.

“…Good heavens.”

My makeup was smeared, my neatly styled hair was a mess, my eyes bloodshot from burst capillaries, and my front neck was scratched and bruised.

I looked like a disaster on two legs.

Sighing, I paused and finally let my hair down. My fine blonde locks cascaded like a waterfall to my waist.

It didn’t exactly scream “party-ready,” but there was nothing I could do. At least my long hair could hide my face and neck a little.

I should get to the duke’s residence and have Eston heal me.

Returning to the banquet as if nothing happened was impossible—not just because of my appearance, but because I didn’t have the energy.

Truthfully, the thrill of having gotten revenge on Namju 4 didn’t last long. My body was still in rough shape.

My throat and insides felt like they were burning, and overusing my abilities left me nauseous.

If I’m not careful, I’ll collapse again…

I let out a bitter laugh. Indeed, just as Namju 4 had said, Edith’s body was fragile, as delicate as glass.

Someone like me… trying to kidnap anyone?

Lowering my head to hide my face, I staggered forward.

As I neared the corner at the end of the corridor, disaster struck.

Thud!

Focusing only on the floor was a mistake—I collided head-on with someone.

“Ugh…!”

“Careful…!”

Thankfully, the person grabbed me before I fell.

“Edith?”

But the familiar voice that followed immediately erased any sense of gratitude.

Of all people…

Could things get any worse?

The person I had collided with was none other than

“…Brother.”

Namju 1, Ethan Blake.

“You… what happened to you…?”

He flinched at the sight of me, eyes widening.

I clicked my tongue in frustration.

Today’s luck is absolutely miserable.

Not only had Namju 4 tortured me, but the one person I most needed to avoid had caught me right away.

Dumbfounded, I gently freed my arm from Ethan’s grip.

“Thank you for catching me. Please pretend you didn’t see anything.”

I nodded politely and tried to walk past.

If it weren’t for his grim murmur holding me back…

“…Who did you fight this time?”

“…?”

Fight? What fight?

Anger surged at the certainty in his voice, but I pressed it down and replied calmly:

“I didn’t fight anyone.”

I had been tortured, not fighting.

In a hoarse voice, I added,

“…I’m just tired. Can we talk about it later?”

“Tell me now. Don’t let it get worse later.”

“I said I didn’t fight anyone.”

“Then what on earth happened to you?”

“I… just fell.”

My half-hearted excuse made him frown.

“…Are you trying to make sure your father finds out?”

I sighed deeply. Why were all of them so eager to threaten me?

“Go ahead and tell him yourself,” I muttered.

Just as I tried to move forward, a sudden force spun my shoulder.

“Ah…!”

The world spun, and I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them…

There was Ethan, glaring at me with unrelenting fury.

“How long are you going to act like a child? Who said you could clean this up yourself? Do you not understand I just want the facts?”

“And what good would knowing do?”

“You’ll have to apologize, or come to an agreement.”

“So why is that your problem?”

“That’s your problem?”

He scoffed coldly, but I meant every word.

What are you going to do about it?

He was the emperor’s half-brother, the only grand duke—and I had knocked him out with a stool. How could he possibly fix that?

Watching him, I spoke through tired eyes, and he snapped,

“You said you lost your memory, yet that wretched nature hasn’t changed.”

“….”

“If you don’t want me cleaning up after you, go tell your father yourself. Whether it’s altering the records or covering up what you did—deal with it.”

Beeeeep—

Suddenly, a dreadful ringing pierced my ears, overlapping with Ethan’s voice.

― …What now? It was your father who put the one who said no in the registry. Go on, try asking him to annul it.

― But would that man even believe you?

“Ah…!”

I groaned, covering one ear with my free hand. A cold, chilling sensation I had felt in the duke’s office ran down my spine.

Why, of all times, now?

“…So Verji… managed to…”

“…Shut up.”

“Edith?”

“Shut up yourself.”

“Excuse me?”

“Can’t you control that vulgar tongue of yours?”

I wasn’t sure if I was looking at Ethan or the emperor’s first adopted child. Everything had been scrambled, mashed together.

I poured out words I had meant to say long ago, along with words I needed to say now. It wasn’t speech—it was venom.

“I told you, go tell your father if you want.”

“Edith.”

“I know you’re proud of yourself, so can you stop projecting that inferiority onto me?”

“…Watch your mouth, Edith Blake.”

“You watch your own attitude, Ethan Douglas!”

Moments ago, I’d felt like I could collapse—but somehow, I had the strength to shout.

“Ugh…!”

I gasped like someone hyperventilating, calling out Ethan’s real name as I felt the ringing finally stop.

He looked taken aback by my reaction. His ice-blue eyes trembled in confusion.

I glared at him, messy as I was, and laughed.

“Do you really think calling me ‘sister’ makes you special?”

“You…”

“You’re the murderer who let the duke’s daughter nearly die.”

“What…!”

“If I died, you’d take everything, right? Already forgotten because I’ve been quiet? Tollen Gate!”

Shock froze Ethan’s expression.

“You… you… remember…”

Slowly, my clouded vision cleared. Perhaps my mind was returning.

Immediately, regret followed.

I went too far.

I should have held back. Ethan had just triggered a memory I had used as a convenient excuse for amnesia…

…But it can’t be helped. It wasn’t a card I could hold onto for long anyway.

Truthfully, Serge had already thrown me off balance long ago. Meeting Ethan in this state was just the final straw.

“…Edith?”

At that moment, another voice called from behind.

Namju 2.

“You said you were going to the bathroom, then fell in the toilet…”

Vincent stopped mid-sentence, eyes wide like Ethan’s.

“…What happened to you? Who did this?”

Sigh. Not only Namju 4, but now Namju 1 and 2 too.

I roughly swept my dripping hair back and let out a bitter laugh.

Nothing goes right today…

“Who? Tell me. What happened in the bathroom?”

The distance closed instantly, and he spoke with a dangerous edge. Pretending not to care before, now he was acting concerned—it was infuriating.

Thak—!

I jerked my shoulder free from Ethan’s grip and pressed on.

But another hand grabbed my wrist. Again.

“Hey.”

“Let go. I told you not to touch me.”

I shoved the hand away roughly, muttering without looking back.

“Looks like Ruellin hasn’t come yet. My time’s up, so mind your own business.”

“You still need to tell me what happened… Hey, Edith! Edith!”

I was just a few steps from the side door of the banquet hall. Ignoring him, I strode toward it.

Suddenly, a large figure blocked the light spilling from the doorway.

Red hair glowing even in backlight, dim gray eyes staring directly at me.

Namju 3, Dylan Frederick.

Now, to get into the banquet hall, I had to pass him.

Namju 1, 2, and 3, all in one place. Total chaos.

Why is today like this…

Was it fate? A curse? The gods in this story must be determined to finish me today.

Even without any psychic monsters, I felt suffocated.

I couldn’t take it anymore. The world spun, and I collapsed.

“Edith—!”

A desperate voice called out, muffled, like underwater.

I didn’t want to hear it.

So I closed my eyes.