IKMHITM 4

࣪ ִֶָ☾. Chapter 04 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Eve tried not to let her hands tremble as she put the teapot down.

“Are you okay? You look pale, Master.”

The woman in the portrait poked her translucent face out. She came so close, looking Eve up and down, that Eve almost screamed.

“I-I just have a bit of a headache.”

“Oh? Didn’t you receive treatment last night?”

“Treatment?”

“You must have had a dream. A very grown-up one!”

The woman in the portrait covered her mouth and giggled. She seemed to know exactly what kind of dream Eve had last night. Flustered, Eve fanned her blushing cheeks and mindlessly looked down at her arm.

“My wounds are gone…”

“We have quite a useful doctor in the mansion. You will meet him again!”

This was the first time Eve was unhappy to hear there was a doctor. She wasn’t going to be used for biological experiments, was she?

“I-I’m fine. I’m on the sturdy side.”

“In this mansion, people break down the fastest, New Master.”

“What?”

The woman just smiled, acting as if she didn’t want to say anything more. The sight of her white eyes rolling slightly above her red lips was chilling. Eve desperately asked another question to change the subject.

“I’m late in asking, but what is your name?”

“Oh my! You asked for my name? I’m so happy.”

The woman spun around and around inside the portrait.

“I am Gain, Master.”

“Gain… That’s an uncommon name.”

“My father was from the Eastern Continent.”

If Eve said something like, ‘Even ghosts have parents? Haha!’ right now, she would definitely be killed. With a trembling hand, Eve pointed to herself.

“I am Evenie. Everyone calls me Eve.”

That was enough of an introduction, right?

“Gain. What is going to happen to me now?”

Things like ‘the mansion’s test’ didn’t feel real to her. Eve was much more familiar with the kingdom’s laws. She had killed her groom, the heir to a noble family. The minimum punishment was hanging.

“You don’t need to worry. Arno has Arno’s laws.”

“Arno’s laws?”

“The New Master proudly passed the mansion’s test. The Arno family will acknowledge you.”

“What are you talking about? I killed their family member. They’ll call the guards right now and throw me in a dungeon.”

Gain shrugged.

“It is better to experience it yourself than to hear me say it a hundred times.”

Eve couldn’t remember her wedding very well. But it was certain there were guests. People dressed in white like ghosts, clapping with faces as gloomy as a foggy sky.

“Congratulations on becoming the new master of the mansion.”

The people bowing to Eve were definitely Serian’s family. They were standing outside the front door with a large pile of luggage trunks.

“We will be leaving now.”

Whatever their true feelings were, Serian’s family really seemed ready to leave.

“W-Wait a moment!”

They turned around when Eve stopped them. There were three of them in total. A middle-aged woman who appeared to be the former Marchioness of Arno, a young man who looked slightly younger than Serian, and a young boy who looked about ten years old.

“May I ask your names?”

“I am Rayna Doreville. This is my second son, Julian, and my youngest, Lucian.”

But Rayna? Doreville sounded like her maiden name. Why wasn’t she using the Arno family name? Eve thought her introduction was a bit strange.

Rayna Doreville? But wasn’t Rayna the Marchioness of Arno? Why did she give her maiden name?

It’s not the right atmosphere to ask.

They already seemed to know about Serian’s death. Rayna and the youngest, Lucian, had red eyes, as if they had been crying. But they showed no signs of wanting revenge.

Except for that one.

Julian, the second son, glared at Eve as if he wanted to kill her.

Eve didn’t feel particularly guilty. She couldn’t exactly die just so she wouldn’t have to feel sorry for them. However, seeing the young boy, Lucian, who looked barely ten, holding a small luggage bag weighed on her heart.

“Where will you go?”

“…To my uncle’s.”

It seemed they were going to the Doreville Count’s estate. It was a wealthy and prestigious family, so there was no reason for them to sell their daughter.

Anyway, it’s a relief they have a place to go.

Eve felt much more at ease. She offered Rayna a farewell greeting.

“May God’s blessing always be with you, Madam.”

Oops. She accidentally spat out a temple greeting out of habit. For the first time, a look of bewilderment appeared on Rayna’s face.

“Do you… believe in God?”

Well, I did up until yesterday.

Rayna seemed to mistake Eve’s silence for a yes.

“This is a first… Right. Well. I suppose in some cases, it could be… But.”

“Pardon?”

“Ah, never mind.”

Rayna, who had been rambling, collected herself.

“Evenie Roman. I am sorry. I am not generous enough to pray for your blessing.”

“That is fine.”

Rayna held out her hand. Even if she couldn’t bless her, it seemed she still wanted to shake hands. The moment Eve held Rayna’s pale, cold hand, Rayna leaned in.

“Soon, Arno will come looking for you.”

Rayna whispered softly and immediately pulled away. She picked up her bag in one hand, held Lucian’s hand with the other, and walked out.

Eve thought Julian, holding the rest of the luggage, would leave too… but he didn’t.

“Did you kill him?”

“Pardon?”

“My brother. Did you kill him?!”

As soon as they were alone, Julian immediately demanded an answer. Flustered, Eve talked back without realizing it.

“Would he be alive if I hadn’t?”

“You beggar-like wench, how dare you…!”

He was the one who asked first. Sparks flew from Julian’s eyes.

“There is no way my brother could be taken down by a girl of unknown origins like you! Do you think you’re something special just because you luckily avoided becoming a sacrifice?”

“Was I really just lucky?”

“…What?”

“If you’re that curious, should I tell you? What I did last night.”

The words flowed out smoother than she expected. It was because Julian’s tone and attitude strangely reminded her of Hyde. On the outside, Eve looked calm, but her eyes were wild with anger.

Are you really asking me why I didn’t die?

Who are you people to decide my fate? Acting as if I was someone meant to suffer and die.

“Wh-What did you do to my brother?!”

“Well.”

Eve smiled and took a step closer to Julian.

“Experiencing it yourself would be faster than just talking about it, right?”

Julian flinched and took a step back.

“She’s completely insane?!”

Being insulted by Julian oddly felt good. Eve scraped at his nerves even more.

“You don’t have to say all that. Things turned out this way, but we can still get along, Julian.”

“…What kind of crazy talk is that?”

“Even though you said mean things to me, I forgive you in the name of God.”

Julian groaned. He seemed so dumbfounded he couldn’t even speak properly.

“Repent and realize your wrongs someday. May God’s blessing be with you.”

“Don’t act so high and mighty, you cunning snake! You didn’t pass a test. You just crouched in a smelly gutter, waiting for my brother, and luckily bit his heel!”

Sparks flew from Julian’s eyes again.

“Just wait! I’ll pull out all of your venomous fangs and offer them to my brother’s grave!”

“Do you even have a grave to offer them to?”

Eve asked Julian out of half-genuine curiosity. Gain had said the body was cleaned up nicely, but there was no way to know if that was actually true.

But Eve’s question snapped Julian’s last thread of patience.

“You shameless…!”

His eyes rolling back in fury, Julian swung his fist in a fit of rage.

Smack!

“I’m going to kill you today!”

It was actually more bearable than she expected. It was obvious Julian hadn’t used his fists much in life. Having lived as Hyde’s younger sister, Eve had a high tolerance for beatings.

My teeth aren’t broken.

The inside of her mouth was cut a bit, but it wasn’t a big deal. However, the warm, salty taste of blood pooling in her mouth was awful.

“How is it? Does getting beaten knock some sense into you?”

Eve gathered a mouthful of blood and saliva, then spat it right into Julian’s face.

“Ack! Disgusting!!”

Julian scrubbed his face with his elbow like he was having a seizure. Then, he raised his fist again.

This one will probably hurt.

Eve squeezed her eyes shut, but nothing happened.

When she carefully opened one eye, she saw a large back blocking her.

He’s huge.

Eve barely reached his chest. His shoulders were so broad that they completely hid the tall Julian from view.

Who is it?

With her mouth slightly open, Eve lifted her gaze higher.

The tips of the man’s hair, catching the sunlight, were dyed a dreamlike shade of purple.

Could it be… the man I saw in my dream last night?

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･