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T/N: I nearly broke down as soon as I started this chapter. I couldn’t fathom how a family, someone who should be your shelter, could be the ones who confine you and give you the most gruesome treatment 😭
NOTICE: Chapter contains violence and/or gore that might not be suitable for the majority of readers. Proceed at your own risk.
Chapter 55
Sergei took Daphne to the basement when she was just eight years old. In a place filled with agonized screams, Sergei smiled brightly.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment, sister – when your body could withstand the experiment.”
Dragged to the basement without knowing why, Daphne stood frozen in horror at the gruesome sight before her. It was, in every sense, an experiment.
People, clearly human, were being treated worse than lab rats, subjected to inhumane tests. The scene was nothing short of horrifying.
“You have no idea how long it took to convince Father. I tried using some distant relatives first, and thankfully, the results were promising. If they hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have been able to bring you here.”
Sergei’s gaze fell upon one of their cousins who had died in a carriage accident months prior. Another cousin had perished from a riding accident, while yet another had vanished after being abducted by slave traders. There were also those who had simply disappeared one day without a trace.
Sergei grabbed Daphne’s hand and pulled her forward.
“B-Brother, I want to go back.”
Sergei came to an abrupt stop.
“Daphne.”
The moment he called her name, Daphne shuddered. She knew what it meant when he addressed her like that – he was angry.
Turning back to face her, Sergei maintained his usual gentle smile and stroked her hair. That familiar touch gave Daphne a fleeting sense of relief. But only for a moment.
“Shall I bring your maid’s child instead?”
“That…”
That child was barely six years old. Daphne hesitated. Sergei sighed lightly and made a small gesture with his hand.
“M-My lady.”
Before she even realized it, Sergei’s attendant had returned, bringing with him her maid and the young child. The attendant attached a strange device to the child’s body.
“My lady, what is this…?”
Daphne blinked. A light flickered from the device, and moments later, blood gushed from the six-year-old’s small frame.
“No!”
The maid screamed in anguish. Shaking off the attendant restraining her, she rushed to her fallen child, overcome with despair.
“What a shame. Because of my sister’s poor decision, an innocent life was wasted.”
Daphne would never forget the way the maid glared at her, eyes brimming with resentment. In the end, the maid, now burdened with the truth, was killed as well.
Sergei allowed Daphne to return to her room, where she sat blankly, staring into the void. The image of the child, who had once clung to her with a bright, innocent smile, was now lifeless.
“Ugh.”
Daphne clutched her stomach, suppressing the bile that rose in her throat. Trembling, she sought out her nanny for help. The woman gently stroked her hair, offering comfort.
“My lady, don’t worry. I will tell the Madam.”
“M-Mother?”
Daphne’s mother had been bedridden since giving birth to her, too weak to leave her chambers.
“We will go to her in secret and tell her everything.”
Holding tightly onto her nanny’s hand, Daphne went to visit her mother, a rare occurrence allowed only once a month when Marquis Bled was in good spirits. Upon hearing everything, the Marchioness’ frail hands trembled uncontrollably.
“So he finally turned his sights on you too, Daphne…! How could he… How could he do this!”
“Madam, please, you must calm yourself!”
Overcome with distress, the Marchioness began to cough up blood. Within days, she was dead. Though she had always been weak, her death was far too sudden, too suspicious.
After her funeral, Marquis Bled finally returned home, reeking of alcohol, as always. That night, Daphne’s nanny held her close and whispered reassuringly.
“My lady, I will tell the Marquis everything. Do not worry.”
She left Daphne’s room. The next morning, she was found dead, blood pouring from every orifice, just like the maid’s child.
Because of me. Because I spoke out. Because of my mistake. Mother, my nanny, the maid, and her child – they were all gone.
“Why did you tell anyone? Thanks to you, even Mother had to die.”
Sergei clicked his tongue in disappointment.
“You should stop seeking help. Unless you want to keep losing the things you hold dear.”
He whispered those words to her over and over again, until Daphne, at last, connected the device to herself.
— — —
“Cough!”
Daphne clutched her mouth as blood trickled from her lips. Sergei looked down at her coldly.
“A failure, huh….”
Muttering in disgust, he reattached the device again and again. Each time, more blood spilled, clouding Daphne’s vision.
Is this how I’m going to die?
Daphne had lost track of time. Though Sergei deemed her a failure, he continued his experiments, as if refusing to believe it.
More than half of their cousins had bled to death. Then one day, several people clad in white robes descended into the grimy basement, figures who did not belong in such a place. They were priests. Daphne had seen them only once before.
“Isn’t that Lady Bled?”
“Yes. We thought direct bloodlines might be more effective, so we proceeded with the experiments.”
“Interesting. Are these five all that remain?”
Priests, who were supposed to be noble and pure, examined the captives like mere objects.
“The High Priest wants more subjects.”
Daphne stared blankly at the scene. Only later did she realize that all of this had been for the temple.
As the chaos of Sergei’s planned rebellion fell upon the Marquis of Bled, Daphne made up her mind.
“Father, I love Duke Winter. Please allow me to marry him.”
The marquis, drugged and dazed, found it difficult to comply. But Daphne added one final statement.
“I know his weakness.”
* * *
Daphne gasped as she was yanked from the depths of unconsciousness. Panting heavily, she scanned her surroundings.
An unfamiliar cave.
Her vision blurred, and she blinked rapidly to clear it. As her sight adjusted, she lifted her upper body, Damian’s jacket slipping from her shoulders.
“Ugh.”
Pain prickled through her body, but she ignored it and turned her head. She had lost consciousness somewhere strange, yet she had woken up here. That could only mean one thing. Damian had…
“…Damian.”
Daphne finally noticed him, shrouded in darkness. Head bowed, Damian took a step forward at the sound of her voice. Daphne struggled to move, her battered body aching.
“Are you hurt? Tell me.”
What Damian was staring at was none other than his necklace. Daphne's brows furrowed slightly when she noticed it. But then, she realized something else – Damian's body was burning up.
“Damian, your body… you have a fever–”
“Mother.”
Damian simply stood there, unmoving, as he called out to her. Then, he lifted his head.
“Do you know why I was at the entrance of the Black Forest back then?”
“…”
Daphne blinked. She hadn’t expected him to ask that.
“Do you?”
“…”
“I was there to learn about my birth mother.”
Daphne unconsciously bit her lip. Hearing those words directly from Damian hurt more than she had anticipated.
“…I see.”
“Is there anything you want to tell me?”
“What… do you mean?”
“Do you really have nothing to say?”
The corners of Damian’s lips, which had remained in a firm line, suddenly lifted in a bitter smirk.
“Nothing… So you really have nothing to say….”
His expression twisted with scorn. Daphne, momentarily shaken by his reaction, reached out, perhaps to comfort him or to soothe his fever.
“At least let me take care of your fever first–”
But before she could touch him, Damian extended his clenched fist toward her. Then, he turned his hand over and slowly opened it. Daphne froze the moment she saw what lay in his palm.
It was a hair ornament. The gem embedded in it shimmered mysteriously, its glow undiminished even in the darkness of the cave. If anything, it seemed to shine even brighter, more beautifully than usual.
“Why… why do you have that?”
Daphne’s voice trembled. And then, a memory resurfaced, just before she lost consciousness, she had felt an overwhelming heat radiating from that very ornament as she pulled it from her chest.
“That is what I should be asking you.”
Damian said, his grip tightening around the ornament. His gaze, cold yet burning with intensity, locked onto her.
“Why… do you have my mother’s keepsake?”
His voice quivered, as if he was barely holding back his rage.
When Sophia first gave Damian these items, there had been a necklace, a hair ornament, and a ring. But back then, he was just a child, too young, too overwhelmed. The belongings of the mother who had abandoned him were things he never wanted to see. He had left them untouched, forgotten. And by the time he realized too late that they were the only things she had left behind… only the necklace remained.
It was a memory he had buried deep within him. A mistake he could never forgive himself for. Every time he looked at the necklace, it felt like he was sinking into a bottomless pit. And now, one of the lost items was here, in Daphne’s hands.
“Did you take the ring too?”
“No, no! I didn’t!”
Daphne, dazed, blinked rapidly before shaking her head in denial. But Damian no longer trusted her.
“Then how did you get this?”
“…”
Daphne opened her mouth as if to explain, but before she could speak, Damian let out a short, mirthless laugh.
“Forget it. What’s the point in asking? You’ll just deny it. Avoid the question. Give me half-truths like you always do.”
“…Damian, please. Listen to me.”
“I waited for you.”
Daphne reached out and grasped Damian’s clenched fist. Damian looked down at her cold hands. He didn’t even have the strength to push her away. That terrified her even more.
“…That gemstone holds an energy opposite to yours. I know it’s hard to believe, but please, trust me. If you keep it close, it could disrupt your flow of energy, or even make it impossible for you to awaken your magical powers. I’m telling the truth.”
Her voice echoed in his ears. Damian exhaled, his breath scalding.
“Even if you were telling the truth… I still wouldn’t believe you.”
“…”
“I loathe you.”
I wish you would disappear.
With that final, devastating thought—
Thud.
Damian collapsed.
“…Damian?”
Daphne grabbed his shoulders and turned him over. The moment her palm touched his forehead, an alarming heat surged through her skin.
‘His fever… it’s too high.’
It felt like his body might burn up from the inside. Daphne knew that he wouldn’t last long like this. She had no idea what to do. She panicked, shifting from foot to foot. Then, her eyes darted toward the cave entrance.
Making a snap decision, Daphne grabbed the jacket from the ground, draped it over Damian, and ran.
She knew she was being reckless. She knew lowering his fever should have been the priority. But she couldn’t stop. She ran and ran, desperation fueling every step.
‘Please… please…’
Her vision blurred. And then—
Bam!
She crashed into something – someone – so hard she nearly fell.
“Ah!”
She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact. But it never came.
“…Daphne?”
“…Edmund.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her heart, which had been pounding in panic, suddenly steadied. Daphne clutched at Edmund’s clothes, her fingers trembling.
“Why… why are you only here now?”