“I wanted you to be me.”
Ariella, smiling brightly, and Lizzy, looking bewildered as if caught off guard, contrasted sharply in the mirror.
“So bear it. All of my misfortunes.”
Ariella whispered like a snake toward Lizzy outside the mirror.
***
That night, Lizzy retreated unusually quietly.
To be precise, she was afraid of the information Ariella possessed and retreated quietly, but even as she turned away, the fierce look in her eyes remained.
For a while, it seemed she wouldn’t openly provoke Ariella again.
‘Now that I’ve been cornered, at least I’ll behave for a while.’
Not knowing how much Ariella knew or what measures she had taken, Lizzy wouldn’t dare act recklessly.
As expected, Ariella spent about a week in very peaceful days.
Then, time passed, and the long-awaited Tuesday morning dawned.
As the sun rose over the horizon, bright sunlight illuminated the Duke of Abercorn’s residence, and the warm air heated the interior of the mansion.
Ariella usually rose with the sun, but today she couldn’t get out of bed.
The sunlight streaming through the window illuminated the bed, but for some reason, her body felt as cold as ice.
Dripping, cold sweat ran down her pale body, soaking the bedspread. Her slender fingers twitched with tension, and her toes curled up.
Ariella was having a dream.
A terrible nightmare that came to her just when she thought she had forgotten it, stirring her mind.
“Congratulations on becoming an adult, Arrie.”
As always, the nightmare began with a kind congratulatory message.
The youthful face of Aaron smiled as he handed Ariella a bouquet of blue roses, which he had somehow obtained, and although she found the artificiality strange, she accepted the bouquet willingly.
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this day.”
Why hadn’t she realized back then how chilling those words were?
Having just become an adult, Ariella thought Aaron was genuinely celebrating her birthday. She didn’t feel any oddness at his gaze that roamed over her body, as she had always received such looks.
That’s why she endured her fatigue and spent the whole day with him.
Watching a concert she had no interest in, going to an expensive restaurant that wasn’t to her taste… Somehow, he seemed to be spending more money than usual, but she took it all as just a gesture of celebration.
‘Why does he look so happy today? He’s smiling a lot. Thank goodness.’
She even thought that it was a relief he didn’t seem upset and that she didn’t have to be overly cautious around him today.
She was completely oblivious to the ominous signs, foolishly so.
That night, Aaron continued to be kind and personally escorted Ariella to her room.
Even after entering the bedroom, he showed no signs of leaving, and for the first time, Ariella sensed something was off, but it was already too late to escape.
“Haah… Arrie!”
In the blink of an eye, her vision flipped. It took Ariella a few seconds to grasp the situation.
She was on the bed, and Aaron was on top of her. The strong smell of alcohol stung her nose, and the heavy weight pressing down on her body shocked her.
“Aaron! What are you doing…! You’re drunk!”
“No, I’m not drunk. I’m fine.”
“I don’t want this, stop…!”
His rough hands groped and slipped under her clothes. Terrified, Ariella struggled desperately.
As she pushed him away with more strength than she expected, Aaron’s previously gentle demeanor quickly turned aggressive.
“Damn it, just stay still. You’re old enough to know better, so why are you acting like this?”
“But we’re not even married yet! I’m not ready—!”
“Not ready? How much longer do I have to wait? You should be grateful I waited until you became an adult! Don’t be so frustrating, just go with the flow.”
Grateful? Is this something to be grateful for? I’m the one who’s being frustrating right now?
It was absurd, but there was no time to argue. He continued to try to push his limbs into her soft skin.
Ariella resisted fiercely. She was scared. His breath on her skin, the heat of his body was so disgusting and terrifying.
“I don’t want this! I said no! Someone…!”
It was strange. Even though she raised her voice, no one came into the room. She could clearly sense a presence beyond the door.
‘Why…!’
Desperately staring at the door, she found it firmly shut, showing no signs of opening.
Neither Rose, who had cared for her since childhood, nor the maids she was close to. No one in Abercorn came to her aid.
Clunk. The door shook as if to prove someone was outside, but that was all.
That was the answer Abercorn had given her, which she had devoted her life to protecting.
It was something she couldn’t endure without hating it.
“Aah! Aah—!”
