The Mistress Runs Away

clear after hearing Benedict’s words.
All the questions she had previously, well she was getting their answers now, one by one.

This affection was not hers, to begin with.
She recalled the answer she had gotten when she had asked, ‘Why are you so kind?’

‘Because I need you.’

All he wanted was the shell of the girl he loved.

It was true what the servants had said about the duke’s deceased fiancée five years ago.
She had no reason to be jealous of his ex-wife.
Both she, and her were substitutes for the same person.

“Killian.”

She spent the next five days without him, crying and laughing under the covers for a long time.

Her heart had already been ripped apart five years ago, but five days ago, she realized that there was still a piece intact.

Her heart, which was finally healed and in the process of getting back into its proper shape, had already burned up, and there was not even ashes left.

If she could show it to him, she would have ripped open her chest and shown the ashes of her heart to this brutal man.
Rowena wondered what kind of face he would have, what kind of words he would say, and what kind of eyes he would look at her with.

But it was impossible, so she had to do what she could.

Mistress.
Toy.
Substitute.

No matter what name they called her, it didn’t differ much.
She could use this shell to seduce him, to make him lower his guard and that would enable her to escape.

“You know, I thought long and hard about this while you were gone.
My heart….”

She reached out and pulled the back of the muscular man’s hand toward her.
She placed his palm, cold and slippery like the scales of a snake, against her cheek.

“For the past five years…”

“…….”

“Has missed you so much…”

Tears streamed down the corners of her eyes.
She couldn’t tell who the tense breathing belonged to.

“So much.”

He brought his face closer to hers, and Rowena welcomed him with open arms.

Now it was this man’s turn to bite the poisoned apple.

As she did eight years ago.