>>Corvina
"That's right!" The guy I slapped straightened up, "He's a degenerate who assaults women!" He kept his hand on the cheek that was slapped while he pointed at Hael with his other hand.
I crossed my arms,"Oh?" I was not amused, "And where is the victim?" I may have been blinded by many things in the past but I'm sure Hael was not the type to go around and assault someone. And considering what he's capable of, why would he do something petty like assaulting someone? I would believe it if someone said he killed Tracy, but assault?
No,
"Lady Corvina, Tracy was crying in the kitchen," A maid said, "Everyone saw how distressed she was."
"In the kitchen?" I raised my eyebrows in question, "So she was crying in a public place where every staff member goes." I rolled my eyes, "Doesn't that mean she put on a show for everyone to see?"
"Hey! That's cruel of you to assume!"
"How could you be so heartless to your own personal maid?!"
"You're a female yourself, how could you defend someone like Hael-"
I raised my hand to stop everyone before they uttered more bullshit.
"And where is your proof?" I glared at all of them, "Where is your proof that Hael did it?" I looked at each and every one of them but none of them said anything to that.
They all sneaked glances at each other as the realization set in between them that they had no proof to show me, and I shook my head at them.
"All you have is a statement by one single maid," I looked at the others, "Or was anyone else assaulted by Hael too?" I glared at the women in the corridors, "You will have to speak up right now. Or you lose your right." I crossed my arms, "Tell me, is there any other victim here?"
No one spoke
The hall got filled with silence only for it to be broken by another idiot.
"Lady Corvina," It was a man again who spoke, "You can't just simply disregard someone's statement either."
"And you can't simply gang up on someone without proof." I eyed at the staff, "If Tracy was assaulted, she should come to her master," There was anger in my voice, "Not make a spectacle of herself in front of everyone!"
The more I spoke, the more the anger in me rose.
Tracy was a troublemaker. Who would know better than me?
I could tell everyone just wanted a reason to fight Hael. The maids who had taken advantage of Hael sleeping around didn't say anything in his defense either.
In my past life, did I even notice this all? Was this a regular occurrence? I knew that the staff bullied him a lot but I never knew the males were looking for every chance to gang up on him like this.
The more I learn, the more I find out why he hates us all so much.
"When Tracy 'Stops' crying, send her to my room." I turned my head to look at everyone, "And I dare anyone to touch Hael again." I stepped towards him with my eyes still on the rest, "If anyone does it, you're dead."
We're dead because he's literally going to kill everyone!!! I understand I played a big part in his hatred but these idiots did too!
I turned around and saw Hael looking back with a surprised expression. The blood was trickling down his head and seeing that made my chest squeeze in guilt.
I wondered if he was physically assaulted all the other times too. I never really saw his naked body, so I would never know.
"Come here," I presented my hand to him, "We're leaving." He placed his hand in mine and I closed it, then I took him out of there, "You're all dismissed!!" I yelled as I left
***
I used a towel to clean the gravy on him. It wasn't going to go away till the time he took a bath but I cleaned it enough so that I could take care of his injury.
I sat besides Hael on the bed, my hands trembling as I assessed the extent of his injury. Blood trickled down his temple, staining his pale skin in a stark contrast that filled me with a mixture of dread and determination.
Gently, I reached out, my fingers hovering over the wound as I searched for any signs of deeper damage. Hael winced at my touch, his jaw clenched in silent agony, but he made no move to pull away, trusting me to tend to him in his time of need.
Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I retrieved a clean cloth from a nearby shelf, soaking it in water to cleanse the blood from his skin. With delicate movements, I began to dab at the wound, careful not to exacerbate his pain.
As the cloth touched his skin, Hael didn't let out any more sounds, rather he remained stoic, his gaze fixed on some distant point as if lost in thought. I worked methodically, my focus unwavering as I cleaned away the blood, revealing the true extent of the injury beneath.
With the wound now exposed, I reached for a roll of bandages, tearing off a strip and carefully wrapping it around his head to staunch the flow of blood. Hael remained still throughout.
I wondered what he was thinking about. But at the same time, I didn't want to know.
Once the bandage was secure, I stepped back, my gaze lingering on Hael's pale features as I assessed his condition. Despite the pain etched into his expression, there was a sense of resilience in his eyes.
With a gentle touch, I brushed a stray lock of hair from his forehead, offering a silent gesture of comfort and support.
"It's going to leave a scar,"
He turned his face to look at me with a soft sly smile, "There's a tiny scar on your forehead," He said as he brought his hand to my head and removed my bangs to reveal the scar left on my skin, "Maybe we'll match,"
It ended up making me smile for some strange reason.
It would be romantic in any other meaning. I might have even loved the idea of matching scars if I was still the past me.
But, not now,
Now, it just feels sad. Everything here in this mansion is sad
"You still don't want to leave?" I asked him, "Even after that?"
"Leave?" He removed his hand from my hand and grabbed my hand that was on his skin, "And go where?"
"Anywhere," I replied
"The count will send people to find me." He answered, "I am, but a mere slave," There was an eerie silence in my room, one that made the mood even more sorrowful.
"Not if I tell him not to." I answered
"But nobody listens to you" He replied with a snarky remark,
...
I yanked my hand away from his as I looked away because I felt pissed off but I also knew he wasn't wrong.
"My Lady," His voice seemed more lively than before.
"What?" I was thinking of leaving when he called.
"You looked beautiful in your engagement dress."
I paused as my heart seemed to jump at his words, and looked back at him. I stared at him and he looked back at me.
"Really?"
He nodded, "It made me happy that the dress I chose looked so stunning on you." My heart ached at his words.
"Hael," And now that he had mentioned it, I couldn't help but ask, "If I looked so beautiful in that dress, why did you leave?" I turned my body toward him, "Where did you go when I was at the altar?"
"I left," He replied without hesitation.
"Why?" I asked
"Because I didn't like it," His answer made my heart skip a beat.
"You didn't like what?" An anticipation, a hope grew in my heart which made my heart beat rise.
…
His eyes wandered around as he thought about what to say while I felt my heart pound. My stupid little heart started thinking that maybe he left because he didn't like me getting engaged to someone else.
That, maybe he felt something for me too.
And maybe, it wasn't just me. It wasn't my delusions. There was something between us.
I gulped
The anticipation started eating me up. Each second that passed felt like an eternity and yet I couldn't take my eyes off of him.
"You didn't like what, Hael?" I repeated my question and his gaze finally landed on me.
"It was boring," My heart fell, "The ceremony was boring. I didn't like it. So, I left,"
A tidal wave of emotions surged through me as his words washed over me, each one a dagger piercing the fragile facade I had constructed around my heart.
I can't believe I had dared to hope, to believe that something changed between us, and now the sting of rejection burned like a brand on my soul,
Beneath the pain, there lingered a bitter sense of resignation – a recognition that I had been the fool all along.
Oh…
When will I stop doing this to myself?