7.This Is Purely For You

“Susan.”

Both familiar and unfamiliar name. Strangely, ‘Susan’, whom he puts in his mouth, felt like a name I had from birth.

“Yes.”

“The world is much more meticulous than you think as it will harshly try to deceive you. So, the situation before your eyes can make you a new bird in a cage.”

“I’m stupid. I don’t understand difficult words.”

He made a sound of deflating laughter.

“Then there’s nothing we can do. I have no choice but to kindly explain for my lovely dog…Kean.”

“Yes.”

The man approached me silently and grabbed Reina by the collar with ferocious eyes and even more ferocious hands.

“Sa, save me! I didn’t do anything wrong. I swear to God I’m innocent! Su, Susan, please help…Ahh!

Soon after, the sound of someone being choked was heard. The moment Kean took the sword out, Reina’s scream was stained with deep pain.

“Just a finger’s difference will ruin the central gravity of your body. Now that there are four on both sides, you’re back to normal. Lucky, aren’t you?”

“His Excellency is not merciful for him to forgive you.”

“Euheug, hueg….s,sir. I’ll do anything so please save me. Just save me……”

Now I’m tired of cursing him that he’s crazy.

“If you have so many regrets about your life…Reina, lift your chin.”

At the Duke’s words, Reina lifted her face from the floor.

“Starting from now, I’ll give you 10 seconds. Your life and death depend only on Susan’s choice. I will forgive any remarks, so use your tongue as much as you want and try to persuade Susan.”

A cold smile filled with hostility was drawn lightly on his face.

Again. A foreign feeling again.

The Duke Richton before my eyes felt completely different from the man who held me and put on the saddle.

The moment Triviache was destroyed, the moment the annex collapsed, and now, the moment Reina was suspected of being a spy. Every single moment that I felt he was insane was all related to Prince Wilhelm. Even in the novel, they were eager to kill each other…

When I came back from my thoughts, Reina, with a desperately beaten face, held my arm and gasped for breath mixed with tears.

“Susan, y-you shouldn’t believe in Duke Ingord. Never, you should never trust him.”

Reina’s voice was frighteningly calm. However, her whispers were mixed with heavy gasps, making it hard to understand immediately.

“You’re… Susan, I don’t know what your exact relationship is with that man. I’ve actually been reticent of you, but it’s not only once or twice that the duke has been hunting innocent employees like this… Everything in this world is just a play for him to fill his madness and to destroy the Crown Prince.”

Duke Richton’s dark gray eyes were directed exactly at me. If one doesn’t know anything about him, he was someone perfect and ecstatic.

Does the Duke know what Reina is whispering to me? Can he guess? Is he only enjoying himself, just like Reina said?

A great deal of confusion came. I wanted to open his head and comb through the thoughts of the character named Richton Ingord.

“Susan, you too… Are you being used by him, too? I, I lost so many men to the Duke of Ingord. You can’t call him a man, he’s a ruthless murderer, a lunatic drunk on his own power! …Please. Please, Susan. Help me out of here.”

Kean, who was staring at her with a colder look than the duke, began to move his body.

“If you do, I will bet all of my loyalty to His Highness Wilhelm…Susan, I’ll make sure to ask His Highness to save you.”

Finally, Reina was helplessly dragged into Kean’s grasp and disappeared from the office. Berkne also disappeared, perhaps following suit. Wilhelm. It’s a very boring name. I suddenly realized that my legs were walking close to the eye of the storm regardless of will.

At a rate that would be ridiculous to assume that it was simply because I was caught up by Richton Ingord.

“I always keep my words. You don’t have to feel pressured, Susan. All you have to do is choose….”

Richton’s smile seemed to come from pure goodwill. He looked completely different from his usual self. He would normally raise the corners of his mouth when he taunted or laughed at others.

In fact, most of the time in 『The River Where the Sun Manoeuvres』were described in that way. I stiffened as I recognized the serene excitement in Richton’s eyes.

It was not a positive sign that I could not capture the emotions of a man who amuse himself with the tricks on the palm of his hand.

Yes, just like now.

“Master, I don’t know what you want. I’m merely a maid…no, I’m just a dog. What authority do I have to control the life of a spy?”

The thought that for him all these were nothing but amusement couldn’t be erased from her mind. Reina’s face was filled with deep fear as she pleaded to her.

“You’re mistaken. What I want to show you right now is… I’m not just arguing about your authority. Susan, you’re pretty good at hiding your facial expressions, but you can’t fool my eyes.”

It was a tone as calm as ever, but at least not his gaze. I couldn’t even swallow my saliva as he gazed at her forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, and lips.

“Look at you.You’re being swayed like a rotten weed, even in the situation you were in.”

“Anyone will be swayed.”

“Right. That’s why I decided to help you achieve a very important realization. The trust between the dog and the owner is on the rocks. It’s absolutely unacceptable.”

A shadow came close and covered the lamp. No more conversations would work. It would be better to make an excuse.

“No, I’m….”

The strength of both my legs was relieved by intense dizziness, perhaps due to the backlight or poison. The duke’s arm supported my helplessly collapsing body.

“I, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Master….”

“Susan.”

Something spilled from my throat. A lump of blood, accompanied by an acrid fishy smell, splattered on the duke’s white shirt sleeve. He pulled my face with a strong grip and looked closely into my eyes.

“Your symptoms are prominent…they spread ridiculously fast. That must be why you’re unable to get up.”

“Oh, I’ll be all right soon…”

Even before I finished her words, intense pain came in. When I couldn’t stand it and clenched her teeth, the duke who was supporting me asked very slowly.

“Do you want to be free from the pain?”

Nobody wants to be in pain. The strength of his hand that supported my waist became stronger.

“Answer me. “

As I couldn’t overcome the pain and fever that started to rush, I nodded lightly in the end. The duke thrust his other hand into my mouth. There was a deep scratch on the back of his flawless white hand. It was not that deep, but blood flowed along his wrist.

When and where did that wound come from?

I stared blankly at the duke while he tapped my lips with his wounded hand.

“Get a hold of yourself and open your mouth. The liquid in the glass bottle is my blood. If you swallow it right away, your nerves will go numb and you’ll be able to relax soon.”

I heard something unbelievable, but it didn’t stay in my head for long. Only the remarks that swallowing could make me feel comfortable were clear in the mind. Eventually, something started to fall from the back of his hand which was placed near my mouth. It was his blood.

‘You want me to swallow this?’

I closed my lips and turned my head in an instinctive sense of repulsion. I heard him snort above my forehead.

“You really can’t lower your pride in the foolish things”

And as if thinking about something, he said again after a very brief gap.

“This is purely for you.”

Richton suddenly crushed the inside of his lips with his teeth. Even though it hurts, he did it casually without crumpling his forehead once. As blood spread over his white teeth after the bite, Duke Richton kissed me in that condition.

Since I had already vomited blood once, there was no foul odor I smelled from the blood. However, I had to stare blankly at the blue-gray eyes swaying in front of my nose, or rather at the distance of my eyelashes.

His lips fell before I could understand the situation. I could feel something terrible stuck to my tongue. With all my might, I swallowed the taste behind her throat.

It’s okay. It was only to feed the blood. It’s much better than licking the back of his hand.

It seemed that quite a long silence had passed. Carefully letting go of my waist, he approached the cabinet. I felt my body more relaxed and received a glass bottle from the duke while Kean and Reina had disappeared from the office without a trace.

“Come whenever you need my blood. But once you do, don’t build up your useless pride as you did now.”

With a tired face, the duke sighed heavily and washed his face dryly. It was the first time I’d seen him so exhausted.

That was unexpected. It’s as if kissing me was the cause.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Towards the sofa holding his forehead, he sat as if he were collapsing on the leather.

“I’ll guarantee Reina’s life as you wish.That way, you will realize that in this filthy world, I’m the only one who’s right and the only one you should look at.”

Even after a hundred years, such a day wouldn’t come.

What the hell is he up to? No, I’m not even curious anymore.

Being swayed without even knowing the situation was exhausting enough to make one feel being bitten by nerves.