SWMD 86

Chapter 86

Calypso’s breath was hot and ragged as he dropped to the floor.

“Calypso…?”

“Haa… My body… feels weird…”

His cheeks were flushed red. Diana was finally starting to understand.

So this was Alicia’s plan— getting her and Calypso into the same room.

“Did Alicia give you something before you came here?”

“W-what…?”

Calypso looked up at her, breathing heavily. Yes—he had drunk tea before coming.

“I drank… tea.”

She sighed. That must’ve been it.

Alicia clearly wanted to test whether Diana knew about the affair and whether she’d act on it—with her body.

Disgusting.

“I’ll try to break the door.”

Diana tried to use her magic, but it wouldn’t work. Her mana wasn’t forming properly.

“My magic… it’s not working…”

She turned to Calypso, who was clearly unable to respond. If they couldn’t get out of here soon, she didn’t know what he’d do under the drug’s effect.

Yes, she could resist.

But the problem was—resisting would seem strange.

They were married, after all. No one would think it odd if they did something intimate.

Diana ran her hands through her hair in frustration.

Calypso wasn’t doing well either. His hot breath escaped in short pants.

“Diana…”

He looked at her with hazy, desperate eyes.

She clenched her eyes shut in disgust.

She hated him. Despised him.

But if she refused, Alicia would win.

She couldn’t allow that.

Calypso stumbled toward her like a drunk and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to the bed.

“Calypso!”

He was too strong. She was dragged like a lamb to slaughter.

He lifted her and threw her onto the bed.

“Haa… It’s been a while. Let’s enjoy it.”

He tried to remove her dress, but it wouldn’t come off easily.

Thankfully, she had worn a complicated dress today.

She clutched her clothing tightly and tried to reason with him.

“Don’t you get it? Alicia set this up! Calypso!”

But he wasn’t hearing anything anymore.

His lips were on her neck. She shivered.

Her eyes darted around, searching for something—anything—to defend herself.

Then she saw it: a quill pen with a sharp tip sitting on a stool.

She reached for it, grasped it tightly, and aimed it at his neck.

Her hand trembled.

If she stabbed him now—he might die.

Dying because he tried to force himself on his wife? Not a bad end for someone like him.

But still… she couldn’t end things like this.

Her hand stopped. She dropped the quill beside the bed.

She had come this far. She wouldn’t ruin her plan now.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he kissed her.

Tears streamed from her closed eyes.

It was filthy. It was disgusting.
But she could endure it. She had to.
For revenge.

The kiss dragged on. Calypso’s hands moved quickly.

Diana clenched her eyes shut and kept repeating in her mind: I’m okay. I’m okay.

Just as he was about to pull down her dress—

Boom!
The door exploded.

“Mother!”

Through the cloud of dust came Aicel.

* * *

“Mother, it’s me.”

Aicel had come with news—the fake diamonds were being collected. She wanted to update her mother and went to her room.

“Hm?”

But Diana wasn’t there.

That was strange—she hadn’t said she was going anywhere.

Aicel checked the terrace but saw nothing.

Still unconcerned, she headed to Calypso’s office.

He didn’t know it yet, but his business was destined to collapse. She was humming as she entered his study.

“Father.”

But the room was empty.

“Weird…”

She felt uneasy.

So she went to ask the maids. Someone must’ve seen Diana.

Soon, she got an answer.

“You haven’t seen Her Grace?”
“Oh, the Duchess? I passed along a message from the doctor. She was asked to meet in the second-floor guest room.”

Alicia?

Why would Alicia call her mother to the guest room?

That didn’t sit right.

Maybe it was her past trauma—the fear of losing her mother again.

“Thank you.”

She quickly turned around.

“Oh, wait…”

“Yes?”

The maid added something that made Aicel freeze.

“Actually, I saw the Duke go into that room—not the doctor.”
“Father?”
“Yes. He’s been in there for a while…”

The maid blushed. Aicel got the hint.

Impossible.

There was no way her mother would… with that man.

“Got it.”

Aicel rushed upstairs. She stopped in front of the guest room and listened.

No sound.

“Are they really in here…?”

She grabbed the knob and pulled. Locked.

Then—

“Are you really going to go through with this, Calypso?!”

A small voice came from inside—urgent, panicked.

“Mother? Mother!”

She pounded on the door, twisting the handle. Nothing.

Magic’s not working either?

She tried using mana—but it scattered.

“Why…?”

This had never happened before.

Aicel was panicking. She kept pounding the door with her fists.

“What do I do?!”

Her small fists slammed the door until they turned blue.

That’s when someone appeared behind her.

“You…”

A man in a cloak.

It was Ruairi.

“Ruairi!”

She was relieved to see him, but he only put a finger to his lips.

She nodded silently.

He touched the door and closed his eyes.

There was a magical trap—a shoddy magical device made to scatter mana and block entry.

It wasn’t a high-level spell, but strong enough to be a vault—it would take skill to disable it.

“Can you open it?”
“Of course, miss. But…”

“But?”

“Once I break this door… I have to leave right away.”

“What? Without seeing Mother?”

Ruairi looked sad. Different from the past.

“Ruairi…?”

“I’m not ready yet.”

“Ready for what?”

He gently stroked her hair.

“Now go. Save Diana—your mother.”

He looked at the door solemnly, then smiled at Aicel again.

“Until I return… you’ll have to protect her. Understood?”

“…Yes.”

As soon as she answered, Ruairi’s eyes lit up.

A red magic circle, marked with stars and moons, appeared before the door.

He manipulated it mid-air.

“Done. I’m breaking it now.”

He exploded a flame—blasting the door open.

And just like that, he vanished.