Chapter 46
“Among you, was there anyone who actually saw the Count infect Shay with the parasite?”
Zacharine shook his head.
“No. We only learned about it because the Count told us. We didn’t witness that scene ourselves.”
“I see. So Shay’s constant irritability here wasn’t because of the pain?”
“That… probably not. We had been giving her painkillers in advance before it got bad. We also don’t know why the young lady… no, Madam, changed like that. Since coming here, she’s been completely different.”
“You must have taken great advantage of being by Shay’s side under the pretext of giving her painkillers, right?”
Zacharine swallowed nervously and replied,
“No… we didn’t.”
But Benjamin was not fooled.
“Of course you didn’t. Those who exploit others see them strictly as possessions or tools. There’s no way you wouldn’t have done the same. If you weren’t that kind of people, Shay would have looked for you first after she hurt her head.”
Zacharine fell silent at the clearly mocking remark. It seemed she realized that if she spoke any more than answering Benjamin’s questions, this time it wouldn’t be the bars that would collapse, but herself.
The three of them were trapped in an underground prison. For a long time, the prison that had failed to catch its master was finally fulfilling its purpose.
Benjamin intended to resolve everything swiftly.
Fortunately, Shay planned to be away from the Grand Duke’s residence for several days, so he could finish matters before that.
Moreover, he had brought plenty of the problematic cookies, just in case. Shay, who usually had no appetite, would eat only the nanny’s cookies.
Nanny Marilla had confined Shay in a room rather than the underground prison, anticipating the shock.
“I wanted to tell her in a way that wouldn’t hurt her too much when she returns in good condition…”
Benjamin thought, staring at pale Shay.
It was a relief, in a way, that she had suffered a seizure upon arriving at the Grand Duke’s residence.
He hadn’t known anything about this suffering until now.
Thinking back, except for moments of passionate intimacy, Shay often stayed confined to rooms other than the marital bedroom.
At those times, only the three maids were allowed near her, and she hated even the idea of others entering.
He had assumed her avoidance of the marital bedroom was because she disliked him. He never imagined she was enduring such pain.
Perhaps Shay had chosen this course to avoid showing such a side of herself.
The painkiller given to Shay came from a wildflower native to a foreign land—it didn’t grow in the empire. Ordinary people experienced no effect, so there was little reason for them to take it.
Yet for Shay, without it, the pain was unbearable.
The parasite attached to her heart didn’t kill its host. Instead, it periodically drew blood from the heart without killing her, releasing a substance that caused agonizing pain far worse than death.
Benjamin recalled the times when Shay had been unable to attend public events due to pain, and the times after agreeing to marry him when she could not meet him because of illness.
“It wasn’t just weakness or illness. Even when she couldn’t see me after promising marriage, it wasn’t her body—she was being tormented by the Count.”
The thought made his heart ache.
It was an indescribable pain.
All the sharpness he had felt at the Grand Duke’s residence over those days now made sense—she must have had a reason for everything she did.
Even trying to accommodate her wishes, listening to everything she said, had felt like ignoring her suffering. Benjamin’s chest ached so much it was maddening.
“William Allantra…”
Hatred for William surged.
‘How dare he do this to his own daughter!’
He had made her dependent on painkillers so she would obey him, even assigning a watcher to ensure he could control her for life.
Benjamin clenched his fists.
Watching Shay lie motionless like a corpse, he resolved never to forgive the person who caused her this suffering.
Yet he also feared that Shay, who might still love her father, could be hurt further.
The thought of her in unimaginable pain, unable to cry out even when suffering, made him feel helpless.
Feeling pain throughout the body must be like this.
Shay slowly opened her eyes, completely drained of energy.
She wanted to stay lying down but couldn’t help opening her eyes, remembering how she had acted like a child due to pain.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she met Benjamin’s face—full of worry, almost heartbreakingly intense. One could believe he had been stabbed in the heart.
Shay tried to lighten the mood with a smile.
“Anyone would think Benjamin is the one in pain. With that expression, I can’t even pretend to be hurt.”
Benjamin remained silent.
‘It was a lame joke, I suppose.’
She wanted to sit up, but her head spun. Shay placed her hand on her forehead, remembering that the worst pain before collapsing had been in her chest.
‘No underlying illness, but maybe something went wrong with my heart? The doctor never mentioned anything unusual recently.’
As she glanced at Benjamin, she was startled.
His red eyes were brimming with tears, which began to fall, one by one.
“Benjamin? You’re crying?”
She reached out quickly, but her movements weren’t fast enough. She couldn’t sit up but could touch his cheek.
Her palm was dampened by his tears.
His face was terrifying, almost angry—his hardened expression and bloodshot eyes were full of fury.
If not for the tears, one could think he was ready to send someone to the afterlife.
‘What a terrifying expression. Even though I did nothing wrong, it makes me nervous.’
“Benjamin, I’m really okay. You don’t have to cry.”
Shay was flustered but didn’t pull her hand away. She gently wiped his tears. Her hands were weak, but she couldn’t ignore someone crying before her.
Benjamin answered in a blunt tone.
“You’re not okay. You don’t need to pretend.”
“Don’t cry. It feels like you made me cry.”
“I am crying. I’m angry seeing Shay, who’s in pain, pretending to be fine.”
Despite the gruff tone, his words were tender.
He took Shay’s hand, which was wiping his cheek, into his own and pressed it to his lips. Her tears soaked his lips.
Shay replied, embarrassed:
“If you cry like that, I can’t even pretend to be in pain.”
“I wouldn’t stop pretending even if I didn’t cry.”
“No, I would.”
“Better…”
Benjamin whispered almost like a confession, his voice lower and rougher than usual, strained.
“It’s okay to get annoyed or shout like before. Even if it’s ten times noisier than this, please don’t be in pain.”
“Wow… dying twice from a crying face.”
“I’m too angry. That you are in pain.”
Tears continued to flow.
Even the most charismatic person, yet seeing her cry for him, made his heart soften.
“…Thank you for worrying about me.”
“Of course.”
Even crying, he said what he needed. Somehow, it was endearing.
‘Is this what it means for one person to seep into another?’
Seeing someone often leaves a lasting impression.
He didn’t know if it was love, but it was certainly affection. Even without saying “I love you” or “I like you,” seeing someone cry for you feels like their heart belongs to you.
Oddly enough, that brought relief.
His unstable heart could be steadied by the other’s solid one.
“My chest hurt a lot before I collapsed. Maybe I should see a doctor again to check for an unknown illness.”
Benjamin answered firmly:
“It’s not a disease, Shay. You’ve been infected by a parasite.”
“A parasite?”
Shay’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected this.
Parasites usually infected poor people who drank contaminated water or ate unhygienic food—not nobles.
“It’s a parasite called the tail of the Casio Scorpion. Normally it doesn’t infect humans, but someone with malice infected your heart.”
“That person… who?”
“Your father, Shay.”
Shay inhaled sharply but wasn’t entirely surprised.
Of course, it could be him. She remembered clearly how he used to feed her poison, watching her reactions with satisfaction.
Casio Scorpion’s tail.
Even the name was unfamiliar. She must have been infected during her father’s preparations for marriage, using it as a tool to control her.
No wonder she had been outraged before losing her memory. She tried to escape from her father through marriage, but he had prepared yet another snare.
‘This was my weakness. My father probably used this to demand pregnancy from me.’
But there was still something to confirm first.
