Chapter 74
Katrina had no idea why Damian was here.
They say enemies meet on a narrow bridge, but why here of all places?
She thought to herself that today was ruined.
“Such a moving speech.”
She herself couldn’t even remember what kind of speech she had made, but the priest was so moved he was crying.
“It will go down in history as a speech to be remembered forever!”
Once again, she couldn’t remember a word of what she had said.
The only thing that stuck in her memory was…
Damian’s dumbfounded expression, and…
‘Ah, I’m in trouble.’
That was all.
“Just what were you thinking?”
As soon as the service ended, Katrina was dragged away by Damian.
“Why on earth were you there?”
And then came the storm of nagging.
“What about you? Why were you there?”
At the place where Katrina was about to carry out her plan, Damian had been standing there, leaving her completely flustered.
‘But what business would Damian have there?’
He had no reason to infiltrate the heretics’ gathering.
Unless…
‘Is it for the same reason as me?’
But unlike Katrina, who desperately needed the position of negotiation representative, Damian had no such need.
In fact, within the family, it was already taken for granted that Damian would be the one to represent them in negotiations.
That meant Damian’s reason for being here was likely just…
‘To secure an even stronger advantage in the negotiations.’
That seemed like the most reasonable explanation.
“I asked why you were there, Katrina Abiche.”
Damian pressed her.
He still didn’t know. He had no idea that Katrina was hoping to become the negotiation representative.
So he couldn’t possibly imagine why she had been among the heretics.
“I didn’t know.”
Katrina decided to feign innocence.
“I just thought it was a chapel.”
“……”
“But when I went inside, the atmosphere felt strange… then I realized they were heretics. I just went along with it to avoid danger, that’s all.”
Damian studied her carefully, as if to discern whether her words were true.
‘Yes, think it over.’
For now, he wouldn’t be able to reach any definite conclusion.
Only when she held the authority to negotiate would he finally understand why she had done it.
Belek had returned.
Berta embraced her son tightly in welcome.
“Heavens, Belek! I can’t even remember how long it’s been!”
Her son had finally come back.
Whenever Berta thought about the way he had ended up being sent off to the monastery, she felt as though she would weep blood.
And all of it had been Damian’s fault.
Because Damian had deliberately worked to drive Belek out…
“Mother, have you been well?”
Belek also held his mother in return.
“Brother, I’m so glad you came back safely!”
Selena too welcomed Belek warmly.
After he had left, the two of them—mother and daughter—had suffered more humiliation than she could count.
Katrina and Damian. Selena hated them both.
“Selena, I’m just as glad to see you again.”
Belek and Selena exchanged a brief embrace.
Just as the reunion was winding down—
“Ah, Mother. I saw the papers. That bastard Damian is supposed to be cursed soon, isn’t he?”
Belek finally brought it up.
“Yes. I don’t know how it will end myself.”
It was the most talked-about case in the capital at the moment.
He had suddenly killed three people with a curse.
And the next target was Damian.
“I hope the curse just kills him outright this time.”
What a pleasing thought.
“Now that you’re back, Belek, stay out of trouble. Only then can you inherit the family.”
Berta fussed over his rumpled clothes, straightening them as she spoke.
“I will make sure Damian is toppled somehow. So just trust your mother and follow my lead.”
“Don’t worry, Mother, I’ve come to a decision.”
“Really?”
“I’m going to become the family’s negotiation representative.”
“Heavens, Belek!”
If her son were to step forward as the negotiation representative for the wishstone, Berta could wish for nothing more.
The wishstone—what an artifact that was…!
If Belek represented the family at that negotiation, and if he could bring the wishstone back with him, her son would be acknowledged by everyone.
Belek smiled.
“Ahem. What do I lack compared to Damian?”
“Heavens, Belek. If you really succeed, I’ll feel so secure.”
It was just as Katrina had returned to the mansion.
The place was in an uproar.
“Is it true that brat Katrina really woke up?”
A booming voice echoed through the house.
That voice…
It was a familiar one.
‘Belek Abiche.’
So he had returned already?
“Where is Katrina? Bring me to her at once!”
“M-Master, Lady Katrina is…”
“I said I’ll see for myself whether she’s alive!”
That violent voice.
It dragged up old memories.
It was back when Katrina had only just entered the Abiche household.
At that time, the family had a little tyrant living under its roof.
A boy named Belek.
Just like his name, he was brutish and violent by nature.
“Move! I said move aside!”
“Master Belek! P-please calm down!”
Even though several servants tried to block him, they were eventually pushed aside.
The man who had forced his way through looked up and spotted Katrina standing on the balcony.
His eyes widened when he saw her.
“So you really are alive.”
Katrina only tilted her head slightly, gazing down at him from the landing.
She opened her mouth slowly.
“…Belek Abiche.”
“Oh. You remember me? What an honor.”
Clearly, he hadn’t fixed his violent habits.
“Do you know how happy I was to hear you’d woken up?”
“……”
“I was furious that you died so easily. But when I heard you had woken up, I was overjoyed!”
Belek burst into booming laughter that shook the house.
Of course, his relationship with Katrina had never been good.
When she had first entered the family, Belek had looked down on her because she was born a commoner. He treated her however he pleased.
‘The thought of a filthy wench like you living under the same roof as me disgusts me.’
If only it had stopped at verbal abuse. But Belek had even resorted to violence against her.
So Katrina hadn’t simply endured it.
Even as a commoner by birth, she was still part of the Abiche household. She had no reason to silently endure his insults and violence.
So she had fought back and crushed his arrogance.
And from that day on, Belek had hated Katrina with a burning intensity.
He always gnashed his teeth at the very thought of her.
“I heard you were under disciplinary punishment, Belek. Was it really okay for you to come running like this?”
“……”
“If Father finds out you stormed out, things won’t go well for you.”
She had no intention of backing down.
“What are you all waiting for? Remove him.”
Belek’s face twisted at being ignored.
“You think you’re the same as before?”
“……”
“You’re a discarded wretch now. You’ll be thrown away soon enough. With just one signal from me, you’re finished.”
Radiating an overwhelming menace, he strode up the stairs.
When he got close enough, he twisted his mouth into a crooked smile.
“So if you want to live, you’d better kneel and beg.”
“……”
“Right now.”
Katrina gazed down at the man still a few steps below her and thought—
Should I just push him down?
“What’s going on here?”
Damian, who had returned to the mansion together with Katrina, stepped inside.
