This Marriage Must End In Tragedy Chapter 15
Chapter 15. The Ones Who Left a Child There
The man’s violet eyes bore an uncanny resemblance to the night sky. Ansi, who had been staring into them, suddenly felt self-conscious and turned her gaze downward.
“On a floor like this?”
“It was filthier than this, even.”
It was hard to believe that a man with such aristocratic elegance had done something like that. But if it was Damion de Orphe—at least the one she’d seen so far—it didn’t seem entirely out of character.
“Don’t tell me you’re about to suggest we lie down here together.”
Ansi’s genuine concern made Damion let out a soft chuckle. Thankfully, he seemed to have no such intention.
“Instead, would you tell me what that star is, if you know? I’ve been curious for a while.”
Ansi followed the line of Damion’s fingertip to the sky above. Amidst the sea of stars, one shone particularly bright.
“That’s Arcturus. Its name means ‘Guardian of the Bear,’ and it’s the brightest star in the constellation Boötes—the herdsman.”
“So… the herdsman’s flock is a bear?”
“No. The bear he protects isn’t livestock—it’s his mother. She was turned into a bear as punishment from the gods. The herdsman watches over her for eternity, from the heavens.”
At that, Damion’s eyes narrowed slightly. He posed a quiet, curious question.
“Even if someone turns into something unrecognizable—into a different creature altogether—and dies in the end, do you still think they remain family?”
“Yes,” Ansi replied with certainty. “I believe that’s what family is. What about you, Lord Damion?”
She turned to face him squarely as she asked.
If he thought the same…
Ansi’s eyes were drawn to the man’s lips, now pressed in a shadowed expression. At last, his lips parted.
“I’m glad to hear you think that way, Ansi. I, too, believe I’d give my life for my family, without hesitation.”
Ansi’s gaze trembled. He had no idea what his brother had done. No idea what she had suffered at his hands. Yet he could say—with such peace of mind—that he would give his life for his family.
Yes, this man was indeed someone Ansi had every reason to hate.
He was the villain meant to be cast into the fire, alongside the witch.
Biting the inside of her lip so hard it nearly bled, Ansi forced herself to smile.
“I feel the same way, my lord.”
“I think it’s about time we dropped the formality. Just call me Damion, Ansi.”
The man smiled radiantly. Seeing the happiness on his moonlit face, Ansi was overwhelmed with a sudden, filthy feeling.
Two emotions collided chaotically within her.
Hatred—because he was the brother of her enemy.
And guilt—for deceiving a man so pure and unaware.
Neither were pleasant emotions.
And yet, Ansi had a sense of foreboding.
No matter how their story ended, she would never be able to forget this night—this flood of stars and the memories of this labyrinth.
“Don’t scream, Mion.”
A boy’s gentle voice echoed in Damion’s head.
A pained groan escaped Damion’s lips as he lay with his eyes shut. One drop. Then two. Something wet fell onto his arm, followed by searing pain that consumed him whole.
You’re holding out well. Mion is such a good boy.
The boy chuckled softly. Damion, eyes squeezed shut, finally opened them and spoke. Tears streamed down his cheeks.
The voice that escaped his lips was that of a whimpering child. On his arm were hardened drips of candle wax, congealed where they’d fallen. Before him stood the golden-haired boy—Cardian—gazing down with eyes colder than death.
I told you not to speak. Why don’t you ever listen?
Bad boys need to be punished, don’t they?
Cardian spoke as though merely scolding a disobedient child. Then, he took the lit candle he held and pressed it directly to Damion’s arm.
Damion let out a piercing scream. The heat of wax and flame seared into his skin, an agony so intense it would stay with him for the rest of his life. He thrashed and shook his arm wildly in a panic, desperate to rid himself of the pain, while Cardian simply laughed.
Just then, the door burst open. Several people rushed in, led by the duchess, Marianne, drawn by the screams.
“Mion must’ve dropped the candle while playing with it and got scared. Are you all right, Mion?”
Cardian spoke nonchalantly, gently tugging Damion’s sleeve down to hide the burn.
“N-No! H-He held the candle to my arm on purpose—he did it!”
“I don’t understand what you mean, Mion. I only tried to stop you…”
“No! Mother, that’s not what happened!”
Damion staggered toward Marianne, nearly falling as he ran. An adult had come—someone who could finally save him from his brother. Everything would be okay now.
He raised his injured arm, wincing from the pain. As he reached for his sleeve to reveal the wound—
Marianne gently took his hand and stopped him.
Her gaze flicked to the extinguished candle rolling on the floor, to Damion’s hand, and to Cardian’s golden eyes staring back innocently.
A long silence passed. She swallowed hard, then opened her mouth.
“Damion… Lying is very bad, you know.”
Her hand tightened gently around his small fingers, keeping him from rolling up his sleeve.
It was then that Damion realized, just as the children trapped in the candy house did, that no adult would ever come to save him.
For the ones who abandoned him in that gingerbread house were none other than his own parents.
He would have to escape the villain’s grasp on his own.
The child who had once cried in silence in a dark room, swallowing back every sound, had grown. He had become the man he was now. But the darkness around him had never changed.
His breath caught. Clutching at his throat, Damion gasped and choked. His chest was tight, and he didn’t know how to breathe. All he could do was inhale again and again in panic, until finally he let out a scream.
At that sound, the door burst open.
Someone rushed in and shook him awake. The urgency in their touch snapped Damion’s eyes open.
He let out a huge breath, his chest heaving as he sucked in air. His body was drenched in cold sweat.
Elma, the head maid, gently rubbed his back again and again.
“It was just a nightmare, sir. You’re safe now.”
Damion, eyes bloodshot and staring into space, finally began to calm down after a long while.
“I’m fine now. Thank you.”
His voice cracked as it escaped his lips. Elma gave him a look of quiet concern before stepping out of the room.
She had known Damion since he was about eight, when he first came to House Orphe. After he was discharged from the military and moved out on his own, she followed him to his new home.
Lately, he had seemed calmer… but it looked like the nightmares were back again.
“My poor young master…”
Elma sighed bitterly outside the closed door and turned away.
The Duke of Orphe had ordered that Damion be brought to the manor as soon as he awoke. But she decided to wait until he’d had time to recover and finish his breakfast before relaying the message.
And as for the young lady the Duke had in mind as his match, Elma could only pray, over and over again, that she would become a true family to him.
“Rain! Open the door, sweetie!”
The loud banging on the door from early morning made Ansi furrow her brow.
Her body felt heavy. And it was no wonder. After returning from the ball last night, she had torn off the dress that man had gifted her and only began preparing for bed as the first light of dawn crept in.
“Ansi, I think it’s Madam Roma,” said Sophia, sitting up with wide eyes on the bed across from her.
With a tired sigh, Ansi forced herself to rise.
As soon as she opened the door, Roma tried to barge in like she had been waiting for the moment. Ansi blocked her with one arm.
“I know it’s your house, but you can’t just walk in. I’ve paid to stay in this room, haven’t I?”
Since she hadn’t found a place to stay in the capital yet, she had agreed to spend a few nights at Roma’s. It was the most reasonable option—affordable and safe.
Ansi had considered coming alone, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave Sophia behind in the South, especially with Geris possibly showing up at any time.
Thankfully, Roma’s house was quite comfortable.
There was just one problem—its owner talked far too much.
“What on earth is going on with you?” Roma cried, holding up a gossip magazine. “This photo in Morning Noblesse—this is you, isn’t it?”
She glanced back and forth between the black-and-white image and Ansi, still not quite believing her eyes. Her gaze finally landed on the distinct embellishment of the dress hanging nearby.
“I knew it! It is you!”
“Yes, it is,” Ansi replied calmly.
“Oh, my stars! How is this even possible? I was so shocked I nearly spilled my coffee—and now my heart won’t stop racing! Rain—no, I’ll call you Ansi from now on. That’s alright, right?”
“Please do. I won’t be using the name Rain anymore.”
“Well, I get the gist of what’s going on. Don’t worry—I know how to keep my mouth shut.”
Ansi gave a small nod.
Despite being a chatterbox, Roma wasn’t careless with her words. It was one of the reasons Ansi had chosen to stay here. Her discretion was a principle honed through years of handling sensitive client requests in her line of business.
“Well, now that I’ve confirmed it, that’s enough for me. Amazing, really.”
“Yes, please get some rest.”
“Oh, by the way—the fountain pen sold. Here, this is the payment.”
Roma held out a thick wad of cash. Judging by its size, it had sold for a high price.
So much for calling it “a day’s worth of life”—apparently, the man hadn’t valued it as cheaply as he let on. The memory of his arrogant words stirred an involuntary chuckle from Ansi.
“What? Were you expecting more?”
“No, it’s just… more than I expected.”
“Go buy something nice for your mother. Oh, and… don’t you think it was the right call to go out that day?”
Ansi realized what Roma was referring to. Come to think of it, it was because she had gone out that night in place of the young lady of House Larwill that she had met Damion de Orphe again.
The very encounter that had set her on the path of revenge.
Ansi bowed her head deeply, sincerity in her gaze.
“You silly girl! I didn’t help just to be thanked.”
Even as she said it, Roma let out a delighted little laugh, shutting the door with a bang.
Ansi lay back down on her bed.
She had truly taken a single step forward.
Turning that truth over in her mind, she closed her eyes again.
Light struck the crystal chandelier hanging from the high ceiling, scattering beams downward in a radiant spray. It was as though the house itself were greeting its visitor with a celebration of brilliance.
Bathed in that light, Damion walked with brisk, cool strides straight to the dining room.
The door was open, but he knocked anyway, out of courtesy.
Marianne, smiling as she delicately lifted her fork, suddenly froze. Her expression stiffened as she lowered her utensil with a clink. Her face flushed red with heat.