Chapter 2

The man took off his robe and found the desk with a small stride, he put it on the chair in front of him, stopped moving, and asked again: ” ···What?”

Her eyes widened, reflecting her bewilderment.

“I need a man to spend the night with. I overheard the servants saying that we can meet men in a bar or something of that sort, but I don’t know how to get there.”

“Why do you need such a man?”

“I’m trying to get back at someone I hate.”

The man frowned at Carinne’s words. He quit trying to discern whether she was being genuine or not. He had to rely on his other senses because he couldn’t see her, but he could not feel pretension in her voice.

‘…Is it a lovers-quarrel?’ He thought it must be a case of wanting to get back at a cheating lover by giving him a taste of his own medicine. However, he knew best how dirty and dangerous this area was.

“That’s a dangerous idea. If it’s just for revenge, I recommend looking for another way.”

“No, I don’t have time. I have to do it today.”

Whenever Carinne spoke in a light voice, she wondered how long it’s been since she addressed someone so comfortably.

He didn’t know who she was no matter what she askes or said.

“…Is that something you must do?”

“Yes.”

The man stood in silence.

“Oh, don’t tell me you won’t show me the way because I did help you as promised.”

“Because you helped me, I will help you.”

“Thank you.”

The man said, taking off his uniform-like jacket with a pattern on it, uncuffing the cuffs of his white shirt, and rolling up his sleeves, he strode toward her with steps that were unbelievably accurate for someone who couldn’t see. His senses were more sensitive than others, and it wasn’t that difficult to tell where she was from her breath.

Perched on the window frame, Carinne eyed the man who was standing at a hair’s breadth away from her. He looked so determined as he reached out his arm and put his hand on her cheek.

“Then what about me?”

“Huh?”

“Wouldn’t I be better than other men you’d never know where they crawled out from?”

Carinne stared up at the man. Of course, she didn’t think that it was a bad idea. The man had a very attractive appearance.

“You can’t see with your eyes, can you?”

“I can do it even if I can’t see.”

He bent down and kissed Carinne’s lips as her eyes opened wide.

“Are you offended?”

“…Well, no. It’s okay.”

Carinne’s honest answer naturally brought the man’s hand down to support her waist firmly and she frowned as his kiss became rougher but she didn’t break it off.

“You sound dead set on sleeping with a man.”, he said, bowing to Carinne, who was determined not to move. Laughing low, he bit Carinne’s lower lip.

“If you don’t like me, I’ll let you know the right place.”

Carinne contemplated for a while and then smiled. She was much better off with a man who didn’t see than to go look for another person.

“It’s all right.”

She nodded and answered, and he took Carinne and laid her on the bed.

‘Are you sure you can’t see?’

He moved with surprising ease, which, of course, meant that he was used to being blind. He kissed the girl lying down again and fumbled with her clothes. It was a night when everything was new to Carinne.

***

‘It hurt, ….’

I wanted to ask if it was true that he really couldn’t see.

He repeated the act, which he had initially been performing perfunctorily by obligation, several times, perhaps coming to enjoy it after all.

Although it hurt a little, it wasn’t completely unenjoyable. Catching herself thinking, she wondered if she’d lost her mind to have such thoughts.

‘I don’t have to attend a banquet anytime soon so I’ll probably get beaten senseless.’

Carinne clicked her tongue and quietly got out of bed. It was a breakaway.

The man didn’t see her face, so there won’t be any commotion, just a quiet escape from the night.

Carinne put on her clothes again, arranged them by the mirror, and put her robe back on. Perhaps the man was exhausted, he slept soundly, which was fortunate for Carinne who soon left the inn.

After hailing a common carriage, she went down to the mansion and told the guards to pay for it. Fortunately, it was very early in the morning, so everyone seemed to be asleep except for the guards.

Carinne crept down to the basement. The one-bed narrow room was allocated to her by Count Tyrian himself. Being located underground, there was no fully equipped bathroom with a bathtub, but there was still a decent enough place for her to wash up. She washed her body clean with cold water that she was now accustomed to and laid down on the creaking bed.

Tomorrow morning, it was obvious that Count Tyrian would come down in a fit of anger, but she had not a care in the world.

Count Tyrian was someone who could not keep it in his pants. That naturally led to a child coming out of wedlock, and that child was Carinne.

It was unbelievable that Tyrian had only one illegitimate child. She didn’t know what else he had done behind the scenes.

Carinne’s mother couldn’t bear the hardships of life and sold her to the Count. From the mother’s point of view, it seemed that she wanted to make money and allow her child to grow up in a better environment, but there was a reason why he gladly accepted his child, whose origin was unclear. It was because Karinne’s appearance was outstanding since she was young. She had inherited her father’s silvery-white hair and her monther’s unique raw yellow eyes akin to an animal’s. That’s why he belatedly accepted Carinne into the County. He wanted a daughter to marry her off, but unfortunately, he did not have one. So he tried to use her as a political marriage card but she got away just in time. He was a scumbag that would even use his children as collateral for a deal.

Carinne’s freedom was restricted and she had to do exactly as she was told in exchange for the most basic human rights.

He hoped an educated Carinne would be worth more. So as a result, he made sure she was taught a lot of subjects. But Carinne spent most of her time in the basement, so she lacked basic common sense. She could talk about the history of the empire, but she would have no idea how much a night in an inn costed, how much an apple was worth, and in which season grapes ripened.

Carinne hated Count Tyrian.

She didn’t like that he didn’t let her mother go and locked her in a separate house, and when he got sick of her, she didn’t like the fact that he left her alone and eventually killed her.

This was her plan to obstruct the Count’s greed. She did enough. Now it was a test of whether or not Lady Luck smiled upon her.

For today’s disobedience, perhaps Count Tyrian would impose a ban on her outings for a while. It was also clear that she would be locked up as a punishment for her unruly behaviour. This meant that she did not have another chance left.

‘It would be nice if I got pregnant.’ It was entirely up to luck. If she was lucky enough, her plan would succeed. Otherwise, she would forever continue to live on as someone’s pet, only changing the owner of her leash. She knew it was a selfish wish. It sounded a little strange, even to her. But to live, there was no other way. She was a pet trapped in a cage, and she could not do as she pleased.

There could be no bigger shock delivered to Count Tyrian than her having a child.

Count Tirian had poured more than a decade of effort into Carinne. To raise her value and be ready for marriage in the best condition. But now, she screwed up before his eyes. She couldn’t even begin to imagine his rage. Carinne giggled.

***

“…you, what’s your name?” The man had asked in a groaning passion. Of course, she didn’t answer pretending she didn’t hear. She had never whispered such a sweet voice to anyone.

‘It was good.’ She liked the way he touched her so carefully as if she was the most delicate and precious being. She always thought a man’s hand was meant to oppress, force, and hit someone.

But the hand that swept her back felt good. She was going to keep this night as a dream. Carinne yawned and closed her eyes and was soon overpowered by drowsiness.

***

*clash-! Quang-!*

He knocked hard on the iron door, and soon the light leaked into the basement with a sound of clanging.

Carinne opened her eyes, still half-asleep.

“You’ve been crazy lately!”

*Yaah! Yaah!*

Carinne opened her eyes with a moan caused by the pain of getting hit on her back. Her body crouched reflexively, and he hit the same spot again, doubling the pain.

It was a good thing to sleep facing the wall. Otherwise, she would have gotten whipped in the face or the stomach. She expected such treatment, but the sudden shock of being hit while asleep was painful.

“Hoo….”

Carinne bit her lower lip tight, as she endured the tears from the pain of the constant beating. She knew that crying only stimulated his sadistic tendency even further.