Chapter 19 - The Blue Rose (1) (2/2)

In an instant, Mary’s painful groans stopped. Despite the fact that she was rolling all over the floor just a moment ago, she immediately stood up, her posture with grace and poise. Clodan turned around and faced Rei, a smile as bright as the morning sun gracing his face. Both of them acted as if whatever happened before was a mere illusion.

“Are you alright?”

Rei was extremely confused. But when Clodan reached out to her with his hands, she recalled the way he’d incessantly tormented her before and avoided his embrace.

“Oh, you’re avoiding me?”

He sounded a tad disappointed, but his expression remained cheery. He lowered his arms and pointed at the table filled with steaming hot dishes.

“Eat something first.”

“Clodan…”

Rei’s gaze shifted towards Mary, who was now quietly wiping some glasses.

“Are you hurt?”

Mary didn’t even lift her head to look at Rei and replied in a curt manner. “This happens now and then. Please do not think too much of it.”

After saying that, she left the room in a hurry. Rei froze, unable to figure the change in Mary’s attitude towards her. Clodan, who was still standing next to her, spoke up against her behaviour.

“She’s so impertinent. Do you want to relieve her of her service?”

Rei hurriedly reached out and grabbed his wrist, surprised by his offer. “Why would you say that? She just seems a bit unwell…”

“Mary’s nice. She’s the one who took care of me whenever I feel sick.” She added.

“Well, hearing you defend her just makes me want to do it even more.” It was a murmur, yet with the silence in the room, it still reached Rei’s ears.

She could feel the frustration build up inside her chest. Even though he was smiling at her warmly, the way he treated felt distant, as if she was a stranger.

“Rei.”

Clodan leaned forward and lifted the blanket covering her body.

“I’m not a nice person.” His gaze wandered all over her thighs and lingered on all the red marks he’d left on her. “So, don’t bother me.”

“I’m bothering you?”

Rei almost wanted to rip out her hair in frustration. How could Clodan be so insensitive? Every word of his was like a stab to her heart. She recalled the way he’d taken her first time so aggressively and slowly grew angry.

“You…You shouldn’t act so shamelessly!”

Clodan chuckled and slapped his knee, as if he’d heard the most hilarious thing on earth. “How am I shameless?”

“You…you only want to tease me. Even when I’m tired, you were not gentle to me. And now, you’re speaking to me so rudely!”

He ran his hand through her hair, gently untangling the knots in it, and tucked it behind her ear.

“So, you don’t like it when I’m like this?”

Rei couldn’t answer his question. She meekly covered herself with the blanket he’d taken away before and hid her face behind it.

“I’ve always been like this though.”

No, you weren’t. But Rei didn’t dare say that out loud.