When the Villains Unite - Chapter 3; Part 2

After watching me in silence, the Count spoke.

“If you succeed in doing what I’ve asked of you by the end of the week, you can stay here.”

His words set off alarms in my head.

Was he saying… he’d let me out of the annex next week?

He always met my pleas for help with dismissal, but for the first time, he has given me confirmation. Now that he’s killed Damian, he thinks all he has to do is kill Bellamy and he’ll be a Duke. And then…

“When I get out-”

“You’ll take bridal lessons for two years then be a duchess.”

It was two years until I reached the age of adulthood. Two years of bridal lessons. I knew it wasn’t normal, at least not under the man who gave me those books to prepare to become a duchess.

Whatever he was thinking, it wasn’t going to work out. The only problem is that he has scheduled to remove me from the annex next week. Bellamy said my escape was two weeks away, so we need to pick up the pace.

Seeing me preoccupied, the Count gestured to his servant. Then, uncharacteristically, he knocked three times on the door. As the sound of the knocking changed, so did the objects brought by those outside.

What would he bring this time? Each time he brought something, it became weirder and weirder.

However, this time it was the maids who opened the door. The last maid to come held a gorgeous, purple dress in her hands. Perhaps the last time I was measured, they were fitting me for that dress.

But why does he need a maid to give it to me?

I looked at the Duke, perplexed.

“Dress her,” he boldly ordered.

Before I could think about the implications of those words, the maids approached and undressed me. I was taken aback by the suddenness of the situation. Momentarily escaping the maid’s touch as they removed my top, my mind returned and I slapped their hands away.

“Huh, Count, what is this-”

“I thought I told you not to call me Count.”

Years ago, he had insisted, with confidence, that I refer to him as ‘Duke.’ Now, the stern look on his face left me speechless, but this didn’t seem right.

“So, how can I… in front of the Duke?”

“We’re about to become husband and wife, what’s wrong with showing your body?”

After his response, the Count gestured to the maids to begin again, and they pulled my clothes down.

I could only stare in disbelief as their hands roamed over my body. Suddenly, I felt like I’d been hit in the head with a hammer.

The Duchess Count Wright was talking about… the wife of the Duke of Orca?

No matter how crazy he is, I never thought he would even think of marrying a minor with an age difference of more than twenty years.

Before I knew it, the maids’ hands had stripped me down to my thin underwear. Shame washed over me as I stood before all of them nearly naked.

The Count looked me over from top to bottom as if he were inspecting a work of art. I was terrified by his gaze. He was looking at me as if I was a sex doll. I wanted to run out of the room, but I couldn’t afford to mess this up. I pursed my lips and prayed that this moment would quickly end.

Soon after, the maids put the dress on me. The dress fit my body perfectly. I couldn’t help but grimace a bit at the age-defying elegance and deep cleavage.

“You look good.”

The Count gestured for me to sit back down on the coach. As I resumed my position, the maids left the study, and several servants approached for my usual meal.

When I was with the Count, I used to fill my stomach like a man who had been starving for a week, but now my hands were trembling and I could hardly hold the utensils. However, the Count continued to eat in front of me as if nothing happened.

I, on the other hand, was so nervous that my appetite was gone. While I normally would force food into my mouth, now I couldn’t. I lost track of time as my mind wandered, and I watched the Count in a daze.

When the meal is over, he will take me back to the annex. Until then… until then, I just have to be patient.

“You’re not eating very well.”

The Count wiped the corners of his mouth with his napkin as if he finished eating and frowned at me, not liking my stillness.

I fidgeted and was unable to look him in the eyes.

Obviously frustrated with me, he ordered the servants, “We’ll have tea, so get it ready.”

I couldn’t believe we were going to have tea. The Count must be planning to kill me.

While the servants were prepping the tea, I thought I was going to die. I couldn’t wait to get back to the annex to see the boys. Somehow, I believed seeing them would reassure me.

“Have you read the book I gave you?” The Count asked.

My jaw dropped at the realization of why he gave me the book. What would he say if he realized I was too scared to read beyond the first line of chapter one?

“I tried to look, but I couldn’t understand it…”

Rose had gone from being a commoner to a noble, so she hadn’t learned to read after so many years of being locked away.

However, for me, who grew up in Korea where learning languages was a way of life, studying the Imperial Language was something done with little effort. In less than a few years in the annex, I was self-taught and mastered both the Imperial and ancient languages, as well as the official language of the Krivat Empire. But, my life will work for the Count, who has no way to confirm that.

No sooner had I finished speaking that the servants opened the door and entered, setting the table. As always, hot chocolate was placed in front of me, and black tea in front of the Count.

As they finished setting the table, he dismissed the servants from the room, his every action pinching my nerves.

Why did he send all the servants away?

The alarm bells went off once more in my head.

“The Duchess of the Empire is an illiterate idiot…”

“I’m sorry-”

“I’ll have to make sure you stay in the ducal residence.”

He looked at me as if I was pathetic, then took a sip of his tea.

My throat felt like it was burning from dealing with him. I wasn’t a fan of hot things, so I just stared at the hot chocolate in front of me.

He looked me up and down, then set his tea down.

“But, you don’t need to read the book.” He took a pause, then continued, “The actual performance is more important.”

“…”

“I’ll have a difficult time, but I can teach you from start to finish.”

You’re going to teach me from start to finish? You’re going to do that?

Count Wright sprang to his feet as he finished speaking, my eyelashes fluttering in bewilderment. He slowly approached me and then sat down beside me.

Now, wait. Now?

I flinched as his large hands wrapped around my waist.

Wait! I’m still a minor. I’m not old enough to do such a thing with a twenty-year-older count!

“Count! Please, I’ll quickly learn to read and write… So-”

“I’m not a Count. If you can’t learn even that, how can I trust you?”

Inching closer to me, he used one of the hands wrapped around my waist to sweep a strand of hair behind my ear, sending me a sultry gaze.

“Duke… if you just give me a little time, I’ll find a way to-”

“You should say ‘Mister’ rather than Duke now, Rose. And, there’s no need to take your time, it’s a bridal class, after all.”

Just a heads up, next chapter there will be an SA warning, so proceed at your own risk.

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