~Chapter 72~
Sophia touched her burning, swollen face. Her lifeless, dark eyes swept across the room in the annex.
She went and sat in front of the mirror.
“Ha…”
Her body, beaten by Egbert, screamed in pain. Because he had slapped her face again and again, the inside of her mouth was torn as well. Her face was swollen and covered in bruises, to the point that she looked like a monster.
“What do you know! Do you know how much Anais loved me? You ruined everything!”
“If it weren’t for you, Anais wouldn’t have left! If you hadn’t gotten pregnant! If you had raised Chris properly, would this have happened? Anais was chased away because of you!”
Under the cruel rain of blows, she couldn’t even breathe properly. She curled up, trying to reduce the impact as much as she could.
Egbert poured out all the anger and loss he should have felt—along with every other dark emotion—onto her.
At that moment, Sophia let everything go. Her life was heading toward a terrible ending.
Sophia was not smart like Anais.
Sophia did not have a man who would love her like Anais was loved.
Sophia, unlike Anais…
She did not have the courage to fight through her own misery.
Sophia whispered,
“…I don’t even know how to take revenge.”
She let out a sob. Her whole body felt like it was being torn apart. Would Egbert ever understand how much pain she was in?
By now, Egbert was probably still drowning in happy dreams, mistaken in his belief that Anais would return.
“Thank you for your concern, Sophia.”
That rough, breathing voice rang in her ears.
“But let me be clear—your worry was useless. Do you think I’m that foolish? Do you really think there’s only one way to get that woman? There are dozens of ways those stone-headed idiots of Constantine can’t even imagine.”
Go ahead.
Try everything you want.
By the time he realizes he can have nothing in the end, it will already be too late.
Sophia blinked. Tears kept blurring her vision.
When that moment comes, she hoped Egbert would be completely alone. That no one would love him.
When Egbert realizes he has nothing, he will understand that he is alone in hell.
Sophia screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Mary!!”
The maid who had been driven to the annex with Sophia opened the door and rushed in.
“Where is Chris right now?”
Before the ruined sight of Sophia, Mary bowed deeply.
“He has just arrived at the annex.”
“Bring Chris here.”
Sophia blinked.
“And Mary. Go and bring a fever medicine made from Herren herbs and painkillers made from Kenpa herbs. Bring a lot of them. Look at me—I’m in terrible pain. My wounds are also burning with fever. Bring enough for a week. I don’t want anyone else to see me like this.”
“Yes, Lady Sophia.”
Mary bowed without question. Until now, Sophia had been ignored openly and quietly at the Graham estate.
The maids did not follow her orders, and the servants did not answer her calls.
Only Mary worked properly—for the wages she was paid.
Sophia gasped for breath, then spoke again.
“Wait, Mary.”
“Yes?”
“…Thank you. For everything.”
Mary tilted her head slightly but did not think too deeply about it.
“Yes, Lady Sophia.”
Watching Mary turn away immediately, Sophia gave a small, bitter smile.
She steadied her heart.
Soon, Chris arrived.
“Why did you call me? Are we really living here? Why? You fought with Father, didn’t you!”
“That’s not it.”
“It totally is! I know everything! I told you not to do things Father hates! Are you stupid, Mom? Is that so hard?”
Chris snapped angrily.
“I’m supposed to become the Marquis of Graham! What is this mess? This is all your fault!”
Sophia stared at Chris blankly. Her son looked frighteningly like Egbert. A child for whom blaming others was easier than reflecting on himself.
And a child who could always side with the strong.
This too was something Sophia was receiving in return for what she had done.
“I don’t want to eat with that woman, Father! Ugh, she smells. She smells like poop!”
“Hey, lady, get lost. There’s no seat for you here.”
“She’s ugly anyway. That’s why my mom wins.”
She remembered how Chris had treated Anais rudely.
Chris was a mirror reflecting Sophia herself. The careless words Sophia had spoken in front of him had taken shape and were aimed at Anais. And Anais had endured all of it calmly.
Sophia hadn’t realized it.
That those arrows could someday turn toward her.
Why had she thought everything would last forever?
Her ignorance and foolishness cut painfully deep.
Had Anais known that a day like this would come?
“Calm down. Your father wouldn’t abandon you.”
Sophia spoke softly.
Chris snorted angrily. His small chest heaved.
“That’s right. I’m the only one Father has. I’m the only one who can succeed him.”
“You’re right. So there’s no need to worry.”
Chris nodded with a sulky face.
“Tell Father to take me back.”
“Alright.”
Chris showed not even a hint of concern for Sophia. As if he couldn’t see her swollen, bruised face at all.
“But is that woman really coming back? That lady. People are saying so.”
“……”
“Then what do we do? Mom, do something. If she comes back and has a child, that’s really bad.”
Words no child should say spilled from his small mouth.
“If she has another kid… you’ll get rid of it, right?”
What was horrifying was that Sophia herself had taught him those words.
A child was a mirror of their parent. The things Sophia had once said about Anais were now flowing from Chris’s mouth.
“If that woman ever gets pregnant, do you think I’ll stay still? I’ll get rid of it all.”
“There’s a child inside you, Sophia.”
She remembered Anais’s cold face as she had warned her quietly back then.
If she had listened carefully to Anais’s words at that time, would something have changed?
Sophia gave a faint smile.
“Lady Sophia. These are the medicines you asked for.”
Sophia greeted Mary with a dark expression.
Mary handed over the medicines.
“Put them there. And prepare some water and simple food. Bread, honey, and butter would be good.”
“Yes, Lady Sophia.”
“Ah, and I want to change into the finest clothes I own.”
Mary nodded and left to prepare. It would take some time to find a dress among the luggage brought to the annex.
“Chris.”
“Yes?”
“You should also change into the best clothes you have.”
“Are we going to see Father?”
“Yes. Let’s do that.”
Chris nodded excitedly and ran out.
Sophia watched his back with cold eyes.
If she left Chris by Egbert’s side, he would grow into the same kind of monster.
Or he would be thrown away.
Rather than that, it was better for Sophia to take Chris with her and go to hell together.
Soon, Mary returned with water and food. She placed them down and left the room.
Left alone, Sophia carefully grasped the medicine bottles. When medicines made from Herren herbs and Kenpa herbs were mixed in a certain ratio, then combined with honey, they became poison.
A poison sweet enough to sting the tongue.
It was a method courtesans used when they grew old and sick, with nowhere to go and no one left to seek them.
Once their most beautiful days passed, their lives withered like seasonal flowers.
“I won’t live like that. I have Egbert! Do you think I’m the same as you? I’ll enter the marquis’s house and live proudly for a long, long time.”
Sophia remembered the faces of the fellow courtesans who had laughed at her. Did they know she would end up like this?
Slowly, Sophia cut the bread.
She spread the mixed medicine on the cut surface. A sharp, sweet smell filled the room.
Sophia changed into her new clothes.
Meanwhile, Chris, who had also changed, came in.
“Let’s go quickly, Mother.”
“First, let’s eat some bread. We need to take the medicine before we leave.”
“Oh, really.”
“You should eat too.”
Chris waddled over, pouting like a little bird. Watching him open his mouth like that, Sophia swallowed back her tears.
She whispered softly to Chris as he took the bread obediently.
“I’m sorry, Chris.”
