Selling the Main Character’s Shares - Chapter 13

“Mmph!”

My arms were already trembling. Then, before I knew it, sweat was already gathering profusely by my forehead. 

But I didn’t give up, and with all my might, I tried to wrench the bars apart in the opposite direction. 

“Urk…!”

I used so much strength that I could hear the sound of my teeth clenching together.

Hot blood rushed to my head in an instant. It felt as if my face was about to burst. 

I tried everything, but… it was just impossible. The ignorantly tough iron bars remained motionless, far from being opened.

“It’s impossible, I can’t do it!”

In the end, I eventually let out a huge breath and sank to my knees. I didn’t even have the strength to stand because of my weak legs. And even so, I wasn’t even able to sit comfortably due to the sticky filth on the floor.

“How in the world am I supposed to get out of here?”

I couldn’t even sell any shares since I was stuck in here all by myself! Didn’t I still need to sell shares or something in order to get cookies?!

But what? I believe in you? Good luck?!

The more I thought about it, the more I started to seethe with anger.

“What sort of guide is that?!”

He was no help, no help at all!

I hunched my shoulders as I gritted my teeth. My body trembled from the cold air that seeped in between the gaps in the wall.

Just how long had I already been imprisoned here for? It felt as if my sense of time itself was disappearing since I couldn’t even tell whether it was day or night. 

Being isolated alone in the dark seemed to make a person even more helpless than I could have ever imagined.

“…if only there were cookies.”

I sniffled and muttered to myself, the sadness surging up within me all of a sudden. 

And to make matters worse, my stomach made a rumbling sound at the thought of cookies.

But it was at that moment when I heard the sound of the door being opened from a distance. Then, the sound of footsteps walking quickly in my direction. 

In any case, it was an unusual sensation.

‘…what is it?’

I instinctively held my breath and listened tensely. Since there wouldn’t be many people who could go in and out of the place I was confined in.

Wait, no, it could just be one person. The very person I wouldn’t be delighted to meet right now.

The shadow of a light pierced through the darkness that was the basement. The light came closer and closer, and soon, the owner of those footsteps was soon revealed.

My guess was exactly right. 

Red hair which was softly illuminated by the candlelight and dim lighting of the lamp. The ridiculous sight of a round bag of ice laying on top of a head that was hit by a vase.

“Tch. Just what sort of situation is this, Lorella.”

Louis, who had approached closer to the barred room with a candle, clicked his tongue while looking down at me.

Upon seeing the detestable face of the person who was right in front of me, I started to tremble with anger all the way down to my fingertips.

“Since it’s even come to this, you should’ve also come to realize it by now.”

“What realization? The realization that my only family is trash?”

When I retorted back, as if I had been waiting for that moment, the bastard’s face turned purple with rage.

“I had hoped that you had reflected on yourself, but to think that you’re still talking like that…!”

Louis pointed his finger at me as he raised his voice.

“Are you rich or are you just thoughtless? You married into a duchy that could’ve allowed you to live luxuriously for a lifetime, yet you’re going to kick that good fortune away to the curb? It seems like your head really is just a decoration1.”

“A comfortable life? Are you kidding me? How can you have the shameless face to comment on that when you walk around wearing a head that can’t think of anything but that topic?!”

Now, rather than anger, a deep regret came over me instead. 

I should’ve hit him with a rock from the beginning. No, rather, I should’ve broken his two legs instead! If I had done that, at least he wouldn’t have been able to walk around with that shameless face of his!

It was then Louis rolled his eyes and said in a gloomy voice.

“I wouldn’t have let you get away with it if you weren’t worth using. Does this seem like a joke too?”

“Try it and you’ll see.”

Eyes that seemed to catch and kill each other collided fiercely in the air. At this point, it was not an exaggeration to say that we were not siblings, but worse than enemies right now.

It was Louis who broke the silence first.

“On the topic of living comfortably all this while in the luxurious Duke’s mansion, I don’t know why you’re complaining about it.”

He rebuked me in a stern tone, as if he were dealing with an immature child.

“Sure, you’ve cried because it’s been tough once or twice, but are you only going to come to your senses when you’re living on the streets?”

“What…? Living comfortably?”

It was so ridiculous that both my eyelids and voice trembled at the same time.

“Are you asking me since you really don’t know…? The treatment I received while I lived in that house?”

But of course, you may not have cared about your younger sister. Since I certainly didn’t consider him as family either anymore.

“Even if you receive poor treatment, what’s the big deal in that? If you endure one thing, you’ll have the opportunity to securely grab onto a portion of good fortune.”

However, this crazy pig bastard couldn’t help but run wild with his own vain delusions.

“Think about it, now is the right time since Duke Periot has done a meritorious deed on the battlefield. Are you really going to miss out on this great opportunity just because of your petty pride?”

Louis shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t really understand what I was doing and went on.

“No matter what people around you say, you can just say ‘yes, yes’, and smile like a doll. Where else in the world can you find such an easy job to do? It’s a no-brainer. I’d do it for the rest of my life if it were me.”

I thought my molars would be the first to break if I just continued to listen. 

To think that I couldn’t even let a punch loose after hearing this sort of bullshit. I grinded my teeth to the point where I was almost plagued with a disorder from my repressed anger.

Just smile like a doll? An easy job that I could do for the rest of my life?

I suddenly remembered the days I spent in the dukedom.

Emma Chambers would always crumple her face whenever she saw me. Even though she usually meticulously managed her expressions for fear of wrinkles on her forehead and nose, it was to the extent where she couldn’t when she saw me. 

The gaze that ran down me from head to toe was always filled with contempt and ridicule. As if she was looking at a tiny bug.

As if receiving such glances for two years wasn’t enough, my every move was also monitored.

She interfered with everything I wore and ate, and on days when she was in a bad mood, would even go and pester me for hours on end, asking why I had drank coffee instead of black tea. 

The days where I couldn’t even drink a cup of tea when I wanted to were like hell. If I didn’t even have the goal of getting a divorce, then I probably would’ve gone insane. Seriously, even the mere thought of it made my blood boil.

“In any case, you still seem to be out of your mind. This is the perfect place for you to reflect on it, so do more of it while you’re here!”

“Wait!”

I urgently grabbed onto Louis, who tried to turn around with a click of his tongue.

“You only seem to know one side of the story. A great opportunity you say, do you really think that’s the case here? Do you not know why I ran away from that house, even at the risk of my life? Who doesn’t want to live a comfortable life?”

Right, my first priority should be getting out of jail first. Then the next should be… having this bastard die!

With that thought alone filling my mind, I struggled to maintain my rationality and quickly threw out a bunch of nonsense.

“If you don’t hurry and submit a petition for the annulment of my marriage to the palace, the Mayred household will be finished! You mustn’t miss this opportunity, since we have witnesses as well.”

“What…?” 

Louis’s eyebrows jumped up.

“Wh-What? A witness? Who is it? Who dares to interfere with the duke’s affairs…!”

That half-witted thing annoyingly couldn’t follow what I was saying! That’s clearly not the point here!

“What’s so important about that? The Duke of Chambers is about to be completely ruined. If you don’t cut me off soon, not only will I be finished, but you will be too!”

I kicked the iron bars hard enough for it to make a loud bang. It was such a strong kick that even Louis stepped back instinctively. Although it was in a fit of anger, it was thanks to that a believable atmosphere was created.

“Wh-What the hell are you talking about…”

Louis’s pupils shook violently in confusion, but he soon came to his senses again and snorted.

“The Duke making a great contribution in this war is something that the entire empire knows. But you’re saying that the Dukedom is going to be ruined? Don’t be ridiculous!”

“Of course that’s what the citizens of the empire know. But who knows more about what happens in that family than I do?”

I grabbed the iron bars tightly and lowered my voice secretively.

“He did make that contribution. However, the problem is that he also made a huge mistake that can’t be overlooked. Furthermore, it’s related to the imperial family too…”

“What sort of nonsense are you spouting…”

“I’m sure it wasn’t only one or two people who saw me cursing by the lake. Then I’m guessing they didn’t tell you the state Periot appeared in? Just why did the duke search for me so frantically, and not anyone else?”

If Louis knew about what happened at the lake, then it meant that the events of that day had already spread in high society. I’m sure there’s also rumors about Commander Leonon and I, but Louis was probably only interested in the ones that concerned Periot and I.

The gossips of the social world would have talked as much about Periot’s appearance as I did. Since he had looked shockingly haggard on that day, even to me.

As expected, my prediction seemed to have hit its mark again. Louis’ pupils shook briefly, but clearly.

“The reason I’ve been making such a fuss was because I thought that you were completely on Periot’s side, but now, that doesn’t seem to be the case…Brother2.”

I hastily pasted3 on honorifics with a shallow smile. Anyone would’ve been able to tell that it was an awkward change, but Louis didn’t seem to mind as he was too preoccupied with his own thoughts.

“He isn’t just pursuing me because I ran away from home. This is all because I have a hold of his ‘weakness’…”

And when I continued to speak, I deliberately emphasized a specific word and pretended to be surprised and covered my mouth. When I did so…

“Weakness…? What is it?”

Louis took the bait. The space between his eyebrows was still wrinkled, but it seemed to be out of frustration now instead of malice. I could also tell from his voice, which was much calmer than before.

“Just tell me first! I need to know what it is so I can use it… no, so I can help you, of course!”

I slowly raised my hand and pointed to the lock on my prison cell.

“If you let me out, I’ll tell you everything.”

“What…?”

“The conditions aren’t equal, you know. How can I be sure that you’re not working with him just to find out how much I know? What should I do if you just steal the information and keep me locked up here?!”

Louis sighed briefly at my words. Then, he winked toward somewhere as a signal. Although I couldn’t see very well since it was far away and dark, it was probably in the direction with a door.

“Don’t have any unnecessary thoughts. There are soldiers guarding the front so escaping from here is useless.”

“I didn’t think of that.”

The sound of the lock being unlocked and the chains being lifted from it echoed quietly in the silence. 

The door finally opened with a clank. Louis approached me cautiously.

“Now, tell me.”

However, instead of answering, I repeatedly raised one knee at a right angle and then put it back down.

“What are you doing? Come on, just hurry up and tell me.”

“Ah, wait a minute. I’m just getting into position.”

I had no choice but to bring Louis down if I wanted to get out of here, which would be impossible just from biting his ear. Besides, there was nothing here for me to hit his head with. So all that was left… was just one place.

“Position? What position?”

It was when the punk had his head cocked to one side.

“I think it’s… here!”

Hoping I wouldn’t miss, I raised my knee and kicked him as hard as I could in his crucial place.

With a thud, the color faded from Louis’ face in an instant.

“Mmph… urgh…!”

Far from the screams of someone facing imminent death, a short groan leaked out of his trembling lips.

Louis eventually fell forward as a heavy thud rang out.

“Keo…heok.”

Louis lay meekly on the floor with both hands and knees, as if he were prostrating himself, and let out a breathless exhale. 

I took the opportunity to pull back the front sole of a high heel and kick him in the ribs once again. 

Thud!

“Gasp!”

“You bastard older brother! What? Good fortune? Just smile like a doll?!”

Thud!

“If you like the duke so much, then you go live with him instead!”

I continued to kick him, one after another, but Louis remained motionless, as if he was a dead mouse. I stopped kicking him and listened, but couldn’t even hear the slightest moan from him. 

I hurriedly turned around and ran out of the prison, leaving him on the floor behind me. Although I had to hit him for a long time in order to properly vent out my anger, I was now in a hurry.

If I missed this opportunity, I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to escape. However, I still had one more obstacle left in my way.

And that was the soldiers at the door.

“Stop right there!”

They shouted in dismay as soon as they saw me pop out from the dark. Then, they reached out to grab me.

“Where do you think you’re putting your hands?”

I spoke coldly before they could even touch me.

“How dare you touch me, the duchess? All right, Periot will be here soon anyway and my escapade will be over. Since I can’t do this, I’ll need at least one person to resolve my anger anyways.”

The Duchess.

That one word stopped the soldiers’ movements in their tracks. It seemed as if they hadn’t thought that far since they were only following Louis’ orders.

“I’ve remembered all of your faces, so you’d better look forward to it. As soon as I return to the dukedom, I’ll call you all in and make you pay for this!”

“S-Sorry!”

“If you understand, then get out of my way!”

The soldiers shrank back in fear. 

I raised my chin as haughtily as I could, trying to conceal my anxious state of mind. Then, at a natural pace, but faster than ever, I brushed past them.

It was when I finally grabbed the doorknob leading to the outside.

I could hear the sound of fierce footsteps from afar, approaching like a monster.

“Where do you think you’re going…?!”

I tried to open the door to leave, but a hand suddenly stretched out from behind me and violently grabbed my neck.

“Ack!”

Surprised by the unexpected incident, I struggled to escape, but his solid arm didn’t budge. My body was roughly spun around 180 degrees. Louis, with bloodshot eyes, was breathing heavily in front of me, as if he had been chasing after me in a frenzy.

“L-Let go of me!”

“You thought you’d be okay after touching me twice, huh?”

Louis tightened his grip around me with an even more dangerous smile. 

The pressure on my neck made it harder and harder for me to breathe. I twisted my body with all my might, but it was all in vain. 

Although he didn’t have a very large build and had small hands, I still couldn’t beat the strength of a man who was using all his might.

“What were you saying to me earlier? Repeat it one more time.”

“You bastard older brother… heup, if you like the duke so much, then you go live with him instead…” 

Although I was being choked to the point where I couldn’t even breathe properly, I still recited word for word what I had said as he asked.

“This bitch really said it again, huh.”

Then, there came a force as violent as those words that were spat out.

However, I was already so exhausted that I couldn’t even manage to kick my legs.

“Count…!”

I could see the soldiers rushing in in confusion and grabbing his arm.

Right, since they’re here, at least I’m not going to die… right?

However, there was still no sign of the grip on my neck slacking at all.

“Urk…”

It was when my airways were being blocked and I unknowingly opened my mouth again.

Bang!

The wooden door, which was the only way out, suddenly broke open with a loud noise.

…wait, it really broke.

Only then did the hand that was gripping me tightly fall away.

I sank to the floor as my shoulders trembled. I could feel my narrow throat struggling to breathe still.

A shattered piece of wood appeared in front of me. As I stared blankly at it, the sound of controlled footsteps caught my ears.

The moment I turned my gaze in the direction of that sound, a large, threatening black shadow suddenly appeared in front of me.

‘Who…’

I blinked and stared blankly at the person standing with their back to the light. The man slowly moved between the knights who were lined up on either side.

It was when he completely emerged from the darkness.

“Duke Periot!”

Contrary to the welcoming cry of Louis, I closed my eyes with despair, pessimism, and resignation.

“You’re here just in time!”

The bastard shouted triumphantly.

However, Periot still remained silent. He just stood there and took turns alternating looks between Louis, and me, who was still on my knees.

Then, he slowly raised his black gloved hand and lightly beckoned his index finger toward Louis.

Despite his extremely overbearing attitude, Louis swiftly ran towards him, as if he had just been graced by him.

“What do you think? My active role in…!”

It was then.

“Keuk! W-Why… are you…!”

The body of Louis, who let out a suppressed moan, as if in pain, floated in the air.

…in the dark, by itself? No, it can’t be, there’s no way. 

I blinked my eyes and looked again.

Periot, who was clothed in black from head to toe, held Louis by the collar and had lifted him up. As if he wasn’t even heavy, and without even frowning. Louis’ feet, unable to touch the ground, were dangling pitifully in the air. And…

 

“Argh!”

His body flew away like a scarecrow and struck the wall. A cold voice sounded from behind the dull thud.

“…how dare you forcibly imprison my wife in such a place?”

I couldn’t help but laugh when the familiar sound of grinding teeth pierced my ears again.

Excuse me, but you did that too!

…you did that as well!

[1] 머리는 장식으로 들고다니다: ‘do you only carry your head around as a decoration?’ basically an insult that implies that your head is useless and that it’s only there for decoration.

[2] she switches from informal to formal speech here

[3] the difference between informal and formal speech is only one character at the end so she literally just ‘pastes it on’ to the end of her sentence