After leaving the café, I said goodbye to Hezze and Halley and took the bus back to the villa. On the way, my head kept buzzing. Rose's words were like sharp thorns lodged in my mind, I couldn't pull them out, yet I couldn't swallow them either.
The moment I stepped into the courtyard, I saw Logan.
He was standing near the steps, tall and thin but swaying unsteadily, one foot landing higher than the other. The last time he'd been beaten until he was covered in blood; now, although his injuries had been treated, it was obvious he hadn't fully recovered. His face was pale, his eye sockets sunken, his whole body exuding a sense of collapse and gloom.
He stared at me.
Not a casual glance, but a fixed, hostile stare, his slanted eyes filled with undisguised animosity. My discomfort flared instantly, the irritation I'd bottled up all day finally exploding, and my voice lost any trace of gentleness.
"What are you staring at?" I said bluntly. "I wasn't the one who beat you last time."
Logan sneered, his face devoid of any goodwill.
"I'll never accept you," he said hoarsely. "In my heart, the only one who can be sister-in-law is Miss William."
I gave a faint laugh, an odd calm settling over me.
"Oh, that's your opinion," I replied. "But that's not the truth."
Logan choked for a moment, his expression turning even uglier.
"Either way, I won't accept you. What do you have that can compare to Miss William?"
After saying that, he limped away, not even sparing me another glance.
I stood where I was, lifting my head to watch his retreating figure, with one thought crystal clear in my mind: from Rose to Logan, all of them must have gone mad.
When I stepped into the living room, the anger inside me finally broke free. Images of Rose, her arrogant face, greedy eyes, and resentful voice looped endlessly in my head, making me so furious I wanted to flip tables and chairs. I hugged a cushion, curled up on the sofa, my face dark, my mood sinking to rock bottom.
After dinner, I thought Captian wouldn't be coming back. Unexpectedly, the familiar sound of an engine came from the gate. Before I could react, he was already inside, a black trench coat draped over him, his presence subdued yet oppressive.
I immediately reined in my gloom and forced a smile.
"Captain, you're back? Have you eaten?"
He hung his coat on the rack and nodded, that being his answer.
I stared at him, a thousand questions swirling inside me, yet I hesitated. Captian sat down beside me, his voice low.
"Something on your mind?"
I took a deep breath and gathered my courage, stepping closer to him.
"Captain… can I ask you something?"
He raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes like ink as they fixed on me. Under that gaze, my throat went dry, but I clenched my teeth and asked anyway.
"If… if you found out I'd lied to you, what would you do? I mean, if just hypothetically."
I emphasized the word "if," almost as if trying to reassure myself.
"You would lie to me?" He narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade just drawn from its sheath. Then, as if thinking of something, the corner of his lips curved into an ambiguous smile.
I panicked instantly.
"No! I would never lie to you! I'm just asking hypothetically!"
Captian chuckled softly, the sound sending a chill straight down my spine.
"The snake pit's been pretty hungry lately."
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding. I knew exactly what he was implying.
"You're such a good girl," he continued, his fingertips lightly brushing the tear mole beneath my eye, his low voice whispering right by my ear. "You definitely wouldn't lie to me about anything, right?"
His breath brushed against my skin, making my entire body stiffen. Even though we were married, even though I'd survived life and death with him, I could never forget that the man before me held power over life and death, a true demon king.
"No… definitely not…" I replied shakily, barely daring to breathe. I had to keep this secret sealed tight so tight not even the smallest crack could leak.
He squinted at me for a long moment, seemingly very satisfied with my reaction.
"Good, then. Don't disappoint me."
I nodded repeatedly, fear still clinging to me, as if I'd just brushed past the boundary between life and death. Captian lowered his head and lightly pecked the tear mole beneath my eye. It stung slightly, and I frowned, but I didn't dare push him away.
Only after a while did he let me go. I felt like a rabbit that had just escaped a beast's claws, finally able to breathe again.
"You ran into Logan earlier?" he suddenly asked.
I froze for a second, then nodded.
"What did he say?" His voice dropped.
"Nothing much," I shrugged, trying to sound unconcerned. "Just some sarcastic remarks. I didn't bother arguing with someone who's injured and can barely walk."
Captian gave a cold laugh, clearly having guessed most of it.
"Ignore him."
I nodded instinctively.
"Come here," he added. "Change my dressing."
I hurried to comply. Over the past few days, his wound had healed quickly, he could already move lightly and even eat a bit of oily food. I truly breathed a sigh of relief; at least it proved my efforts hadn't been in vain.
That morning, just as I arrived at school, a female student suddenly threw her arms around me.
"Thank you, Doctor Bailey! You're like my godmother!"
I froze in confusion.
"You are…?"
"It's Emma!" the girl said excitedly. "Emma, the one with the acne-covered face!"
I looked closer, it really was Emma. The acne on her face had clearly reduced, her skin looked brighter, and her entire demeanor was completely different from before. I broke into a smile, pulled her down to sit on the steps, handed her some water, and listened as she chattered excitedly about her recovery.
"The treatment is progressing very well," I said sincerely after checking her pulse again. "You've been very obedient to the doctor."
Emma nodded vigorously, her eyes full of trust and gratitude. In that moment, my heart warmed, and the exhaustion of the past few days seemed to be soothed away.
The class bell rang, and we parted. I returned to my seat and accidentally met Rose's gaze from the corner of the classroom. She was exquisitely made up, chin lifted arrogantly, her disdainful look completely undisguised. I swept past her with a blank expression, even finding it a little ridiculous inside.
I had just sat down and bent over to look for a book in my desk drawer. My fingertips touched something soft, furry and ice-cold.
A very wrong feeling.
I pulled my hand out, three dead mice were curled up inside the desk.
A piercing scream echoed through the classroom. Hezze trembled in fear, covering her mouth as she dragged me away. In the corner of the room, Rose watched the scene, a triumphant smile clearly visible on her face.
I looked at the dead mice, then slowly lifted my head, a strangely sweet smile blooming on my lips.
"Don't be scared," I said softly. "They're already dead. They can't hurt anyone."
I paused, then added calmly, so calmly it made people's skin crawl:
"Besides… mice are kind of cute."
The smile on Rose's face froze in that very instant.