The Serpent of Paradise - Chapter 46

“C-Count….”

“Go on.”

At his urging voice, Anastasia struggled to rise. The red floor came into view. The carpet she always saw, the stains, even the indentations left by furniture. This was the count’s room, where she was summoned once a month. Unable to raise her head, Anastasia stared only at the floor.

“You haven’t forgotten what you’re supposed to do, have you?”

“….”

She knew very well. On the last day of every month, the count always returned to Edenhurst and summoned her, even if he traveled far away. The one thing he always made her do once a month. Anastasia clutched her clothes with trembling hands.

“Go on.”

At his urging, Anastasia forced strength into her unresponsive hands. But they still refused to move, as though nailed in place.

“Anastasia.”

The count called her again, urging her on. But Anastasia didn’t want to do what he ordered. She looked at the clothes she wore.

Beautiful clothes made of soft, clean fabric. The count didn’t give her these clothes. He never gave her nice clothes because he said he preferred her to wear the same thing. Of course, her father hadn’t given them to her either. He taught her that extravagance and vanity were sins. Then who gave her these clothes?

One thing was certain… these clothes were warm, plush, and soft.

“Anastasia.”

At the sound of her name being called again, urging her on, she struggled to open her mouth.

“I… don’t want to.”

“Why not?”

“Father… God… told me not to expose my naked body. S-so… I won’t do it….”

Come to think of it, this was when she became unable to look people in the eye. Whenever their eyes met, it felt as though everyone knew what she did in the count’s room the night before. As though everyone knew all her sins….

The count said it wasn’t his sin. He was right. The count didn’t do anything. He merely sat and watched while Anastasia stood there. That was why Anastasia thought he must have gone to heaven. He committed no sin. All the sin belonged to her….

‘Heaven?’

At that moment, Anastasia raised her head. That was right. The count was dead. He died just before the “time” he always spoke of arrived. Then who was the person ordering her around now?

The moment Anastasia looked at the chair where the count sat, she caught her breath. The person sitting there wasn’t the count. Blond hair, blue eyes, and an angelic face….

“Edward….”

At Anastasia’s strangled call, the boy smiled brightly. Edward opened his mouth.

“Come here, Sister.”

He held out a hand to Anastasia.

“Father is dead. I’m Count Lauderdale now. I’m the master of Edenhurst. So….”

Still wearing a beautiful smile, Edward rose from his seat.

“Get down and crawl to me, Anastasia.”

When Edward took a step forward, Anastasia stepped back.

“What’s wrong? You’re good at it.”

“No….”

“Of course you are. I saw everything.”

Edward giggled. It was an innocent laugh, but goose bumps rose all over Anastasia’s body.

“No. The count didn’t make me do anything like that. I just… I just stood still….”

“Stood still? And did what?”

“….”

Anastasia couldn’t answer. As though he expected that, Edward looked at her and said, “Played the game where you became a doll named Chloe?”

Anastasia bit her lip. The first time she came here, she didn’t even know what she was doing. The count was the master of this beautiful paradise. She thought it was only natural to do as he ordered. Yet even beneath her ignorance, her instincts sensed that something was strange. And so Anastasia came to fear being summoned by him once a month.

Late at night, whenever a discreet maid escorted her to the count’s room, Anastasia repeated the same thing to herself over and over. The count merely sat on the sofa. He didn’t do anything. He only watched.

Edward took another step forward, but Anastasia couldn’t retreat. Drawing even closer, Edward placed a hand on top of her head and pressed down hard. Thud. Anastasia sank to the floor, kneeling before him.

“Let’s do it together. I’ve wanted to try it too. Why don’t you start by taking off those clothes?”

“…No.”

Realizing what Edward intended to make her do, Anastasia shook her head violently.

“Why not? Because of Mikhail Sokolov?”

At Mikhail’s name, Anastasia snapped to her senses. At the same time, everything around her began to blur. There was no way Edward could know Mikhail’s name. Edward died before Mikhail arrived. So this was….

“A dream.”

At that, Edward’s figure before her also blurred.

“That’s right. I’m a dream. But the sin you committed wasn’t.”

Anastasia screamed at his words, “It wasn’t me! It was your sin!”

Edward committed the sin, not her. On the day the count died. So why was he calling it her sin? When Anastasia shouted, Edward gave a derisive snort.

“But you saw everything and didn’t say a word, did you?”

“….”

“Anyway, Anastasia.” Edward stepped closer and whispered, “Be careful not to let Mikhail Sokolov find out.”

“Gasp…!”

“Miss!”

A familiar voice reached her. Brilliant sunlight pierced her eyes painfully, making Anastasia groan and close them again.

“Miss, are you all right? I was worried because you wouldn’t wake up no matter how many times I called you.”

“Natasha…?”

The person clutching Anastasia’s hand with a startled expression was Natasha. Anastasia pressed a hand to her forehead. Cold sweat streamed down her, leaving her neck sticky. Her breathing was ragged, and her heart pounded wildly. After sitting there in a daze for a long while, Anastasia realized that everything she saw moments ago was a dream.

“My goodness, look at all this sweat. What kind of dream did you have? Please wait a moment. I’ll prepare water for you to wash with and some clothes right away.”

Anastasia heard Natasha hurry out. She looked around. It was the room in the annex that had now become familiar.

Anastasia got out of bed and urgently searched for water. Fortunately, the pitcher Natasha left on the table the previous night was still there. Anastasia hurriedly lifted it and poured water into a cup. But because her hands trembled violently, very little water made it into the cup. After struggling to pour it, Anastasia immediately brought the cup to her lips and swallowed the water. Gulp. Gulp.

The water in the cup disappeared in an instant, but Anastasia poured herself more and drank it. As though she wanted to wash something filthy from her mouth. Yet even after drinking all the water in the pitcher, the foul feeling in her mouth didn’t disappear. It was always like this whenever she dreamed of Edward.

In the past, she only felt afraid when she woke up, but today she was angry. Filthy bastard. Despicable bastard. Continuing to threaten her even in her dreams….

Tears suddenly spilled down her face. Her swollen eyes stung. It was only natural, since she cried until she fell asleep last night.

Anastasia staggered toward the window. She could see the main house, where Mikhail and the Lauderdale mother and daughters were staying. Anastasia’s eyes searched the area where Mikhail’s room was located. Perhaps because the dawn sky was still dark, a lamp was lit in his room.

Mikhail was there. Confirming that alone brought Anastasia relief.

Anastasia admitted it. She liked Mikhail.

She remembered reading the meaning of the name Mikhail in a book. Among the angels described in the Scripture, the archangel closest to God. The one who vanquished God’s enemies. The one most like God. The greatest fragment of God. The strongest of God’s warriors. It was a name that suited him perfectly, the man who saved her the moment she prayed and the master of this paradise.

She wanted to remain by Mikhail’s side. But she knew very well that she couldn’t. He would become Elizabeth’s man and leave this place.

Anastasia wondered if there was any way for her to remain with Mikhail in the future. Shamelessly, what she wanted was all too clear. She wanted to become his wife.

“…That’s absurd.”

What did she possess that gave her the audacity to desire such a position?

The more Anastasia learned to read and came to understand the world, the more she realized her own circumstances. An orphan who was adopted by an aristocratic family, yet received none of the treatment befitting one and was merely sold off to a food merchant. Something useless like that.

She hadn’t properly learned to work like other people, so she couldn’t even perform menial labor in someone else’s household. Nor could she farm or conduct business. She was nothing more than a fortunate parasite who survived by clinging to others until now.

She was truly a terribly pathetic creature. If she and Elizabeth stood side by side, anyone would choose Elizabeth. And Mikhail already… chose Elizabeth, didn’t he?

Anastasia’s shoulders slumped.

She had awakened from the dream. So now the wretched serpent had to return to its proper place.

Anastasia looked at the sky beyond the distant main house. Pitch-black storm clouds were approaching.

***

“She’s still feeling unwell?”

“Yes.”

At Mikhail’s subdued voice, Natasha lowered her head as though everything were her fault. Anastasia hadn’t left her room for three days now. According to Natasha, she hadn’t been able to get out of bed since having a nightmare.

“What did Igor say?”

“Mr. Igor said there’s nothing particularly wrong with her physically, but she’s become extremely weak mentally, so for now, she should simply get plenty of rest.”

Mikhail began to doubt whether Igor truly held a medical license. That damned quack. Wasn’t a doctor supposed to know how to properly examine mental afflictions as well?

“And my lady asked me to return these to you, Lord Mikhail.”

Natasha brought the handcart she pulled along over to Mikhail.

“These?”

“Yes. She said she no longer needs to keep them.”

At Natasha’s words, Mikhail looked at the contents of the handcart in disbelief. It held every book Anastasia borrowed from the library so far, including the dictionary. If that were all, he might have simply accepted it.

“….”

Mikhail stared at the handcart, his face rigid.

Not only the books, but the pens, ink, and paper as well. The things Anastasia received with such boundless joy were all there.