The Nerdy Young Lady’s Rental Boyfriend chapter 36

36 – Happiness is Not in Birth Order (3)

Unable to speak. And with nothing to say, I sealed my lips. The real Duchess, who saw my frozen expression, tilted her head and asked.

“Why are you like that, Yuna? Seems quite surprised, right? It has been a bit long, hasn’t it? Playing pranks like this.”

“…”

“How does it feel to see me after a long time? Haven’t I become even more charming? Well, there’s nothing to be surprised about. Rather, you should think it’s strange, shouldn’t you? Honestly, I was never good at pretending to be affectionate.”

“…”

“Did you think I was being hypocritical in front of others? Well, that’s not a bad guess. But as I age, I find these things bothersome. I decided to leave such matters to Mari. In the meantime, I have more important things to do and say. Don’t I, Mari?”

“Yes. That’s right. Your Grace.”

Marie.

She was clearly one of the maids of Richmond. The reason her name remained in my head was because it always accompanied the appearance of the Duchess. I thought she was just one of the extras I frequently used. But the role she played was not just that.

Meanwhile, Marie still bowed her head, her gentle smile intact. The Duchess gently stroked her chin and asked a question in a roundabout way.

“By the way, how was it, Marie? Seeing Yuna after such a long time. What kind of reaction did you show when she hugged you?”

“I was extremely surprised, Your Grace.”

“Oh really? Well, I guess that could happen since it’s something I don’t usually do. But what about after that?”

“I was still flustered and stumbled over my words, Your Grace.”

“I see. Hm? Yuna, what are you still doing there? Come here and let’s talk. Are you going to sit there so rudely while your mother is standing?”

Her tone was calm, but there was a clear liveliness in her voice. I was finally surprised and approached her. The Duchess gently stroked my cheek.

“That’s right, our daughter. You look even prettier after seeing you for so long. Your virginity seems to be shining more than before you entered school.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

“You were calling me ‘Mother’ so happily just a moment ago. And now you’re feeling shy?”

She smiled and continued to stroke my face. Her hand was warm and soft, but I couldn’t feel any warmth at all. Instead, it felt like a creepy warmth that made my whole body shiver.

“Well, anyway. Let’s keep talking. So, Marie. What kind of reaction did you show when we said we were going to the dormitory?”

“I was still extremely surprised, Your Grace.”

“…You still haven’t regained your senses?”

For a very brief moment, a chill ran through the Duchess’s face. She slowly turned her head towards me as she pondered over Marie’s answer.

“Is that so? Yuna?”

I realized I had to make some excuses and lifted my head. But my lips, which had been sealed for a long time, didn’t easily part, and the frozen words clung to my throat, only producing a metallic sound. After struggling for a while, I finally managed to open my mouth and utter a word.

“I…before…”

And in that moment, something like lightning violently struck my cheek.

“…!!!”

Beep beep beep…

Along with the shock that felt like my cheek would fall off, my ears rang with a deafening noise. Flesh and memories scattered away with the merciless impact, causing a dizziness in my mind. But even in the midst of that, the voice of the Duchess was as clear as ever.

“Stand up straight, Yuna.”

“Ah…”

Unconsciously, I raised my hand to my cheek. A tear dropped unexpectedly within the impact that seemed impossible to escape. However, the Duchess calmly opened her mouth again.

“Anyway. What about next? How was it inside the carriage?”

“I had a conversation with the chief while we were going.”

“Yuna too?”

“I mostly just listened. Occasionally, I chimed in.”

“Oh, really?”

“Mother…I…”

Smack!!!

Once again, rather than slapping, a rough cracking sound, as if hit with a blunt instrument, echoed. Trying to speak after getting slapped on the cheek, my teeth tore through the inner cheek, and blood dripped heavily. As the bitter taste of blood spread in my mouth, I unconsciously felt a shiver.

“Ah…ugh…”

“When you entered the dormitory, how were you? Did you maintain your dignity like a noble, or did you laugh like a fool?”

“More towards the latter, madam.”

“Mother, please, stop…”

Splash!

Blood that had been stuck in my mouth sprayed out, and a bright red rose bloomed on the wall. Tears streamed down my face not from pain, but from terror. The fear of not knowing when this violence would end, and the helplessness of knowing that I couldn’t resist, flowed through my body. I had a gut feeling that no matter what excuse I made, the Duchess would not stop.

That’s why I looked at Mary standing next to her. Maybe she could be my last hope. Despite knowing it was futile, I desperately locked eyes with her. Meanwhile, the Duchess continued to ask her questions.

“Fine. Let’s say you laughed like an idiot and the headmaster left. Did you confirm that? You didn’t even bother confirming that?”

“No. I didn’t confirm it.”

From Noble mtl dot com

“Damn it.”

For the first time, a vulgar curse escaped her lips. I gasped for breath, unable to even think of an excuse. Trembling with fear all over my body, tears flowed before I could even get hit. Instinctively, I flinched and raised my hand, knowing I would only get into more trouble.

“…Duchess, I’m sorry, but please stop for a moment.”

“Hmm?”

At that moment, Mary finally stepped in to stop the Duchess. I looked at her lips, feeling a glimmer of hope. But hope was always futile and shattered.

“One side of your cheek is very swollen. It might get injured soon.”

“Ah, I see. I’ll be careful.”

The Duchess replied nonchalantly. Of course, it didn’t mean she would go easy on me. And this time, she struck the other cheek.

Splash!

When the impact hit the other side, I couldn’t bear it anymore and fell to the ground. But that didn’t stop her. She bent down towards me, grabbed a lock of my hair, and pulled it, forcing me to raise my head. And then she started asking questions again.

“Alright. So, what are your personal impressions? Did Yuna act like a noblewoman today?”

“No. It didn’t seem like that.”

“Ah…sob…”

Splash!

“And now? Can you feel her elegance even when you’re being hit?”

“No, it doesn’t seem like that.”

*Sob… please…*

Swish!!!

“Am I hitting you too hard? Is that why?”

“No, it feels less than usual.”

“As expected, right?”

The Duchess raised her hand once again. I looked up as if my whole body was shaking, as if it could be the guillotine’s scaffold.

“Oh, please…”

In the blurry consciousness, I knelt down and begged earnestly. Everything began to blur. It was beyond pain, and it felt like I was about to die, which terrified me. Suddenly, my real mother came to my mind. Even I, at this moment, had my family’s name coming up. I whispered my mother’s name with my last desperate wish.

“I was wrong…”

“…”

“I won’t do it again. So please…”

“…”

“Please… forgive me…”

…

I bowed my head humbly, pleading. The curtain-like hair fell over my cheeks, and a faint pain seeped in. Soon, the Duchess’s warm fingers grabbed my chin.

“What did you do wrong?”

“Huh…?”

Her voice was filled with sarcasm. The Duchess looked me in the eyes and asked again.

“You said you got first place in this test. So? What did you do wrong?”

“I couldn’t act like a noblewoman should.”

“That’s true. But do you think I’m acting like this because of that?”

“I…”

“Don’t know?”

“Ugh…!”

The duchess grabbed my hair and pulled me up from my seat. Then, with great simplicity, she uttered a single word.

“Strip.”

“What?”

“Take off all your clothes.”

“Mother… I…”

“Don’t want to?”

Once again, sarcasm surfaced. The duchess sighed and spoke to me.

“Rip the clothes apart.”

“Yes, Duchess.”

“Now… wait…!”

I extended my palm, but Mari approached me without hesitation, grabbing the buttons and tearing them off. Small buttons fell with my tears.

“Mother, please don’t do this…”

“Mari, do you have scissors? Just cut it all.”

“Yes, Duchess.”

“Please…!”

I clung to the edges of my clothes with my whole body. However, as if Mari didn’t care at all, she started cutting from the shoulders, gradually removing all the clothes. Delicate fabrics snapped, revealing tender skin to the cold air. As the school uniform turned into tatters, I finally screamed.

“I’ll do it! I’ll undress. So please… please stop.”

“You should have done that earlier, Mari. Stop now.”

“Yes, Your Ladyship.”

“Ah… sigh…”

Feeling embarrassed, I eventually took off my own clothes. It didn’t take long to remove the transformed rags completely. I stood in front of the lady in my underwear. However, she wasn’t satisfied with that.

“Take off your underwear too.”

“Oh, Mother…”

“Shall I tear it apart?”

A voice sharper than scissors chilled my ears. Warm tears fell on my cold skin. Eventually, I dropped the remaining underwear to the floor.

Thunk.

“…”

To Yuna, she was a mother, but to me, it was almost like exposing myself to a stranger. Unconsciously, I raised my hand to cover the blatantly revealed flaw. Of course, the lady didn’t allow even that.

“At attention.”

“…”

“Lower your hand.”

“Sob…”

Finally, I stood in front of her with a body untouched by a single piece of clothing. This time, it wasn’t fear but embarrassment that made tears flow. Not only my body but also my heart trembled. The lady glanced at me and casually threw out a brief comment.

“You’re pretty.”

Now, the praise felt far from comforting. She stared at my body for a while and then spoke again.

“It’s you, Yuna.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“If I were to throw you outside in this state, how long do you think it would take for your virginity to be pierced?”

It was a chilling question, to the point where even a counter-question couldn’t escape. Nevertheless, she continued to stare at me with an icy, unyielding gaze.

“Those esteemed academy professors. Cultivated students gathered under the name of equality. How long do you think they can maintain their reason when they see you naked?”

“…”

“In my opinion, probably not even 10 minutes? No, would they endure for 5 minutes? I don’t know. The time is uncertain, but perhaps after only 30 minutes, you’d witness your dignity shattering into pieces.”

Her voice was surprisingly calm compared to the words she spat out. However, gradually, emotion began to seep into her voice.

“So, I’m curious. How, with a body like this, haven’t you managed to conceive the child of the Crown Prince yet? No, seriously. What did you do to make that possible?”

“Mother…”

“Shut up, you wretched creature.”

Eventually, profanity erupted. Her sharp gaze, even more cutting than Yuna’s, turned in my direction.

“Did I send you to the academy to study? Even without doing such things, you could easily rise to a high position. No, to be honest, you could occupy a position so incomparable. Try becoming the academy’s top student. A court magician for the imperial family? Or perhaps, like the daughter of the Leonhart family, become a knight?”

“I… thought that was the right path.”

“Why is that right? You could comfortably marry into the imperial family just by offering your body. It’s really so foolish that I can’t find words. Do you realize that your stupidity not only affects your life but also has a detrimental impact on our entire ducal house?”

Silence. The echoing sound of the whip resounded. I was startled, and I cowered even more.

“You were our last chance. The last chance for our ducal house, which has fallen apart due to various incidents. Yet, not only did you ruin that chance, but you’ve also tarnished your standing in society. I heard you’ve even stopped socializing with noble youths recently. Why? Did it interfere with your studies? Was it because of your pathetic grades?”

“…I apologize.”

“No. Honestly, that doesn’t matter. If only the Crown Prince could have entangled himself. No, even if he didn’t entangle, it would have been fine if he could just embrace that seed. But you couldn’t even do that, despite having everything. Isn’t that right?”

“Well…”

“Well. Do you have anything to say?”

“Well… now, even if it’s…”

I hesitated, barely opening my mouth and then closing it again. I intuitively knew it was something I couldn’t do. The Duchess seemed to have anticipated words that wouldn’t continue and chuckled.

“Well. So now you want to entangle with the Crown Prince? Too late, fool. It’s already late, very late. Do you think the Crown Prince would give you a second glance now? After staying up all night studying, your dark circles are so deep. Your hair is all frizzy. A noble young lady-like grace is nowhere to be found in someone like you.”

“…”

“Moreover, that girl Elise has already taken her place, so as the Crown Prince, he can’t afford to give attention to another girl. Even if he regrets it now, considering the dignity of the imperial family, it’s impossible. Don’t you think? Ha, thinking like this, you’ve ruined the future of the empire. Isn’t that right?”

“Ah…”

“You’re finished.”

In the midst of trembling all over, the Duchess’s words fell on me like a death sentence. She faced me directly and spat out another word.

“Finished.”

“…”

“I don’t know what to do with you now. Seeing you in person, you’re truly a hopeless case.”

“Mother…”

“I really don’t know now.”

With that one word, the Duchess turned her head. And after gesturing to Marie, she walked towards the door.

“I don’t know. For now, try to maintain those impressive grades of yours. I don’t know if it will help. Is the carriage ready, Marie?”

“Yes. It’s waiting.”

“Good. Let’s go straight away. Well, Yuna. I don’t know when, but we’ll meet again.”

I couldn’t respond. I couldn’t even turn my head. The Duchess threw a word at me.

“Before you go to school tomorrow, make sure the swelling subsides. If even a rumor spreads, I’ll just expel you.”

“…Yes. I understand…”

Clang.

…

Before I finished speaking, the door closed. The cold wind wrapped around my spine. I stood there for a while, trembling, before slowly collapsing.

The clothes scattered on the floor clung to my feet. I picked up the clothes slowly, swallowing my tears. But the torn uniform could only hang loosely on my body, unable to be worn properly.

Maybe if I wear glasses, this miserable feeling will improve a little. I took out a large pair of glasses from the pocket of my uniform. But before I could put them on, my wrist weakened and my arm fell to the ground. The glasses fell along with it, rolling on the floor.

…

Did I… ruin everything?

I couldn’t even lead Yuna’s life to a happy ending…

Did I ruin it all?

I thought I could save her if it was me.

Because I am the one who possessed her. Because I know her future. I thought I could save Yuna from her doom.

But that was arrogance.

Instead, I ruined her life.

“…”

From Noble mtl dot com

Now, not even tears came out. My whole body froze, and an indelible loneliness wrapped around my waist. The loneliness and solitude I felt in the attic long ago came back like an old friend. In that moment, I longed for someone’s embrace.

And the only person I wanted now was just one. My seatmate. The extra who could smile as if nothing happened, no matter what disaster struck.

But I’m not sure if that’s even possible. I don’t know if I have the right to do that. Of course, Yuna would have the right.

But I wasn’t entitled to that.

Unable to embrace anyone, I eventually embraced myself. Yet, my clumsy hands kept seeking someone. Despite knowing it shouldn’t be that way, I missed them so much.