The Grand Duchess Escape

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Tears began to trail down her porcelain-like face.

“Because I don’t like you.”

In an instant, Calix’s expression hardened.

As she watched his cold red eyes sink, Asella bit down hard on her lower lip.

‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’

She had always hated her powerless self.

She hated this life, this miserable, sad existence where she had to cling to someone, begging and pleading.

After years of suffering from the violence of Philip and Anthony, while enduring the mockery of the servants, she often thought that ending her life might be less painful.

Yet, the reason she stubbornly endured it was for Mariel’s sake. The thought of her weak and useless self being desperately needed by her younger sister made it impossible to let go of life so easily.

But now, she had reached her limit. It was too hard and exhausting to bear any longer. She wanted to escape from the endless pain and suffering.

‘He’s going to kill me.’

Asella no longer cared what happened to her. Rather than live in constant fear, uncertain of when she might die, she wanted to let everything go and find peace.

The thought that there might be rest waiting at the end of this miserable life brought her a small comfort.

“Because I’m afraid of you.”

They say there is no sorrow, pain, or despair in the afterlife. Even souls with nowhere to go find solace there.

If that’s the case, then death would be her salvation.

Still, she couldn’t help the tears that poured endlessly down her face.

Asella pressed her eyes shut. A steady stream of tears formed between her closed eyelids and ran down her cheeks. Deep despair and resignation radiated from her pale, gaunt face.

“How could I not run away?”

Once she started speaking, she couldn’t stop. Asella’s true feelings poured out like a dam breaking.

“You bought me like an object. You told me to live like a doll. You wanted to use me as a tool.”

“Asella.”

Asella quickly turned away to avoid Calix, who was approaching her.

“Wait, Asella!”

Sharp shards of broken glass, scattered across the floor, embedding themselves in her feet. But she didn’t even feel the pain.

“Don’t come any closer!”

Calix halted in his tracks at Asella’s fierce rejection. It was the first time he had seen her like this. Asella shook her head in desperation.

“I have feelings too. I have a heart.”

She forced the words out through her hiccups while her voice trembled.

She had only hidden them because she hadn’t been allowed to show them. For her, honesty felt like a luxury.

Asella pulled out one truth she had long-buried—memories of pain she had endured alone and tortured herself with guilt.

“After all, you just wanted to toy with me before killing me, right…?”

At her words, his red eyes fluttered with unease.

“That should be enough, shouldn’t it? Isn’t killing my mother and me sufficient? Do you really need to harm that innocent child as well to feel satisfied?”

At that moment, Calix’s movements froze.

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