"Rhea....Where are you going? Stop!"
The Countess clutched my wrist to stop me from walking while I was planning on striding into the house, where Ryker stood, making a mess with all his yelling and his underlings throwing and breaking the decorations.
"Don't stop me, mama. We have to talk. Nothing will come out of us staying quiet and him acting like this."
"..I know...and we talked last time...so don't worry, I'll handle this. You take Lia to her room and stay inside unless I come to get you."
"I am sorry, but I can't do that."
"Please. It's for your own safety. What if they decide to take one of you as hostage? Think of Lia...Rhea..."
Sighting her pleas, I grit my teeth in frustration and stopped trying to make my wrist free from her grasp. My shoulders slump as I nod and mumble,
"..Okay...But be safe...got it?"
"I got it, my dear. Now hurry up. Go inside from the back door. Reynold will be with you."
She softly added before she glanced at the butler, Reynold, and both Olivia and Holly, signaling them to follow her and soon they went to the source of the noise. I observe their figures disappear inside the building, after which I take Lia's hand and head to the back door with Reynold walking ahead of us. One of the four entries into the house. We take the back stairs and head straight into Lia's room on the fourth floor. After getting inside, Lia looks at me with a flinch of fear in her eyes,
"Where is Mama? What's going on?"
"Lia. You're a good girl, right? Good girls listen to their elder sisters, right? Then please won't my good dear Lia listen to my request?"
"What happened?"
"I am going to get Mama. Until then why don't you lie down? Or play with your bunny friend?"
I promptly hand the nearby big, almost her size white stuffed toy bunny to her, who she takes from me saying.
"His name is Mr. Fluffy."
"Okay, then Mr. Fluffy will give you company. But please don't leave this room, okay? Reynold will also play with you. It's a game to see who stays silent the most, got it?"
"That sounds boring."
She instantly pouted. But how else do I tell a 5-year-old to stay quiet without making a sound? I look at Reynold, the butler, for help who fortunately gets what I was attempting to say and looked at Lia while adding,
"Young miss, it will be fun. Don't worry."
"Okay. If you say so."
"I will be back then. Reynold, stay with Lia. Don't abandon her."
"I will...but Miss...you should also be staying here. It's not secure."
"Reynold, we can't always be on the run. Somethings need to be faced."
After announcing those words, I hastily left the room and went downstairs. It had suddenly become so tranquil that I was petrified of what was going on. But as I gradually got closer, I heard harsh noises.
"I need my money, Countess, whether you compensate it with your lives or with your daughter."
My pupils dilated at the words and scene I witnessed.
Ryker was holding and twisting Mama's arm, while he hissed those words.
I unintentionally ended up stepping with force, the heel collided with the marble floor with a huge thump. This sound startled everyone and all their attention came to me. Mama's eyes went wide upon sighting me. She strictly advised me not to come here so she must be furious but I wasn't intimidated by her anger right now. Because I felt more infuriated than her. I already didn't enjoy the plot of this story, but all of this added to my frustration and annoyance. Something didn't add up. Sure he lent us money, and it was a huge sum but if you go according to the rules there's a deadline and there is also a thing called installments. But this guy was hell-bent on acquiring his money back. Why? And what irritated me on top of that was that he emphasized more on getting married to Rhea which right now was me. Just why?
"Rhea! What are you doing here? I...uh...don't pay attention to what this guy just said."
Mama even in this moment was trying to console me as she tried her best to let her hand loose. But his grip became even firmer and he added,
"Wait...Don't tell me. You didn't inform her what we discussed last time. Even though it is the easy way out. Why are you being incredibly unreasonable? Or do you in fact want to pay with your lives?"
I don't know what got over me, but I wanted this drama to stop already. Walking confidently across the room, I shake his arm off my mother's arm and slapped him.
Smack!
The voice fills the hall, and everyone looks at the scene they just witnessed with wide eyes. Ryker stood there glaring, with his hand covering the cheek I just struck.
I snatched my mother's arm softly and pulled her behind me. Right now, I must look like a brave fool. In my heart, I was frightened. I felt like running away. I had barely gotten around to accepting that I am trapped in a book that now I have to deal with all of this as well. But I can't just let things be. No matter how much I didn't appreciate the story, I nevertheless have to live with it. And if I have to live in it, then it's going to be my way. I don't let others write the pages of my fate. I glare at him with indifferent eyes without even flinching.
He twists his face up to look at me with anger burning in his eyes.
"Ha...What do you think you are doing?"
"Knocking some sense into you."
"And you think this is going to work?"
"So you admit you have no common sense."
"Shut up. You are in no position to act like this."
He growled, with a small vein popping on his forehead. Now that I think about it, this was the first time I was seeing him. Surprisingly, he is the only one that perfectly matches the description from the novel. Disheveled sun-bleached hair with a mullet, I could see grey hair highlights in them. And thick eyebrows, small black almond eyes, and two gold teeth in the front, and his breath smelled like alcohol and cigarette. I had to force myself to not cough when he spoke in front of me. He was closer to my father's age. A married man with a wife who cherished him undoubtedly. But he never paid attention to her. In the book, his wife gets anxious about Rhea and creates hell for her, even though Rhea was innocent.
"Why? Just because we owe you money, do you think you possess our lives as well? Even the way we act?"
He was dumbfounded because Rhea, although was strong, she was the silent type. She would have never communicated the way I was talking right now.
"We solely owe you money, and we will pay back your money. There is always a time limit to these things, and I believe it's not been that long since we borrowed money from you, is it?"
I added. He chuckled, finding me amusing he suddenly stops smiling,
"But I don't wish to allow you time. I retain that much power and you know it."
"Why are you so impatient? Are you also in debt?"
"What?"
"You must want to pay someone else and they must be threatening you."
"Who dares to threaten me? Don't joke. If you don't want to pay then just marry me. It's as simple as that."
"No, thank you."
"I don't think you have much of a choice if you want to survive."
"I do have a choice, and you will receive your money soon. I promise. Right now please leave."
"Where will you obtain the money?"
"You should be concerned with acquiring your money, not on the hows."
I added coldly.
"Ah...you, talking like this makes me desire you more."
'Mr. Cash, you are near the age of my father', is what I wanted to remark to this bastard but I didn't want to make the situation worse.
"Leave. You will get your money. I will personally deliver it to you."
"...fine. You have one month."
"Three months."
"One month."
"Two and a half."
"Two months."
"One and a half."
"Don't step too ahead of yourself. Two months is all that you will get. After that, I won't even ask for money. I hope you start preparing for the wedding."
He smirked which made me feel disgusted. Because after this he displayed me his smile and his golden teeth were shining as the light reflected on them.
"See you after two months."
He then leaves with his underling following him, stepping on the crumbled, broken leftover pieces of the decorations they had broken before.
When they left, everyone took a deep breath as if they had stopped breathing before. Mama suddenly shifted me around to face her and started shaking my shoulders.
"Why did you come out? I had handled it."
"I don't really think so."
"Miss...Where will we prepare the money in two months?"
"...I will think of something..."
"Rhea..."
"Don't worry, I told you. I will take care of it."
"Rhea!"
Just then an unknown voice roared. It belonged to a woman. I didn't recognise her but Rhea apparently did considering how she rushed inside and immediately hugged me. While Mama went to check on Lia, I observed the woman who inquired me if everything was alright since she saw Ryker leave the house while laughing loudly to himself.
When I saw her Ash nut-brown hair put up in French braids on either side and those clear grey eyes, I recognized of who this might be. There was only one woman who was extremely close to Rhea ever since she was young. She thought of Rhea as a sister and didn't stop talking to her even after their family became nobles only in name and lost their wealth. Daughter of a Duke, Lydia Gessele, Rhea's childhood friend. Since she was a child who felt very cold even if it was summer, she habitually wore a thick woolen gown with furs at the ends of its sleeves and a v-neckline. The gown she wore today was deep blue, somewhat similar to my eye color with an white intricate design on it. She really did look like a beautiful ice angel.
"Rhea? Is something wrong?"
"Oh no, I was just thinking about what to do."
"...oh Rhea...I can support you. I know you repeatedly refuse but take money from me."
"It's not a reasonable amount, Lydia."
"I know but Father can help us!"
"I am certain he can. But I am sorry Lydia, I don't want my family to end up in another debt. It will then turn out to be a continuous cycle."
"But..."
"Bless you. Your words are enough to encourage me."
"I feel bad...Promise me you will come to me whenever you require help."
"I promise. You know that you're the only one I can go to."
"I know. And that is why I brought strawberry cake, your favorite."
"You indeed know me best."
"Miss, this way. I will set up the table."
Olivia takes the cake from my hand and heads into the kitchen. While Holly and Reynold, assist the other servant clean up the mess on the floor.
After talking with Lydia, I found out many things about Rhea. The most important being that Rhea kept a diary. In the afternoon, I skipped lunch because I was already full from eating the cake with Lydia. Why does this body get full so early? I really wish Rhea had a bigger appetite than this. But I won't complain since I am at least getting to eat properly. We should never allow the blessings that knock on our door to leave. I then went inside my room and informed everyone not to disturb me as I tried looking for the diary.
After ten to fifteen minutes of looking, I finally discovered it in a hidden cabinet underneath the bed.
'Cool way to hide a diary.'
I subsequently started reading everything. I didn't skip through any details because I wanted to comprehend everything. When I refer to the concluding page that was written the night before yesterday, I abruptly closed the book while my eyes went round.
'Tomorrow is the day... is the day when Rhea had to enter into the contract with the Duke.'