I sniffled hard, tears sliding down my cheeks without stopping.
What should I do now? I had stabbed Captain. Even if the wound wasn't lethal, if he chose to blame me, my life wouldn't survive the night.
I lifted my gaze toward him, anxiety twisting my stomach. But the instant my eyes met his, my entire body froze. His expression, dark, quiet, terrifying made every hair on my arms stand on end. Blood seeped steadily from the wound on his back, soaking through the black shirt he wore. The metallic scent filled the room, sharp enough to sting my throat.
The stronger that scent became, the tighter my heart curled in on itself.
"Director Anderson! Are you alright?"
Nanny Alley rushed out from the guest room, clearly sensing that something was very wrong.
The first thing she saw was the fruit knife lying on the ground, coated in blood, then she saw me beside it, trembling, completely lost.
When she turned her head and caught sight of the wound on Captain's back a deep tear, blood flowing freely, staining the once-clean sofa, she inhaled sharply. A flash of realization went through her expression.
Rosy stabbed him.
Of course she had.
A moment ago, Captain's eyes had been wild, dangerous in a way that could terrify even a woman like Nanny Alley who had served in this mansion for years. What about a girl my age, eighteen, small, alone, frightened?
But still… he had been angry, and part of that was my fault.
Nanny Alley glanced at me, though she didn't say a single word of blame. Instead, she called for Ronan and Hunter, ordering them to help bring Captain upstairs.
When they entered and saw the blood, both men nearly stepped back in shock.
"What, what happened? Why is Director Anderson stabbed?"
Ronan's voice trembled as his eyes landed on the bloody fruit knife.
Nanny Alley pressed her lips together, refusing to answer. Even now, she was trying to protect me. In her mind, I was a scared girl thrown into a lonely mansion and cornered.
Hunter, sharper than Ronan, glanced at me. He didn't need explanations, he could already guess.
Nobody could get close enough to stab Captain… except someone who lived in his shadow every day.
His gaze brushed mine.
My knees wobbled, my teeth sank into my lip, and I felt as if I would collapse. My mind was blank. I had no idea what to do next.
"Stop talking," Hunter said quietly. "Get him to his room. And call the private doctor. Now."
Throughout all of this, Captain's gaze never left me, dark, razor-cold, a silent fury that made him look like a fallen angel carved from shadow.
I trembled harder, my skin the color of paper.
Ronan and Hunter finally managed to support him and bring him back to his room. When the door closed behind them, I remained rooted to the spot, staring at the blood on the floor. My heartbeat hammered violently, my breath thin and uneven.
The fruit knife glinted under the light.
Bloody.
Real.
And I had been the one holding it.
I felt sick.
Nanny Alley approached me slowly, her expression complicated. My eyes were unfocused like my soul had drifted somewhere far away.
"Miss Bailey," she said softly. "Do you know what day today is?"
I blinked, startled. My mind was a mess; of course I didn't know. I shook my head stiffly.
"Today is Director Anderson's birthday."
My breath hitched.
"After finishing his work early, he rushed home," she continued, sighing. "He wanted to celebrate his birthday with you. But you… weren't here."
My lips parted soundlessly, the world tilting slightly.
If I had known…
If I had known, I never would have gone shopping.
Nanny Alley studied me and went on, "Miss Bailey, Director Anderson cares about you. Until now, he's never shown this kind of attachment to anyone. No one has ever been allowed to celebrate his birthday with him."
I frowned.
Caring?
Was grabbing me, cornering me, frightening me half to death considered caring?
If so, I didn't want this kind of affection.
It was too terrifying.
"Miss Bailey, could you… go visit Director Anderson later?" Nanny Alley's voice was gentle but weary. "After all, he was injured because of you."
My throat tightened.
He was injured… because he tried to force me.
I stabbed him.
And in that moment, I had felt nothing but the desperate urge to survive. I had even felt God forgive me a flash of relief.
Only afterward did fear kick in.
But regret?
No.
I didn't regret fighting back.
Nanny Alley looked up toward the second floor, where Captain's door was tightly closed.
Go visit him?
Wasn't that just offering my neck to the guillotine?
He would punish me. Torture me. Maybe throw me into some basement filled with snakes, or whatever madness he was capable of.
No.
I wouldn't go.
I couldn't.
Seeing I wasn't moving, Nanny Alley sighed again and walked toward the dining table to start cleaning.
The sound made me turn.
And what I saw made my heart contract.
The table was full an extravagant spread: fish, meat, dishes that must have taken hours to prepare.
And in the center…
A large birthday cake, beautifully crafted, like a piece of art.
My fingers trembled.
He prepared all this…
For tonight…
For a birthday dinner…
With me?
My voice cracked. "Nanny Alley… these dishes and the cake… he ordered these?"
She looked toward the cake with a conflicted sigh. "Yes. He told the kitchen to prepare everything. And the cake, he brought it home himself."
I imagined him walking in with that cake.
Not the cold, menacing man who dominated every room... But someone quietly… hopeful.
My chest tightened painfully.
Nanny Alley carried the cake toward the kitchen. "He was waiting for you to come home and celebrate together. Miss Bailey… please go apologize later. He'll forgive you."
Forgive me?
I almost laughed.
I had stabbed Captain Anderson, the tyrant king of Alchimie, the man people whispered about like he was a demon and she thought he would forgive me with a simple apology?
If I went upstairs, I'd die a horrible death.
"Is that so?" I murmured bitterly, unable to control the tremor in my voice.
My eyes drifted once more toward the closed bedroom door on the second floor.
A wild, reckless idea flashed through my mind.
A tiny thread of hope.
Without warning, I dashed to my room, shut the door, and locked it from inside, my heartbeat pounding so fast I thought I might faint.
Later, when Nanny Alley tidied the living room, she found something soft on the floor.
She bent down and picked it up.
It was the plush devil toy I'd bought earlier, small horns, little cape, ridiculous white fangs. Rosy must have dropped it in the chaos.
She turned it over in her hands, frowning slightly.