Chapter 37 Demon
\[Lilia\]
“What happened here?”
Our attention immediately snapped towards Val, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. His face was plastered with perplexity as he turned his gaze directly to the scene that greeted him upon entering the vicinity.
Kael still had the creepy older man pinned against the wall, his face turning almost purple from being choked, and I was still quivering with fright just to the side of him.
“Lilia, are you alright?” Val notices me and my flabbergasted state. He moved closer to my side and removed his coat, which he draped over my shoulders.
I just meekly nodded in response to his inquiry. I could still feel the older man's hand on my arms, which caused a revolted shiver to run down my spine.
The fact that I even considered talking to him in the first place makes me realize how naive I was. I should be more careful and know that he’s not a good Samaritan.
However, if they hadn’t abandoned me, I wouldn’t be in this predicament now.
For all goodness sake! I am a stranger to this kind of place.
Kael growled, his smoldering gaze veering in a resentful direction toward the man in question.
“This bastard here, dare to touch my kukla.” Like a toddler having his tantrum for taking his toy gun away from him, he was throwing fits of anger.
“Master Kael, I didn’t intend to,” he shook his head adamantly, trying to clear his name. The fear flashed in his eyes as his voice began to crack with a plaintive inflection.
Though, I could still see that he was lying. He had seen my collar; it shines the brightest, and it is the first to catch anyone’s attention even by a mile.
“You’ve seen her tag? Are you some kind of illiterate fool who can’t read my name?!” Kael sneered as he backed him up against the wall, his shoes dangerously dangling above the floor.
Kael and Val are incredibly huge people. And this older man barely leveled his height to his chin.
“I overlooked, I promise. I had no intention of causing any damage to your property.” His eyes darted towards my frame as he begged once again. “Miss, I am sorry.”
I simply ignored the part where he referred to me as “property,” knowing exactly that it would only cause me internal pain for not being seen as a human being.
Feeling a bit terrorized by what he did, I quickly diverted my gaze away from him and scooted closer to Val. He had his large arm wrapped around me, and strangely enough, I felt secure and warm against him.
“It’s okay, sweet cake. We are here,” Val whispered slowly, his large hand resting on the swell of my waist as though making sure that I was safe around them.
How ironic. He’s trying to feel me secure, knowing precisely that they are the ones that put me in this situation.
I wanted to lash out at them, berate them for putting me in this situation. But doing so would simply exacerbate my predicament.
“You left me,” so instead, I retorted in hushed tones, ignoring the welling bitterness that was bubbling up deep within me.
I’m as helpless as a kitten trapped in a sewer pipe. This place is full of filthiness and excrement.
I swore, one day would come, and I would be free. I'm going to show Tasha that she's mistaken about there being no way out, and I'm taking Aya with me. All I have to do now is persuade that obstinate Japanese girl to come with me.
Val sharply inhaled, tipping his head low, and answered my heated accusations of abandoning me.
“No, we didn’t, sweet cake. It’s just that we’re busy with something. We couldn’t just forget you.”
Just right before he finished his statement, our attention went back to Kael.
“I remember your face. You work for him. Bastard.” He clenched his teeth and furrowed his brows as his gaze fell on the older man's ring. His eyes flashed with recognition and rage. Even Val's eyes focused on that large red stone on the man's finger and went completely still. His grip on my waist became much tighter.
Kael yanks the elder man from his grasp and flings him to the ground, kicking him in the gut till he rolls towards us. I stood motionless in my spot, battling the need to flee, but Val kept me there. His firm grasp on my waist serves as a reminder not to try what I was contemplating if I want to live longer, or, better yet, if I don't want to aggravate Kael any further than he already is. Not being able to stomach what Kael was doing and not having much of an option left for me, I closed my eyes and prayed to become deaf for a moment.
Agonizing moans and awful cracks could be heard along the long corridor.
“Take this fool. I’ll deal with him later.” Kael sternly ordered, and I risked to open my eyes, supposing he was finished.
He, on the other hand, was not yet satisfied. He spit in the man's face and kicked him again, causing blood to spurt out of his mouth and onto the floor. Though I could tell that he was still alive, his body became completely inert.
“Got it, boss.” Val let go of his grip on my waist and sank to his knees to pick up the battered man with reckless abandon. He simply hauled his body away from us with his arms without even casting a second glance on his mangled state. Trails of blood were left in their wake soon as they were out of sight.
Another wave of fear ran down my body as Kael’s furious gaze landed on mine. His nose flared as he closed the gap between us with his one long stride and captured my arm, yanking me roughly and hissing angrily.
“You, what kept you damn too long?”
“Kael, you’re hurting me.” My face twisting from the pain of his clutches, I gasped out in protest, writhing my arms free from his iron grip. However, my attempts were rendered fruitless.
“Oh, am I now? Do you want that old swine’s touch preferable than mine?” Snickering, he pulled me even closer, gripping my arms too tightly.
With our drastic height differences, I have to balance awkwardly on my toes, my mouth gaping open in pain as I subtly shake my head, reasoning things out.
“No, the butler had already left when I walked out the door.”
After witnessing what he had done to the older man for touching me, I wouldn’t dare mention Tasha’s name and that I had been kissed by a woman. I know this ruthless monster is quite possessive of me. Overly possessive.
His hard stare fixed on my face as a smirk replaced his anger with one of satisfaction.
“I already killed him for leaving you behind.”
He said it so casually as though the notion of taking one’s life is like hitting a bird and feeling no remorse over it.
“What?”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. That oblivious butler was simply carrying out his duties. It's possible that something has arisen that necessitates his attention. That is why he decided to leave me. He should have been warned and not gotten killed. But it was too late. He’s dead. Killed by a heartless man.
“A life for a mistake. Keep that in mind, kukla.”
Kael let go of me, peeling Val’s coat over my shoulders, and threw it on the floor. He took off the one he’s wearing and replaced them on mine, muttering as he petted my head, “much better.”
This man had a severe problem, and I believe he would have benefited from the services of a psychiatrist rather than myself. Yes, I have gone through a lot of traumas, but I have never been this psychopathic as him.
“You’re a demon.” I clenched my teeth and narrowed my eyes in defiance.
Nonetheless, he only responded with a lopsided snide remark. “Tell me something I'm not already aware of.”
“I hope you rot in hell,” I say, not backing down.
“Try better next time, kukla.”