“You promised not to do something like this from now on, Princess Lydia,” a voice was heard at that moment. Elena could tell right away that it was Lenoa’s voice. She became choked up with emotions, glad to finally hear the woman’s voice after two days.

“These things need to be beaten to death,” Lydia spat out.

“Instead of beating them, just tell me if they cause problems.”

“Hm, okay. By the way, you look fantastic, Lenoa,” Lydia said, obviously sarcastic. “I can’t believe you dare to show your face out here looking like that. Oh, what should I expect from you? You don’t even know how to please a man. If it weren’t for your father, you would already be dead. You better say thanks to him,” Lydia spoke with a hoarse voice, then she threw her whip to the side, irritated.

‘How irritating!’ Lydia cursed silently as she thought about her foolish and ignoble cousin who was driving the children and women in his estate to death. Although it didn’t matter to Lydia for the poor to die, Logan’s words had greatly offended her.

“I’ll finally have use for those good-for-nothing women and children,” he had said.

Lydia had immediately recognized that his words had been aimed at her, and she had slumped down into a chair. Nevertheless, failing to subdue Gareth, Logan had continued to lose many knights up to now.

Lydia narrowed her eyes as she thought about how competent Gareth was at arousing fear. As if to gloat over his victories, he had hung Logan’s knights on the trees in front of the drawbridge. Such an act confirmed that he was indeed a cruel and coldhearted man. The first to find the hanging knights were the women and children who had been dragged out to the battlefield as Logan’s shield, and the fear-crazed people had run here and there screaming. They caused even more chaos and got in Logan’s way instead of helping him.

Eventually, Logan couldn’t have the same fun as he did at first when he had dragged the women and children to the battlefield. He couldn’t be proud of the fact that he had shot an arrow to scratch Gareth’s arm any longer.

“He truly is a great man. And that’s why I wanted him,” Lydia murmured to herself. She then continued to ponder as she watched Lenoa examine the wound on the beaten maid.

‘Gareth, you’re the only man I couldn’t have. You’re the beast that I wanted the most but couldn’t have… and you will die if you decide not to side with me. You and Logan will both die. I know that you’ll kill Logan, but what should I kill you with? I won’t be able to fight you with physical strength, so how can I make you miserable? Adelia was not enough, so what else is there? How can I ruin your life? To whom do you place your meaning of life?’

Lydia suddenly raised her head and turned toward the castle tower.

‘Black hair.’

She thought of Marina, the young girl who had cried loudly and struggled against her. She realized Marina’s connection to Elena and recalled back to how Gareth had been fixated on Elena when she had stayed at their estate—how he had sided with and even held the woman in his arms in front of her. She thought back to the moans and groans she could hear from their bedroom.

‘Elena—that woman Gareth never abandoned. I shall find out what she means to him.’