Chapter 2

“What?”

After removing his robe, the man approached the desk with short strides and draped his robe over the chair in front of him.

His incredulous tone caused Carinne to frown.

“I need a man to spend the night with. The employees at my residence informed me that a tavern was a possible meeting spot, but I’m not well-versed on that sort of thing.”

“Why do you need a man for the night?”

“To get my revenge on someone I despise.”

Upon hearing Carinne’s statement, the man’s eyebrows furrowed.

The man considered verifying the woman’s statement, but gave up on that idea. Due to his inability to see, he had to trust his other senses, and he did not detect any deceit in her voice.

Is it a lover’s quarrel?

He suspected that her desire to have a one-night stand with a random man was a way to get back at her unfaithful partner.

The man knew all too well how dirty and dangerous this world was.

“What a dangerous idea. If your motivation is only to seek revenge, I suggest seeking an alternative approach.”

“No, I don’t have time. It has to happen today,” Carinne said in a feeble tone.

It had been a while since she’d been able to speak with someone like this. It was lucky for her that he couldn’t see her face. Regardless of her questions or statements, he would remain unaware of her identity.

“Is it something you must do?”

“Yes.”

The man went quiet.

“I fulfilled my promise and helped you, so don’t deny me the information I seek,” she pushed.

“You helped me, so I’ll help you too.”

“Thank you.”

The man shed his uniform-style jacket that was adorned with a unique emblem.

Striding towards her, he unbuttoned the cuffs of his white shirt and rolled up the sleeves.

It was hard to believe he lacked sight, given the precision of his steps. The man possessed heightened senses, making it easy to locate the woman by the sound of her breath.

Carinne, perched on the windowsill, fixed her eyes on the man standing directly in front of her. Her face showed no sign of suspicion whatsoever.

He extended his arm and gently pressed his hand against her cheek.

“How about me?”

“What?”

“Don’t you think I’m a better option than a complete stranger?”

Carinne quietly scanned the man standing before her. Needless to say, she didn’t deem him terrible. In fact, the man possessed a striking appearance.

“Aren’t you blind right now?”

“I can still do what you need even though I can’t see.”

He bent down and kissed Carinne on the lips. Her eyes grew big.

“Was that unpleasant?”

“Uh, no. It’s not bad.”

Carinne’s truthful reply prompted the man to lower his hand and firmly grab her waist.

His somewhat rough kiss made Carinne wince, but she still let him kiss her.

“You’re quite stiff for someone who desires to sleep with a man.”

He leaned in towards Carinne, who remained rigid and unyielding. His lips curled into a sly grin as he gently bit her lower lip.

“If I’m not your cup of tea, I can recommend a place for meeting men.”

After a brief moment of contemplation, Carinne’s face lit up with a smile.

Given the choice, she would opt for the blind man’s company instead of going out and meeting a stranger.

“You’ll do.”

After receiving her confirmation with a nod, he embraced her and gently placed her on the bed.

Is he really not able to see?

To her surprise, his movements were effortless. Undoubtedly, it seemed he had grown accustomed to having impaired sight.

With her lying down, he kissed her on the lips once more and slipped his hand through her garments.

To Carinne, everything she experienced that night was new.

***

It hurts…

She wanted to ask if he truly couldn’t see.

Initially, the man’s movements appeared to be driven by duty, but it soon became clear that he was actually enjoying it, as he continued to repeat his actions multiple times.

There was pain, but Carinne surprisingly found herself enjoying it and lost in the passion.

There are no more banquets on the calendar, so he’ll beat me mercilessly.

With a soft click of her tongue, Carinne slipped out of bed. This was literally her one night of escape.

Since the man couldn’t see her face, there would be no complications. This was just a one-night stand that would fade away from memory.

After getting dressed, Carinne fixed her outfit in the mirror and then put her robe back on.

Perhaps the man was tired, because he slept through without waking. This was fortunate for Carinne.

She soon left the inn. After securing a ride in a carriage, she got out at the mansion, requested the guards to pay the fare, and made her way inside.

Luckily, it was still very early, so it appeared that everyone except the guards was fast asleep.

Carinne made her way down to the basement.

Viscount Tyrian himself had bestowed upon her a small, solitary room. In the basement, there was no bathroom with a bathtub. However, there was a compact area where she could wash herself.

With the cold water she had grown accustomed to, she scrubbed her body clean and then laid down on her squeaky bed.

It was expected that Viscount Tyrian would show up the following morning, furious and ready to beat her, but she paid no mind to it.

Viscount Tyrian was someone who couldn’t keep his pants zipped up.

As a result, he had a child out of wedlock, and that was Carinne.

It was hard to imagine that Viscount Tyrian had only one illegitimate child. One could only imagine what else he could have been up to behind the scenes.

Regardless, Carinne’s mother was unable to endure her struggles and ultimately sent her daughter to Viscount Tyrian.

Her mother saw this arrangement as a way for her to work and provide a better upbringing for her child. However, there was an ulterior motive to Viscount Tyrian’s swift acceptance of his illegitimate child.

Carinne’s striking appearance had been apparent since she was young. Inherited from her mother, she had silver-white hair and bright yellow, beastly eyes.

Because of her looks, the viscount belatedly took in Carinne as his child.

There were rumors that Viscount Tyrian wanted a daughter to marry off in a profitable arrangement, but that his wife couldn’t produce a daughter. So when he acquired Carinne, he sought to exploit her in an arranged marriage.

The viscount was a despicable human being who regarded his children as mere pawns to use in transactions.

Carinne’s autonomy was stifled, and her fundamental needs for sustenance, clothing, and shelter were used as leverage to compel her compliance with his demands.

He wanted to increase Carinne’s value. Therefore, he taught her many things.

However, since she spent most of her time in the basement, she lacked some essential knowledge.

While she was well-versed in the history of the empire, she had no idea how much it cost to stay in an inn or the price of an apple, or which season grapes were available.

Carinne despised Viscount Tyrian.

She hated that he didn’t allow her mother to leave and confined her in the annex. She also disapproved of how he abandoned her mother when he grew tired of her, ultimately driving her to her demise.

Sleeping with a stranger was the plan she came up with to prevent the viscount from achieving his ultimate goal.

She was now a step closer to achieving her goal. The rest was now dependent on luck.

As a consequence of her actions today, it was likely that Viscount Tyrian would forbid her from leaving the mansion. For acting out of her own accord, he would also lock her up in the basement.

She wouldn’t get another opportunity.

I hope I become pregnant.

Ultimately, it was all a matter of chance.

If she was lucky, she would succeed, but failure would mean spending her life as someone’s slave, with the one holding the chains constantly changing.

She was aware that her wish was driven by selfishness. And she understood what a strange thing it was to do.

However, there was simply no other option for her. Due to her status as a captive animal, she had no freedom to do as she pleased.

Nothing would devastate the viscount more than her becoming pregnant.

Viscount Tyrian had devoted more than ten years to Carinne, working to enhance her worth and secure her a marriage that would fetch him the highest price.

But she was going to watch his face as it all crumbled right before his eyes.

She couldn’t even imagine how exhilarating it would be to see that. She giggled.

“Hey, what’s your name?”

The man had asked her that in the heat of passion as moans of pleasure filled the room.

Naturally, she acted as if she hadn’t heard him and chose not to respond. Never had she heard anyone whisper so sweetly to her.

It was nice.

What she loved most was how he had made an effort to handle her gently.

Until then, she was convinced that a man’s hand served no purpose other than to oppress, coerce, and inflict pain. But she liked the way he gently caressed the back of her neck.

Of course, she planned to keep that memory as just a dream.

After letting out a big yawn, Carinne closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

***

Slam, slam, slam! Clunk!

Suddenly, a series of loud thuds echoed through the iron door, followed by the creaking of the basement door as light flooded in.

Carinne’s drowsy eyes slowly fluttered open; she was still half-asleep.

“Have you completely lost your mind lately?!”

Slap! Slap!

As the pain seared through her back, Carinne moaned and reluctantly opened her eyes.

In a reflex action, she hunched over, causing the impact to be concentrated in the same spot and intensifying the pain.

Sleeping with her face turned towards the wall was her one saving grace. Had it not been for that, she would have been whipped on her face or stomach.

Even though she somewhat expected it, the jarring sensation of being abruptly struck with a whip while she was asleep was excruciating.

“Mmph...”

Carinne bit her lower lip. She fought to suppress her tears while enduring the relentless pain.

She knew that her tears would only fuel his sadistic tendencies.