Chapter 6

***

Sez was sitting on the chair waiting for Rayton.

She could only assume the conversation was taking longer than expected as he was nowhere to be seen.

She was still waiting when the maids had cleared all the dishes off the table.

'Maybe he left by himself.'

Sez stopped looking around and frowned, placing her hand on her stomach. She overate. She wasn't in a good mood for digesting food in the first place and what was worse, she had shoved down all the dishes Lisette offered her without a second thought. She felt something climbing up inside her.

"...Oop."

Sez gagged before covering her mouth. She could taste the bitterness on her tongue. Emergency! Emergency! She couldn't be the idiot who joined their dinner without notice and puked all over their carpet. Sez was almost thankful that Rayton was running late. It was good for sake. She wanted to get back to her palace and regurgitate what she had eaten. Then she could tell Runa to bring digestive medicine.

She scurried to the door and reached for the doorknob. But before she grabbed the doorknob, the door thumped open.

“…Ouch.”

Sez hit her head against something and looked up.

"...B-brother Rayton."

It was Rayton, wearing the most annoyed expression she had ever seen in her life.

Surprised, Sez unconsciously stuttered over her words. She was so surprised she suddenly didn’t need to throw up anymore.

Rayton just glared at Sez without saying a word, then he walked past her.

'...Does he want me to follow him? ...Can I? Well, there’s only one door in here anyway... Oh, right. I have a gift for him.'

Sez hesitated before following him with her mouth covered.

To her surprise, Rayton was headed toward Sez's quarters instead of straying off.

She’d assumed that he left by himself, but perhaps even Rayton couldn’t just ignore his mother’s order…

Putting those thoughts aside, Sez tried her best to catch up with him.

It wasn't easy at all as she wasn’t feeling very well.

Sez couldn’t dare to ask him to slow down, so she just walked in silence, trying her best to hold back from vomiting.

"Rayton, please wait..."

"..."

"...B-brother Rayton!"

Rayton stopped.

Then, he stared fixedly at Sez, who had fallen far behind.

Though the glowing red eyes in the darkness were a little intimidating, like those of a beast, Sez mustered up her courage.

"T-thank you for taking me back, and dinner too. And here...”

Sez took out the jewelry box and opened it. Inside was a ruby the size of a fingertip. Unable to call for a merchant, Sez chose the most expensive among the jewels she possessed as his gift.

It took Sez grit and tears to choose this as her gift. She didn't know how things worked outside the castle, but she was sure that this single jewel was worth at least a few months' living expenses.

The fine-cut ruby was as red as Rayton's eyes and glowed enchantingly. She thought this wasn't a bad gift at all.

"It's my birthday gift to you. I thought it resembled your eyes..."

"..."

"I-I know it isn't much but... it's the best I could do, so..."

"..."

"...Broth-"

Rayton stretched out his hands before Sez could finish. He snatched the jewelry box and... threw it on the ground.

Her confused sapphire eyes locked on the smashed box. Sez couldn't think of doing anything else.

"..."

Sez yelped at his sudden manhandling.

That was because Rayton’s hand had grabbed her collar all of a sudden. Sez, frozen in fear, stared into Rayton's chilling red eyes. They were full of anger and... disgust. She had seen the same eyes before... when he cut off her head.

"I have no idea what you’re scheming, but listen here, you little brat."

"Ugh..."

"I have no intention of being close with someone like you, so it’ll be wise to keep that in mind."

"W-why...?"

Sez stuttered. Rayton paused for a beat before yanking her hair with his other hand. It hurt. It hurt so much that tears welled up in Sez's eyes.

"Blonde hair and blue eyes. You blasted royals all look alike. Like inbred dogs."

"R-Rayton...."

"I know exactly what you lordlings think of me. And you're asking me why?"

"I despise you. I despise you more than you hate me. I'd gladly kill you all if I had a chance."

'How is that my fault? You're barking up the wrong tree... It's not like I'm living a better life than you here, anyway.'

Sez didn't speak it out. She wasn't planning on dying this early.

"Filthy bastards..."

Rayton shoved Sez, letting go of her like he was throwing trash away. He even dusted his hands off as if he had been touching something filthy.

"Now piss off."

Ah, by the way…

"I-I'm... I'm really throwing..."

Sez lost her balance and buried her head right beneath Rayton's chest. Then…

Ba-

"...What?"

Barf…

Sez managed to hold it in for a while, but it took less than a moment to throw it all up. All she could imagine, while looking at Rayton's clothes drenched in her vomit, was her head flying off.

"..."

"..."

The silence was colder than ice. Sez raised her head a little and glanced at Rayton.

Rayton was... not doing anything. It was like he didn't understand what happened to him. Or perhaps he was just speechless, or maybe both...

Sez looked at him like a scolded puppy before trying her best to wipe it off with her sleeve. It didn't help. It did the opposite in fact, as she was practically spreading the vomit all over his clothes.

‘I’m in big trouble.’

Sez barely squeezed out a trembling voice.

"I... I'm sorry..."

"..."

"I really didn't mean it... I swea-"

Rayton pushed her back all of a sudden.

"Kyaa!"

Sez fell down and screamed, and Rayton glared at Sez as if he were about to kill her.

'I'm done. He's going to kill me. I'm dying because I puked.'

Sez closed her eyes, bracing herself for her imminent fate.

To her surprise, Rayton didn't kill her, nor pounce on her. He just spat out a couple of swears like ‘shit’ or ‘little brat’ and walked away.

“…”

Sez didn't move still until Rayton's disappeared from her sight. She couldn't. She felt that if she moved even a finger he'd turn back immediately and charge at her. Rayton, however, was gone for good and Sez let out a sigh.

"I thought I would be dead."

Sez didn't expect him to just leave. She wouldn't have been surprised at all if he had slapped her a couple of times. While she was thankful, she also lamented that her plan was a total failure.

'...No, I'm not done yet. There'll be another way.'

Sez told herself desperately.

At least emptying her stomach had made her feel better. Sez stood up after grabbing the jewel box and the ruby. After the long walk, she felt like she could pass out and sleep at any moment. Sez decided to focus on getting back to her room, taking a shower, and changing her dirty clothes.

While Sez was anxious about whether Rayton would keep her word of teaching her Kazarkish, she decided to put that concern aside for now and worry about it tomorrow.