MLCDF 93

~Chapter 93~

“Y-you…!”

Cecilia opened her mouth unconsciously, then quickly closed it again.

She jerked her head aside and pulled her hat down low. Beside her, her old husband shouted loudly.

“What are you staring at? Never seen a Baron before?”

He seemed to think raising his voice would cover up the whispers of the crowd, but it only made them look more pitiful.

After all, despite holding noble titles, they wore worn-out clothes and walked without a single servant.

“Move aside, why are you blocking the way—”

“Oh, stop it already!”

Cecilia finally snapped.

“Just let us pass quietly! Quietly!”

But her old husband didn’t care to listen.

“What do you know, huh? All you ever do is stay home and waste food!”

Grinding her teeth, Cecilia dragged him away through the crowd.

Though his body was huge and flabby, he had no strength, so the frail Cecilia easily pulled him along, vanishing down an alley.

“Ugh, what a temper that man has.”

“Well, Cecilia Aristia basically stepped on her own bad luck trying to pawn off bail money.”

Cecilia, who had lost one eye as punishment for trying to blind me, seemed to have gone to the only man she knew with money—the old noble who once proposed to me—and offered marriage in exchange for bail.

“But really, she’s done worse. Stealing other people’s fiancés wasn’t just once or twice. It’s all karma.”

Listening to the murmurs, I silently stared at the alley where Cecilia had disappeared.

For the first time, she had avoided my eyes out of shame.

Even though she used to come pick fights with me on purpose, even after I married into House Maledictus.

“Ruby almost had to marry that man. Unthinkable,” Damien muttered, his arm around my shoulder.

“…Exactly.”

“That woman—”

Damien’s cold gaze stayed fixed on the alley.

“She looks like she’s finally being punished.”

“….”

“If you think of what she did to you, it’s still not enough.”

Without another word, Damien took my hand and led me toward the shop.

Somehow, I couldn’t shake off the strange feeling inside me.

“No, Damien. This is too expensive.”

Damien was trying to buy me a necklace covered in countless diamonds, but I firmly refused.

“But it’s beautiful…”

He kept holding up sparkling jewelry against me with pure joy on his face.

Until recently, Damien had never understood why people wore different clothes or accessories. But now, he delighted in seeing me wear them.

‘Ruby always shines, but with this, she’d shine even more.’

My pale, delicate neck made the silver necklace of diamonds look dazzling.

Of course he wanted to buy me anything that made me look beautiful.

“No. That’s overspending.”

“I always say—we have plenty of money.”

“Even if we do, we should spend reasonably. So no.”

For once, Damien pouted at my stubbornness.

Seeing his lips push out, I flinched and turned away, my ears turning slightly red. I crossed my arms quickly.

“Y-you think I’ll give in just because you’re acting cute? No way.”

“…?”

Damien tilted his head. He hadn’t been trying to act cute at all.

“Then pick something else. I won’t leave this shop until you do.”

“What?! That’s unfair!”

With a reddened face, I shouted, but in the end, I gave up and started looking for something more affordable.

“Fine. But next time, I’ll buy you something expensive.”

Even her sulky look was adorable to Damien.

As I searched, my eyes landed on a display.

“Hm? What’s this?”

It was a brooch, decorated with ribbons and jewels.

“Oh my, madam, you have good taste,” the clerk hurried over with a smile.

“This piece is refined but elegant. It suits any outfit. Especially with the dress you’re wearing now, it would be perfect.”

The clerk held up a ruby-red brooch, the same shade as my eyes, and pinned it lightly to my dress.

“Sir, doesn’t your wife look stunning in this?”

It wasn’t just sales talk—the brooch really did suit me, just like the diamond necklace had.

“…Yes. Beautiful.”

“Right? And since her skin is fair, I think this one would suit her as well!”

This time the clerk showed a black-ribbon brooch with a purple amethyst jewel.

The jewel’s color was almost the same as Damien’s eyes.

“Mm. This one is also very nice. It would look great on darker dresses.”

“Indeed, and both are currently on sale—20% off.”

Even with the discount, the brooches were good quality for their price.

Unlike before, I couldn’t take my eyes off them—I really liked them.

‘This one, then.’ Damien thought to himself.

At that moment, I opened my mouth.

“Damien, I—”

“Ruby, you are absolutely not paying for this with your own money.”

“…How did you know?”

“I can read your expressions now.”

To make sure I didn’t pay, he already had his checkbook out.

“Then will you at least help me choose one? I like both.”

“Then buy both.”

“But together they cost about the same as that necklace! Just pick one.”

In the end, we agreed to buy only one brooch.

Damien stared at the ruby one and the amethyst one.

Logically, he knew I should choose the ruby—it matched my eyes, and it would look good with anything I wore.

But deep inside, he longed for me to wear the amethyst.

‘If she wore my color… it’d feel like she was dyed in me.’

Still, he swallowed that thought.

‘No. Ruby’s color must stay hers.’

He was about to say the ruby one suited me more when—

“See? It’s hard to pick, right?” I smiled.

“The one wearing it should decide. And I know which one my heart leans to.”

Damien held his breath, waiting.

“Which one?”

“This one!” I pointed at the amethyst brooch.

“I like it because it looks like your eyes, Damien.”

His eyes widened. For a moment, he froze.

Then, slowly, he smiled warmly, taking the amethyst brooch.

“…Alright.”

Only the clerk noticed his ears turn red as he paid.

That night.

“So all the haunted house curses are moving into this mansion?”

“Yes. They say they don’t want to be separated from their companions.”

Even though the Gatekeeper Ghost was gone, the space she created hadn’t vanished.

One of the mannequin curses had been entrusted with managing it.

“I have good news. They said we’re welcome to visit anytime.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Haunted house courses, a horror-themed restaurant, even a horror-concept hotel—they’ll provide it all.”

“Wow!”

My red eyes sparkled like a rabbit’s. “Then we’ll have to go there for our next trip!”

“Exactly. It’s like having a huge haunted house available 24 hours a day.”

“Amazing!”

I clapped my hands in pure delight.

Seeing me so happy, Damien felt proud.

“Yes. That makes me happy too.”

He took my hand and said gently, “But before we go again, you need to consume the curse.”

“Ah… right.”

Today was the day I had to eat the leftover curse.

It still felt awkward to me, but I admitted that after I consumed it, I felt the curse inside me calm down. Damien’s method was effective.

So, I didn’t refuse.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

He held me close, pressing his lips to mine.

Through the kiss, he passed the leftover fragments of the Gatekeeper Ghost into my mouth.

‘Fresh. It hasn’t been long since this one was destroyed, so its power is still strong.’

The moment I tasted it, my eyes flew wide open.

I devoured every last bit he gave me.

When the kiss ended, I lowered my head.

“Ruby?”

Damien froze.

“M-more…”

My hair had turned completely white.

My crimson eyes burned even redder, like blood itself.

I grabbed his neck with both hands and suddenly crashed my lips against his.