A Supporting Role Lady

Chapter 19

Warning: this chapter has a pretty intense scene of domestic/parental [physical, emotional, verbal, financial] violence. You can skip to the next chapter if you want.

"The Knight Commander was only doing me a favor and let me stay at his home during a mission. He and I are the kingdom's servants before we are man and woman. What's wrong with returning home late because of work and taking care of a colleague? In fact, if there's anything wrong, it's my father's rotten head!"

Lillian's comeback made Herbert even more furious. He was spitting as he made a ridiculous argument.

"How can you so shamelessly lie? You are your mother's daughter! The mission was an excuse, and you stayed in his house to catch the man. You're such a dirty bitch! What's the difference between you and those bitches who sell themselves in the back alleyways?"

Dumbfounded, Lillian was speechless. How can a man compare his daughter to a whore? Lillian had never even done anything wrong like this terrible father has! Herbert was a drinker on his daughter's hard-earned salary.

I couldn't believe that he could be so abusive to Lillian.

'This is total bullshit!'

Soo Yeon didn't know, but her father was very famous amongst the Knights—actually, rather infamous. For this reason, even the men who had been interested in marriage or courting Lillian were put off.

Who wanted to be family with that?

That's why Enrique gave her a more generous offer than was necessary. It was because he was concerned about what Lillian's father would do if she resigned from knighthood.

Of course, Lillian had no way of knowing Enrique's consideration.

She stared at Herbert's trashy face in shock.

"You know what you did well, raising your head like that! What a shameless bitch! (t/n: someone kill this fucker already ughhh!) You must have been trying to seduce Marquis Evans by pushing your petty little body in! Do you want to enjoy riches that much? You shallow girl!"

"Kyaa!"

When Lillian was silent, Herbert mistook her for being crushed by his words. So he kicked Lillian in a surprise move. Lillian, who was standing dazed by the shock, was hit in the stomach and fell backwards.

Then Herbert's eyes glistened, and he picked up the poker by the fireplace.

"I won't let you muddle the name of Rosetti again!"

Herbert was scarily sincere. Lillian was not allowed to marry.

She couldn't even meet a man. Because she was the only cash cow and purse for this Baron Rossetti. So Lillian had to make money without going anywhere and was made to think a child was a slave to their parents. It was unacceptable for her to dare to give up the 'grace' she had received by being born and run away with a man.

'I'll get rid of that smooth face just...'

Herbert swung the hot poker at Lillian's face. She was a knight, but she was also a girl.

There was no hesitation in the hands of Herbert, who had calculated that if she had an ugly scar on her face, no one would take her.

Fortunately, Lillian reflexively raised her arm to stop the poker.

He didn't touch her face, but an iron poker struck her arm. Tears welled up in Soo-Yeon's heart.

It was a big deal. If Herbert was bare-handed, it was easy to handle him, but if he had a weapon in his hand, the story changed a bit.

"Let's see how far the bitch will go–let's see you stop me! Let's die together today!!"

Herbert, spat in his fury and swung the poker at her again.

In response, Lillian hurriedly got up and avoided it.

If I had to block with my forearm again, there was no guarantee my bones would be intact, or I could retain my arm—nevermind it's ability to function.

Fortunately, drunk Herbert's oncoming attacks were less accurate.

A couple of times, the poker which cut through the air became stuck into the floor in awkward ways.

In response, Herbert murmured a curse and struggled to pull out the poker stuck in the floor.

Then he thrusted out, its pointed end at directed at Lillian, who was cornered.

"Ahhh!"

Lillian reflexively turned and was struck on her shoulder.

My shoulder, which hit hard by the poker, rattled again against the wall. It was so painful that my eyes flashed white, and the ends of my arms twitched.

Herbert's greasy eyes flashed with cruel joy.

"You bloody bastard! How dare you avoid me?"

Alarms shook my body, I'd be in big trouble if I got hit by that poker one more time.

***