She remembered the words she had heard from them in her previous life.
‘Carola hates seeing bitches like you climb up. Carola’s mother always taught her that ‘worms should crawl on the floor like worms,”
mocked Carola, taunting her.
‘Wretch! Bitch! Leach! You can’t do anything right!’
Cursing and abusing her was how Jacob talked to her.
‘How could you be so ugly, huh? Why is Marco talking to a bitch like you?! At least it should be a normal woman, an actual human,”
Arien snarled while torturing Elisha after she had kidnaped her.
‘If I show interest in things like you, you should spread your legs in gratitude.’
Even as Marco hissed this in her ear, he looked at Elisha with disgusting, sticky eyes full of sexual desire.
For having held her hostage on the pretext of debt, and then abusing her because of her ugliness. And then tormenting her because they had already crushed her—
To them, Elisha was not a person.
“That I am a person. A human being, not a commodity or a slave to be sold. I want to prove that,”
confessed Elisha.
Lucerne was silent.
“And I want to live. That’s all.”
He clutched her wrist and pulled her towards him. Elisha was gently dragged into his arms. When his body touched her, she flinched. As Lucerne held her from behind, her back was against his chest as his arms encircled her so she couldn’t see his expression.
“Then don’t provoke me any more.”
“… … .”
“It won’t do you any good if I’m illogical. Because I keep on wanting you more and more.”
Elisha’s hand twitched.
“If you want me, what happens?”
“It’s just that. Do you want me to write you a love letter, or do you want me to serenade you?”
he asked in disbelief. The body temperature on the nape of Elisha’s neck rose.
“…… .”
“Wanting you all the time means I keep coveting you, wanting to thrust into you, wanting to control and monopolize you. And you will live as mine.”
She remembered the scene when she first arrived at Lucerne’s mansion. Expensive art pieces and gold rolling around in his hallways.
Elisha had a body that had never been deemed valuable before during her two lives. So, it was the norm for her to be treated as an object like those treasures. It was simply that, so Elisha was not disappointed with Lucerne’s words.
“Why are you mad at me?”
Elisha asked, ignoring her chest hosting an odd tingling and piercing sensation. She was sincere.
Jacob had constantly reminded her that she would immediately be disposed of if she made a mistake. And he let her know that there were plenty of people who could replace her.
Gaju taught her that appealing to and relying on affection was useless. Elisha, in this life, was doing well. She didn’t cling on to emotions; she didn’t make mistakes. She was demonstrating excellence.
‘You said you didn’t like Merha, so I gave you a weapon to corner him along with Marco.’
More than half of Lucerne’s childhood was ruined by his uncle Merha. Elisha knew that. It was important to bring what was needed. But what was wrong with Lucerne? She didn’t understand why he wasn’t happy with her.
“Well.”
“…… .”
“I think the collateral is getting more and more valuable. Sometimes to the point where I can’t think rationally.”
Again, he was uttering nonsensical words.
Lucerne’s hands were still wrapped around her waist. Elisha hesitated to hold his hand. Eventually, she slowly put her hand down.
“What more do you want from me?”
“… … .”
“You’ve been working hard to win my trust, right?”
“… … I hope you will trust me and cooperate with me.”
“You know I can’t. You and I are alike. We can’t trust anyone by nature. Because we’ve never experienced it before.”
Elisha nodded. He was right. They would not be alive now if they had trusted anyone and had given their heart.
Although Elisha went through a humiliating wretched hell and Lucerne went through a hell called war. They both survived and withstood their own different but similar hells.
“Then there is nothing I can do.”
This time, Lucerne chuckled. Then, he gently let Elisha go.
“Why don’t you try and seduce me like a siren with some pillow talk? Please melt my heart.”
“I know it won’t work since my body’s condition is like this… … .”
she fumbled, startled by his jest. He gently released Elisha’s hand. He turned her around, and their eyes met.
“I didn’t have the intention to but—”
“… … .”
“Even with this body… drives me crazy with the desire to kiss you.”
