บท 24: The Bruswards Family
Richard helped Evangeline up as she gritted her teeth in pain, holding her arm. "It's fine, Richard. What's going on? Why are you two together?" she groaned, staggering to her feet. She released her grip on her injured arm and grabbed onto Richard to avoid falling again. Noticing a stain of blood on her hand, she realized she was also hurt on her ankle. She tried to hold back her tears as she groaned in pain. Without saying a word, Richard scooped her up in his arms, cast a steely glare at Dominic, and walked away.
Dominic watched them go, his expression unreadable and no remorse seeing the blood and injury of Evangeline,He then scoffed and turned away, folding his arms as he walked.
Richard carried Evangeline to her room and gently laid her down. He removed her upper dress, leaving her in her inner wear, and began tending to her wounds. He used medicine and ointment from the first aid box that the servant accompanying them had provided. After leaving a glass of water for Evangeline, the servant quietly left.
"What were you two talking about, and why were you with him?" Evangeline asked again, her voice strained with pain.
Richard was silent for a moment as he applied ointment to her ankle. He sighed heavily as he wrapped her ankle with a bandage. "Dominic and I just exchanged greetings when we bumped into each other. He didn't know I was in the small garden," Richard said, his voice tight. He continued applying ointment to her wounds, his mind replaying Dominic's cold words in the garden. He gulped, remembering the menacing look in Dominic's eyes.
"Make sure she doesn't get pregnant, especially not with your child. That's my place as her husband, not yours. It would be inconvenient if my plans were disrupted because of you. And trust me, you wouldn't like the consequences."
Richard wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand and took a deep breath. "Most importantly, Evangeline, stop wearing heels. You're lucky it wasn't your head this time. Just avoid wearing them for now. I mean it," he said, his tone a mix of warning and concern. "It would be dangerous if you hit your head. You've had a hard time with those heels; you could get seriously hurt." He spoke softly as he caressed her thigh, his touch gentle.
"I like wearing them, Richard," Evangeline replied, touching her bandaged ankle. Richard handed her some painkillers and a glass of water. She took the tablets and gulped down the water in one go, placing the empty glass on the small stool beside the bed. She angrily clenched her fingers around the glass, her face darkening with anger.
"No matter how much Dominic resents me, he can't even bat an eye or help me up when I get hurt because of him? Is it because he's a Brusward? Despicable! The more I know about them, the more they disgust me," Evangeline thought to herself, clenching her fists and biting her lip in frustration. "Who does he think he is? How dare he hit me! He's so irritating and unpleasant behind that pretty face of his, just using his beauty to charm people like a peacock."
Evangeline hugged her knees, her expression gloomy, and began to sob. Richard stroked her hair gently, trying to comfort her. "Why did I have to fall down there, Richard? I looked pathetic in front of him," she said, her voice trembling with humiliation. Richard kissed her forehead, reassuring her that she would be fine. "There, there," he murmured, patting her head.
"He just shoved me like I'm some glass cup or feather he could easily dispose of. I felt like I was pushed by a large boulder. When the day comes that I'm no longer useful to him, he'll kill me like a little bug, as if I'm nothing. I need to play this game and fulfill the bet we made," she muttered to herself, her hands clenched as she held her head, groaning and swaying as if she were about to fall.
Richard held her tight, his grip firm, steadying her. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
"I want to lie down," she demanded, her voice barely a whisper. Richard nodded and carefully laid her down, pulling the bed cover over her body. He placed a pillow behind her back to help her relax and sat beside her, gently holding her hand, caressing it with his thumb.
"What's Dominic like?" he asked, his curiosity about Dominic evident. He had a nagging feeling he had seen Dominic's face somewhere before, but he knew for sure that Dominic was a Brusward.
"Why are you asking me? I can't understand his personality or have any close relationship with him. He's just a cunning and ruthless person who likes to get on my nerves," Evangeline replied, clenching her hands. "I want to split his head in two if I could."
"It's just that we're staying in the same house. I wasn't interested in him until now. I feel like I've seen him somewhere before. Maybe I can learn something from him," Richard said, his fingers gently tracing her cheek. Evangeline was a little surprised by Richard's response.
"You know Dominic? From where?" Evangeline sat up abruptly, wincing as a sharp pain shot through her arm. She clutched it, groaning in pain. Richard gently pushed her back down to lie flat and sighed. "Like I said, I don't remember exactly, but I know he's a Brusward. The Bruswards are well-known for their skill in acquiring properties. I've worked with them before, but we ended things on a bad note."
Evangeline couldn't believe what she was hearing, but she kept silent, sighing as she held his hand. "What have you heard about the Brusward family?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"The only thing I know is they own a construction company and are involved in some illegal businesses. I did some jobs for Victor Brusward, the head of the family," Richard replied, his words making Evangeline raise an eyebrow in interest.
"Victor Brusward? That's Dominic's father..." Evangeline said, gripping Richard's hand tightly as he stared at her.
"That rings a bell. Now I remember. I saw Dominic at a penthouse once when I was begging for alms. The strawberry blonde boy who defended me and helped me get to where I am today was Dominic. It's a small world indeed. But today, he's acting like a jerk. I can see why you hate him," Richard thought to himself, recalling the scene where Bruno chased him away and Dominic stood up for him, only to be slapped by his father. He remembered his encounter with Dominic in the garden, where Dominic had ominously hinted at his knowledge of Richard's past.
"Oh? Do you really think I know nothing about you?" Dominic had stepped closer to Richard, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "Do you think I just let you into this house, into my wife's bedroom, without knowing who you are? You're under the illusion that you've gained the upper hand just because you've won my dear wife's affection." Richard gulped, knowing that wasn't an empty threat, lowering his head as he looked at Evangeline's hand holding his.
Evangeline scoffed. "Do you think those companies they acquired were just something they accomplished with clean hands?" she chuckled darkly. "Let me tell you something you don't know about the Bruswards and Dominic." Richard raised his head, giving her his full attention, eager to hear what she was about to reveal.
"For Dominic, his full name is Dominic Frederick Brusward. A lot of people call him 'The Apple of Eros' Eye' because of his beauty and his unique strawberry blonde hair, which he inherited from his mother, Marie Brusward. No one else had that hair color except her. His elder sister, Annette Lilyin Brusward, had silver hair. She was born ill and was declared missing for some time. Later, her body was found lifeless, with blood stains between her legs, in the family's backyard," Evangeline explained, her voice laced with a mixture of sorrow and disdain but didn't show any emotion in front of Richard.
Richard was shocked by the tragic end of Annette. Evangeline continued, "Her twin brother, Edward Sylen Brusward, had the same hair color as Dominic but with a slight mix of silver. None of the children inherited Victor's black hair; they got their beauty from their mother and their cunning traits from their father. I don't know the details of Annette's case because she was always frail, but Dominic's beauty surpassed his elder siblings, so they nicknamed him 'Eros' Love Child,' after the god of beauty and love."
"Dominic's beauty was legendary and that charmed everyone like a peacock and his angelic appearance, Yet behind that pretty and flawless face lay a calculating mind as cold as ice this contraction made him more dangerous like a venomous flower"She sighed and tapped her fingers on the bedsheets, continuing as Richard listened intently. "I've heard that Dominic cut ties with his family, but I don't know the details about that. I still resent him for coming from such a family, and he's definitely acting like one of them," Evangeline said as she stroked her pale blonde hair and began removing her earrings.
"It seems pretty obvious that his issues are tied to his family. The Bruswards are notorious for their crimes—they're dangerous and would do anything for money. They put up a good front, but they're associated with groups that do terrible things and engage in criminal activities. They use blackmail, extortion, and violence to build their empire, and they won't hesitate to kill a person and strip them of their belongings if they refuse to submit, all to gain status and the upper hand."
Richard was taken aback by what he heard, though he wasn't entirely surprised, recalling the whispers and gossip about the Bruswards he had overheard during his time with Bruno.
"Dominic's mother took her own life, or so I heard. Apparently, she was exposed after killing someone important in Verdaselles," Evangeline said, handing her earrings to Richard.
"What?" Richard exclaimed in shock.
"Yes," Evangeline continued, "they say she killed anyone who got in the way of her business. When she was exposed, she couldn't handle it. She was too surrounded, and she died, saying she would pay for her crimes with her life. That's what Victor himself said when he sent out a message after she was declared missing."
Evangeline gently caressed Richard's thigh as she narrated the story, her voice soft but firm.
"Victor said that himself? That sounds suspicious, or like something made up," Richard scoffed, unable to hide his disbelief.
"Who knows?" Evangeline replied with a shrug. "That's what I thought as well. But it's really not my business because of how despicable they are. After that, the Brusward family organized a large charity event to cover up their crimes. Not only did it clean their reputation, but it was also successful enough to help the family recover. The king was already declaring execution on the whole family, so the Bruswards promised to repent—which I know they won't truly do. They won't stop there. After taking so many lives, it only brought them more fame. Dominic's intelligence got him enrolled in the same school as my late brother, but my parents weren't aware he was a Brusward because he had a close friendship with my brother. Even as a student in that school, he faced a hard time because of his family's reputation," Evangeline said, clutching her arm. "The Bruswards are ruthless people. They're still committing their crimes in secret, extorting their subcontractors to run their charity and cover up their losses, but people don't know about that. They're born criminals; it's in their blood."
"Richard, please change this bandage. I think you made it too tight—I don't want scars on my skin," she added with a hint of concern in her voice.
Richard nodded and went to the first aid box, opening it and bringing out a new bandage. He helped Evangeline sit up and carefully began to remove the old bandage, replacing it with a fresh one, wrapping it gently around her arm.
"So, the reason why Dominic cut ties with his family could mean three things," Evangeline said thoughtfully, raising three fingers to illustrate her point. "Either he was pushed out, he left on his own, or he lost their trust."
She paused for a moment, her expression a mix of frustration and confusion. "The Bruswards are cold-blooded and will abandon anyone they see as weak, even if it's their own blood. That's why it's so hard for me to understand what my grandmother did."
Evangeline's eyes narrowed as she tried to make sense of it all. "The peace and honor of the Sarogaths family, and our royal relatives, have always mattered to us above everything else. So why, of all people, did she choose Dominic for me to marry? He's a Brusward—the exact opposite of everything we stand for. What could she possibly have been thinking?"
Richard finished wrapping the bandage around her arm, his touch gentle but firm. Evangeline thanked him quietly, her mind still racing with questions. She couldn't help but wonder if there was something she didn't know, some hidden reason for her grandmother's decision. She felt a knot of unease in her stomach, knowing that if there was more to the story, she needed to uncover it.
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