Chapter 4

Frowning, I steadily said, "It's a filthy thing. Am I not allowed to stop wanting it?" At that, Albus' breathing turned ragged. His gaze burned with hurt and fury. In one abrupt move, he brought his foot down on the charm, grinding it underfoot. "Caroline, you're spoiled rotten! You're nothing but a heartless, ungrateful wretch!" he sneered, laughing bitterly. "The fact that Nathan chose Eveline over you makes perfect sense. You—" "Albus!" Martin cut him off, his tone heavy. Albus watched me with reddened eyes. He studied me closely, searching for the slightest trace of remorse or regret in my features. Yet, as he looked, all he found was a mask of unsettling stillness. At that, he trembled with rage. Through gritted teeth, he snarled, "Caroline, that charm isn't even yours to begin with. It was Eveline's. She merely placed it in your care, so who gave you the right to discard it?" Unexpectedly, I felt oddly at peace. "I'll compensate her, then," I said flatly. My indifference ignited Albus' fury. He jabbed a finger toward me and shouted, "Enough pretending! Fine, if that's how you want to be, then grab another protective charm yourself. You'd better climb every one of those thousand steps!" Martin wanted to speak up and intervene, but a single stare from Albus held him back. To them, this was a fitting way to humble me. Since the stab wound wasn't life-threatening, they dismissed it as yet another attention-seeking stunt. … It began to rain when I got to the hillside church. The downpour had turned the stone staircase—all thousand steps of it—into a treacherous, slippery path. I lost my footing and fell to my knees. Rainwater soaked into the wound, and the sharp pain spread through my body. But I shut the feeling out and kept telling myself one thing. "This is the last time I'm doing this. After this, I owe Albus nothing." I don't know how long I prayed, but at long last, the new protective charm was mine. Drenched and shivering, I felt a heavy, feverish fog cloud my mind. … When I pushed open the Bergling residence's front door, I found a celebration in full swing. Eveline was at the heart of it, smiling brightly with a physics trophy in her hands. My arrival broke the festive mood at once. Martin was the first to frown, then he rebuked me sharply, "Caroline! Have you seen the state you're in? Is this how an heiress of the Berglings should look?" Everyone's gaze toward me in unison. There was scorn and impatience, but not a single trace of concern. Paying the onlookers no mind, I walked straight to Eveline and placed the protective charm in her hand. At that, Eveline pulled her hand away with feigned shock. However, a glint of triumph shone in her eyes. "Carol, please… You mustn't," she said. "I don't blame you in the slightest." I had no patience for her act. Without another word, I turned and left. Martin and Albus' angry shouts trailed after me, but I acted as if I hadn't heard them. I went into my room and locked the door behind me. Then, I retrieved the razor I'd hidden away long ago and drew it cleanly over my wrist decisively. As blood welled up, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief that I'd never known. At that moment, Oscar's knocks sounded through the door. "Carol, open up. I need to talk to you," he said. But I was already slipping away. I didn't even have the strength to speak. Then, Albus impatiently cut in, "Let her be! She's just acting out again! This is what comes from coddling her!" Finally, Oscar gave up. His footsteps gradually faded away. At long last, I closed my eyes as I had wished. I felt my soul drift free, light as a breath. My soul had barely risen from my body when the door was suddenly slammed open. Martin stormed into the room, his features stark with fury. Oscar and Albus trailed behind him. "Caroline, you—" He went silent, stunned by the expanse of crimson soaking the floor.