affection chapter 8

He spoke as if asking the most obvious question. Sienna’s legs gave way at his words, and she sank to the ground, feeling her blood drain from her body. Death? Would she be hanged like in the movies? Hey! You promised to save me! Sienna cried inwardly, thinking of Damon, who had vanished without a trace.

“Get up.”

“No, wait… Time. Time out.”

“The cook’s name is Time. You’re out of time. Ha ha ha.” He glanced at his companion, clearly pleased with his own wit. The other man simply stared back with an icy glare.

“What kind of reaction did you expect with a joke like that?”

“Ahem.” Embarrassed by the rebuke, the man roughly hauled Sienna to her feet. She swayed, her legs weak, and collapsed again. Sighing, the man hoisted her onto his hip. Sienna, having barely eaten, was surprisingly light.

“What… what are you doing?!”

“Tch! You can’t even stand. Just let me help you!”

Help me? You’re dragging me to my execution! Sienna thrashed and wriggled like a salmon swimming upstream, desperate to escape his grasp, but she was no match for his strength. And so, bound and dangling from his side, Sienna was carried outside.

***

He carried her to an empty garden. It should have been filled with trees and flowers, but due to budget constraints, it had long been abandoned, a barren expanse of dirt. Most of the castle staff were gathered there, their faces etched with tension. It was understandable, considering someone they’d shared meals with just days ago was about to be executed.

In the center of the clearing, the Baron, his head wrapped in bandages, glared at Sienna with murderous intent. A massive lump, visible even from a moving carriage, protruded from his forehead. The sheer animosity in his gaze sent shivers down her spine.

“What’s the meaning of this charade?” Sienna dragged her feet, reluctant to approach him, but the man simply adjusted his grip, lifting her higher. In the end, bound and helpless, she was forced to kneel before the Baron in the center of the clearing. She yearned to flee, but two burly men stood guard beside her, blocking any chance of escape. The Baron scoffed at her bowed head and addressed the assembled staff in a booming voice.

“I’m sure you’re all wondering why this woman is being executed.” Like a magician revealing a secret, he raised his voice, drawing their attention. Several of the staff swallowed nervously, anticipating his next words. After a moment of silence, the Baron spoke.

“This lowly creature dared to attempt to murder me yesterday.”

A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. The maids who had been talking with Sienna in the cleaning supply room the previous day stared at her, their faces pale.

“She threw an inkwell at me and attacked me like a wild animal while I was tutoring the young master.”

“I… I didn’t attack you.” Sienna whispered to the Baron. He looked at her incredulously.

“Are you denying your guilt?”

“No, I just want you to tell the truth. I threw the inkwell because I wanted to protect the young master from being unjustly assaulted.” Her voice trembled, but she spoke with as much conviction as she could muster. The Baron, who had expected her to beg for mercy, seemed taken aback.

“W-when did I ever strike the young master?”

“You hit him excessively. You called him a devil’s spawn and acted even more devilish yourself.”

“It was mere discipline. What would a lowly creature like you know?!”

“Was grabbing him, punching him, and trying to hit him over the head with a glass sculpture discipline? That’s blatant violence! He could have died!”

Sienna wasn’t speaking recklessly. She scanned the crowd, but Damon was nowhere to be seen. Did guilt keep him away? Resigned to her fate, she decided to tell them everything she had witnessed. The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves.

“Did he really beat him that badly?”

“Didn’t you know? It’s notorious… he calls in a maid and beats her like a dog…”

The Baron, hearing the growing whispers, whirled around and glared at them.

“Silence! You spineless gossips.” The clearing fell silent again. The Baron lifted Sienna’s chin with the hilt of his sword. The sunlight caught her eyes, making them gleam a brilliant blue.

“Ha. He truly is a devil’s spawn. To bewitch even a maid like this.” Sienna’s lips thinned to a white line at his mocking tone. The Baron smirked, then with a shing, drew his gleaming sword.

“I shall personally deliver this poor, bewitched soul into God’s embrace.”

That lunatic.

“Any last words?” The Baron asked, tilting her chin up with the tip of his sword. The sharpened blade, even with the slightest touch, sliced through her delicate skin. A thin line of crimson blood trickled down her pale neck and seeped into the dirt. As she raised her head, her golden hair cascaded down, revealing eyes that burned like blue fire.