To Embrace the Devil - Chapter 2
She remembered the way he’d said it. Without an expression and without the slightest regret.
Yelena trembled violently at the memory.
Yelena thought that if she disappeared for a few months, Diago would eventually forget her.
But his pursuit never stopped.
‘…He said I was no longer of any use to him.’
The night before she fled, Diago had clearly said those words.
And besides, he was about to be engaged to a noblewoman from the central nobility. Surely a fleeting affair with a mere maid wouldn’t have been worth his attention.
Yet the fact that he was chasing her this relentlessly …
‘He knows about the child.’
That his own blood had been born into the world. There was no other explanation.
“Uung…”
The baby stirred and snuggled deeper into Yelena’s arms. The tender motion was so precious it brought tears to her eyes.
Even in the womb, and ever since coming into the world, the baby had always been gentle and sweet.
The baby would giggle at the tiniest games, and barely fussed when tired.
‘This baby… is not a hideous monster.’
Yelena wanted to give the baby everything.
She wanted to protect the baby. No matter what. Even at the cost of her life.
***
Yelena hid herself and the baby inside a sea cave. She had used the ocean’s help to descend the cliffside.
At just the right moment, a powerful wave surged upward and created a stair of water beneath her feet.
The small cave beneath the cliff was a place few ever knew existed.
She’d believed they would be safe here.
But Diago had followed her even there.
‘How…?’
Step. Step. The sound of footsteps approaching echoed through the cave was familiar
Yelena huddled deep in the back of the cave, trying to make herself as small as possible. Her heart pounded so violently that her chest ached.
The baby, who had been fussing throughout the journey, was strangely silent now.
‘Please… just go. Just leave…’
As Diago drew closer, his scent reached her faintly. Despite their time apart, her body still recognized him instantly. That realization made her feel utterly hopeless.
Tap. After a while, his footsteps came to a halt. Then his low, subdued voice filled the cave.
“Yelena.”
Gasp. She held her breath.
“Is it my child?”
His voice was flat.
He already knew everything.
Without realizing it, Yelena’s body began to tremble.
Diago stepped exactly toward the spot where she was hiding. Yelena squeezed her eyes shut, then forced them open again.
‘I have to buy time somehow.’
If things stayed like this, he would catch her.
Yelena stood up on her own and stepped forward.
The dawn was dim and shadowy. Though the cave was pitch dark, Diago’s golden eyes shone clearly.
The closer Diago came, a primal fear washed over Yelena’s body.
He looked strange. It was different from the last time she saw him before fleeing.
His entire body was soaked in blood, as if drenched in it. His pupils narrowed vertically, like those of a reptile. His red hair was disheveled.
This was no longer the confident, arrogant Diago she knew. He seemed unstable, dangerous, barely holding back a raging fury.
The dark circles beneath his eyes carried an emotion… was it murderous intent?
For the sake of her child, Yelena forced herself to appear calm and spoke.
“…The child isn’t yours.”
“So you’ve taken another man’s seed? If I recall, your fiance had brown hair.”
Even in the dark, Diago seemed to catch the flash of the baby’s red hair.
“If it’s neither me nor that guy… how many others have there been? You have been quite a wanton.”
Yelena shuddered and held the baby tighter. Diago’s voice grew thick with anger.
“Why lie? Do you think I’d kill the child?”
He let out a low laugh and stepped closer to Yelena.
“I never lose what’s mine. I will get it back no matter what.”
Yelena fought back tears. No, she told herself again and again, she couldn’t let this man control her.
Don’t be afraid. Stay strong. Please, for the child’s sake.
“Kneel down and crawl to me. Like you used to.”
“……”
“And say you love me.”
You don’t love me anyway. You’re the one who said I’m useless. Her mind buzzed with bitter words.
“Come here and beg at my feet for forgiveness. If it comes down to it, try sucking my di*k hard. That’s your specialty.”
Diago’s face was filled with cruel mockery as he spoke his commands like an old habit.
“The child’s life depends solely on you. Make sure you do your best.”
“You…”
Tears finally welled up in Yelena’s eyes.
She hated Diago. She hated him for humiliating her using the child’s life.
With burning eyes, she glared at Diago and spoke. Her voice was filled with hatred, as if casting a curse upon the man she once loved most.
“You’re… a devil.”
“I know.”
But the dangerous smile lingering on Diago’s lips only deepened.
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