The Baron died

It was pitch black outside the window, and raindrops were pattering against the glass. Lina, wearing a nightgown, was hunched over the table, writing something in a notebook with a quill pen. Only after writing the last word did she put down the pen, lock the notebook in the cabinet, get up, rub her aching wrist, and walk to the window.

She drew back the curtains; the rain had subsided and the sky was beginning to lighten. She stared at the water droplets sliding down the windowpane, leaving a trail. She looked away, let go, and the curtains swayed twice in the air before returning to their original position.

Just as he turned around and was about to walk towards the bed, a knocking sound suddenly rang out, coinciding with the maid's call from outside.

"Miss, something terrible has happened! The Baron has just vomited a lot of blood and looks like he's been poisoned. I've just sent someone to fetch a physician."

Hearing what the maid said, she smiled and strode to the door, opening it.

The moment the maid saw Lina, she immediately noticed her undisguised smile. Before she could say anything, Lina had already headed towards the Baron's room.

The maid had no choice but to lower her head and follow Lina. Her mind was filled with Lina's smile just now. She even felt that the poison on the baron was put in by Lina. After all, the baron usually beat and scolded Lina. The horrible scars on Lina's body when she served her bath came to mind.

She was startled by her own thoughts, and gently shook her head to shake these inexplicable ideas out. She cautiously raised her head, glanced at Lina's back, and then immediately lowered her head again.

Remembering Lina's usual quiet demeanor, she breathed a sigh of relief. How could it be Miss Lina? She would never do such a thing.

Just as Lina was a few steps away from the door, the sound of a woman sobbing suddenly came from inside the room.

Lina realized something, stopped and burst out laughing. The maid behind her looked at Lina, who was doubled over with laughter, with a look of horror. It took her a while to stop. She straightened up by leaning against the wall, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and then slowly approached the door.

As soon as she stepped inside, she noticed that all of her father's lovers were weeping with handkerchiefs in their hands, while her father lay on the bed with his eyes closed. Although she already realized that he was probably dead, she still went forward.

She didn't move, just watched quietly. The butler was behind her. "Miss, the Baron has died of poisoning."

Lina remained silent, staring at the baron's corpse, lost in thought. The butler sighed and led everyone out, leaving Lina alone in the room.

Finally, she moved her fingers, wiped away her tears, and collapsed to the ground, burying her face in her hands. She had been silently shedding tears, but eventually she couldn't hold back and burst into tears.

She remembered her deceased mother, and the terrified look on her mother's face and her helpless cries when she saw this man attack her, watching his fists smash into her mother's body one after another.

Hearing him utter those nasty words to his mother, hearing her scream after he smashed the vase on her, and seeing his狰狞 face as he tried to hit her too when she rushed over to grab his arm.

That was also the time she lost her mother, who would tell her stories when she couldn't sleep, gently wipe away her tears and comfort her softly when she was hurt, and pat her head to encourage her when she failed to learn magic.

Her mother would always stroke her face and call her name over and over again.

That time, her mother bled a lot. She asked someone to fetch a doctor, but before the doctor arrived, her mother stopped breathing.

After the doctor confirmed that her mother had died, the young girl could only stand there, bewildered and helpless.

Then she went to court to report that her mother had been killed by her father, but the man reappeared two days later.

This time, the man's violence turned against Lina, especially after he learned that Lina was the one who caused his imprisonment. He became even more vicious, beating Lina half to death on two separate occasions.

Lina sat on the ground, and she seemed to feel her mother's warm embrace again. After a few breaths, she stood up.

The butler, seeing her emerge, hurried to greet her, "Miss..."

“I’m going to Duke Strych’s mansion,” Lina instructed the butler.

As the steward sent someone to prepare the carriage, Lina turned to look at the man's lovers. They didn't seem saddened by his death; in fact, they felt relieved, since he had been violent towards them before.

When Lina looked at them, they pretended to be heartbroken again. Lina ignored them and said, "If you want to stay, that's fine. If you don't want to stay, you can go to the butler and he will give you some gold coins."

After saying that, Lina went to change her clothes. When she went out, she saw the carriage prepared by the butler. She lifted her skirt and got on.

————

Lisa walked in from outside and bowed to Tiff, who was reclining in a walnut armchair. "Duke, the King took the fragments of the recording ball, but he hasn't been able to find out anything wrong with it yet."

Tiffany, reclining in her chair, gave a lazy reply and turned another page of her book.

Before she could continue reading, the butler knocked on her door. "Your Grace, the young lady from the Baron Azek family is looking for you."