The painful constriction of her chest made Odette jolt up. Her dreamless sleep was interrupted by the throb that spread through her entire being, tightly squeezing her from within.
Odette understood this was due to the poison.
The burning sensation that permeated through her body caused suffocation inside her, making it hard for her to breathe. She gasped for air.
Heat that formed inside her made sweat form on her forehead, and that alternated with the sudden chill. The agony made it difficult for Odette to hold in a scream.
But in order to not be pathetic, she dug her teeth into her lower lips, drawing out blood. Occasional groans escaped from her mouth when Odette wasn't able to control it.
Odette, however, didn't hate the torment on her body. It stole away the dullness that was craved inside of her.
°°°
A loud scream resonated, catching Adrian's attention. He halted his steps and raised his head to look at Annie. A frown settled on his face.
"Who screamed?" questioned Adrian.
Reluctance crossed through Annie's eyes. But knowing that it would be best for the boy to be informed, she bent down and, in a low voice, said, "That's Lady Odette. However, this is something you should stay out of. Pretend you didn't hear this. This is what a monster like Lady Odette deserves after all."
Odette tortured the maids here based on her mood. There was no way they would look at her in the positive light, and in their eyes, this was the punishment she deserved.
Hearing Odette being referred to as a monster made Adrian furrow his eyebrows.
"Lady Odette is not a monster. She is really good to me," Adrian expressed, "is she in pain now?"
"Adrian, you can't be naïve here. Just because she treats you good doesn't mean you can trust her. She is merely playing with you, and in the end, you will be stabbed in the back," Annie warned.
No one should talk about a seven year old in this way, but the notoriety of Odette was widespread. Age didn't matter when it came to Odette.
She then continued, "No one knows for sure, but according to the rumors, it appears that Lady Odette is being poisoned by her mother. Those here are totally nuts.
And whenever this happens, Lady Odette isn't at the best of moods. That's why, don't even go near her room. She won't hesitate before killing you off."
Adrian's eyes widened due to horror, and his lips parted slightly before he asked, "But why would her mother poison her? Isn't that terrible? How could she even be her mother?"
"No clue. The entire Albinius family is twisted and filled with traps. That's why, you shouldn't get attached to them."
Adrian gave her no reply.
°°°
Despite Annie's warnings, Adrian slipped out of his room once everyone had fallen asleep. Annie did make everything clear to him, but Adrian did not see Odette as someone malicious.
He couldn't leave her all alone in agony.
As he got closer to the room, the moans of pain from her became more obvious, and this made his chest clench. She must be badly suffering.
Taking in a deep breath, he extended his hand and held on to the door knob after standing on his toes. Twisting it, he pushed the door open and stepped into the dimly lit room.