Bala: The Duke's Contract Wife

Unhealing Scars

The girl was no more than fifteen years old. Her brunette hair looked messy as Johan unveiled a brown cloth that had previously covered her head. Her hands were tied on her lap. Her pink dress was already dirty and there were even tears at the ends of her dress. The girl's nails also looked dirty, there were blood marks and wounds on her fingers as well. A sign that the girl fought off whoever kidnapped her.

The girl's brown eyes noticed everyone inside a cell room of a dungeon. Her eyes landed on Rose's red eyes. They were sharp and calm

The girl's been through a lot.

"This is the girl you asked for, Duchess," Johan said while throwing the head-covering cloth into the corner of the room.

"Release her," Rose said.

Johan looked at Victor first, asking for approval. Although Johan's hateful view of Rose has subsided because she saved Gale, Johan's main master was still Victor.

Rose looked at Victor when the man didn't immediately nod to Johan. Since Rose returned to her own room this morning, they haven't spoken in the slightest. More precisely, Rose was avoiding Victor every time they cross paths. Even when they had breakfast together–yes, somehow that day Victor and Paul visited the west wing for breakfast. Whenever Victor tried to talk to her, the girl immediately created a topic with Paul to talk or use other reasons to avoid talking to the man.

After a long silence, Victor finally nodded. Johan cut the rope that tied the girl's wrist.

Suddenly the girl held Johan's hand. Her brown eyes stared into Johan's eyes. Johan was so stunned by the girl's actions. As if not getting the reaction she wanted, the girl bowed her head again and took her grip off Johan. The knight looked confused but then decided to step away from the girl

Rose thought it was weird.

After she released Johan's sleeve, the girl stroked her wrist. Although a little, Rose could see the presence of red bumps on the inside of her sleeves.

"Rositta Rozar?" asked Victor.

The girl didn't answer.

"How old are you?" asked Victor again.

The girl remained silent.

Victor looked at Johan. Victor was silently asking Johan to play the role of a good interrogator. Because Victor could never play that role. That guy was too... Intimidating.

Johan nodded, understanding Victor's request. The knight again approached Rositta and knelt before her. His face was full of tenderness. "Rositta, listen," Johan said, "We apologize for our harsh treatment. We promise, there is no intention at all to hurt you."

"We just want to talk about Count of Rozar."

The girl's eyes shook to hear Count of Rozar's name. The girl's fingers touched the inside of her arm.

Rose shook their heads.

"If you help us, we will give you a substantial reward. You no longer have to endure the harsh treatment of Countess of Rozar. You can live free."

This time the girl's eyes twinkled after hearing the word 'free'. But as soon as her eyes shined, it dimmed quickly too.

Interesting.

"You may not know," Johan continued, "But Count of Rozar is a cunning man. He... He' s..." Johan looked at Rose, as if asking what they could reveal to the girl.

Count of Rozar was already very famous for his dirty games. He corrupted people's taxes to fund his nightclubs, some of his business competitors were also suddenly destroyed out of the blue. Despite his dirty play, Count of Rozar's hands were almost always clean as he was supported by Marquis Ferinde's faction. The same noble faction that always tried to bring down Maraina. Marquis Ferinde wanted Maraina for himself. And the Emperor that was always pressing Victor seemed to help Marquis Ferinde's goal.

Well... But with what happened previously, I think the dynamics between the Emperor and Victor will change. The Emperor won't dare to play carelessly with me here.

There was one thing that made Rose targeted Count of Rozar first out of all the members of Marquis Ferinde's faction. It was because there were rumors of illegal trafficking of minors. Victor himself had heard the rumors but was never able to arrest Count of Rozar due to lack of evidence. Victor had even searched all the nightclubs that Count of Rozar owned, but Count of Rozar wouldn't be that stupid to hide his illicit efforts in any of his businesses. No. Especially when his illegal trade of minors was one of the main income of Marquis Ferinde's faction. They had to do that business with great secrecy.

When Rose heard about Count of Rozar's adopted daughter, Rose only thought of persuading the girl to divulge any secrets from the count or even become her spy. But when Rose saw the girl, Rose knew right away, the girl was involved in the illegal trade.

"There's no need to hide anything, Johan," Rose said. She leaned on the cell's iron bars. Her red eyes looked straight at the girl. "Rositta already knows everything. She is involved in all of Count of Rozar's dirty schemes. That's why the count adopted you, didn't he?"

Rositta's eyes widened a bit. But her gaze remained sharp. The girl growled a little at Rose.

Oh, wow.

"When I heard your story from Countess of Rozar, I thought you were just a poor girl who happened to be an easy target for the Countess," Rose continued, "But in truth, you're more involved in his schemes, aren't you?"

"What do you want?" Finally, the girl opened her voice.

Rose shook her head, thinking. Her instincts told her that Rositta had a part in the count's scheme, and Rositta's response confirmed that. What Rose didn't know was Rositta's reason. Why did the girl help Count of Rozar. Rose wondered what would make the girl talk.

But before she reached a decision, Johan opened his voice again, "We just want to talk."

Rositta clicked her tongue, raising her hands that had rope marks and various scratches. "Tch. You call this talking?"

"Rositta, I'll be frank," Victor spoke. His green eyes flashed in the darkness of the prison cell. Rositta jolted when she saw Victor's figure. Well... anyone would shudder in horror at the sight of that intimidating man.

Except for the Emperor.

 "Marquis Ferinde and Count Rozar were involved in illegal trafficking of children. And some of the children they traded are children from Maraina. They steal children from my land."

Although Rositta was still a little rattled when she heard the threatening tone from Victor, she forced a burst of laughter. Victor furrowed his brows. "Tch. What do you care about those kids?"

"Of course I care. They are the people of Maraina and their families–"

"They don't have a family, Duke," Rositta said. "They live on the streets and can only fill their stomachs with stealing. Once caught, they are beaten. Their lives on the street or being traded are the same for them. So, what do you care?"

Victor opened his mouth to talk, but Rose was faster. "You used to be one of them."

Rositta's eyes stared straight into Rose's eyes. "You were one of the street kids who was kidnapped to be trafficked. But Count of Rozar saw something in you, huh?"

Rose stepped nearing the girl. She squeezed the backrest of the chair with both hands, leveling their eyes together. "Let me guess, this dress a gift from the count, isn't it?"

Not waiting for her answer, Rose continued, "These shoes and accessories." A simple earring made of white gold perched on Rositta's ears. "They're all gifts from Count of Rozar, aren't they?"

As soon as Rose's skin touched the girl's ear, an electric sensation struck Rose's body. Rositta jolted too. Their eyes became wide as soon as they realized what had happened.

Rose smiled. She had solved the last riddle from the girl. She knew why the count needed Rositta. "You're a mind reader."

Rositta's face paled instantly when Rose said that. Clearly the girl was terrified when her secret was revealed.

Suddenly the girl looked at Johan with a pitiiful stare. "Please, help me... You know, it's hard to live on the streets. I've found someone who will accept me. I don't want to go back to the streets. I just... I want to live a quiet life." Tears began to flood the girl's cheeks.

Rose could see that Rositta's words and tears began to affect Johan.

Oh, so Johan had an experience living on the street when he was young?

"D- Duke, can't we talk to her in a more... comfortable place?" asked Johan.

Victor looked at Rose, waiting for an answer from his wife. Because it was Rose who had the idea for this interrogation.

"Rose, perhaps–"

Rose laughed a little, making everyone in the cell room speechless. Her gaze never left from Rositta. "You covering for Count of Rozar... it is foolishness."

"A noble lady won't understand what it's like to crawl on the streets."

Rose's gaze darkened. She tapped her fingers on the backrest of the chair.

"You can read minds when you come into contact with that person...," Rose said, thinking.

"You're confused," Rositta said abruptly. Rose's eyes sharpened, warning the girl to be careful before speaking. "The man confuses you. All the while, you still have memories of the first man you loved."

Silence appeared in that prison cell. Not even the sound of their breaths could be heard.

Rose tapped her fingers one more time. She decided. She gathered all her memories in her mind. Rose only took a small part of her memories then locked the rest in a box deep in her mind. She planned to show the memories she had chosen for the girl

Before the girl could say something misleading again, Rose squeezed the girl's arm violently. The electric sensation reappeared all over her body. She could see Rositta's eyes turning upwards, as if looking at a scene above Rose's head.

Rose didn't stop there, she unveiled the sleeves of Rositta's dress, showing red bumps on her skin. Johan gasped at the wounds. Those were not ordinary rashes. The shape, size, and color were more like...

"You're covering up the guy who did this to you? Who burns your skin with cigarette butts?" asked Rose. The electric sensation continued to be felt while the girl's eyes were increasingly hovering upwards. Her body was starting to shake. Either it was because of her power or because of seeing Rose's memory.

"I- it's... because it was... my fault...," Rositta said in the midst of her seizures, "Be– because of me..."

"Let me guess," Rose said, "Because you failed?"

"Count of Rozar rewards you if you succeed in making a client buy an underage slave with your power. But punishes you if you fail."

"I- that's also what... happened to you..."

That's right. That is also what happened to Rose when she was being used by Rendre.

"You're right," replied Rose, "And believe me, these wounds will not heal, Rositta. It's going to get worse." Rose grabbed Rositta's chin, forcing her eyes to look into Rose's eyes. The roar of their breaths was racing against each other. One sent memories after memories, the other read those memories.

"You're just a tool for him. There will be times when he will stop rewarding you and consider yourself granted for you to work for him." Rose sounded cold.

Rose continued, "At that moment, he would only give you pain whenever he thinks your work isn't right."

Rose's fingers pressed Rositta's chin, making the girl cringed in pain. "Believe me, Rositta. Because even though I'm not from the streets, I've experienced it. And I'm sure you won't want to experience what I have gone through."

Rose showed Rositta her memory when Rendre burnt her body with hot water. It turned out that not only Rositta could see, but she could also feel what Rose's feel in that memory. When the hot water touched Rose's skin in her memory, Rositta screamed. Then when Rose showed the day that Rendre slashed her throat with broken glass, Rositta cried. Her whole body shook violently.

"Stop," she asked, "Stop. Stop. Stop!" The girl wriggled in pain.

Rose kept squeezing her chin, forcing their skin to be in contact. Memory after memory began to play out in Rose's mind and she spilled it all on Rositta.

Look. That's your future if you help someone like Count of Rozar.

Rose seemed to have lost control. It had been too long since she has kept all the memories to herself. She locked it in her heart and to not share the pain with others.

"Rose...," called Victor. The man clasped Rose's hand that was squeezing Rositta's chin. He pulled Rose's hand gently and rotate the girl to face him. When Rose saw her green eyes, she snapped out of her trance. Rose shivered. Her breaths were raging.

Shit. I shed too much memory...

Rositta staggered to the floor. Her shoulders were still shaking. Her cries became louder. Then the girl puked on one corner of the prison cell.

Realizing that Rose's hand was still between Victor's fingers, Rose immediately pulled her hand. She tried to restore her calm posture. While Rositta still puked in one corner. Johan stroked the girl's back, calming her down.

"He never thought of you as a child, Rositta. And never will," Rose said. She said it to Rositta but it was more like talking to herself. "It's up to you which side you choose." Rose cleared her throats. "Johan, take her to Lisa. I told her to prepare a room for Rositta."

"Rose." Victor tried to touch Rose's shoulder, but she avoided his touch. She gave Victor in one glance, seeing the worried gaze of the man.

No. I don't deserve that stare.

Then Rose walked quickly out of the prison cell and finally out of the dungeon hallway. Without looking back, she kept walking.

She needed to calm herself down.

Unbeknownst to her, her husband was following her only two steps behind her.