If I Disobey the Duke Chapter 195

Lily de Winter (2)

TW: verbal abuse

Her father was a genius at sowing mistrust and anxiety. She had to be on the lookout not to get caught up in reckless rumors.

“I didn't come here to talk. Tell me what you were talking about with Vlad.”

Shylock took a deep breath, suppressing his rage. He knew. His eldest daughter was his child who had inherited his own hair. She was agile and dangerous, and she has to be cut down with great painstaking care.

He clenched his jaw, rubbing the ice on his ripped pride. An eerie, sharp gaze like a viper's fang pierced his daughter.

Lily was now a powerful person who had nothing to fear under the sky. He had to use his usual tactics to keep her down so that he could crush her as usual.

What are my eldest daughter's weaknesses? She is…

“What would you do? The whole family has already been devastated by the mistake made by you…”

His cane poked the floor once. Lily hardened as if her heart had been pierced by the cane.

“To me…” Lily managed to grab hold of the distant thought. “Don't talk like that. As my father said, I am now the duchess.”

“That's right. Our family was shattered again because the duchess is busy despising her husband and enjoying all the luxuries.” A dagger fell from Shylock's mouth. “This is the second time. Your family is sacrificed for your selfish desires. Last time it was your 'unfortunate' mother, this time it is your 'unfortunate' younger brother. Isn't it?”

Shylock gripped the depths of the noble duchess' soul. He dragged her down just as he had when she was a little child.

“After all, it was a mistake to have you, no.”

It was a very effective attack.

“It was my biggest failure. It is deplorable that I am your parent.”

Lily was dizzy and short of breath, her vision blurring around the edges.

She just had to do her best not to lean against the railing.

“Why are you only doing this to me?” She was fifteen again, no, probably ten. The little girl who had to accept the fact that her parents didn't love her asked, “Why do you only hate me? Actually, it was before I left the house. I knew it all, it was always just me, so it's just me that makes Dandelion…”

She wanted to be loved, even though she knew his father had no blood or tears. Because he was her father.

“How much of a good daughter must I be? How about Rocus? It was Rocus who ruined your aspirations first, but that child was never scolded by you. Would you still be this angry if I died? I…”

“Crocus has never ruined my wishes.”

Lily felt like her father had her head pounded against a huge wall.

Just like her mother did. The more she struggled to get escape the walls, the more her skin felt like it was being ripped apart.

Her father's face was blurred. Still, she could feel the ice-cold gaze. Her skin was stinging.

“I raised Crocus to be a violent man. We need a son like that in our family. The child grew up just as I wanted. But you…” Shylock's voice subsided in an instant. As if evaluating items that were already in stock, a dry tone leaked out. “I just needed a daughter. If you had grown up as a dumb bitch, you wouldn't have been as unhappy as you are now.”

Lily couldn't answer any questions. Hearing directly from her parent that she was an unloved child…

“I even gave you three chances, and you couldn't have a child to protect us, your family. And this time, while winning the love of her husband, instead of inheriting the Isles family, you took my son, Crocus…!”

Shylock clenched his teeth. He knew that his emotions were running high as he recalled what would happen to the rest of his eldest son's life.

He wanted to pick up his cane and smack his daughter at the bottom of the stairs. Now, no matter what he did, he would make sure to engrave it deep in her bones that it was irreversible.

His hand trembled as he gripped his cane.

He chose the method he was good at, to sculpt people from within. He muttered pretending to be talking to himself, “My whole life, you lived as a parasite on my property, and then, thanks to me, you changed sides to be with your husband. You believe in a man's love, which is nothing more than a mirage, and put your chin up in front of me…”

Lily's face was pale. She eventually leaned helplessly against the railing. “Father… Do you know what love is?”

Her nose was stuffy, and she ended up leaning on the railing despite her best efforts.

“How do you not know? I loved my wife, whom you had killed, so much.”

“…Yeah?”

Chapter end