Elowen lay sprawled on the floor, her vision blurring as pain flooded her entire body until her mind could no longer think.
Was she going to die?
Just because she had not done the housework, the mother who had once doted on her for seventeen years was beating her to death.
Maybe that was fine. She could finally be free.
If there were a next life… she wished to be an orphan.
Crash!
Mrs. Rothschild was about to switch to another feather duster and continue when a sudden sound of shattering came from the courtyard. Her heart lurched. She rushed outside and saw that her husband's prized flower pot had somehow fallen and shattered all over the ground.
This was bad. Mr. Rothschild treasured that pot, and when he came home and saw this, he would surely be furious.
So she left Elowen lying on the living room floor and hurriedly called the servants to salvage the flowers. Because of this, no one in the house noticed Elowen's body suddenly being lifted into the air and carried straight upstairs.
After Elowen was laid onto the bed, a transparent spirit hovered above her, staring at her without looking away. He had been by her side for three months and had witnessed every kind of torment she suffered at the hands of the Rothschild family, especially after the couple brought home their new son. Their actions were truly cruel and vicious.
In his mind, if they did not love Elowen, they could have simply driven her out of the capital, or even sent her abroad. Why did they have to turn her into a slave in this modern age?
The ghost thought that it would have been better if he were still alive. With his power, he could have taken this little girl away, become her guardian, and given her the best life possible.
Although he did not know whether he was completely dead, in this state of his spirit separated from body, he knew he could not possibly survive.
The ghost drifted down beside Elowen and raised a hand to touch her face. As if sensing a cool breeze brushing her cheek, the girl whimpered softly, "It hurts so much… please save me… it hurts…"
Seeing tears covering her young face made the ghost ache with pain.
At first, when he had been dragged to her side and saw how badly she was treated, he had felt nothing at all. He had even despised her for not knowing how to fight back. He thought that growing up in a wealthy family, she should have been full of schemes, not so weak and helpless.
Cases of switched children were common in high society, and he had seen many adopted children bring down biological ones to seize their parents' affection. He had assumed she would be the same. Who would have thought this little girl was as soft as tofu, letting others hurt her without ever resisting.
The ghost drifted high above, looking down at Elowen, watching her cry in pain while he could do nothing at all.
There was a moment when he had thought it might be better to let her die, then turn into a ghost like him. That way she could follow him, and he could protect her. He already had a bit of power now, so who knew, maybe the two of them could even rule the demon world together.
But the thought was rejected the instant it appeared. What if she became a ghost and was sent to some place she could never escape from, just like his current state? What would he do then?
So he decided to protect her until she grew up. As long as she reached eighteen, she would be able to escape this hellish house.
The ghost gently brushed Elowen's smooth, tender forehead, then pressed a kiss to it.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here with you."
Elowen slept all the way into the next day. She was so hungry that she could not sleep anymore. No one cared whether she lived or died, let alone whether she had anything to eat.
Seeing that the sky had not yet brightened, Elowen forced herself to get up. Her back still throbbed with pain from Mrs. Rothschild's beating the day before, but she did not dare collapse. She swallowed the discomfort, washed up, then opened the drawer.
Sure enough, there was a donut inside, still warm. Elowen's lips curved into a small smile as she picked it up and ate. It was only a small pastry, but she ate it with real enjoyment.
Three months earlier, after her true identity was exposed, Elowen had often been left to starve. She had slowly learned to get used to skipping one or even two meals a day. But one day, she noticed that whenever her hunger became unbearable, someone kind would always secretly leave food in her drawer.
At first, she tried to pay attention and figure out who that kind person was. After several attempts with no result, she gave up. If they did not want to reveal themselves, she would not stubbornly search for them. If she somehow made them dislike her, she would truly have no one left who cared.
After eating, Elowen changed her clothes and got ready for school. Since the school was far away, she had to wake up early to catch the bus, or she would be late again.
However, just as Elowen went downstairs to leave the house, Lucien called out to her. Her body trembled on instinct, and her steps quickened, but he still moved fast enough to grab her from behind.
"Let me go. This is the living room."
Elowen hissed in a low voice. She was terrified that someone might see her and Lucien like this.
Lucien, however, closed his mouth around her earlobe and spoke in a mocking tone. "If someone sees this, they'll just think you're seducing me. After all, you're the daughter of that vicious woman who swapped someone else's child, so all the filth and sins naturally fall on you."
Elowen bit her lip and endured the humiliation Lucien inflicted on her. With no other choice, she could only beg softly. "Lucien, I have to go to school. Please let me go."