Kyungmi and Siwon arrived home later that evening with Kyungmi trying her best to further the distance between her and the devil. The young Mae child started to make her way down the familiar hallway to reach to her bedroom. Siwon had been following her throughout the whole trip. Eventually, Kyungmi stopped in her tracks and turned to face dark menacing eyes.

"What? What do you want?" The previous encounter with Jongin had left her in such a peaked state of mind that she felt she could face even Siwon, himself. "You've been following me around. I'm pretty sure Luhan's room was in the other direction."

Kyungmi was referring to the shopping bag Siwon was still carrying. Siwon let out a sardonic chuckle, "But of course, my lady. I would not forget where young master Luhan's room is. But, my priority right now is you."

Kyungmi furrowed her brows and crossed her arms, "I can walk to my room by myself."

"Yes," Siwon smiled devilishly, placing the bag on a table nearby before walking up to Kyungmi with an air of superiority about him, "But you have been rather quiet during the whole trip, my lady. Is everything all right?"

Kyungmi tried her best to maintain a steady gaze at those hawk-eyes. "Of course, I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired, that’s all."

"Tired from that little visit to the bookstore again, perhaps?"

Kyungmi opened to respond, but closed it again. She felt beads of sweat form on her forehead. This man... has he been watching me all this time? How did he find me so quickly?! The silence seemed to have made Siwon smile wider.

"You best not underestimate the head butler, my lady." Siwon placed a hand over his own chest as if admiring himself, "Did you really think you can escape me that easily? Did you really think that a mere nineteen year old child could outsmart someone as experienced as myself? You overestimate yourself, my lady."

Kyungmi had unfolded her arms and made tight fists with them on either side of her body, trying to contain the raging fire within her. "Shut... up...."

"Tut, tut. You have much to learn, my lady." Siwon drawled on, looking very pleased with the look on Kyungmi's face. "Of course, it's to be expected from such a failure such as yourself. It's a disaster – a disgrace to the Mae line."

"Shut up!" Kyungmi spat back.

Siwon let out a vile laugh, "So, you resolve in using pathetic, foul words to silence your opponent? I'd say the weaker the dog, the louder it barks. Wouldn't you agree, my lady?"

Kyungmi took a step back and resolved to gripping at her dress now that her nails were digging into her hands, "Shut up! What – What have you – What have you got against me, anyway?! What are you trying to pull?! What – WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

Siwon's smile had vanished, followed by the appearance of a maddening and cruel glare. He took a few steps forward, immediately covering the space between him and Kyungmi. He grabbed Kyungmi by the neck and gave a threatening squeeze.

"Augh!" Kyungmi coughed.

"You...!" Siwon's demented eyes focused on Kyungmi's fearful ones, "You know nothing. A black sheep such as yourself doesn't deserve everything in this house, everything in this family."

Kyungmi reached for Siwon's hands and tried to pull them away. She gasped for air as Siwon merely tightened the hold. "Let – Let me – Ughh!!" Kyungmi shuddered as the eyes seemed to shine as she coughed louder. The stoic head butler wasn't himself, he had transformed into a monster – the devil in the flesh.

"That's right," Siwon grinned like a maniac, "It hurts, doesn't it? Perhaps you should beg me to let go. Yes, beg me like that time in the session room. That time when I first told you of my little visit to the Parks."

"Ughh..." Kyungmi panted as was being sentenced to a painful punishment, "...I – I won't!"

Then, in an instant, she was released by Siwon as quickly as she had been choked to her near death. Kyungmi staggered as she held and coughed, gasping for air. Siwon quickly pulled on his gloves to even out the wrinkles Kyungmi had made during the attack and breathed deeply, as if to rid himself of that dual personality that nearly killed Kyungmi. But, after a long exhale, Siwon looked at Kyungmi with dark, ghostly eyes.

"Things would have been better off if you weren't born." Siwon glowered and the rest came out in a whisper, "Yes, if only...."

Kyungmi blinked and tried to control the rapid beating of her heart. What? What did he just say? Everything would have been better without me? But that's... Kyungmi bit her lip and tried to speak, but the trauma was done. All that came out was a soft "Ah..." from her.

Siwon walked to the table, took the shopping bag and turned to walk the opposite direction. Kyungmi watched wearily, but then Siwon stopped and so did Kyungmi's heart. Siwon turned his head slowly and spoke low, "Best to stay on my good side from now on, my lady. Good night." And he continued walking.

Kyungmi blinked and immediately bolted to her room. Once inside, she ran to her four-poster bed and held the wooden pillar for dear life. Her whole body was trembling. What had just happened back there? Who was that person that nearly cut her neck off? Was that the real Siwon?

The experience had undoubtedly left some bruises on Kyungmi’s neck, she gasped as she stared them from her mirror that was hanging on one side of her wall. She quickly grabbed the collar of her shirt and buttoned it to a full close.

“Calm down, Kyungmi.” She was talking to herself now, inching her way to her bed where she sat down, still frozen. “Calm down... it was... it was just a silly threat. Yeah, just something to weaken you... Don’t listen to him. Forget him. Forget...”

But it was proving to be too difficult to just ‘forget’. Her breathing was still erratic, the marks on her neck were buzzing with a numbing kind of pain and she was biting her lip hard just to try and stop her body from shaking any more than it already was.

“I’ll show him.” Kyungmi gulped, staring straight at the reflection in the mirror. “I’ll show him what I’m made of. He says I don’t deserve to be here, well, I’ll show him...” The little vow she was making was working. Her hands weren’t as clammy as it was before and her breathing was becoming steady. But just as she was about to finally calm down, a knock on the door got her nerves back to square one.

Fearing that it maybe Siwon again who had wanted to add more stabbing remarks to her, Kyungmi nervously called out from her bed, “Wh-Who is it..?”

“It’s Taecyeon, my lady