Chapter 25 — Scars (2)
It was more of a whip designed to inflict pain and fear rather than being used for execution.
While it lacked the power to penetrate the skin and bones, the sounds produced by the whip would've been loud and the pain definitely left some mark.
The marks, meticulously etched countless number of times in the hidden corners beneath her dress, blended hues of red, purple, and black. They resembled a venomous snake coiled around her, eating away at her body.
Charlotte was probably unaware of the fact that there were many such marks on the corners of her body her eyes can't reach.
That's why Allen... suppressed the molten fury surging within him, allowing a meaningful smile to curl upon his lips.
"Yeah, it definitely suits you, but… <Radical Care>." [TN: the original kanji is 大治癒, which can be translated to Great Cure, Grand Healing, Great Heal, Massive Recovery or any other similar crap, but the author added a furigana which is ラディカル・ケア or Radical Care, so I had no choice but to use it. The same reason why I used Shapeshift in the other chapter.]
"Awawa?"
A gentle light enveloped Charlotte.
If Allen changed her hair color before, now it was her entire body. The light vanished in an instant, leaving behind a perplexed Charlotte.
Allen gently brushed his fingers against her back.
The dreaded whip marks had completely vanished. Not even the slightest scar remained on her flawless, white skin.
"There were some acne scars on your back, so I healed them."
"Eek…! T-that's very embarrassing..."
"What? It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's a sign of good health, you know? Taking the opportunity, I also healed your entire body. That should've taken care of any hangnails or calluses as well."
"As expected of brother! You're like a handy aesthetician!"
Eruka said as she teasingly smacked Allen's back with an exaggerated force.
Although, thanks to that, today's secret remained securely tucked away in the depths of the siblings' hearts.
'...She did say that she was being scolded alot for making a lot of mistakes during her bridal training.'
However, Allen couldn't grasp the true meaning behind those words. It was his own fault, plain and simple.
He recalled the time when he first took her under his care, tending to her wounds. He had asked if anything hurt, focusing only on the surface-level scratches and signs of malnutrition.
Charlotte's words back then had been nothing but honest. And it made sense. If it was that kind of whip, the pain would have subsided by the next day. Only the lingering marks, like a curse, would remain.
He deeply regretted his hesitance to examine a girl's skin, and he realized how shallow his thinking had been. But really, how could he have predicted something like this?
'Even considering her background as an illegitimate child, given that she's been engaged to the prince... she must have held significant value as a pawn for the duke's family, right?! So, what possible reason could there have been to intentionally harm her to such an extent…?!'
He understood if the prejudice and mistreatment she received was because of her background as a commoner and illegitimate child.
However, based on the shape of the whip scars, he couldn't help but sense that it was something beyond mere contempt.
He couldn't fathom the reasons behind such hatred directed at Charlotte. Yet, it provided enough evidence to suggest her past circumstances... and it sent shivers down Allen's spine.
However, he didn't let any of his emotions show on his face. Only Eruka, who was giggling alongside Charlotte, would have noticed.
Besides, those whip marks could easily be erased with a simple spell.
In other words, it meant that Charlotte... hadn't even been granted the opportunity to receive such basic medical care.
"I see now... Hey, Eruka."
"What's up?"
Eruka replied, flashing an innocent smile.
Allen cut to the chase and told his little sister outright.
"About what we were talking about earlier, I've decided to completely eradicate it. Can you help me out?"
"Sure thing, leave it to me!"
Eruka gave a thumbs-up and smiled brightly.
Only Charlotte, who didn't catch on to their conversation, tilted her head in confusion.
"What do you mean by 'eradicate'?"
"Ahh, turns out some pesky bugs decided to infest the old books back at our parents' house, so I asked Eruka to dry them out in the sun."
"B-bugs... I'm not too fond of them myself."
"Well, what a coincidence. I can't stand them either, to the point that they make me want to vomit."
Seeing Charlotte furrow her eyebrows in a puzzled manner, Allen responded with a mischievous smile.
When it came to Charlotte's fears, bugs and ghosts were enough to suffice.
Anything beyond that... Allen was determined to thoroughly eradicate from her life.
Behind his smile, he silently fortified that resolve within himself.
He chose not to convey this resolve to Charlotte yet, but Eruka seemed to have grasped it. With a bright expression, she tried conveying it by caressing Charlotte's now immaculate back.
"Alright, alright, enough with the chit-chat! The fashion show isn't over yet, folks! Up next, we have this and this, and this!"
"Hold on... Isn't that basically just a string?"
"Can we even call that a piece of clothing!?"
"No worries, it covers the important parts, just barely though."
Eruka casually uttered these words and tried to forcefully push the questionable garment or perhaps, the string, onto Charlotte.
One of the threats Allen had to eradicate seemed to be unexpectedly close by.
"As her guardian, I won't tolerate any more revealing outfits! I'll personally inspect and approve the clothes she wears!"
"Boo! Do you think you're the only one who can complain?! If brother is so bothered, then why don't you choose an outfit that you think would suit her!"
"Fine! Tremble in awe at my overflowing sense of style...!"
"Eh, um, uh…"
And so, while Charlotte was left bewildered, the merciless battle between the Crawford siblings escalated to new heights.
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