ILSK Chapter 6

Clang!

Startled by Killian’s nonsense, Shannon accidentally dropped the lid of the sugar cube container she was holding onto the table. The loud noise caught Elena’s attention, and she turned to look at Shannon. Shannon couldn’t hide her embarrassment.

Before I could regain my senses, I remembered the nonsense I had said by the Stern River. I had begged the one who was giving me warmth not to leave, but when he coldly rejected me, I even blamed him for saving me.

So, Killian’s words are true, but at the same time, they are clearly nonsense. At that time, she had fallen into the water and lost consciousness, barely waking up in a state of delirium. She had no intention of seducing him! Who in the world would try to seduce a serial killer? But now Killian was speaking as if he wanted Elena to misunderstand.

“I’m sorry.”

Quickly picking up the lid, Shannon bowed her head deeply and apologized to the two. How could she make such a basic mistake! It was an unprecedented rudeness to the guests. Elena, even more furious when the maid was also annoyed, felt her anger rising.

“Right now, is that true?”

Elena’s gaze shifted from Shannon back to Killian, but Killian’s gaze remained on Shannon. Despite her sharp tone, Elena, as if urging him to say it was all a joke, cast a desperate look at Killian, who wouldn’t even look at her.

“She was a very proactive young lady. The first time I saw her silver eyes in the dark, they looked like chunks of metal… Hmm, thinking back, depending on the angle of the light, they seemed to have various mysterious glimmers, almost like opals.”

But Killian continued to gaze intently at Shannon’s silver-gray eyes as he spoke. Describing the appearance of the woman before him felt like reciting poetry. It seemed like he was flirting in plain language.

In this moment, Shannon confirmed what she had only encountered in past sources as truth. Killian Gray was indeed a womanizer who couldn’t live without women and couldn’t be satisfied with just one woman.

“Besides, the way she insists that it’s not 1837 is quite cute.”

Elena trembled with rage at the sight of her lover praising another woman. It was understandable. The phrase “in the dark” conjured images of a sexual encounter with a stranger, and I had done nothing wrong since she had seduced me first.

With her veins bulging from tightly clenched fists, Elena finally made a bombshell announcement as if she had made up her mind.

“Let’s break up.”

At this point, Shannon just wanted to evaporate from the spot. But Killian was still slowly and steadily picking up sugar cubes and putting them into his tea. He didn’t even think about putting down the tongs. How many sugar cubes was he planning to put in that tea, anyway?

“My father was very angry and said he could no longer allow me to continue the relationship.”

Contrary to her cold and resolute words, Elena looked anxious. Finally, Killian’s gaze shifted from Shannon to Elena. More precisely, to the very tip of her chin, which was trembling slightly, unable to hide her anxiety.

“Really? It’s a pity, but then I guess this is it. What can you do?”

Finally, Killian spoke up. Contrary to his words, his expression was one of complete satisfaction, and his smile seemed to say he was grateful for she being the one to suggest the breakup first.

“What did you say?”

Was it an unexpected answer? Elena couldn’t hide her surprise and asked back.

“It was nice while it lasted, Lady Elena.”

Killian never lost his composure from start to finish. He even remembered to greet with a deep smile and courtesy. Shannon was utterly astonished by that demeanor. However, unfortunately for Elena, what mattered more to Shannon was that Killian had finally put down the sugar tongs. Shannon quickly closed the lid of the sugar bowl and turned to leave.

“Are you saying we should break up now?”

In the end, Elena jumped up from her seat and snapped. But Killian, without batting an eye, took a cigar from his pocket and put it in his mouth.

“Damn it!”

As Shannon turned her body, she was caught again by Killian and had to retrieve the ashtray and matchbox from under the table. She had to prepare the ashtray and light the match to ignite the cigar in his mouth, which was part of her ‘serving him tea.’ With trembling hands, Shannon struck the match against the friction surface of the matchbox. However, perhaps due to her anxious heart, the match broke.

“Why are you so surprised? You were the one who said we should break up.”

At that moment, the second match in Shannon’s hand caught fire, and she quickly lit the end of the cigar Killian had in his mouth.

“I, I―”

“Yeah, let’s break up.”

Before Elena, who couldn’t control her trembling voice, could come up with an excuse, Killian neatly resolved the situation. It proved that it was a relationship where they could part ways at any time as long as Elena was the one who let go from the beginning to the end.

“Ugh…! No one has ever truly loved you, who are so wretched and colder than ice, and no one ever will!”

In the end, Elena screamed at Killian like a bird. It was clear that she was determined to hurt him no matter what.

“Oh dear, you didn’t really have to say that you didn’t truly love me.”

But Killian, well, he had the same expression, showing that he didn’t feel even the slightest sense of impact.

“If you’re done talking, shall we leave? I have business with this lovely lady here.”

“Ugh… Sob!”

Even Killian issued a farewell order on Elena while gesturing towards Shannon. Right after breaking up, no, even before the breakup was over, he was already flirting with another woman! In this absurd situation, Elena, who was left speechless and could only stammer, eventually burst into tears and stormed out.

This is the moment!

Shannon, who was about to leave naturally following Elena, was caught again by a chilling voice.

“Sit down, Miss Sherwood.”

Despite being the cause of all this trouble, Killian nonchalantly pointed to the spot where Elena had sat, as if nothing had happened, while smoke wafted from his cigar. Shannon, wearing the mask of a kind servant, spread her palms and pointed to the perfectly set tea table and ashtray.

“Sir, it seems that my work is all done. Other guests are also waiting for my service…”

“Mrs. Lauren has indeed hired a very bold maid.”

How dare the maid talk back to a guest.

Shannon, who easily understood the aristocratic roundabout way of saying, “I could tell Mrs. Lauren about your rudeness right now and have you fired,” bit her lip. The hesitation didn’t last long. Shannon, sitting on the edge of her chair as if ready to jump up and leave at any moment, asked coldly.

“Why did you ask me to sit down?”

“Why? It’s because of you that I got dumped!”

Finally, when Killian was at eye level with Shannon, he blew cigar smoke directly at her with a broad smile on his face. Shannon turned her head and coughed, but still rebutted his absurd claim.

“Cough, cough! Wh-what! Why is that my fault!”

“You kissed me and begged me not to leave. My ex, angry about that, broke up with me.”

Cutting out all the context and only saying that part, isn’t that just asking to be misunderstood? Shannon, suppressing her boiling anger, snapped at Killian.

“That’s your fault for saying it weirdly.”

Moreover, Elena was already extremely angry. Shannon, who suddenly became the bad person who broke the lovers, felt genuinely wronged.

“Hmm, so you want me to pretend nothing happened and lie? I don’t lie. Unlike you, where lying is a daily routine.”

Shannon’s hand, hidden under the table, clenched into a fist so tightly that it turned pale. Killian’s green eyes, staring intently at the “liar,” seemed like they could pierce through a person. Unable to hold back any longer, Shannon stood up abruptly. She thought it was a relief that she had just made such an absurd excuse.

“There’s no longer any value in dealing with you.”

“sit down.”

However, it was clear that Killian had no intention of letting Shannon go easily. He asked coldly.

“Why did you get a job here?”

“Well, to make money…”

“So why are you here, then?”

“Because I was hired as a maid here?”

Meanwhile, Shannon found the situation absurd. She hadn’t done anything strange or illegal, yet he was questioning her as if she were a criminal.

“Wow, what perfect timing.”

“How did you know that a maid from this tea house ran away and a position opened up?”

Shannon didn’t bother to answer the short question. He wouldn’t believe the truth if she told him she overheard the nannies gossiping in the square. He already believed what he wanted to believe.

“What are you up to?”

Even with these words, I couldn’t say what he wanted to hear. There was no ulterior motive! Therefore, there was no answer to give. I just desperately hoped he would lose interest and go away.

“Answer me.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

A snicker was heard.

“Yeah, even if you don’t confess, I’ll find out soon.”

The relaxed Killian, all alone, hinted that he would continue to keep Shannon in his grasp and act as he pleased.