Chapter 4

I was startled and my hands trembled, causing the bowl to crash to the floor with a jarring sound.

Out of long-ingrained habit, I dropped to the ground and began licking up the scattered food like a dog.

It wasn't until Vivienne kicked me over that I snapped back to reality, suddenly remembering I was no longer in the dungeon.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I just couldn't help myself..."

In the dungeon, they would often throw in live chickens or wild boars, forcing me to eat them raw.

I gritted my teeth and endured three days of starvation, my vision blurring from hunger, but still refusing to eat.

Until they started whipping me, threatening that if I didn't eat, they'd switch to poisonous snakes next time.

Terrified, I grabbed a chicken and shoved it into my mouth with my eyes closed.

Feathers were mixed with blood. I chewed and retched simultaneously.

But they still weren't satisfied. They made me eat on all fours like a dog, and even imitate a dog's bark.

Vivienne frowned at me, her eyes full of disgust and revulsion.

Gunner smiled as he put his arm around her waist, gently coaxing, "Vivienne, don't be angry. Dashiell's been locked up for so long, he might think he's an animal now. Give him some time to adjust to feeling human again."

As he said this, he gave me a pointed look.

"He really thinks he's a dog now!" Vivienne complained and ordered the servants to clean up the mess on the floor, and to replace all the food on the table as well.

She found it disgusting.

I hurriedly tried to stop them, trembling as I said, "No, don't clean it up, I'll eat it, I'll eat it all..."

Even the food that had fallen on the floor was a thousand times better than what I had in the dungeon!

But everyone looked at me with strange eyes, and Vivienne frowned, scolding, "Dashiell, you're truly disgusting!"

With that, she pulled Gunner along as they stormed out.

Gunner looked back at me, his gaze as if he were truly looking at a dog.

After they left, ignoring the contemptuous looks around me, I wolfed down the remaining food.

But after just a few bites, I started vomiting violently.

Along with the food remnants, there was a lot of dark red liquid.

Tears in my eyes, I shook my head with a bitter smile.

After enduring such prolonged torture, my stomach had probably already been destroyed.

This body, even if I were to seek treatment now, probably wouldn't last much longer.

I could hear the servants' low grumbles in my ears.

"So gross!"

"Filthy like a homeless person, causing us trouble as soon as he arrives!"

"In this state, he might as well just die... "No one was willing to help me up, and someone even deliberately stepped on the back of my hand.

I mustered all my strength to get up and staggered back to my room.

Looking in the mirror, I spat out a mouthful of dark red blood.

Against the backdrop of fresh vomit, I looked like a horrifying demon with a ghastly face.

Is this what I'll look like after death?

Late at night, my door was pushed open.

Vivienne threw a set of clothes at me and said with disgust, "You have a bed but you're sleeping on the floor. Do you want me to send you back to the dungeon to sleep?"

The bed was too soft, I couldn't sleep soundly and wasn't used to it.

Her threat scared me so much that I immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't send me back there. I'll sleep on the bed right away, I'll do whatever you say..."

A hint of surprise flashed in Vivienne's eyes, but she still kept a stern face and said, "Tomorrow, you're coming with me to the Shaw family dinner. I told them you've been traveling abroad for the past few months. You'd better not say anything stupid, got it?"

I was reluctant to attend the Shaw family dinner in such a miserable state.

But I was more afraid of being sent back to the dungeon, so I nodded repeatedly, "Okay, I understand. I'll be good."

The next day .I r a baggy suit as I follow Vivienne back to the Shaw family residence.

The clothes were tailored to my former measurements, but now I'm bony, making me look utterly ridiculous.

The once proud and confident Young Master Gevano was now so humbled that he couldn't even raise his head.

Before Mr. and Mrs. Shaw appeared, the Shaw family relatives greeted me first.

Someone asked why I hadn't returned to arrange the funeral when my parents passed away.

I glanced at Vivienne's anxious expression and had no choice but to lie, "I was too distraught and found a way to escape."

They patted my shoulder, trying to comfort me.

Coincidentally, they hit one of my wounds. I let out a low groan and quickly explained, "My shoulder was accidentally hit by a heavy object..."

In the dungeon, my shoulder had been dripped with hot wax, burned with cigarettes, and had bones crushed under high heels.

Unable to bear the scrutiny of everyone's gaze, I made an excuse to get some air in the back garden.

The next second, Gunner emerged from behind a potted plant, aiming a high-pressure water gun at me. "Dashiell, how does it feel to have ice water poured on your wounds?"

"This is a warning to you, stay away from Vivienne!"

I shivered all over from the cold, waves of pain radiating from my wounds.

Seeing that I didn't respond, he walked over and kicked me to the ground.

Stepping on my face, he snarled, "Why aren't you talking? Did the dungeon make you mute?"

"You used to be so arrogant, but now? You're nothing but a drowned rat!"

Back when Gunner slandered me, I couldn't help but punch him twice.

But after more than six months of hellish torture, I'd long since lost my temper and self-respect.

"Don't worry, I'll never have any extravagant hopes for Ms Shaw again. I wish you both happiness."

Gunner laughed triumphantly, removing his foot from my face, and said with satisfaction, "That's more like it. Looks like you've really learned your lesson."

"Remember, I got you locked up once, and I can do it again!"

Gunner walked away laughing, but I couldn't get up no matter how hard I tried.

The blood on my body started soaking through my clothes, and it began to ooze from my nose and mouth as well.

I don't know who saw me, but someone started shouting, "Help! Someone's dying!"

"Help! Help!"