VIII · DIMITRI

Dimitri Delacroix's point of view

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IT'S OFFICIAL, I HATE ISABELLE BAUDELAIRE!

Damn it how I hate that woman. I want to bury her alive, to burn her, to drown her, to stab her. If I could just wipe her annoying existence from this earth I would be satisfied.

"I'm sorry for my sister," Adrien and Mathis exclaimed in sync.

"It may seem hard to believe, but she isn't normally rude like this. Yes, she's bold, a little violent, and straightforward when compared to the other Ladies. But she's still a Lady," Mathis tried to reason her actions.

"A little violent?" I mocked. "Didn't you just complain about her habit of threatening your life? And didn't she just confirmed how she indeed feels a craving for killing you? How is that being just a little violent, necessarily, Marquis Mathis?"

"Believe me, Duke. I know her like I know myself. She's probably on her period."

Jean giggled. "You know her, and you are scared of her!"

"Even I am," Florentin exclaimed exhausted. "But I'm more scared FOR her. Belle was always unruly like this. Like a natural force to be reckoned with..."

My mother sighed. "This side of her is just like Adelaide's. It's tough to deal with it," then she turned to Florentin. "It'll be quite hard to find a man who would be glad to marry her, and who wouldn't try to subdue her and shut her up. That would only be harmful to her. She seems to be quite the dominant kind of woman. Stubborn and really complicated to deal with."

That made me laugh. "Her? Marrying? I'm sorry, Duke Florentin, but what sane man would ever marry that beast? Marrying her would be the same as sleeping with a bomb every night. She could very much kill the person while they sleep. I recommend you to take that savage to a doctor, he'll probably diagnostic her with psychopathy. Maybe sociopathy. I'm sure it'll be something dangerous!"

Her second brother chuckled to that. "Did she also managed to scare you already, Duke Dimitri?" Is he insane?

I glared at him and he avoided my eyes. "What makes you think I'm scared of her?"

"Then why don't you marry her? Aren't you single as well?" Is Adrien out of his mind? What kind of joke is this? "She's smart and beautiful. And she knows her responsibilities. I don't see why she wouldn't be fit of you!"

Feeling cornered, I growled annoyed. "I would rather die!" I exclaimed. "That savage isn't fit for me. Isabelle isn't fir for marriage whatsoever. Besides, she isn't my type. I feel nothing but disgust when I look in her eyes. Not too mention that she's too short of me, and I do not like girls with straight hair, or girls who talk back at me. Someone with a chaotic personality like her is a big turned off to me, which means we would never have children, and I'll need to have heirs!" Of course, I'm exaggerating, but I couldn't help myself.

"Gods above," I heard Jean mutter.

My mother gasped in disbelief. "Dimitri!"

"Sorry, mother, but I just couldn't stay silent. She's an arrogant, stupid, and self-centered women. Doesn't know how to interact with others, and is extremely rude. That insane girl, Isabelle Delannoy Baudelaire, should be locked up far away from society. Especially from men. She'll end up killing us all!"

Then, I got up and left. Not knowing where I was going. But too full of pride to ask for anyone's help.

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They said the manor wasn't huge but that was uttering bullshit. This place is enormous. Enormous is an understatement, to be honest. "Great, now I'm lost!" I muttered angered.

"We are!" Jean exclaimed behind me, startling the shit out of me.

"Gods above, asshole. Were you following me all this time? What the...? I didn't sense you at all!"

He smirked to that. "That's why you pay me, dumbass. To be great at being stealthy!" He looked around. "The Duke said the manor wasn't big, but how huge must their castle in the south be for him to say this place isn't big?"

"My thoughts exactly," I muttered but then we both froze when we heard a savage growl. "You heard that as well, right? Or am I finally going insane?"

He nodded, seemingly anxious. "You already are insane, asshole. But yes, I heard it too. And that didn't sound human!"

"No shit?!" I mocked and held my sword in a defensive stance, and he did the same. "It sounded like an actual savage beast. And although the Duke's daughter fits into that description, I don't think it's her."

Jean giggled, "Gods above, Dimitri. You won't let the girl off the hook even at a moment like this," he muttered but behind his strong stance he seemed scared. "How the hell did a savage beast entered the premises?"

"Don't ask me!" I muttered before turning my attention to where the sound came from.

Jean followed me as I opened the door slowly, and we realized it came from the indoor garden. Walking in cat-ish silent steps, we got closer. Until we frozen when we saw a huge black panther above Isabelle who was laying on the ground.

"Fuck," I muttered and when I turned to my friend and aide, he turned pale and fainted right on the spot. He's scared shitless of panthers. "Savage beast, if you don't get away from the Princess right now, I'll behead you right here!" I yelled startling the girl.

To my dismay, she turned the animal around, making it lay on its back and got up. Assuming a motherly-protective stance. Glaring at me as if she was ready to kill me if I took one step forward.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She muttered through greeted teeth.

"What are YOU doing here?"

Isabelle seemed annoyed by my words. "This manor is mine while I'm still living with my family, Delacroix. I can be wherever I want in here. But you can't! This isn't your family's property. So, what the fuck are you doing here?"

Is she serious? "I am SAVING YOU!" I yelled.

"Saving me? From what? Yourself?" She mocked.

Sigh. "Are you protecting that savage beast?" I pointed my blade to the black panther who was staring at me now. "Why is this monster here?"

But the woman seemed genuinely offended. "Jade is part of the family, she has all the right in the world to be here. This indoor garden is her favorite place in the manor, you are invading her space, not the opposite." She scoffed bitterly. "And she isn't a savage beast. Jade is my pet, and a very educated one!"

"If she's as educated as you are, that's the same as being a savage," I muttered. "Is this creature the Jade your father mentioned to be one of the only people that can deal with you when you lose your temper?"

She clenched her jaw, "I don't know why my father said that, but yes. And stop calling her that, it'll hurt her feelings, asshole. She has a name, and it's Jade. So, please, call her by it!"

"Jade? Like the female lead of The Lovers of June?" She said nothing. "And a panther as a pet? Aren't you reading too many fantasy books? This... Jade... Will eat you alive!"

But Isabelle seemed unbothered by such possibility. "Jade is with me since she was born, once her mother was my mom's pet. She would never harm me. And for your concern, it's been 5 years since I have her with me, while it's been 4 since the writer of The Lovers of June made Jade get a panther as a pet. Which means, I'm not copying it her. If one thing, she's the one copying me! Although I did name her Jade because of the book."

Why is she even explaining that to me?

She came dangerously closer to me and I stepped back, but she held the blade of my sword that I was still pointing at the beast, cutting her hand with it, but she didn't seem to care. For some reason, I let her took it from me. Maybe it's because she was actually bleeding. And then she got back to her pet and caressed her head with her good hand.

To my surprise, the panther didn't seem startled by the blood at all. She didn't react to it or whatsoever.

"Don't worry, baby, this asshole will not hurt you," she side-looked at me. "If he tries something, feel free to eat him alive, and to end his scared cat too!"

"Scared cat?" I exclaimed confused and seemed amused by my question.

She pointed to where Jean had fallen unconscious, "That companion of yours. Poor guy, was so scared that fainted," but there was a hint of mockery in her voice. "He can't even take this little. How can he protect you, Dimitri Delacroix?"

Uncomfortable, I bit my bottom lip. "Everybody has a fear in life, Isabelle Baudelaire. I bet you also have. Do not judge his without knowing the reason!"

Jean's dog was killed by a black panther when he was a child and that traumatized him. Just as I'm terrified by cockroaches. And she must also be of some animal.

I doubt it would be snakes, though. Seeing as how she looks like a human version of one. Dangerous, sly, and potentially poisonous. At least it's the impression she gives me.

She kneeled down, away from her pet, abruptly ripped the end of her dress and used it to bandage her hand with it. Just like an actual savage, for Gods' sake.