Episode 97 – Crown
by Afuhfuihgs
*
“…I don’t know anymore, I really don’t know! I don’t know what I did to you, but I’m really, really sorry… I’m so sorry! So please stop now! Please stop…!”
“…”
Villard pitifully begged, rubbing his torso against the floor near my feet.
Having spent time thoroughly realizing how vulnerable eyes are, and at the same time, how insensitive they can’t be to pain, Villard seemed to be conflicted between wanting to run away from me and wanting to cling to my legs and beg. He was showing an erratic attitude, going back and forth between anger and apology, informal and formal speech.
But unfortunately, he had neither legs to run away from me nor arms to cling to me and beg.
All he had left was an ugly, chubby body that could only wriggle like a bug.
“Stop moving, or your dick will wear away.”
“…Please tell me, what did I do wrong?”
“What the fuck, if you don’t know, who does?”
“Goddamn it, at least I need to know what I did to you to apologize!”
“Ha,”
Villard, frustrated, shouted something ridiculous.
I felt absurdity washing over me at his brazen attitude of openly asking for the answer, and I let out a hollow laugh.
Villard, hearing my dry laughter that was closer to a sigh, quickly lowered his voice and said.
“Ah, no, that’s…”
“That’s… is that all you have to say?”
Until now, Villard’s mouth had spewed out confessions and apologies that missed the mark several times.
There were misdeeds I saw in the documents I skimmed through earlier, and misdeeds I didn’t see.
This much must be the misdeeds that left a pang of conscience in his heart… no, at least in his memory.
But still, my name never came out of his mouth.
I had my entire life stolen by this man, and now, 20 years later, I had to go through all those painful things for revenge, but in his head, I wasn’t even a memory?
No, maybe he didn’t even have a sense of guilt.
To Villard, I was not even an enemy or a scapegoat, but just a bothersome obstacle that got in the way of his plans.
I realized my place in another sense.
Haha.
When I came to my senses, my mouth was full of blood.
My gums were oozing dark blood from how tightly I had clenched my teeth.
I spat the blood on the back of his head and said.
“It’s really sad in many ways that you can’t even get this right.”
Villard, even after being hit by my saliva-mixed blood, raised his head and gave me a servile smile, saying.
“H-Perhaps if it’s because of what my subordinates did, I sincerely apologize. It wasn’t my intention!”
“Ha… Hahaha.”
“…I’m really sorry…”
“Amazing, truly befitting of someone aiming for the Emperor’s seat. Your caliber is different.”
“…”
Villard swallowed at my words.
Aiming for the Emperor’s seat.
The power of the Valguir family, like the leader of the noble faction, was certainly so great that even the Emperor could not ignore it, and the resulting political influence was also significant, but few people knew that Villard was challenging the authority of the Emperor himself.
Even the Emperor himself would only be barely guessing with a ‘no way’ kind of thought, and even within the noble faction, only about three or four of his closest aides, including the already dead Jennifer, knew. How does this Baron know that?
The question that filled Villard’s face with a bewildered expression was gradually adding flesh, swelling up massively, and turning into a pitch-black fear.
I continued.
“Is the Hero also one of your underlings?”
“H-Hero? Surely that stupid country bumpkin didn’t do anything? I can handle it! I can…!”
At that moment, Villard stopped speaking, swallowing his breath.
Not only his mouth, but even his face, which had been wearing a pitiful expression, and his body, which had been wriggling like a bug, stopped all movement as if frozen in an instant.
Like a rabbit facing a wolf, Villard froze and slowly began to widen his eyes with a look of astonishment.
“Now you…”
“…Hero… Could it be…”
“Yes, you’re almost there.”
“No, that can’t be… You are… Could it be… But it’s already…”
“That’s right, what you’re thinking right now.”
“No, no, that’s impossible! It’s already been 20 years! And, no one can come back alive from that place…”
Clap, clap, clap.
I slowly clapped my hands, convinced that he had reached the correct answer.
As the dry sound of cold, bloodless hands clapping slowly filled the basement, Villard lowered his head, slammed his forehead against the floor, and began to groan.
“Ah… Aaa…”
“Nice to meet you. Isn’t it?”
“Aieee, eugh…”
Villard couldn’t even give a proper answer and was just making noises with his mouth open stupidly.
He must have been certain the moment he realized who I was.
That I would never forgive him, nor give him a chance.
And that I wouldn’t let him die peacefully until I had repaid all the resentment that had accumulated over 20 years.
I stepped on his face with my foot, rolled him over, made him meet my gaze, and said.
“Do you know who I am now?”
“…Ed, Edward…”
“Congratulations. That’s the correct answer.”
*
Lily was standing near the window, drinking tea she had brewed herself.
Bright and warm sunlight was pouring onto Lily’s face through the window, but Lily’s expression was still clouded with gloom.
It was because the faint but distinct screams had been going on for hours without stopping.
Lily carefully placed her teacup on the windowsill and covered her ears.
She knew what Ed had gone through, and she had been prepared since she started traveling with Ed according to Lara’s wish to help Ed’s revenge, but even so, listening to someone being tortured for hours was a terrible thing.
She didn’t think of blaming Ed.
After Lily’s request that he not be cruel, Ed had been steadily reducing the sacrifice of people unrelated to his revenge.
Even though that request might make Ed’s revenge take a longer route, Ed tried to comply with that request.
Lily herself knew that best, having watched Ed from the side all this time.
Besides, the person locked in the basement right now was the one who could be said to be the cause of everything Ed had gone through, a person who deserved to be punished, so Lily couldn’t stop Ed, and didn’t intend to.
She just couldn’t enjoy these screams.
“Lily.”
Then someone tapped Lily’s shoulder from behind.
Lily took her hands off her ears and turned around.
A man with purple hair was looking at her with an awkward expression.
“…You are…”
“Uh… Long time no see, Lily. Do you remember me?”
“…Daniel *Oppa*?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Different body, though…”
Lily awkwardly faced Daniel.
It wasn’t because his once vibrant blonde hair was gone that made it awkward.
It was because she didn’t have many memories of Daniel.
Rose was a girl and about the same age, so she had clearer memories of being together every day, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember much about Daniel.
“Yes, I think I remember you pushing my swing when I was little. I was too young, so that’s the only thing I remember about Daniel *Oppa*.”
“Haha, I don’t have many either, to be honest.”
Daniel smiled awkwardly.
He seemed just as awkward.
Once the greetings were over, the conversation between the two didn’t continue, and a heavy silence filled the space between them.
Lily picked up the teacup she had placed on the windowsill and quietly sipped.
Daniel cleared his throat and started to speak first.
“How have you been?”
“I’ve been well. I’ve been picking fruits in the forest, tending the garden, and hunting.”
“It must not have been easy living in the forest.”
“No, it’s better than I thought…”
Lily said, looking at the buildings filling the view outside the window.
“At least it suits me better than the city.”
“…Well, I’m glad, but…”
“…”
“…”
Lily didn’t ask, ‘Then how have you been, *Oppa*?’
Because his life must have been smooth until Ed appeared.
Rather, he lost his life due to the sudden appearance of Ed, was forced to learn about the ugly side of his respected father, and was resurrected as a Demonkin in a body of a complete stranger.
Lily swallowed nervously, thinking that he might be resenting Ed.
As silence lingered again, Daniel scratched the back of his head and said.
“So, you knew about it, right? Father’s misdeeds.”
“…I was the first to know.”
“…I see.”
Lily watched his expression closely to understand Daniel’s feelings.
His face wore a slightly bitter smile.
“Then at least you wouldn’t have been as disappointed as I was.”
“…Disappointed?”
“Yeah, I was very respectful of my father, embarrassingly so.”
“…”
Lily silently brought the teacup back to her lips.
At the same time, she was pondering what Daniel’s words and expression implied.
Was it resentment towards his father who had betrayed his expectations, or was it resentment towards Ed who had revealed it?
Lily slowly lowered the teacup from her lips and said.
“I know that *Oppa* died because of Ed. But if you’re going to resent Ed, please remember that it’s all because of your father. The things Ed went through left such a big scar on him…”
“I know, don’t worry.”
Daniel waved his hand, interrupting Lily, and answered coolly.
Lily asked, slightly surprised.
“…You don’t resent Ed?”
“I do think he went too far, but…”
Daniel scratched his neck with his head down and didn’t finish his sentence.
Just when it seemed like silence would fall again, he raised his head, met Lily’s eyes, and said in a serious voice.
“First of all, I want to apologize to you.”
“…?”
“About you taking the poison because of Rose.”
“Ah…”
“I heard that the Baron, no, Edward-nim, tried to kill Rose and me because you collapsed after taking the poison. I heard it was really critical.”
“…It was.”
“Of course, even if Rose wasn’t targeting you, no, the fact that she used poison to target anyone is an unforgivable sin. I’m really sorry about it. I don’t think Rose would have apologized. No, she wouldn’t have even talked to you, let alone apologize.”
“That’s right… Most of the time, it was Banata-yang who did it at the mansion…”
“I want you to know that Rose is very sorry to you. Of course, I can’t say that not even apologizing is a good look, but she has a lot of flaws in her personality.”
“…”
“So I’ll apologize on her behalf. Again, I’m really sorry. I’m really glad you’re okay, Lily.”
Daniel bowed and apologized in front of Lily.
Lily nodded and replied.
“It’s thanks to Ed.”
“…”
Daniel slowly raised his head.
Lily had a slightly bewildered expression even as she accepted Daniel’s apology.
It felt very strange that Daniel, who had died because Rose had harmed Lily, even though it wasn’t intentional, was apologizing instead of Rose.
Daniel saw Lily’s expression and read her thoughts, saying.
“I cherish and love Rose. So if I can take responsibility on her behalf, I’ll gladly do so.”
“…Why go so far?”
“Maybe Rose would do the same?”
“…?”
“…As soon as she knew she could save me, she stole the Demon King’s horn from Ed-nim without thinking about the consequences. She even said she didn’t care if she died at the hands of an enraged Ed-nim as long as she could save me.”
“…”
“I’m glad Ed-nim accepted the offer. He’s become much more lenient than before.”
“Really…?”
“…Maybe it’s thanks to you. Thank you.”
Lily shook her head at Daniel’s words.
Daniel didn’t say anything more to Lily either.
The atmosphere was turning towards the end of the conversation.
But there was something Lily had to hear from Daniel before the conversation ended.
There was something she hadn’t heard because he had changed the subject.
“Daniel *Oppa*.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you resent Ed?”
“…”
“No matter how sorry you are to me, if *Oppa*, who was killed by Ed, resents him, and if that will harm him someday, I…”
Daniel shook his head before Lily could finish her sentence.
“I don’t resent him.”
“…Really?”
“Of course, I don’t think of it fondly, but if you’re asking if I have any intention of betraying or harming him, I can say for sure that I don’t.”
“…Why?”
At Lily’s suspicious gaze, Daniel smiled faintly and closed his eyes tightly.
Lily quietly closed her mouth and waited until Daniel answered.
Daniel slowly moved his head, retracing his memories.
Then, with a slowly hardened expression, he opened his eyes and looked at Lily, answering.
“…Have you ever fought with Edward-nim?”
“No…”
“…The Hero’s party is the Hero’s party.”
“…?”
At that moment, the screams that had been drowned out by the conversation began to be heard again in Lily’s ears.
*
Blood droplets formed at the ends of my damp hair and dripped down.
I was literally soaked in blood from head to toe.
It looked like someone who had fallen into a river of blood.
Of course, it wasn’t my blood.
“…”
“He’s broken. How long has it been?”
[…It’s already been three hours. But that guy was broken a long time ago.]
“Ha, I didn’t know.”
I shook off the blood-soaked hands and grabbed a handful of the fishing hooks that were piled up next to me.
“You said you wanted to become Emperor.”
“Plea, pleaase…”
I poured out Divine Power and plunged the fishing hooks deep into his forehead.
It is natural for a person to die if their brain is damaged.
But Villard couldn’t even die, and began to make strange noises, feeling the bizarre sensation of sharp steel needles breaking through his skull and piercing his brain.
“Gueogh, guh eugh”
“You wanted to become a fucking Emperor, that’s why you did it.”
I gritted my teeth and kept hammering the fishing hooks into Villard’s head.
Dozens of fishing hooks wrapped around his head, densely packed.
Villard’s eyes rolled back and he started foaming at the mouth, probably because the needles touched something.
“This is your crown.”
I grabbed all the threads attached to the densely packed fishing hooks and pulled them all at once.
Villard’s head was pulled off at the forehead and split in two.
Half of the horizontally torn brain fell weakly to the floor and rolled around.
I kicked Villard’s still wriggling body over and removed the Divine Power.
.
0 Comments