Episode 98 – The Eve

*

I couldn’t fall asleep until late at night.

It wasn’t because of the lingering feeling after taking sadistic revenge on Villard, who was the origin and the root of all my misfortunes, but simply because I hadn’t returned from my undead body to my human body.

Clearly, at first, I had a pattern of living as an undead during the day and returning to my human body at night when I wanted to sleep, but lately, it was often the opposite: I was in my human body when I had to meet people, and in my undead body at night.

There was a valid reason for this change.

The first reason was that it was more convenient in many ways to be in my human body to hide my identity as a monster from others.

In my undead body, I had to consciously pretend to breathe every second.

The second reason was because of Lara.

She would secretly come to my side and sleep next to me while I was sleeping.

If other men heard this, they might envy me and say I was complaining about nothing.

Lara’s appearance is objectively excellent, and her healthy, firm body has kept many men up at night.

However, I was only embarrassed whenever Lara showed me her ardent feelings.

I wasn’t ready to share sweet love at all, and I didn’t want to lose my only remaining friend.

Of course, Lara said that she would take her time and wait until I was ready, and she no longer invaded my room like she used to, but in my honest opinion, I was still afraid because she was still obsessed with me, and I didn’t know when or how her very unstable resolution would change.

I stood quietly in the middle of the dark room.

A skilled thief has sensitive ears.

Of course, I couldn’t hear the details, but I could hear Banata and Mena chatting as their voices traveled through the wooden floor and walls.

I smiled slightly when I heard Banata’s unique high-pitched voice.

The mansion had felt empty, as if it were vacant, when Banata’s nagging, which I usually found a bit annoying, had disappeared for a few weeks.

Fortunately, Banata had returned to Mena without any injuries and was showing off her usual liveliness.

Of course, I decided to keep it a secret from Mena that I had completely healed Banata’s body, which was covered in wounds.

I told Banata for the time being… no, until the revenge is over.

No, I urged her not to hand over her body to Rose until Mena lived happily and died of old age.

Even when Mena dies, the succubus Banata will still be alive, and even if I am no longer alive at that time, Ulgaros or Rose may find a way to move their bodies.

Besides, if there is no other way, I could just extract Rose’s soul after all the revenge is over.

I no longer have anything to ask Rose to do, and even if I need her, I will find another way.

I didn’t want to suffer from the same anxiety I had for the past few weeks.

To be more honest, I was just annoyed with Rose getting involved any further.

The only reason I didn’t do anything to her was because the owner of that body was Banata and to get the cooperation of Daniel, who had returned with Piadu’s body.

Daniel deliberately damaged the wheels of the carriage while returning to Balguel’s mansion with Villard’s body, causing an accident.

It was a plot to disguise Villard’s body, which had been brutally damaged by my anger, as an accident.

At the same time, it was also a way to solve the problem that Daniel, who had to live as Piadu in the future, didn’t know Piadu’s mannerisms or behavior at all.

Piadu’s changed appearance would be accepted by people as a natural setting due to memory loss from the carriage accident.

Perhaps the hottest topic at the social gathering to be held in the Imperial City tomorrow will be Villard’s sudden death.

Social gathering.

Come to think of it, I wasn’t prepared for the interview with the Emperor at all.

Why did he want to see me in person?

What is he going to say to me?

Unfortunately, I haven’t had time to think about the Emperor and the social gathering.

I was a little concerned that Deborah-seonsaengnim had warned me separately, but I felt relieved that Banata’s disappearance had been resolved, so I thought that if I pulled myself together and carefully led the conversation with him, I might be able to avoid fatal mistakes.

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine the conversation with the Emperor in my head.

Knock knock.

Then I heard someone knocking on my door.

“Ed, it’s me.”

“Lara…?”

Lara opened the door and carefully entered.

Lara looked surprised to see me standing in the dark room without a single light on.

I looked at Lara and said.

“Yeah, from now on, knock and use the door. Don’t use the window.”

“…Ed, are you one to talk? Don’t you use the window more often than the door?”

“At least I only use the door in my own house.”

I said that and walked to the small table.

When I lit the oil lamp on the table, a reddish light flickered and swirled around the dark room.

I pointed to the chair opposite me and sat down.

“What’s up?”

“I figured you wouldn’t be sleeping, and I thought it might be because of me.”

“I know that, but what does that have to do with why you came?”

“You’re going to meet the Emperor tomorrow. Why don’t you get some sleep? You’ll have to be in your human body in front of the Emperor, and if you don’t sleep even in your undead state, you’ll get drowsy all at once when you become human later.”

What Lara said as she sat in the chair was perfectly reasonable and common sense.

If the Emperor is good at observing people, he might notice that I’m pretending to breathe.

If that happens, my revenge, which has come to the brink of Robin’s chin, could end up being a bubble at the end.

But I shook my head and said.

“I can only sleep about four hours even if I sleep now.”

“Then sleep for four hours. I won’t pounce on you.”

“…”

Lara said nonchalantly.

That incident, which happened less than a month ago, might be a painful experience and a flaw for Lara, but she said it outright.

I was speechless at Lara’s boldness, or rather, her shameless attitude.

“I’m not staying up because of you, Lara.”

“But you’ll be subtly worried every time you sleep, right?”

My clumsy lie shattered at Lara’s words that hit the nail on the head.

Lara quickly continued before I could say anything.

“Even if it’s the revenge you’ve been waiting for, seeing so much blood and directly inflicting such painful torture is mentally exhausting and difficult. Besides…”

“…”

Lara stopped talking there for a moment.

I also instinctively realized what she was trying to say and remained silent.

Lara took a deep breath and slowly began to speak.

“Besides, Mela and Robin will definitely come tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I guess so. It’s his son’s big day.”

“And if they see you, they’ll come to thank the doctor who fixed Tess, right?”

“… Ha, I guess so…”

“Yeah, so get some sleep now and clear your head. I promise I won’t do anything.”

“… If I sleep now, I won’t wake up,”

“I’ll wake you up.”

Lara said that, leaned on the table, and slowly got up.

“Then, I’ll go now. Good night, Ed.”

Lara said that and closed the door without any regrets.

I remembered what Lara had said a few days ago.

‘Take your time.’

‘Until everyone dies,’

‘Until no one is left next to Ed.’

It didn’t suit Lara’s honest and straightforward personality, but when you think about it, it was also a very elf-like way to solve problems.

Lara, who doesn’t hide her affection for me, makes me uncomfortable.

It was also because of the clinging, obsessive look in her eyes, as if something sticky was sticking to my whole body, and because of her impatient, aggressive, and violent tendencies.

But what makes me most uncomfortable is her words that seem to assure me that Mela’s absence will be forever in the future.

Of course, I know too.

For me now, Mela is just a lingering attachment and a symbol of happiness I couldn’t have.

That’s why the feeling I get every time I face her is pain, not longing.

Frankly, I don’t have any ridiculous expectations that I’ll be happy if I reveal all the truth now and Mela comes back to me.

Rather, part of the reason why I’m still hiding my identity is because of Mela.

I was worried that if she found out why I became like this, she would go back to the way she was when she tried to kill herself in the past.

However, I don’t know exactly when it will be, but the end is slowly approaching.

Because what I have to take from Robin is not just his life.

His vain honor and false achievements. And to expose his ugly appearance to the world and make everyone recognize that conceited trash as the worst son of a bitch.

I felt that the finale, where I had to reveal my identity, was getting closer and closer.

Is this revenge worth pursuing even if it destroys the happiness of a woman I once truly loved?

It will be.

At least I might be able to prevent Mela from killing herself.

Her son or daughter, or Lara or Lily, or even Ellie, who will praise me for defeating Villard, will help Mela.

I had such expectations.

I hope that my good deeds and self-restraint, which may be just hypocrisy, can at least save Mela from the shock that Robin’s truth, which will be revealed at the end of my revenge, will bring.

…

Haha, but,

“Who will save me?”

[…]

[Ed…]

I picked up the Holy Sword stuck in the corner of the room and slowly sucked it with my fingertips.

As soon as I returned to my human body, fatigue enveloped my whole body, and I felt a heavy weight that made my shoulders and neck droop.

I dragged my heavy feet and slowly put my butt and feet into the bed.

As soon as I laid my head on the soft bed sheets that sank as I touched them with my hands, I fell asleep into the silence with a feeling of sinking into the bed as if I was being sucked in.

It was then.

“Ed, wake up.”

“…Huh?”

Lara, who said she wouldn’t come into bed, was sitting on my bed and waking me up.

With a feeling of disbelief, I slowly turned my head and looked out the window.

Oh my god,

It felt like only a second had passed, but the sky outside the window was blue and morning was dawning.

.