Chapter 115: You cant go anywhere – 9

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The soldiers approached Vivian’s door, drawn by the commotion.

A good portion of his familiar comrades from the 4th Knights Division had gathered.

“What’s going on?”

“Hey! What’s wrong with Kailo?”

They murmured, trying to grasp the situation, but they seemed just as bewildered.

Vivian didn’t care about their gazes and walked away from her desk, grabbing my arm.

“…P-Please calm down. L-Let’s talk it out again.”

“You’re the one who avoided me for days. And now you want to talk?”

“It’s because… I thought… I thought this moment… might come. I’m sorry. I-I’ll fix it now—”

“I’ve given you enough time. You should know by now, Vivian.”

Her eyes reflected a mixture of desperation and unease.

“…My family is just as precious to me as you are. I have to return now.”

Sadness and despair filled her face, but they slowly faded, replaced by the dangerous madness I had glimpsed earlier.

It consumed her.

“Then… what about me?”

She asked.

“…Your family has each other… but I only have you.”

Normally, such words would have been spoken with tears, but she asked coldly.

“What about me, left behind?”

I couldn’t find an answer.

Suppressing the pain, I spoke coldly.

“…Take care.”

Not wanting to see her break, I stared at Vivian for a long time before turning away.

Our final moment was pitiful and disheartening.

“…Who said you could?”

But Vivian whispered, as if refusing to accept such an ending.

“Didn’t I tell you?”

Her voice was sharp, as if she was removing a mask.

“Kailo, you’re not going anywhere.”

From behind me, Vivian made some sort of gesture.

My comrades in front of me hesitated, exchanged glances, and prepared for battle in confusion.

I, too, froze in place, unable to move.

Vivian whispered from behind.

“In my land… in my castle… you think you can do as you please? How absurd. No matter who you are, you don’t get to act without my permission. Did you forget how powerful the strength I regained is? Do you not understand how enormous the power you gave me truly is?”

I clenched my fists, trembling with emotion.

Rising fury, betrayal, and bitter sorrow surged to the top of my head.

I turned to face Vivian.

Glaring at her as if threatening an enemy, I locked eyes with her.

Vivian, too, seemed resolute in confronting me.

She didn’t flinch under my gaze.

Instead, she even offered a faint, mocking smile.

“…This feeling is familiar.”

She murmured softly.

“…The feeling of hating each other.”

I gritted my teeth so hard they almost ground together.

“…Vivian, if you keep this up… I might truly start hating you.”

She didn’t waver.

“That’s good. If you end up hating me, it means your feelings aren’t a curse. You always said it was a curse—loving me and being unable to hate me.”

“Vivian!!”

“I’d rather have you hate me. At least when you’re angry, you look at me.”

I let out a hollow breath.

“…What?”

“At least when you’re angry… you stay by my side. If I have to watch you smile at other women, I’d much rather you stay here and yell at me.”

Her calm voice was tinged with distortion.

“…Honestly, I’m already sick of your anger. I’ve grown used to your resentment. Kailo, you’re the one who taught me, after all. That sometimes, we have to do what we hate. You’ve said it over and over again.”

Her resolve was clear.

She was ready to endure even my hatred and rage to keep me close.

And as it came to this, the situation began to turn even more unfavorable for me.

That meant she was willing to endure even the things she hated.

It meant she would act without holding back anymore.

Suddenly, I felt as though I had been thrown into enemy territory.

This castle suddenly felt like an iron cage.

I took a deep breath and drew my dual swords.

My comrades gasped.

“…Everyone, step aside.”

Vivian did not listen to my words.

“…If you’re going to leave, kill me and go. Because if you’re not here, I’ll die anyway.”

“There’s no one left trying to kill you now!!”

“That’s not what I mean. You’ve… long become the reason for my life.”

I was dumbfounded.

I asked.

“…And yet, you can’t even say a single word of love? Does that mean tormenting me is the reason for your life?”

“…Think whatever you want. It doesn’t change how I feel.”

Realizing that I could no longer have a conversation with Vivian, I turned to face my comrades.

They took a step back, trembling.

From the moment I drew my sword, they too had drawn theirs.

“Everyone, move.”

“Restrain Kailo.”

Behind my threat, Vivian gave an order.

My comrades looked back and forth between me and Vivian, then raised their swords and took stances.

“Are you really going to do this…?”

I felt the strength leave my hands gripping the dual swords.

The feeling of being hostile toward comrades who had shared my life was unbearable, even as a joke.

Among them, there were those who caught my eye the most.

Valon, Wallace and Martin.

They swallowed hard and broke out in a cold sweat as they pointed their real swords at me.

Valon spoke.

“…You’re the one who always yelled at us to prioritize Vivian’s orders above all else, Kailo. And I… already told you I wouldn’t help you anymore. Don’t take it personally.”

Wallace whispered.

“You bastard…! Damn it, if you were going to pull something like this, you should’ve run away at night… Why do you have to confront us head-on, you idiot…?”

Finally, Martin.

“Put… put down your sword, man. You’re not really planning to kill us all and leave, are you? It’s over already. Are you going to kill us all to get out of here?”

Valon, Wallace, Martin, Yanes, Duran, Randel… and the rest.

Every comrade who had fought alongside me in hunts, battles, and wars stood there.

To someone like me, who had grown up in this land, they were the only ones I could call friends.

They were all I had.

While other nobles befriended noble companions, I had only these dirty, smelly commoners as my friends.

And even though they didn’t say it, they were precious to me.

Though our beginnings had been a mess, a bond of friendship had bloomed in the end.

Just like my relationship with Vivian.

I took a step forward.

They didn’t back down.

“…Are you really going to do this?”

Valon answered.

“I don’t want to. But if you try to, then we have to.”

Countless memories of training and sparring with them flashed through my mind.

Although I had fought with them ready to face death, this moment carried an entirely different resolve.

“Stand down. This is your last warning. I’m going back to my homeland.”

Wallace shook his head.

“…I’m sorry. We have our orders. I don’t want to end up ruined by acting on my own, like Baelor. I’ll live as an unthinking sword.”

I gripped my dual swords tightly.

“You’ll all die.”

Martin responded.

“…We won’t hold it against you, Kailo.”

I took a charging stance.

Normally, they would have flinched and stepped back in fear.

But not a single one of them moved this time.

Not even a twitch.

When I realized they were truly prepared to die, strength left my hands.

Clang!!

I eventually threw the sword to the ground.

Then I turned to look at Vivian.

Coldly, I spat out,

“…Yeah. I guess I’m more used to this side too.”

Vivian’s eyes were icy, as if she’d calmed her anger.

Perhaps my gaze mirrored hers.

“This was my relationship with you. This feeling of loathing toward you… Somehow, it feels familiar.”

At those words, a flicker of emotion passed through Vivian’s expression.

In the meantime, my comrades approached and locked a thick pair of handcuffs around my wrists.

“…Shall we drag him to the dungeon?”

Valon asked.

Vivian, facing me, seemed not to have heard Valon’s question.

I could tell various thoughts were swirling in her mind.

“…Lady Vivian?”

Valon asked again.

“I asked if we should drag him to the underground dungeon.”

Vivian looked at me, then at Valon, then at Nestor.

She shook her head faintly.

“…No.”

“Then where should we—”

“Tie him up over there.”

The finger she pointed with was directed at her bed.

It was a blatant display of obsession toward me in front of everyone.

“Y-You mean on the bed?”

Vivian didn’t repeat herself.

Instead, she called out to the maids standing behind the gathered soldiers.

The maids quickly scurried forward, bowing their heads to Vivian.

Vivian commanded,

“From now on, bring all meals to my room. For both mine and Kailo’s portions.”

“Yes, understood.”

The maids replied, struggling to hide their trembling.

“And bring fresh clothes and warm water for washing twice a day. Kailo will be living here from now on.”

Immediately afterward, in front of everyone, Vivian slowly walked toward me.

The 13-year-old girl who once only cared about survival was no longer there.

Knights, soldiers, maids…

None of them seemed to hold any meaning for her anymore.

Vivian gently placed her hand on my face, pulled my neck toward her, and stole a kiss.

The maids and soldiers gaped, stunned by this unexpected turn in our relationship.

There was a vast difference between imagining it and seeing it for real.

Without any regard for the onlookers, Vivian smiled at me.

“…Finally, I get to taste those lips again.”

“…Have you lost your mind?”

“Maybe. You should’ve listened when I told you not to leave me.”

But I could see it.

The sorrow peeking through the madness in her eyes.

I could tell she hadn’t wanted things to come to this.

“…You’re the one at fault for trying to leave me.”

She whispered as if trying to convince herself.

“Kailo. From the time I had nothing, you were the only one who truly cared for me. Out of all these people, you were the only one who didn’t abandon me.”

She caressed my cheek again and murmured seductively,

“…So I won’t abandon you either.”