Ch.166166. Everyone Lies When They Open Their Mouths

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Darwood couldn’t even begin to speak, just staring blankly at Elia.

She didn’t even wait for his response before firing off a barrage of words.

“I’m your fiancée, so you’ll be fine if you just listen to me!”

“…Um, Ms. Elia—”

Before Darwood could answer, Elia cut him off.

“S-s-so—! R-rest well! I’ll see you at the next trial!”

Her sentences came out like rapid gunfire.

As if hearing his response right now would make her unable to control something.

After watching Elia cover her reddened face and dash out of the hospital room like she was escaping, Darwood staggered as if entranced and collapsed onto his bed.

“Excuse me, Calivan.”

[Yeah.]

Calivan barely managed to answer while suppressing the feeling of nausea rising in his throat.

Good grief.

To think he would directly witness his little sister sinking this low.

It feels like karma for all the times he teased this guy.

“…How is this even possible?”

[Hmm.]

Yes, he understood the shock.

If a woman you’ve never seen before suddenly claims to be your fiancée and makes the absurd demand that you must listen to her to survive, anyone would feel dizzy with bewilderment—

“Was I really someone with such a scrambled mind that I’d forget even my fiancée?”

[…]

Calivan barely held onto his fading consciousness.

That’s… not it.

Definitely not.

While he agrees that the guy had a scrambled mind, that’s not the issue.

It was obvious that Elia had been twisting herself in knots wanting to become intimate with this guy.

But Darwood’s motto had always been “not getting involved with anyone until the Luminary problem and the demon problem are resolved.”

[…I don’t know.]

“Didn’t you say you knew me from before? That I wouldn’t know anything about a fiancée…”

[If I don’t know, I don’t know, kid.]

“…”

Though Calivan didn’t like being nasty to someone asking a genuine question, it couldn’t be helped.

‘Fiancée, my ass…!’

Calivan mentally screamed while grabbing an imaginary back of his neck.

It’s better than admitting with his own mouth that his little sister was committing fraud because she was blinded by desire…!

[…If I can give you one piece of advice though.]

“Yes.”

[You should… carefully consider what other women tell you. Whether they’re telling the truth or not.]

But even this minimal hint from his conscience made Darwood frown and turn toward the Soul Linker.

“Are you saying there are people who would lie about such things?”

[…]

There was.

There was one bastard who went around doing that to nearly a dozen women without changing his expression once.

“Don’t joke around. What kind of person would deserve divine punishment for playing with people’s hearts?”

[…]

“How could I suspect Ms. Elia or other people like that? They’re such good people.”

[…]

“If anything, I feel guilty for not properly remembering my relationships with such people.”

Each statement was logically sound.

They were certainly correct statements, but…!

‘…We’re screwed.’

Calivan thought to himself.

At the very least.

This isn’t the atmosphere to calmly tell him that everyone around him, including himself, was completely insane.

Thinking this, Calivan slightly shifted his view to the side.

Yuria was lying there next to Darwood, looking like she was dead.

Right now, the White Demon in that body must be using every trick to hold onto Darwood’s soul and not let go.

[…]

He doesn’t think the guy will die.

After all, he wasn’t someone who had faced less dangerous crises than this one—if anything, they had been worse.

Since he ultimately survived all those situations, he’ll surely find some trick to escape this time too.

But what he wishes is.

‘Please, come back quickly…!’

Please.

He had never missed the real Darwood as much as in this moment.

He must be more desperate than anyone to stop seeing the Demonic Vessels becoming so ugly right before his eyes…!

●

The hero selection was officially ongoing, but had entered a lull.

Of course, the public reason was that they needed time to prepare the second trial at the next test site, the Crucible of Struggle, but people with good information networks would know the inside story.

It happened because the leaders of the dominant nations overseeing the trials all agreed to postpone the trials for a few days.

Probably because all their attention was focused on this man.

The Emperor and Chancellor of the Empire, the Great Chief of the Tribal Union, and even the Pope of the Holy Empire.

“…There doesn’t seem to be anything unusual for now.”

Lucien removed her hands from Darwood’s body while thinking about all this.

She had been checking for any abnormalities in this man’s body by channeling holy power through both hands.

Now that his soul had been replaced with a spirit entity, it was generally her job to examine whether there were any abnormalities in this man’s spirit and body.

Of course, Indra of the Elphante medical corps was also a highly reliable talent, but when it came to soul-related issues, no one could match the precise examinations of clergy members.

“…”

In other words.

Even for a cleric of her caliber, all she could do for this man right now was check his current condition.

No one had yet come up with a “solution” to restore his original personality.

The Tristan Duchess had locked herself in the library saying she would look for a method, and Chancellor Sullivan had similarly shut himself in a conference room within the imperial palace to discuss approaches.

Lucien herself also had no effective means to help this man.

‘…How guilty I feel.’

Lucien glanced at Yuria lying on the adjacent bed with deeply sunken eyes.

She didn’t want to blame her sister.

But it was undeniable that this man had suffered major misfortunes twice because of her and her sister.

She and her sister.

Might have to atone to this man for their entire lives.

While she was thinking this, Darwood bowed his head respectfully and addressed her.

“Thank you as always, Holy Maiden.”

“…”

She looked down with a sour expression at the man who was showing her reverence.

It was extremely awkward to see this man, who would normally casually approach her with requests whenever he needed something, now treating her naturally as a “Holy Maiden.”

“…No. Since my sister is involved in this matter, it’s only natural that I should—”

Lucien’s sentence was abruptly cut off.

Darwood, who had been undressed, was putting on his top, and the sight of his muscles moving vigorously was being broadcast live before her eyes.

This man’s body had become unnecessarily good-looking compared to before.

Recently within the academy, there were whispers among female students saying “at this point, his appearance is becoming quite acceptable.”

‘…What blasphemous…!’

While Lucien was thinking this and wiping her face, Darwood saw her expression and quietly bowed his head with closed eyes.

“I apologize. I showed you an indecent sight.”

“…W-why are you apologizing?”

“Though a Holy Maiden who has reached such a sublime state would surely have no thoughts when seeing such things, still, out of caution…”

“…”

Is this man doing this deliberately?

He’s casually saying things that stab right into one’s heart.

“By the way, does it mean I can engage in somewhat vigorous activities if there’s nothing wrong with my body?”

“That is correct… but why do you ask? Is someone making requests of you?”

Lucien asked in a chilly voice.

If there was anyone calculating benefits and trying to make this man do something, she would absolutely not tolerate it.

This man should be resting and receiving protection right now. If there was anyone tactless enough to impose their own agenda—

“Ah, no. It’s nothing like that.”

Darwood answered with a bitter smile after seeing her expression.

“I heard I was participating in the hero selection with Ms. Elia.”

The answer came out as if it were completely natural.

“If I made a commitment to do something with her, shouldn’t I see it through?”

Then, a smile spread across his face.

“Because she’s someone precious to me.”

“…”

Lucien clenched her fist.

Her heart felt like it was shriveling. Just from that one sentence, all the blood vessels in her body seemed to grow cold.

She didn’t understand why she felt this way.

She knew well that she wasn’t in a position to complain about this man’s affection being directed toward another woman.

But even so.

“…”

My chest hurts.

Even though I don’t know why. It hurts so much I can’t understand why.

As soon as she recognized that this man cherished another woman so dearly, that sensation came over her.

She barely opened her mouth to speak.

“…It could be dangerous, Darwood Campbell.”

“Still, I must do it, mustn’t I?”

“…”

This man has lost his memories.

And yet, why.

“…Why would you go that far?”

Before she knew it, Lucien had voiced such a question.

Why does she keep committing so many sins against this man?

Why do others receive such precious favor from a man who has lost his memories?

What makes the difference?

“Pardon? Isn’t it obvious?”

Once again, the answer came as if it were completely natural.

“I heard Ms. Elia is my fiancée?”

“…”

At this unexpected reason, Lucien’s face looked like she’d been hit on the back of the head with a hammer.

‘…You’ve got to be kidding…!’

What fiancée…!

Lucien thought this while gaping in shock.

This is manipulation.

Someone imposing their selfish desires on a man who has lost his memories and is easily deceived.

‘…So that’s how you want to play it…!’

If that’s the case, she can’t hold back either.

“Then I have a legitimate reason to stop such behavior!”

“…Pardon?”

To Darwood, who tilted his head as if asking what she meant, Lucien spoke up heatedly.

“I, I, before you lost your memories, that is…!”

But then.

Her words suddenly stopped.

“…”

What about herself?

What kind of relationship does she have with this man?

Not lovers. Not a girlfriend. “Acquaintance” is too vague.

To put it bluntly, she’s like a tool this man uses whenever he needs something, but she can’t honestly say that…!

“…Holy Maiden?”

Seeing Darwood addressing her with a puzzled expression, Lucien’s face grew urgent.

She had to say something…!

“…I, I don’t know what’s going on, but you don’t need to push yourself.”

Darwood said with an awkward smile.

“What kind of significant relationship could someone like me have with someone like you, Holy Maiden? You’re one of the most revered people on the continent.”

“…”

“I just hope I haven’t accidentally caused you any trouble.”

Kind words.

But, funny enough.

One thought comes to mind.

Because of those words, she remembered the most enormous blasphemy this man had committed against her.

“…”

A thought so blasphemous, shameful, and unlike the usual Lucien that it made her whole body tremble.

But in this situation.

If she doesn’t act, she loses. Someone else has already taken the lead.

So.

“…”

Lucien took a deep breath and pulled something out of her pocket.

Something she always carried in case this man summoned her.

A collar.

Something close to a dog collar in design.

“…Holy Maiden?”

Darwood said this upon seeing Lucien suddenly pull out a strange object.

But she squeezed her eyes shut and put it around her neck.

Ah, trying to say this out loud is enough to make her whole body convulse.

But she must do it.

It’s the only way to keep this man from getting entangled in other women’s schemes…!

“…I, I was…”

Lucien squeezed her eyes shut and extended the leash handle attached to the collar around her neck toward Darwood.

“Your pet… you know…”

“…”

Darwood’s mouth fell open.

“Y-you, m-made me, l-like this, so…”

“…”

“Y-you need to t-take responsibility! We have that kind of special relationship!”

The moment he heard the final sentence that came out without even a breath.

Darwood’s face turned pale.

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