Chap 112-Misunderstanding

 

Camilla left, and the iron door of the solitary cell slammed shut again.

“Ugh… it’s damp.”

Thanks to burying her face in my chest and sobbing for nearly an hour, the front of my sackcloth-like prison uniform was soaked.

It was already bad enough that my lower half was constantly damp from being tortured by Serena every day…

Adding Camilla’s tears on top of that made the discomfort feel doubled.

Serena would roughly splash some cold water on me after the interrogation, but it wasn’t enough.

I wanted to soak myself in a bathtub full of warm water.

It might be a trivial desire…

But even that was a luxurious thought for a mere prisoner like me.

“Haa…”

I sighed and tugged at my hair.

My head was a mess.

The number of people who knew my secret was steadily increasing.

Bella, Professor Emilia, and now Camilla.

If Master were here, she could have easily solved it by erasing Camilla’s memories…

But that wasn’t possible now.

In the end, I asked Camilla to ‘forget about someone like me and live quietly’…

But seeing her expression earlier, I didn’t think she would ever grant my request.

Normally, having someone who understands would be a good thing, but not for me.

The more people who knew my truth, the more unbearably tired I became.

The disruption in the supply of faith of malice was a minor problem in comparison.

The real problem was something else.

Their faces, filled with sadness and pain as they looked at me, who had to receive people’s hatred and resentment.

Enduring that gaze was much more difficult.

I couldn’t reveal the details of my Unique Ability either.

Even if they were the only ones in this world who understood me… they wouldn’t be able to accept everything about me as a ‘Masochist’.

It was okay to be hated by people for the sake of faith of malice.

Because what they hated wasn’t the real me, but the fabricated image of Yeon Bennet.

But after using this damn ability for so long, ‘Masochist’ had eventually become a part of my identity.

If someone were to find out that I enjoyed being hurt and humiliated…

Then it wouldn’t be the fabricated shell that was being despised, but the real me.

That’s why I was scared.

Afraid that even my few understanding friends would end up despising me.

“Haa…”

I sighed again and scratched my head.

But… something felt off…?

My hand, which shouldn’t be moving, was moving too naturally.

“…Huh?”

I stared blankly at my freely moving hand with a dumbfounded expression.

Clang—

At that moment, the door opened, and Serena walked in.

And as soon as she saw my free state, her eyes widened in shock.

“How did you break free from the restraints?”

‘Ah, damn it! Camilla, you idiot! You should have put the restraints back on!’

“It seems… some special training is needed.”

…

Splash—

With the cold sensation pouring over my face, I slowly regained consciousness.

‘Would it kill her to just shake me awake normally…’

I grumbled inwardly.

As punishment for the restraints being undone, I had to endure Serena’s torment until late last night.

Judging by the fact that she didn’t particularly question how I escaped…

She must have known that Camilla had made a mistake.

Was Serena that hateful towards me?

She used it as an excuse to torment me in every way possible.

Thanks to that, I barely slept all night, suffering from pleasure due to the aftereffects.

“Drag her out.”

Huh? Drag me out?

At Serena’s command, two guards approached and only unlocked the ankle parts of the restraints.

Then, they grabbed my arms and tried to drag me away roughly.

I looked at Serena with questioning eyes.

“Today, your trial will be held.”

Serena said coldly.

‘…That’s fast.’

It was a procedure that would normally take months.

They would have to investigate, get a confession, and leave at least a formal record.

But our superiors didn’t seem to have any intention of doing that at all.

Serena also didn’t ask me any questions during the torture.

It was as if she had already confirmed that I was a criminal.

Well, there was no one to protect me anymore.

Serena opened her mouth coldly.

“The trial will be held inside the academy grounds. The head of the academy, Elaha, will personally judge you.”

I was stunned for a moment.

Elaha?

I couldn’t tell what kind of attitude she would have towards me.

Whether she would be friendly or hostile.

“You don’t have to worry about it being far. There’s a warp gate that specially connects Bastille Prison and the academy. It wasn’t made for trash like you, but this time, I’ll let you use it comfortably.”

As soon as Serena finished speaking, the guards forcibly lifted me up.

The cold chains dragged along the floor, making a clanging sound.

I was half-dragged through the hallway, heading towards the deepest part of the prison.

Beyond the massive iron door, a circular magic circle emitting a faint blue light was in operation.

Warp gate.

‘I’m going back to the academy…’

The guards stood me in front of it and pushed my back hard.

The light filled my vision, and my sight turned white.

And so, I arrived at the warp gate room in the basement of the academy.

The moment my feet touched the cold marble floor, the guards started dragging me again.

When I finally emerged from the dark basement and reached the surface, I couldn’t help but squint at the dazzling sunlight.

The scenery of the academy, which I hadn’t seen in a long time, was both unfamiliar and familiar.

The construction to repair the buildings that had collapsed during the midterm exams was still underway in various places.

Despite those traces of damage, the overall atmosphere of the academy was surprisingly bright.

The laughter of students erupted from here and there, and there were people sitting on the benches in the courtyard, reading books.

There was no fear or sadness left on their faces.

As if they had forgotten all the terrible nightmares, a peaceful daily life was there.

I was staring blankly at the peaceful scenery.

“Why? Didn’t you expect this kind of atmosphere?”

Serena, who was dragging me along from the side, opened her mouth with a sneer.

“The things you did didn’t leave even a speck of a scar on this academy.”

She looked down at me with contempt and continued.

“Only one death. Duke Medici, who stood in your way. All the students are alive and well. In the end, everything you did… was all in vain.”

I lowered my head for a moment.

Because I didn’t want to be caught.

The hot tears flowing down my face.

‘I’m glad. No one died.’

‘I’m glad. Everyone is safe.’

All this time, I had pretended to be okay, but I wasn’t okay at all.

All the while trapped in the darkness, I wondered if there were any students I hadn’t been able to save.

What if someone had died because I was a step too late?

That anxiety became a terrible nightmare that tormented me.

But it wasn’t true.

The things I had struggled and endured were not in vain.

Two Calamity-Class Monster and even the Evil God.

Of course, I didn’t stop them alone.

In the end, no one died.

I felt like I had been compensated for everything with that one fact alone.

“Um… Team Leader? This bitch… is crying?”

The guard who was holding my arm and dragging me along reported to Serena in a disgusted tone.

I tried to stifle my sobs as much as possible, but it seemed I had been caught because he was so close.

Slap—!

With a sharp cracking sound, my head turned violently.

My cheek burned as if it were on fire, and a bitter taste of blood spread in my mouth.

The tears that had been soaked in relief were instantly stained with pleasure.

“Why, are you sad that no one died?”

Serena looked down at me with eyes as if she were looking at trash and said.

“You disgusting bitch.”

Due to the sudden commotion, the gazes of the students who were nearby began to focus on us.

And finally, they discovered me, being dragged along in chains.

“…It’s Yeon Bennet.”

Starting with someone’s quiet murmur, the students cautiously gathered around us.

Maintaining a safe distance as if watching a dangerous beast.

Their eyes were all different.

Sneering laughter, pointing fingers at the mark of a criminal engraved on my forehead.

Eyes trembling with anger, as if recalling the nightmare of the midterm exams.

Eyes that stared coldly like ice, without saying a word.

The reactions were all different, but in the end, I was no longer a person in their eyes.

…

“Release. It seems a gate heading to the academy has opened… I’ve already received permission, so you can use it freely.”

The guard said curtly.

“……”

He glared at Lea, who didn’t give any answer, as if he didn’t like her, then slammed the door shut and disappeared.

Because Lea had protected Yeon during the midterm exams, she was suspected of being brainwashed and underwent intense interrogation.

But in the end, no evidence was found.

Today, she was released with a warning to behave herself, saying that there was a request from a superior.

‘A superior… who could it be?’

There was no way a commoner like herself would have a superior who would move for her.

While walking down the hallway with questions in her mind, Lea…

“Here.”

Turned her head sharply at the familiar voice.

And as soon as she saw the owner of that face, she unhesitatingly drew up her magical power and cast a spell.

Bang—!

The other person was hit by the spell without any resistance and crashed weakly into the wall.

But Lea had no intention of ending it there.

She approached the fallen person, grabbed their collar, and lifted them up.

“You…! What kind of face do you have to show!”

“I knew it… you were there too…”

Camilla wiped the blood flowing from her mouth and smiled faintly.