Chapter 106: Violence

“Haah… Haa…”

Ragged breaths escaped through parted lips. My heart pounded as if it might explode, but my legs refused to stop, not even for a moment.

“Just ten minutes alone,” Viviana had said.

It was uncharacteristically careless of her, but to me, those words were a golden chance to escape the hellish prison.

Even as the scenery changed endlessly, my legs pushed forward without pause. Thanks to that desperate sprint, I was now far from the street where the pasta shop stood.

“Haa… Huh… Hehe…”

A smile I couldn’t suppress crept across my lips. The thrill of freedom coursed through me like an electric current. I paused to catch my breath and glanced up at the clear, open sky with a calm smile.

By now, Viviana would have noticed my absence. I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of expression she’d make.

Of course, given her abilities, it was likely I’d be caught within a few hours. But I didn’t care. Even a fleeting taste of freedom was worth dying for.

Cautiously scanning my surroundings, I stepped into a secluded alley. Venturing deeper, I found myself in a damp, sunless backstreet.

After another careful glance around, I reached for the collar strapped around my neck.

“If only… if only I could get rid of this…”

If I could just remove this collar, I would no longer endure the agony of forced healing. Then, at last, I could sever my ties with this world.

But the collar was unyielding. My fingers searched its surface for any weakness, any hint of a clasp, but none was to be found.

“Ugh… Damn it!”

I tried to tear it off with sheer strength, but the tough leather only tightened around my neck. My frustration mounted as my breathing quickened, and my heart thundered in my chest.

Minutes passed as I struggled in vain, until finally, I stomped on the alley floor in frustration and shouted angrily.

“A knife… I need a knife.”

My strength alone wasn’t enough, but with a sharp blade, I could sever this relentless collar in one stroke. It wouldn’t be hard to find a knife in the heart of the Empire.

And in this place, unlike that hellish prison, I had connections and a reputation built in high society to rely on.

No doubt, my absence had already raised eyebrows among the noble ladies. For someone who attended every ball to suddenly vanish—it wouldn’t go unnoticed.

Particularly, Versha and Sharione, my benefactors, would surely be desperate for my return.

I planned to expose everything the saintess had done to me and then take my own life. A story of suicide, unable to endure Lillian’s torment, would deal a fatal blow to her reputation.

‘Perfect.’

A single tear welled up in my eye as I donned an expression of sorrowful helplessness. This carefully crafted mask would surely stir anyone’s pity.

Humans, after all, were creatures obsessed with beauty and aesthetics, ugly in their desires.

Confident in their help, I stepped out of the alley without hesitation.

But before I could take another step, a shadow loomed across my vision, and a foot struck my solar plexus with brutal force.

“Kyaaah?!”

The air was knocked out of me, and I was sent sprawling backward. Dizzy from the impact, I tried to push myself up, only for another shadow to fall over me.

“In a hurry, are we? Too bad—we happen to need a word with you.”

Two women in shabby clothes blocked the alley. The only notable detail was that their faces were concealed by cloth.

“Who… who are you?”

Instinctively, my guard went up. Judging by their ragged attire, they were undoubtedly from the lower class.

The lowest of the low, the scum of society. And yet, here they were, obstructing a noble like me.

“Ha, you must be living a good life. Your skin is so flawless it’s practically glowing.”

“We thought you’d been sold off to some brothel, but here you are, wandering the streets of the Empire like it’s nothing.”

I couldn’t believe my ears.

“A brothel? Are you insane? I am a noble!”

Anger bubbled up inside me.

Had these wretches lost their minds? Did they truly believe they could insult a noble in the Empire and get away with it?

Or had their miserable lives driven them to madness, and I was simply unlucky enough to cross their path?

“You’re the crazy one, you brat.”

The short-haired woman lunged at me. Reflexively, I tried to push her away, but my frail body and meager strength were no match for her.

I was easily overpowered. My back hit the cold ground as my arms were pinned beneath her sturdy legs.

“What are you doing? Get off me right now!”

The mysterious woman ignored my protests and raised one hand high. Then, with resolute force, she struck my cheek.

Smack!

“Ahhk?!”

Before I could cry out in pain, the other palm struck the opposite cheek again.

Smack!

“Aghk!”

Both cheeks burned as a numbing pain spread across my face.

“You’re a wretch who deserves to die. I have no idea why the Saintess is keeping you alive!”

Without any explanation, she began relentlessly slapping my face.

Smack!

“Urgh?!”

Smack!

“Ha, agh… W-Wait—”

Smack! Smack! Smack!

In the dark alley, the sharp sound of flesh being struck echoed endlessly.

Merciless violence.

Savage, one-sided brutality overwhelmed me with unfamiliar terror and pain.

“Hngh, hik… S-stop…”

Even my faint pleas couldn’t halt her blows.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

As the burning pain spread across my face and the sticky taste of blood filled my mouth, hot tears fell helplessly from my eyes. The metallic tang crossed my throat, and a sorrowful sense of helplessness washed over me.

“Hik… Hngh… P-Please stop… Please, just stop hitting me…”

In the end, just like when I was trapped in that hellish prison, all I could do was desperately beg for it to stop.

Although rage burned fiercely inside me, the fear of escaping the immediate pain consumed me entirely.

“Ha, crying like this, why did you do such a thing in the first place?”

“I… I’m sorry… It was my fault… Hik… Please, stop…”

Not even knowing what I had done wrong, I begged and pleaded through tears and sobs. A crushing helplessness weighed down on me, and my voice became so faint I could barely hear it myself.

“Hey, that’s enough. Let’s go.”

Another woman, who had been keeping watch, grabbed the one who was wildly slapping my cheeks and tried to calm her down. The woman with brown hair glared at me, panting heavily, then spat on the ground as if her anger wasn’t fully spent.

“If it weren’t for the Saintess, you’d have already been executed. Don’t even think about coming near this alley again.”

Leaving behind her fiery gaze, she turned and disappeared into the deeper shadows of the alley.

Finally, a silence like peace arrived.

Rubbing my throbbing cheeks, I managed to stand. Stumbling on shaky feet, I muttered under my breath.

“Those… bitches.”

Though the wounds on my cheeks had already healed, my cracked pride refused to mend.

“Those filthy… bitches… I’ll kill them.”

With a face twisted in fury, I spat out curses, clenching my fists tightly. The images of the women I couldn’t even see properly were vividly etched in my mind.

How dare those lowly commoners touch me?

Staggering toward the end of the alley, I bit my lip, swallowing the boiling rage within me.

Just wait. This won’t end easily.

I’ll find you no matter what it takes.

I’ll make you beg for death in torment.

Should I report this to Mardian?

Ah, but I’ve already dealt with Mardian.

Then Versha? Or Sharione? Or maybe I should seek help from the noble ladies of distinguished families?

How far I walked while harboring such sinister thoughts, I couldn’t tell.

“Tina?”

A sweet voice cut through my thoughts. I blankly looked up to find myself standing in the middle of the empire’s streets.

In front of me stood a young lady dressed in elegant attire, her eyes wide open as she stared at me. I couldn’t recall her name, but her face seemed familiar, perhaps someone I’d glimpsed at a few social gatherings.

Judging by the fact that she called me ‘Tina,’ she must have been one of those who considered me a beloved pet lady and showered me with affection.

Slowly, I put on my sorrowful mask again and approached her.

“P-please, help me…”

My trembling voice made her eyes quiver slightly.

As I quietly moved closer, I gently took her hand with the tearful expression that had enchanted countless noble ladies before.

But before I could even speak—

Smack!

With a look of contempt, she roughly shook off my arm.

“What are you doing out on the streets?”

I blinked in confusion, unable to understand the situation.

“…Pardon?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve run away? If that’s the case, go back now while I’m still being nice.”

She took a few steps back, glaring at me with eyes filled with disgust and hostility.

“You insolent murderer.”

***

In the dark alleys of the slums.

Among two veiled women, the one with brown hair smirked as she spoke.

“Ha, serves her right. I was already in a bad mood, and this worked out perfectly.”

“Is it really okay? Sure, she’s a criminal, but wasn’t she someone the saintess personally brought in?”

“Who cares? Her face was covered anyway. Besides, who’s going to defend a filthy murderer like her?”

“True, it shouldn’t matter. But don’t you think you hit her a bit too hard?”

“Ah, well… I meant to go easy, but something about her just made me want to hit her harder.”

“Pfft, yeah. Honestly, seeing her cry was kind of… provoking.”

Their laughter echoed through the bleak air of the slums. For women who survived day by day through desperate theft and struggle, mercilessly beating up a noble had become a fresh and thrilling indulgence.

“Next time we meet, should we just assault her? I bet she’d cry even more.”

“Ugh, come on, we’re women too. That’s a bit much…”

“What does it matter? She’s stunningly beautiful, but— huh?”

Suddenly, the brown-haired woman stopped speaking. A strange scent tickled her nose, drawing her attention.

Following the source of the smell, she turned her head to find a woman in a black uniform silently watching them.

A cigarette dangled from her lips, and a long sword was strapped to her waist.

“Uh… w-who are you?”

“You don’t need to know.”

The uniformed woman flicked her cigarette butt to the ground, crushing it under her boot as she stepped toward the brown-haired woman.

“W-wait…”

Her eyes, shining like amethysts in the dim slum, were calm and icy, as though she were about to commit murder.