Chapter 71: Leash – 3

• Thwack!

The heavy sword blade was driven into Brynden’s neck.

But his sword did not pass through Brynden’s neck.

For someone like Kailo, who had been chopping heads off since he was 15, it was far from a mistake.

This was nothing more than a lesson, a spectacle to show the traitor’s fate.

• Shlick!

The sword was pulled out from Brynden’s neck, which had opened like a mouth.

Kailo, like splitting firewood, raised his sword again and struck down repeatedly.

Brynden, who could only make a sound like air escaping from a balloon, could do nothing but tremble in his body without offering any resistance.

Twice, three times.

At first, the citizens who had gathered to watch the execution cheered in excitement, but gradually, their faces began to wrinkle in discomfort.

If the Trelly family had seen this scene, they might have planned endless revenge against Kailo.

However, Kailo, already a public enemy was not afraid of that.

Each time Kailo drove his sword into Brynden’s neck, he looked at the retainers gathered on the platform.

Every time the red bear looked at them, the retainers hurriedly avoided his gaze.

They knew that Kailo’s actions were a warning.

That was Vivian’s plan from the start.

Vivian knew that she had given the order, but she wanted to look away from the cruelty of it.

However, she obviously couldn’t.

Seeing Kailo relentlessly swinging his sword, tormenting Brynden, she could feel him clenching his teeth, his face contorting beneath his helmet.

“…That monster…”

Someone whispered from within the crowd.

Familiar derogatory names began to surface.

Barbarian, Northerner… and so on.

To their eyes, it was only a Southern man caught in the claws of a Northerner.

Finally, Brynden’s life was extinguished, his head severed.

It was the miserable end of the Treasurer of Rondor.

As Kailo wiped the blood from his hands and regained his composure, the soldiers wrapped Brynden Trelly’s head in a sack and retreated.

Vivian also stood up and climbed to the platform.

The smell of blood thickened the air.

It was the same blood smell from Brynden Trelly, whom she had known since birth.

She felt like she might vomit, but Vivian steadied herself and looked down at the crowd.

“Brynden Trelly rebelled because of my remarks. He must have disliked my plan of selecting talented people without regard for their status. However, I will not allow this incident to destroy my plans. Kelsie, this way.”

At Vivian’s call, a blind woman came forward, using a cane to support herself.

Kailo, having wiped the blood off, approached Kelsie and offered his support.

Vivian’s eyebrows twitched, but she decided to remain calm.

After all, Kailo had embraced her in his heart.

Kelsie, too, briefly frowned when Kailo’s hand touched her, though she quickly hid it.

Like Vivian, Kelsie harbored hatred for the Alan family.

And that was satisfying to Vivian.

But, perhaps because she had already been warned about standing before so many people, Kelsie soon masked the discomfort.

“Kelsie, who is here, is a talent who recently knocked on the doors of Rondor Castle. She lost her father in the war, her mother is bedridden with illness, and she has even lost her sight… She is the head of a family, caring for her younger siblings. I have recently taken Kelsie under my wing and observed her abilities. It doesn’t matter that she is blind or a commoner. With the death of Brynden, the position of Treasurer has become vacant. I now appoint Kelsie as the new Treasurer of Rondor.”

The crowd gasped and held their breath in shock.

But of course, it was a lie.

Vivian had no intention of giving such an important role to Kelsie so soon.

Maybe in the distant future, but not now.

Nevertheless, that simple lie was enough to stir a great wave among the crowd.

In times like this, hidden talents would also gather courage and step forward.

Kelsie knew this as well, but her role was to continue with the act she was given.

Kelsie bowed her head to Vivian and expressed her gratitude.

“I will dedicate myself to you, Lady Vivian!”

Vivian nodded and addressed the crowd.

“If you have a shining talent within you, do not hesitate to knock on the doors of Rondor. I will be waiting.”

She then turned and left the stage.

Her followers trailed behind her.

***

By the time we returned to the castle and I had washed up, night had fallen.

I removed the stench of blood as best as I could and went to find Vivian.

Instead of the ruined room I had, she was staying in a separate office.

In front of her room, the punishment unit members stood guard, and I passed them to enter.

Thud.

Inside the room, Vivian was writing a letter to the Trelly family.

She glanced at me as I entered and once again gave a mocking smile.

“…You’ve come running like a well-behaved dog looking for a reward?”

Her voice was full of sarcasm, but there was also a hint of playful mischief, as if she had an interesting new toy.

Vivian casually got up from her chair, approached me, and kissed my cheek with a light smile.

Chirp.

She then returned to her desk and grabbed the quill.

That was the end of it.

It wasn’t that I had only acted for the reward… but an indescribable feeling of emptiness washed over me.

Her actions didn’t make me excited; rather, they felt like the peak of mockery.

This must have been part of Vivian’s scheme.

I could tell just by looking at the satisfaction on her face.

Her intention to make me feel miserable was painfully obvious.

It was clear she was seeking revenge for yesterday.

It was the act of someone who had finally seized the advantage.

Her actions were meant to relieve her own shame while increasing mine.

Her mocking behavior toward my emotions was evident.

As I stared at her, I could no longer suppress the boiling emotions inside me.

Today, it wasn’t love that surged in me but intense hatred.

“…If it wasn’t you.”

At my words, she stopped her writing and looked up at me.

I still felt the blood on my hands, disgusting as ever.

“…If I had liked Serena instead, it would have been easier.”

I no longer had any reason to hide my feelings.

I had admitted it, and Vivian had realized it as well.

There were many excuses, like curses or whatever, but this was the current reality.

Vivian’s smile faded immediately.

Her expression stiffened for a moment, and her gaze became sharp, as if trying to understand my words.

I continued.

“If I had liked Serena, I wouldn’t have to suffer like this because of you.”

My words seemed to pierce Vivian’s armor.

She shrugged her shoulders, trying to act nonchalant, but the act didn’t last long.

Her expression grew darker.

She whispered softly.

“…But in the end, it’s me you like, right? As you just admitted.”

By now, Vivian’s voice was trembling softly.

I could sense she was trying to suppress her emotions to avoid losing control of the situation.

“Behave yourself, Kailo. If you don’t want to be the one to sever Serena’s neck with your own hands.”

“…How do you know? If you behave prettily… perhaps I’ll give you a reward that’ll make you happy later.”

How could everything have flipped so suddenly in just a day?

I had known changes would come once the kiss was asked for, but I hadn’t expected it to be this extreme.

The moment my most vulnerable weakness was exposed, everything changed.

There was no going back now.

I sighed.

Then, I dropped all pretenses and warned Vivian.

“You better behave yourself. Don’t test my patience.”

“Why should I behave? After all, I hold the leash around your neck.”

I interrupted her words with mine.

“I might just rape you.”

Vivian seemed to realize the situation then.

We were the only two in the room.

This distance felt so familiar to her that she seemed at ease.

But if I had ill intentions, there would be no more dangerous situation than this distance.

I was in a position where I could play with her however I wanted.

If it hadn’t been for the strange knightly conscience my father had taught me, I might have given in to my impulses.

Various emotions crossed Vivian’s face.

There were so many that it was hard to pinpoint each one.

The fact that I had momentarily silenced her was the only satisfying part.

However, before I could even feel that satisfaction, Vivian glared at me and muttered softly.

“…Try.”

“What?”

She swallowed her spit and firmly spoke again.

“…Try it.”

I let out a hollow laugh.

“Do you think I can’t do it?”

Vivian barked without fear.

“…I said, try it.”

Vivian was the kind of person who hated losing to me this much.

She had never easily yielded to any threats.

I fell silent, then took a step towards her, gazing at her.

Even as Vivian saw me approaching, she didn’t take any action.

Even if she had, it wouldn’t have mattered.

With each step I took, the tremor in Vivian’s cold eyes grew stronger.

In that tremor, I kept seeing the 13-year-old Vivian.

The one who had lost her entire family, the one who had been on the verge of falling apart like a flame about to be extinguished.

We stood facing each other with barely an arm’s length between us.

I placed my hand on Vivian’s face.

Her red eyes never left mine.

Just as I had witnessed her fragile state, I had also been there for her growth.

No one knew better than I did how much she had suffered, how much she had struggled.

Perhaps that was why.

Despite having made up my mind to approach her, my resolve crumbled.

Having seen everything from her side, I couldn’t bring myself to hurt her.

I had sacrificed so much to protect her.

Now, to hurt her and undo all my past efforts would be too unjust.

I hated her so much, but at the same time, she was so precious to me.

I had resolved a hundred times to just let it all out, but in the end, that was just my empty bravado.

It seemed that Vivian understood this fact much better than I did.

“…Sigh.”

In the end, a powerless sigh escaped my lips.

I stopped and looked at her, then kissed her forehead.

-…kiss.

Vivian’s breath briefly stopped.

“…Rest.”

Afterwards, I shook my head and left the room.

It was a night where I wanted to kill the witches.