Chapter 87: I’d ever give my body to a pervert like you?

After seeing Tina’s handwriting, rationality completely collapsed.

What filled her mind with countless questions and consumed her heart was confusion.

Why would Tina do this to her?

Could it possibly be revenge for that time she tried to assault her?

She had thought she was already forgiven, but was it possible she had been harboring resentment for that day all along?

She couldn’t understand it at all. Everything seemed to plunge into a labyrinth.

There was no choice but to confirm it directly.

Mardian raised her head, her eyes gleaming eerily.

As if the weather had to match the grim mood, the sky was shrouded in gray and poured down heavy rain.

Pulling her hood and cloak more tightly around herself, Mardian pressed forward.

Before her stood a shabby tavern.

It was past business hours, and the tavern, with all its lights turned off, was cloaked in darkness.

However, this wasn’t an ordinary tavern.

It was the Camellia Gambling Den, secretly run by the House of Count Abreldine —one of the dark underworld havens where addicts of gambling and drugs congregated.

With trembling hands, she opened the door to the gambling den.

The inside of the tavern was nearly invisible due to the lack of light, but within the darkness, her snow-white hair faintly shimmered.

“Oh, you’ve come, Lord Mardian.”

She greeted her with a chillingly radiant smile.

The blue eyes that had once seemed so lovely now appeared devoid of emotion, like a colorless void.

“Tina, explain yourself. Before my patience runs out.”

Mardian clenched her fists and glared sharply at her.

Tina, who was lazily perched on a chair, twirling her hair around her finger, raised one eyebrow as if intrigued, and gazed at her.

“Even in this situation, you’re trying to threaten me?”

“You… Did you really send that letter to Father?”

“Yes.”

Her unequivocal response made the suppressed anger within her slowly boil over.

She wanted nothing more than to lunge at her and slap her across the face, but she barely managed to restrain herself by biting her lip.

“Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Tina lightly hopped off the chair and began walking toward her.

If she wanted to, she could strangle her frail neck at any moment, yet she dared to boldly approach her without an ounce of fear.

“You would have summoned me the very next day, Lord Mardian. After all, I promised to give you everything.”

“…But.”

“And I’m sure the depraved Lord Mardian would have unleashed all her perverse desires on my body.”

“You’re the one who made that promise, Tina.”

“Foolish woman.”

By the time Tina had approached close enough for her to feel her breath, she curled her lips into a mocking smile.

Was the fact that her smile still appeared beautiful, even in this situation, proof that she was losing her sanity?

“Did you really think I’d ever give my body to a pervert like you?”

Her voice was colder than she had ever heard before. Her tone, devoid of any vitality, left her momentarily stunned.

“Why don’t you stick to tormenting Lillian as your assigned role dictates? I don’t know why you keep fixating on me.”

“What… what did you say?”

“Or could it be that you prefer someone with a petite and frail figure like mine over a beautiful woman like Lillian? Are you that kind of deviant?”

Tina jabbed Mardian’s chest lightly with her finger, her gaze dripping with contempt.

Mardian could only stare blankly at her, too bewildered to say a word.

‘Tina… was she always like this…?’

She had suspected there might be another side to her, but she had never dreamed it would be this unfamiliar.

The beloved, innocent young lady cherished by all. Yet, the person standing before her was completely different from that image.

Clench.

She bit down hard on her lip, barely holding onto her crumbling sanity. The sharp taste of blood on her tongue gradually cleared her chaotic thoughts.

“So, are you threatening me like this because you’re afraid of what I might do to you?”

“Well, it’s to eliminate any lingering threats and destroy evidence, of course.”

Tina looked up at her with a faint smile.

“Destroying evidence—Mardian, you’re much more skilled at that than I am, aren’t you?”

“You…”

Murderous intent surged up to the top of her head. She instinctively reached out to grab her throat, but Tina stepped back just in time.

“Mardian, you’re not really in a position to act like this right now.”

“Position?”

“If anything happens to me, all the evidence will spread across the Empire. If that happens, the Abreldine Count family will go down in history as the household that killed the Empire’s savior. A disgrace for the ages.”

“…”

“And if that happens, do you really think Count Abreldine will let you off the hook?”

As humiliating as it was, her words were irrefutable.

If she returned without Tina’s cooperation, she wouldn’t escape her father’s wrath.

In that case, her life as a noble—and possibly her life itself—would be forfeit.

“Let me ask you one thing, Tina.”

“Go ahead.”

“How did you take those photos?”

The pictures clearly captured her traces. Judging by the angles and composition, they couldn’t have been taken by ordinary surveillance.

Tina chuckled softly, shrugged, and gave a lighthearted response.

“The one who hired Black Moon wasn’t just you, Mardian.”

“You…! How do you even know about Black Moon?!”

Black Moon.

A deeply rooted shadowy organization that had operated for centuries, specializing in intelligence gathering and assassinations.

Its very existence was shrouded in secrecy, making it nearly impossible to uncover their whereabouts.

The guild was also known for its strict codes and clandestine practices. Approaching them carelessly could cost one their life.

Even the Abreldine family, which held significant influence in the underworld, had taken years to locate them.

It was inconceivable that Tina, the daughter of a declining barony, would know anything about Black Moon.

“It’s one of the perks of being a transmigrator.”

“What?”

Her reply was incomprehensible.

Tina, unconcerned, smiled faintly and sat back down in her chair.

“By the way, remember the black magician’s blood you bought at the auction? That’s mine.”

She rolled up her sleeve, revealing her pale forearm.

Her thin arm, barely covered in skin, bore dark bruises and needle marks.

“Your blood? Are you saying you’re a black mage?”

“Well, not exactly a black mage.”

Tina’s blue eyes shifted slightly as she let out a short sigh and rested her chin on her hand.

“Let’s set aside the unnecessary talk. I’m here to offer you an opportunity.”

“An opportunity?”

“Here, take this.”

She tossed something in front of her. It was a small package wrapped in transparent plastic, containing fine, white powder.

“It’s a drug. Inject it right here, and I’ll ensure you can spend the rest of your life peacefully in a quiet village on the outskirts of the continent.”

“What…?”

“You don’t need to worry about withdrawal symptoms. I’ll supply you with the drug as much as you want, whenever you want.”

Her absurdly rude proposal left her almost laughing in disbelief.

“Are you telling me to live a life addicted to drugs now? To someone who freely roams between the light and shadow, wielding power at will?”

“I’ll send a few homosexuals to suit your taste, Lord Mardian. Though, there aren’t many perverts with such preferences. If you insist,”

“‘Enjoy.’”

“Kuk… kuhuhk.”

Faced with an utterly ridiculous situation, Mardian couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“Kuhk, ahahahaha!”

Covering her mouth, she burst into hearty laughter, which only made Tina’s gaze grow colder.

After laughing until her chest ached, Mardian finally wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and looked directly at Tina.

“Tina, you never cease to amaze me. Who would have thought such a delightful charm lay hidden behind that mask of yours?”

“…This is no laughing matter.”

This time, Mardian stepped closer to Tina.

Tina’s face briefly showed a flicker of discomfiture, as if she hadn’t anticipated this reaction at all.

“If you apologize now, kneel and beg for forgiveness, and earnestly serve me with devotion, I’ll let you off with a mild punishment.”

“…Serve you?”

Mardian lifted the hem of her skirt.

She revealed the black underwear she was wearing between her thighs, flashing a crooked smile at Tina.

“Lick. Until I’m satisfied.”

“…”

“If that’s not to your liking, here’s the second offer.”

With a faint smile, she clapped her hands twice.

At the crisp sound of clapping, the bar’s door swung open, and men with fierce expressions and armed with weapons entered the room.

“I’ll cut off your arms and legs right here and treat you as my toy for satisfying my desires for the rest of your life.”

“…I thought I told you to come alone.”

“Do you really think there’s a fool who would come alone after hearing that?”

The people here were mercenaries hardened in the underworld. While they lacked glamorous reputations, their skills were top-notch.

Hiring people willing to gamble their lives for money was never a difficult task.

When the sight of their hefty weapons filled the room, Tina’s blue eyes grew even darker.

“My patience has already run out, so you’d better decide quickly.”

‘…Looks like I’ll have to go with the second offer.’

“The second?”

Was she really choosing to have her limbs cut off?

“I didn’t know, Tina. I never expected you to have such a gore-filled taste.”

“Stop saying disgusting things. I’m talking about my second offer.”

With a face darkened by resolve, Tina stood from her seat.

Even surrounded by mercenaries armed to the teeth, her face betrayed little fear.

“You were planning to drug me anyway. Forget about women or flourishing villages; you won’t get any of that.”

“…I see there’s no reasoning with you.”

What a shame.

He had truly intended to let Tina live a luxurious life as her cherished slave, free from any worries.

But things had come to this, and it was unfortunate.

“Cut off her arms and legs. Keep her alive, and stop the bleeding immediately.”

The mercenaries looked troubled at the command they had just received.

“If we cut all that, she might die from the shock.”

“Then just the legs. Can’t have her running away.”

“Heh, sure. Let’s do that.”

The mercenaries approached Tina slowly, their twisted smiles growing wider.

Looking back now, they thought that seeing that lovely face contorted in pain and hearing her scream might turn out to be quite the entertaining spectacle.

“Sorry, kid. You made the mistake of messing with someone you shouldn’t have.”

One of the mercenaries straightened her sword with a sigh, as if she genuinely felt regret.

“It won’t be painless, but I’ll make it quick.”

As the mercenary raised her blade high, Tina stared blankly into the dark, shadowed corner of the tavern.

“…This is getting scary now. When are you coming out?”

“What?”

At her unexpected remark, the mercenaries froze, bewildered.

Following her gaze, they all turned to look at the back of the tavern, where an impenetrable darkness loomed.

From that darkness, in an instant, a pair of violet amethysts gleamed.

And then, it happened.

Slash—

The hand that had just been holding the sword flew through the air, severed from the mercenary’s arm.

“Aaargh!”

A scream of agony echoed through the tavern as the mercenary collapsed to the floor, clutching her wound.

While everyone was paralyzed by the sudden turn of events, the sound of steady footsteps echoed through the dense shadows.

Clack, clack.

It was just the sound of footsteps, yet cold sweat dripped down their backs.

Then, a figure emerged from the darkness, and shock painted itself on the faces of the mercenaries, including their leader.

“Y-you! How are you here…?!”

Gleaming amethyst eyes shone faintly through the cascade of raven-black hair, as dark as the night sky.

The war hero, Viviana Merdellia.

Her presence exuded a chill as though death itself was stepping closer with every movement, and she slowly revealed herself from the shadows.