episode_0009

* * *

“Give it back! Give it back! I command you! Luan!”

“….I’ll say it again, I can’t do that. I’ll refuse your order this time. This is all for your own good. Isn’t it time for your training? Please go to the training room, Miss.”

“Aru, give it to me!”

“Bam, squeak!”

Things started to go from bad to worse.

I followed her in a hurry, worried, but Luan was caught by Remy on the first floor and just kept repeating like a parrot that she was going to get trained.

As if Remy’s opinion didn’t matter at all.

I looked around.

‘Here is….’

It’s a familiar space.

I frowned.

It was exactly the same as the childhood setting in the webtoon I had seen. The setting right before the incident. The fight between the two was also the same.

Now, things are going to get worse as the Duke who went out through that door comes in.

“…..What’s going on?”

As expected.

“Meet the Duke!”

“….Meet the Duke!”

As if he had been waiting for that moment, the door to the duke’s castle opened and the duke strode inside.

As soon as the Duke returned, the servants who had been watching the incident all came out to greet him without exception.

Luan also greeted the Duke with courtesy as usual, as if she had forgotten about Remy in front of her.

Perhaps because he had come back from going out, he looked more dressed up than when we last met, giving the impression of an old-fashioned scholar rather than an assassin.

I wondered why I felt that way, and it seemed like the pressure had been reduced. That’s why it felt a lot more comfortable to look at his face.

As expected, he is the strongest in this world. He can even reduce his innate sense of intimidation…

I hid among the attendants and watched the situation.

“I asked what was going on.”

“….Miss Remi is raising this tiger.”

“……This is my friend Aru. Grandpa!”

“I was about to dispose of it because I thought it would be unhelpful for Miss’s emotions.”

“Friend….”

The peacock reached out his hand to the tiger, who was terrified and growling.

Luan quickly handed the tiger over to the duke.

The tiger, which had been caught by the peacock’s leash, was frozen in fear, unable to even think about moving, unlike the tiger that had been struggling in Luan’s hands.

They say that animals instinctively sense danger, and it seems that the peacock smelled strong blood and realized that he was a dangerous person.

This did extend Aru’s time of death, but the conversation that followed quickly shortened that time.

“There’s no need to get blood on your hands, Remy.”

“….Huh?”

“Do it with your own hands.”

“…With my, my own hands?”

“Okay. Since you said he’s your friend, I’ll give you a chance to handle it with your own hands.”

What kind of nonsense are you talking about…

I felt it in the webtoon, but the Duke was really out of his mind.

Remy also opened his eyes wide in shock at the Duke’s words.

The look in his eyes was not a friendly expression as if he was looking at his grandfather.

It was a look of endless fear, literally like looking at a monster.

‘….This incident became the trigger.’

Remy will also grow into a monster just like the Duke.

It couldn’t be helped that it was truly a pity.

‘Skill window.’

I opened the skill window and checked the skills I had.

I couldn’t stand to watch any longer.

Freed from being a puppet, I could now use these skills as I wish.

How I used these skills when I was a puppet was still clearly recorded in my head and body.

Unlike back then, I had enough mana. I had enough leftovers after using all these skills. So all I had to do was choose the skills I could use now, in this situation!

I first looked at the transformation skill that could change appearance.

Use this skill to get between them and save Aru.

Getting it is no problem. What happens next is the problem.

The question is whether I can escape from that monster duke with my own abilities.

I gritted my teeth. I wasn’t confident, but I had to give it a try.

Let’s change into a completely different persona so that no one suspects us and run away for our lives. If we use these skills, we’ll be able to exploit the Duke’s weaknesses somehow.

I laughed in vain.

It was disqualifying as an assassin to buy it and take on the risk. But…

Even though I was terrified, I couldn’t take my eyes off Remi, who was begging me to spare his life, saying that he was my friend, and I could see my past self reflected in him.

I had a feeling that if I didn’t help this time, I would regret it greatly.

‘I’ve already died once… It’s the same if I die twice. I guess I should try my best not to die.’

I had no doubt that I would be able to escape with my abilities, so I quietly disappeared without anyone knowing.

* * *

“Please, no. Grandpa. Just this once. Just let me go. Aru is my precious friend. I can never kill him with my own hands. I’d rather go on a mission! I’ll kill someone! Yes? Please, please spare Aru.”

Remy knelt down and clasped his hands together.

He begged her to spare Aruman’s life, saying that he would do anything she asked him to do, just this once.

But no matter how much I begged, I couldn’t feel any emotion in my grandfather’s indifferent eyes.

It was just a deep, deep, bottomless pit of gaze.

Those dark eyes that send goosebumps all over your body. How can they be like that even though they have the same red pupils?

Remy instinctively tried to hide his trembling body and hoped that his grandfather would understand his true feelings.

I try to forget that we have never communicated since I was little.

“How pathetic….”

“….Grandpa. Please. Please….”

“…..Luan, you’re right. His mental health is already deteriorating. I think it’d be best to take care of him quickly. Remy. If you don’t kill him, I’ll take care of him myself.”

Grandfather’s hand slowly approached Aru.

“No way!”

Remy ran to stop his grandfather, but was hit by something and bounced off, crashing into the wall.

I had already been kicked by Luan earlier and was injured internally, but this attack broke my ribs and it hurt so much.

But this pain wasn’t even painful.

Because I have suffered much worse pain than this while being tortured.

What was important right now was not my own safety, but Aru’s safety. But no matter how hard I tried to move my body, it just wouldn’t move.

‘Aru, run away. Quickly bite my hand and run away. Aru. If you keep doing this, you’ll die…’

That too, horribly….

The grandfather, who has no mercy in his hands, will not kill Aru gently.

Probably miserably…

‘In that case, I’d rather…’

Remy’s eyes began to darken and die.

Just as the peacock’s hand was about to touch Aru’s head…

“….Intruder!”

“An intruder has appeared!”

The surroundings began to become noisy.

As he looked around to see what was going on in the suddenly different situation, Luan, who had been watching the situation, hurriedly blocked Remy’s path.

“Luan?”

Luan didn’t say anything. She just stood in front of Remy and protected her.

Remy got up, clutching his aching body with rising curiosity, and approached Luan.

I turned my head slightly from behind Luan and saw a woman standing in front of my grandfather.

He looked to be over 180 cm tall, and his face was not clearly visible because he was wearing a mask, but judging by his curves, he was clearly a woman.

But somehow, Aru, who had been held in her grandfather’s hand, was hanging on to the intruder’s hand.

‘…..Aru! Grandpa?’

Remy hurriedly turned his gaze to the Duke.

The peacock was opening and closing his hands, looking at the other person with a different look in his eyes than usual.

Did you take it from your grandfather’s hands?

From my grandfather, the strongest man in this family?

‘…..This is the first time I’ve seen my grandfather’s eyes like that.’

“That’s funny.”

It was just one word.

Leaving behind a single word that said, “It was fun,” my grandfather’s body disappeared right before my eyes. No, it felt like it had disappeared.

When Remy came to, he saw his grandfather and the intruder fighting, clashing swords.

‘…Wow, that’s amazing…..’

It was clear that they were colliding, but Remy didn’t see any proper movement in his eyes.

Only the clinking sound let them know that they were still together.

“…You should go back to your room, Miss. It’s dangerous here.”

“But, Aruga!”

“The safety of the young lady is more important.”

With those words, Luan lifted her body up and said, “Excuse me.”

“Luan!”

Aru is still there!

It was unknown why the intruder had taken Aru, but both the grandfather and the intruder were dangerous to Aru.

Remy struggled as best he could, thinking that he had to bring Aru with him.

I can’t go back like this.

“…..Miss, first of all, let me apologize. I’m sorry.”

“What the… Ugh!”

Before he could even question Luan’s apology, Remy lost consciousness from the pain that hit the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry again, Miss.”

With those words, Luan hurriedly hugged Remy and left the place.