episode_0023

“Maid leader?”

There was something Charlotte always said that made the maid’s ears tingle.

She was told not to run in the hallway unless it was an emergency, but she broke the rule and was running down the hallway out of breath as if she had seen a ghost.

That meant that something urgent had happened that even made Charlotte run.

The maid’s eyes automatically turned to the room where Charlotte had come out.

That’s the male slave’s room.

The maid hurriedly leaving the male slave’s room. It was normal to have wild imaginations first, but when I thought of Charlotte’s expression just now, it didn’t seem like that.

The maid could not overcome her curiosity and slowly walked towards the room in question.

The closer I got to the room, the more a fishy smell began to tickle my nose.

A common smell you can smell when walking around Area 7. Before she knew it, anxiety rather than curiosity began to bloom in the maid’s heart, and the moment she carefully looked inside, her imagination became reality.

After confirming the tragedy that occurred in the room, the maid immediately headed to Aser’s office.

Normally, he knocked and opened the office, which he would normally enter only with Aser’s permission, without permission. Aser tilted his head when he saw the maid who suddenly came in.

The maid raised her voice in front of Aser without even catching her breath, which had filled her chin as she ran all the way to the office.

“Demon Lord… ! A male slave… !”

When the maid mentioned No. 25’s name, Aser’s eyes widened like a rabbit, as if he realized that something unusual had happened, and his mind turned completely white.

Without anyone telling him to, Aser jumped up from his seat and followed behind the maid.

As soon as he went down to the second floor, the fishy smell of blood was caught by Aser’s sensitive sense of smell.

Aser passed the maid who was running ahead of him and ran towards the place where the strong smell of blood was coming from. The moment Aser realized that the source of the smell was room 25, he felt his heart sink.

Many maids had already gathered in room 25, but they were all stamping their feet, not knowing what to do. They didn’t leave No. 25 like this because they wanted to leave it there. However, if any of her were capable of practicing medicine, they would have been practicing medicine at a local hospital rather than working as a maid.

“Get out of the way!”

Aser passed through the crowd blocking the door and entered the room.

When Aser arrived late and saw No. 25, his face literally turned blue. As if that wasn’t enough, the red lips that were reminiscent of roses turned purple.

It made me wonder if a person’s face could turn blue like that.

She clenched her teeth and screamed at the maids standing outside.

“Who did this!?”

The sight of Aser yelling gave off an intimidating feeling, as if he were looking at a mountain herd that had lost its cub, so no one was able to readily answer. Even if they weren’t overwhelmed by Aser’s intimidation, the culprit wasn’t among them in the first place.

No. 25 gradually regained consciousness upon hearing Aser’s raised voice right in his ear.

When Aser saw No. 25 open his eyes, he held his hand tightly and looked at him with a sorrowful expression.

Number 25, who saw Aser’s expression as if he was about to shed tears at any moment, smiled weakly as if to tell him not to worry.

“I’m fine… .”

When I saw No. 25 saying that it was okay even in this situation, my anger rose to the point where it reached my head.

If you’re in pain, you can just say you’re in pain, but even in this situation, you’re hiding your feelings.

Aser spoke to No. 25 in an angry tone.

“Looking at this, it’s okay! And don’t talk, just rest.”

Face and body covered in blood, broken horns. The embers of life that seem ready to go out as soon as the wind blows.

It was a scene that was difficult to see with open eyes. Especially if it’s someone you like.

As Aser still had a frown on her face, No. 25 comforted her again.

“Antlers grow in about five months… Don’t worry too much… .”

The problem was not the broken horn, but the pain No. 25 felt. I don’t know because Aser doesn’t have a horn, but I heard from an acquaintance how painful it would be if it were broken.

I can’t leave No. 25 alone in this cold room anymore. Aser held No. 25 in both hands and then headed to a small internal medicine clinic within the castle.

Number 25, who was being held by Aser, repeatedly told him that it was okay and that he should be put down, but those words fell on deaf ears.

We arrived at the clinic built next to the maids’ annex on one side of the yard, and immediately called the doctor.

There was no doctor in District 7 skilled enough to attach horns.

All that was needed was simple disinfection and wrapping the wound with a bandage to prevent it from getting worse, but No. 25 must have felt quite comfortable with just that, and as soon as he finished the treatment and lay down on the hospital bed, he quickly fell into a deep sleep as if he had fainted.

Aser gave up his work and stayed by No. 25’s side for a while.

When he sweated, he wiped his sweat away, and when he looked in pain, he gently touched his forehead.

When No. 25’s condition stabilized to some extent, Aser was blaming himself.

She bit her lip hard, thinking something like this could happen while she was just looking away for a moment. The fishy taste of blood entered my throat. I promised myself that I would never lose anyone again when I ascended to the position of Demon King, but my precious person is already like this. I couldn’t bear it without blaming myself.

I don’t know if it was because of her sincere nursing or just the dragon’s own regenerative ability, but No. 25 opened his eyes after half a day.

Aser was surprised by the quicker recovery than expected, but his heart was so filled with joy that it went beyond that and he ended up holding No. 25 in his arms.

Number 25 was a little distressed by Aser’s arms being squeezed hard enough to suffocate him and his large breasts blocking his respiratory tract, but he let Aser do whatever he wanted for a while.

Aser could barely feel that he was still alive through the warmth of No. 25 in his arms. Without letting go of No. 25, Aser asked a question in his ear.

“Why is this happening?”

“I looked away for a moment and hit the wall… Sorry for the fuss… .”

It is a well-known fact that horns are not easily broken by hitting a wall. It seemed like something that was shattered like this could never come out unless someone broke it with malicious intent.

This child even lied about his own pain for the sake of the perpetrator who harmed him.

I don’t know who did it, but if I get caught, I won’t let you die a nice death. Aser, who made that promise, after being separated from No. 25, checked his condition again.

Although it was treated, red blood occasionally oozed from the bandage.

Although he pretends to be fine on the outside, the unbearable pain that started in his horns is probably still spreading throughout his body. To the point where it would be better to die.

Aser caressed No. 25’s cheek, which had become emaciated in that short period of time, and asked in a wet voice.

“Did it hurt a lot?”

Number 25 shook his head instead of answering. Even in this situation, the sight of No. 25 lying and reassuring himself seemed admirable.

Aser carefully stroked No. 25’s head, avoiding the injured horn. Number 25 also closed his eyes and felt her touch.

“Still, I was glad that the Demon King came. When I lost consciousness, I heard the devil’s voice… I think I finally managed to come back in the dark.”

Aser slowly raised the corners of his mouth and said.

“I will let you hear my voice anytime, so call my name anytime.”

After finishing speaking, she seemed to be worried and called the doctor again to ask about her condition. The doctor in a white coat raised his glasses, looked No. 25 up and down, and opened his mouth.

“What… The dragon race itself is very strong, so I don’t think you need to worry too much. If I sleep here just for today, I can go back to my daily life, right?”

Only after hearing those words was I able to completely relax. Aser kissed No. 25’s cheek, waved his hand, and left.

“For now, I’ll go today. Until then, rest well.”

After Aser left, the dusk visible through the half-closed window signaled the end of the day.

●

Charlotte was holed up in a corner of a room with no lights on, tearing out her hair.

The guilt made Charlotte feel as if her body had been tied up in thick chains and thrown into the sea.

Charlotte was slowly sinking into the deep sea, from which she could never get out on her own again.

‘What have I done?’

I just wanted attention, affection, and ultimately him. She herself was blinded by jealousy and had no idea that this would result.

The sight of him writhing in pain and his screams still come to mind clearly.

In the end, No. 25 is seen smiling like a doll with a bloody face. Every time she thought of that, Charlotte’s heart felt like it was being torn apart by a sharp knife and pierced by a dagger. But even that pain was like a new blood compared to the pain that No. 25 must have experienced.

It’s over now.

I could never go back to my original relationship with No. 25 again.

It wasn’t just No. 25. This news would soon reach Aser’s ears, and it was obvious that Asher would be disappointed in Charlotte, no matter how long they had been together.

A woman who used violence without hesitation was, regardless of gender or age, the worst woman anyone could think of. The unpleasant sensation from that time, which I can still clearly feel in my hands, reminded me of myself living violently every day in a garbage heap before District 7 was even named.

I thought I had finally gotten rid of that image when I came here, but it seems that the given nature cannot be erased that easily.

Is that it? I thought I had finally discovered the light of life, but even that little light was crushed with my own hands.

No. 25 will no longer look at you with affectionate eyes or give you a lovely smile.

Just like a doll, a slave who does only what he is told. That’s all a relationship is.

I didn’t put in the effort so far because I wanted that kind of relationship… .

Charlotte spent the early morning slowly dying with regret and guilt weighing on her shoulders.