episode_0080

When Aser heard that Law had come to his castle, he abandoned his official duties and headed to the drawing room where she was.

The pressure was clearly felt even outside the door. It was definitely me.

I opened the door carefully so as not to make any noise and looked inside first. The inside of the living room was covered in dreamy-colored smoke rising from the gombangdae. Not an acrid smell like other cigarettes, but a sweet smell that makes you feel dizzy. In the middle of the smoke-covered room, I saw Rowe sitting calmly reading a book and Charlotte leaning against the wall watching her.

Even though I witnessed her reality with my own eyes, I still did not understand it.

Why on earth did Law come to his castle?

To find out the reason, Aser carefully walked into the living room.

After entering the room, Aser used his hand to disperse the smoke coming near him, and spoke in a cautious tone so as not to offend her.

“What are you doing here… ?”

Law, who closed the book he was reading at Aser’s call, tilted his head so that it almost touched his shoulder and asked again.

“Surely I didn’t tell you before… ? I’ll get paid.”

Only then did I recall the memory of borrowing Law’s power when looking for number 25 in District 6.

Even now that I think about it, meeting Rowe back then was a stroke of luck.

If he hadn’t met her then, No. 25 would have left his side and ended his life next to Orca.

Aser, who had organized everything that had happened in the past in his head, asked the question again.

“Is that why you came?”

Law stared at Aser and nodded slowly. It was such a weak gesture that I couldn’t even see the head moving properly.

Aser was able to put down his mind and face Law.

It was my first time having such a long conversation, but I couldn’t find any hostility in his slightly closed eyes.

Moreover, if he had come to receive compensation, it was clear that he had no intention of starting a useless dispute.

He sat down on the sofa across from Law, leaned back and spoke patronizingly.

“Well, thanks to you, I got number 25. What do you want in return? You can take anything from this castle.”

Immediately after speaking, the corners of Law’s mouth, who had never shown a smile, rose slightly.

“Okay… anything? Then, I would like to receive the child number 25 you mentioned… ?”

Slam the table with an absurd sound! He immediately got up from where he had just been sitting.

“Anything,” he clearly said, but of course he was referring to the ‘goods’ in the castle, not life.

When Aser asked for the person he loved so desperately, he forgot his fear of the person in front of him, furrowed his brows and lowered his voice.

“What kind of bullshit is that? You’re taking my child in return?”

Law maintained a calm demeanor even in the face of Aser, who showed so much hostility that the surrounding air vibrated. Before Aser came, I held the teacup the maid brought in my hand, and instead of answering, I sipped proudly.

Law put the tea in his mouth, swallowed it down his throat, and nodded slightly.

“They use good tea leaves. Tea leaves like this don’t grow in our area… I’m a little jealous.”

Aser was furious to the end of his head at the slow manner of speaking that was so frustrating to everyone watching, and the words that did not suit the current situation at all.

Law, who was slightly tilting the teacup and staring at the surface of the black tea inside, opened his mouth again.

“So… The answer is… ?”

There was no way I could allow something like that.

The existence of No. 25 was now one of the reasons for Aser’s existence.

There was no way I could give my loved one to a crazy woman who suddenly appeared.

Law, who had already emptied all the tea, spoke softly with his gaze still fixed on the teacup.

The small voice had a power that seemed to overflow at any moment, and above all, the atmosphere was quite different from the words he had spoken so far.

“I’m a kid from District 7. You have no right to refuse… My words are the truth that penetrates all life, and rejecting them means death… . We must have signed a contract that day, right?”

The moment I slammed the empty glass down on the table.

The air around him began to scream and vibrate.

Law’s eyes, which usually looked drowsy, gained strength.

Purple eyes sparkle like flames, and the crows sitting by the window caw in unison.

As if resonating with the sound, the entire living room shook as if there had been an earthquake.

The lights swung like a pendulum, and the table trembled and moved on its own.

Books were falling to the floor, and windows and mirrors were cracking at the same time.

It was obvious that if not only Aser, but also other demon kings other than District 1, witnessed Law’s power, they would curl their tails and surrender like a dog in front of a tiger.

Normally, Aser would have listened to her request.

However, if it was number 25, it would be a different story.

A man who can now confidently say that he is more important than his own life. I couldn’t lose him again.

Law looked genuinely sad at the sight of Aser not backing down even after seeing his power.

His eyebrows were bent downward, and there was sadness at the corner of his mouth.

“Yes, that’s what you mean. I didn’t want to do this either… .”

Immediately after speaking, an external pressure presses down on my body.

Aser felt as if gravity had become stronger only in the area where he was standing, and he fell to the ground as if he had become one with the floor.

It was on a different level. I could have dismissed it with just one word.

There were things in the world that couldn’t be accomplished with determination and will alone.

If we were to compare the power of the two, that of an ant and an elephant, there was actually a gap of that magnitude.

Aser crawled on the floor and glared at Law.

The more hostility he harbored, the stronger the pressure on Aser’s body became, as if it was trying to shatter every bone in his body.

Soon, an unpleasant crackling sound came from my body, and every bone in my body began to scream.

It was not an unbearable pain.

It shouldn’t have been an unbearable pain.

If Aser had declared surrender here, I would have released him immediately and given treatment.

Nevertheless, Aser persevered with the single determination not to exceed number 25.

My nails were scratching the floor so hard that I was lifted up, and my lungs were already crushed by the force of being crushed from above. Bloody foam came out of the mouth, and the knuckles of the fingers were twisted in bizarre directions.

Even considering that he was a demon lord, the pain was such that it wouldn’t be surprising if he passed out long ago.

Everything that had happened so far had all happened within 3 seconds, and Charlotte, who belatedly realized the situation, immediately rolled her eyes and rushed at Law.

Right before I touched Law’s body.

The roof of the castle collapsed with a loud noise and hit Charlotte.

Charlotte, who was buried under the rubble, instantly rose into the air as if her ankle had been grabbed by the hand of an invisible giant, and the remains of the building stuck around her, forming a ball.

The ball of debris gradually began to contract and crush Charlotte’s body.

Aser, who is clearly the strongest in a district, and Charlotte, who has the same power as him. Law showing a relaxed appearance while dealing with two beings who were far beyond the standard of strength. The sight was so alien that it could not be seen even in a dream.

The living room, where only the sound of the music box existed, was filled with the screams of Aser and Charlotte.

Rowe wasn’t the only one hearing the screams.

Number 25, who had been secretly eavesdropping outside out of concern, opened the door to the living room as soon as he heard the two screams and hurriedly entered the center of the chaos.

Aser saw No. 25 and screamed desperately.

“Woman, why did you come here!”

At the sound of Aser’s voice, Charlotte, who was trapped in the rubble, opened her mouth in her usual tone as if to reassure No. 25.

“It’s no big deal. It’s over soon so I go back to my room.”

Even as the two of them were being crushed, all they could think about was the need to evacuate No. 25 from Law.

Law said while staring at the face of No. 25 who entered the room.

“Yes, as they say, it’s not a big deal. It will end soon, so wait patiently.”

The soles of my feet did not move as if frozen to the ground. Even though I was told to run away, I couldn’t look back.

I wasn’t scared by the energy I felt from Law.

I couldn’t leave alone, leaving the two fallen women behind.

Besides, if they run away, what about those two?

The fact that it would end soon meant the deaths of both of them.

No. 25 also had a hunch. I couldn’t escape from her. There was only one way to overcome this situation.

Number 25 held on to Law’s cape made of feathers with fern-like hands and raised his voice with a tearful expression.

“Go, I’ll go! I’ll follow you, so don’t hurt the Demon King and Charlotte!”

Also, he couldn’t let Aser suffer because of his hasty actions.

Law released the force that was crushing them, lightly caressed No. 25’s head and opened his mouth.

“You are better than those two.”

After achieving his original goal, Law had no more reason to stay in the castle, so he immediately began preparing to leave.

When No. 25 said that he would go to his room and bring his luggage, Law shook his head and responded.

Before leaving with No. 25, Law spoke to Aser, who fell down every time he tried to stand up from the floor.

“Ah… I need treatment.”

Contrary to his statement that he would receive treatment, Law did not do anything special except mutter something.

After finishing his short chant, Law added an explanation.

“The wound is healed, so it would be troublesome if I bothered you… So that it can only be triggered when I leave this castle… .”

Before leaving the reception room, No. 25 carefully asked Rowe for a favor.

“Can I come say hello…? ?”

After confirming that Law nodded, No. 25 quickly ran in front of Aser.

Aser noticed No. 25 approaching him even through his blood-stained vision, and smiled weakly.

“I’m not going… ? huh? Where are you going, leaving me alone here? .”

No. 25 felt anger covering his heart at Aser’s miserable appearance. If I had the strength, I wouldn’t have had to go through this.

But No. 25 himself knew best.

I had no strength right now. I knew instinctively that the same power used to deal with Orca could not make even a scratch on Law.

For now, let’s just say hello.

No. 25 had a hard time choking back the tears in his throat and, in a voice still wet with moisture, spoke each and every word clearly and with force.

“Tough times always end. The one who told me that fact was the Demon King. The time without Demon King and Charlotte, who saw me as a person and not just a slave, would be the most difficult time I will ever spend. Still, I’ll endure it. When the moment comes when we meet again, please greet it with tears. So for now… Please send it with a smile.”

Aser buried his face on the floor and shook his shoulders. The small tremors soon turn into huge ones.

Contrary to No. 25’s request, she soon burst into tears like a child and begged not to go.

Number 25 said the last words while squeezing Aser’s finger, which was still intact, and placing it against his forehead.

“I feel more sick than I am… Because I hate it when the person I love gets sick.”

After saying that, No. 25 stood up.

I wanted to talk more.

But I felt like that would leave behind regrets, so I had no choice but to look ahead with tears in my eyes.

After No. 25’s final greeting, Law spoke as if showing mercy to the girls crawling on the floor.

“Rest assured… . It doesn’t mean I’m going to have it completely. I’ll return it to you after completing a simple investigation, so you don’t have to worry… .”

Number 25, following behind Law, lowered his head and muttered to himself.

“I will definitely come back again… .”

After No. 25 left, the two were unable to leave the parlor for a while.

The place where the last warmth of No. 25 remains.

The pain of the past once again becomes a dagger and pierces my heart.

I promised myself I would never lose it again, but I did.

The person they loved left like a grain of sand falling from their hands again.

At the end of that time, all that remained were the happy memories of living with No. 25, and they remained like grains of sand on the palm of my hand.