Translator: Maru

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Chapter 22

Someone walked through the capital street.

The shadow standing in front of the bar lifted his long legs and burst through the door.

Kwang!

The man standing at the counter sighed as he watched the thick pieces of wood scatter on the clean floor.

“You broke it again.”

The staff, who were coming out of the kitchen, were also whispering among themselves.

“Isn’t it better to get rid of the door?”

“Right! What kind of door is so fragile? Even though I’ve requested it from the artisan from Cecil…”

The murmuring staff stopped talking and opened their eyes wide.

They already knew that someone who broke the door was Signus as usual. Because only Signus could break a door as thick as two adult men’s thighs as easily as breaking a rod.

However, Signus was carrying someone with lemon-colored hair.

“Close your eyes.”

Crank! The counter was cut in half.

“Oops!”

The staff protected their heads immediately from the shard of the broken counter.

Clank! Signus threw out his sword and walked up to the second floor.

“Yo-your Highness!”

“Shut up and get lost.”

Despite the cold words, the man at the counter still decided to follow Signus. Just as he was going up the stairs, he heard a buzzing noise on the second floor, and something almost hitting him.

Clang, clang!

The man’s jaw dropped when the luxurious door rolled on the floor.

“Try to follow me. Your head will be next.”

Signus warned him and entered the dark room. For some reason, the big decoration at the entrance shook and made a loud sound.

“…What are you so angry about?”

***

Signus walked relentlessly through the pitch-black room. The red carpet was stomped with ferocious steps.

Signus put Navian on the bed and slammed the wall. The marble wall cracked and the bed rocked at his merciless punch.

Signus gnashed his teeth as he looked at the fluttering lemon-colored hair.

Suddenly, he was reminded of that day.

When he rushed to find somebody in a ruined palace.

It was because he couldn’t see a familiar figure.

So he ran over the people who fell on the ground to find her.

After running for a long time, he saw someone confronting the intruder.

And dashed toward the blonde in a high ponytail.

‘Lerine!’

He screwed up his hand when he reached out to her.

It was because he broke the protective gear he got from the temple by using it to keep the target safe instead of subduing its power.

Red blood flowed from the dangling protective gear.

The bone on his wrist was exposed, but he couldn’t stop himself.

Not when he knew what was going to happen.

At that time,

‘I hope.’

Lerine, who held the necklace, said.

‘I hope you will be the Emperor of Avita.’

And then, the holy light poured into the palace.

Bam-!

Signus raised his hand again and slammed the wall.

His chest was plainly visible through his disheveled clothes. A dragon pattern was carved on his chest that was moving up and down due to his ragged breathing.

Even if his crushed hand was covered with blood, the anger that occupied his whole body did not subside.

His cool golden eyes now contained Navian, who was breathing weakly.

“You sleep well.”

While Signus couldn’t sleep properly ever since that day. Because he always had a dream about that day if he closed his eyes.

The memory of him watching Lerine die right before his eyes like a fool was traumatic enough.

And feeling helpless was a strange and miserable experience for him.

“I’ve seen a lot of people imitating Lerine.”

None of them was able to revive Signus’ dead heart.

“Why are you so annoying?”

She was almost killed by the monster, yet she wasn’t shaken. She didn’t tremble even when he was digging through her wound.

She looked somewhat shocked, but she didn’t take her eyes off Signus’.

A body tiny enough that he could cup his hand on her whole face.

A thin arm that could be broken without much effort.

She was so small and weak, yet she had those eyes.

“I thought you’re the real one this time.”

Why not?

The day he met her, Signus had a good sleep for the first time.

It was a sweet break after a year.

As soon as the effects of alcohol and hallucinogens in his head cleared up, he was overwhelmed with unpleasant feelings.

What the hell is that woman?

There must be an explanation as to why her gaze and action resembled Lerine so much.

Signus was out of his mind, but he was normal enough not to let Lerine’s copycat live another day.

His golden eyes, which imbued red like a sunset, only seeking for Navian.

As he turned the capital upside down, he decided to kill her as soon as he found her.

He couldn’t allow himself to be a fool.

But he was also angry that he couldn’t stop himself from looking for her.

It was the same as now.

There was no time nor mental capacity left for him to go to the Imperial Palace or the temple.

The moment he came to the thief guild hideout, he knew he screwed up.

It was something that he would never do if he was in his right mind.

Because The Ominus, the group who served the devil, could be watching him.

He would never have walked around the streets like a madman.

But why?

Why is he so angry at the fact that she got hurt?

It doesn’t matter if she runs away or gets hit by somebody and gets sold somewhere, does it?

“Uh….”

Navian made a small groan. Her pale face was so miserable. Her eyelids were trembling, making her pinkish eyes slightly exposed.

That’s right. Those eyes.

It’s because of those eyes.

When he first met her, he was going to check the sign of poison from the monster attack.

The visit to her mansion was to check if there was a pattern on her back.

Once he was certain that she was just another copycat, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her then.

However, Signus, who always got what he wanted, couldn’t check Navian’s back because of those eyes.

Those mellow and calm eyes made Signus hesitate and eventually retreated.

It was hard to restrain himself when he was agitated, yet he was willing to withdraw his hand.

“….Ugh.”

Signus bent his upper body and grabbed his head. The brain that was already spoiled by the devil’s energy was throbbing. It felt like a bug was crawling in his head.

Suddenly, he was reminded of blood.

The red color that could quell his pain.

In the midst of it, Ginnon’s voice penetrated into his head where darkness was eating him away.

‘You’re already caught looking for Miss Lerine, Your Highness.”

“They’re trying to find your weak spot. Because Your Highness would be the best host for them as for now.”

“They’re after Miss Lerine, aren’t they?”

His vision was completely blurred.

‘There’s only one way for you not to kill Miss Lerine with your own hand.’

‘When the dark energy was strong, do not check the sign of a pact on Miss Lerine’s body.’

‘It was like putting a blindfold on yourself, but that’s not all. Your Highness needs to confirm Miss Lerine’s identity by using the facts that only Your Highness knew.’

“…No. I need to check.”

Signus raised his head. The red energy spread on his golden eyes as he exhaled a languid breath.

“You can’t be Lerine.”

It’s only been a year. He might have to wait a few more years for such an opportunity to present itself again, but he had no intention of being swayed like this.

It looked plausible, but there’s no way such a weak and stupid woman was Lerine.

So he wanted to check it.

Check and kill her.

It should have been done earlier.

He kept wondering if she was the one, and didn’t want to be hated by her, so he hesitated like a fool and brought her all the way here.

Ginnon is wrong.

He gradually lost every bit of his reason, to the point he couldn’t trust himself to make a rational decision.

So proper physical evidence was needed.

All the feelings he had so far became meaningless if that woman wasn’t Lerine.

Signus took a staggering step. His surroundings were filled with dark energy.

A moment later, his shaky arm hit the table next to the bed, and the bottle of water dropped.

Crank!

The bottle fell helplessly on the cold ground and shattered.

***

At that moment, Navian’s body flinched. Her head was buzzing and it felt like her whole body was torn into pieces.

She knew very well that she would have a certain dream whenever she was sick.

However, just for today, she wanted to be spared from that nightmare.

Nevertheless, a little girl was seen opening the door.

‘Don’t go. You can’t drink water anyway. You know it too, right?’

Lerine tried to persuade her younger self, but then the little girl answered.

‘I know. But I have to go.’

She couldn’t bring herself to ask the reason. Because she knew exactly the answer.

Walking through the dark hallway, she could hear the laughter of her father and mother.

Yeah, that’s what she always hoped to see. The face of her parents smiled brightly.

She thought she would figure out why her parents disliked her once she became an adult.

But it was only her illusion.

Only then did she realize that blood ties were not enough to be part of the family.

Why didn’t you just kill me? Why didn’t you throw me away?

It’s not my fault that I wasn’t born a man.

Why did you hate me when you gave birth to me?

Her heart pounded when the little girl reached out for the glass cup.

She wanted to die like this and disappear without a trace.

And the cup broke.

Clank!

‘Why are you here?’

***

Navian’s pink eyes trembled and her rosy lips opened.

“I’m….thirsty…”

The pink eyes closed slowly.

“I’m…..sorry…”

She was apologizing to someone, and paused as if waiting for an answer.

Just like a child waiting for a punishment.

Her stiff body and pale face. As if she was waiting for someone to wake her up from her nightmare.

“You…”

Signus knew what she was dreaming about. It was up to Signus to wake her up from her childhood nightmare.

“You really…”

He held himself back from reaching out to her. It was because of distrust.

She could just be thirsty. Maybe she was acting, or having a different trauma.

“…..”

Nevertheless, Signus was still reaching out to Navian’s wet face.

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