Chapter 147: Anai Totka
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 147: Anai Totka
Jang Ye Ri idly stroked the ring on her left hand. The demon she had met a few days ago came to mind. What she remembered most were his massive horns, soaring upward. It felt as if the sensation of stroking them still lingered on her hand.
She rose slightly and, standing before the mirror, removed the robe she always wore. Her own horns, crudely severed, came into view.
She had cut them off herself after her mother’s death. With her childish strength, she hadn't been able to cut them cleanly, hacking at them again and again until they finally broke off. Anyone could see what a pathetic sight they were.
‘A shame. If they were still intact, they would have been quite magnificent.’
A surge of irritation rose in her as she recalled the words the demon named Blood Dagger had spoken while stroking her horns.
She found herself wondering how she must have looked to him—a worry she hadn't wanted to admit. To a demon, horns were a means of expression. It was no exaggeration to say they were a part of one’s appearance that displayed how exceptional they were.
The thought that he must have found her hideous struck her cold heart like a falling ember, and a sudden pain flared within her. She looked in the mirror, but her expression was unchanged. Realizing she must have looked just as blank in front of him, she felt a little foolish.
To put it simply, the emotion Jang Ye Ri was feeling was entirely foreign to her. It wasn't just a simple longing for her own roots. Jang Ye Ri was undeniably attracted to him. Normally, she would never have done something so absurd as to offer her left hand when receiving a ring from the West’s Saint.
At first, it was simple curiosity.
She had wanted to study and gather information on the ecology and lifestyle of the race she considered her own. In the process, she heard news of a demon who could speak the human tongue. She had thought he might be someone in a situation similar to her own. For instance, a demon whose mother was held as a slave, or one who had been raised among humans from a young age.
She had even thought of rescuing and protecting him if she ever got the chance.
But the man she saw with her own eyes was completely different from what she had imagined. He was someone who had lived among monsters from the very beginning. Someone who had built a force, made brothers, faced all sorts of challenges, and loved.
She had thought the feeling was surely admiration. A natural reaction for someone like her, who had lived her life surrounded by humans.
Jang Ye Ri calmly closed her eyes, feeling the memory of that moment about to surface again. She let out a sigh. As her swirling thoughts began to settle, her body slowly grew calm.
“Nanny.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The voice of the woman who had raised her in place of her mother answered immediately. She, too, was a slave who had been sold to Hadum. Moreover, she was the only person in this entire, vast castle who truly cared for her.
“What is my schedule for today?”
As she spoke again, the door opened, and her nanny, a woman with a warm and gentle appearance, entered the room.
“Today, you have dinner scheduled with your father and the young master. After the meal, you have a meeting with Park Han Cheol and the members of the Greenbelt Clan you met with previously.”
“Thank you.”
“It is nothing.”
She already knew the schedule, but she was merely asking for confirmation. Jang Ye Ri nodded at the nanny’s words, and just as always, the nanny bowed with a faint smile.
Seeing the time, she realized dinner would begin soon, so she decided she should take off the ring. The chances were slim, but there was always a possibility that something could go wrong.
[I'm going to dinner. It's a meeting with my father and brother, so I'll take the ring off.]
[.....................]
She could feel the connection was active, yet he didn't reply to her message. It was baffling. Wondering if there was a problem with the ring, she slowly channeled her magic into it again, but there was nothing wrong.
[I'm going to dinner. I'll be taking the ring off.]
In the end, she had no choice but to send the message again. Just then, a reply finally came.
[Acknowledged.]
It was a somewhat disappointing reply. She didn't know why she was acting this way, but Jang Ye Ri felt her mood sour. She pulled the ring off and threw it into a drawer. She didn't know why, but anger was welling up inside her.
With that, Jang Ye Ri set off. Her destination was the grand dining hall, where she would meet with her father and brother. Once a month, or sometimes once a week, Jang Ye Ri’s family would enjoy a meal like this. As she walked, she calmed her heart, and by the time she arrived, she seemed to have returned to her usual self. Escorted by guards, Jang Ye Ri entered the hall.
Fortunately, no one else had arrived yet. The large table was bare of any decorations. For a place where a family was meant to dine together, the atmosphere was incredibly dreary. It was a dark, damp, and unpleasant place. Just as she took her seat, Jang Gi Hoo entered. Jang Ye Ri spoke to Jang Gi Hoo as he walked toward the table.
“Have you been well?”
“That’s none of your business, you disgusting bitch. I told you not to open that filthy mouth of yours in my presence. You reek.”
“............”
To Jang Gi Hoo, Jang Ye Ri was nothing more and nothing less than the bastard child of a filthy sex slave. Jang Ye Ri knew full well that her brother considered her filth. As usual, Jang Ye Ri simply closed her mouth and nodded.
A strange silence settled over the table.
“Announcing the arrival of Lord Jang Gi Young.”
“Announcing the arrival of Lord Jang Gi Young.”
After a short wait, a large man appeared. He was immense, but his back was slightly stooped, and it seemed even magic could not erase the traces of time, as wrinkles and white hairs were visible here and there.
“Have you been well, Father?”
“Have you been well, Father?”
Jang Ye Ri and Jang Gi Hoo both bowed their heads, showing their respects to Jang Gi Young. Jang Gi Young raised a hand in acknowledgment, and only after their father had settled his heavy body into his seat did the meal begin.
“It has been a while, my son... and my daughter.”
Jang Ye Ri lowered her head. An oppressive pressure, difficult to even breathe in, emanated from his aging body. Her brother, Jang Gi Hoo, did the same, lowering his head to avoid his father's gaze. Jang Ye Ri glanced at Jang Gi Hoo, took a breath, and then met her father’s eyes.
“Tsk... What a pathetic sight for the heir who will lead the guild.”
He was obviously not talking to Jang Ye Ri. Jang Gi Young let out a heavy sigh as he looked at his pathetic son.
“Th-that is... I’m sorry, Father.”
“Tsk... You stupid, dull-witted fool... If you were even half as capable as your sister, I would have already handed this city over to you.”
“I... I’m sorry.”
“Tsk....”
After his brief words to Jang Gi Hoo, Jang Gi Young clicked his tongue again, clearly displeased with his son, and turned his gaze to Jang Ye Ri.
“If only you had been a man... no... if only you had at least been human...”
Jang Gi Young reached out with a large hand and stroked Jang Ye Ri’s head. It was only natural that Jang Ye Ri shuddered slightly at the creepy sensation on her head. Memories of the past surfaced, and rage flared within her, but Jang Ye Ri suppressed her emotions as best she could.
The action was the same, yet it felt completely different from the demon’s touch a few days ago. Whether he knew what was on her mind or not, Jang Gi Hoo, sitting opposite her, continued to glare at Jang Ye Ri. He was clearly jealous.
It was a very satisfying sight. Jang Ye Ri subtly raised the corners of her mouth at Jang Gi Hoo as he glared at her. The hand on her head felt disgusting, but she knew this was the most effective way to widen the rift that had already formed between Jang Gi Young and Jang Gi Hoo.
In Jang Ye Ri’s eyes, Jang Gi Hoo was an incompetent fool with boundless greed. Having lived in this world for a long time, his martial strength wasn't bad, but that was all he had. And even that strength was largely something he had obtained not through his own efforts, but through his father’s influence.
He was, in a word, a spoiled prince. Nothing more, nothing less.
“The city has been quite noisy lately, I hear.”
“Yes. I’ve heard a monster called the Weapon Merchant has been running rampant. He hasn’t shown himself recently, but I’m told many summoners have suffered because of him.”
“I see...”
“Yes. A rumor has spread that there’s a dungeon where the Weapon Merchant has stockpiled his stolen weapons. We can’t dismiss it as mere hearsay, so we have begun an investigation.”
Jang Gi Young nodded at Jang Ye Ri’s words. Naturally, this only made Jang Gi Hoo glare at her more intensely. Whether it was to add to her story or simply to gain recognition, Jang Gi Hoo also spoke up to his father.
“Actually...”
“Hmm...”
“Actually, I have some information about that demon. It’s not confirmed, but there are rumors about summoners who have recently recovered their weapons. I believe we will hear good news soon, Father.”
Those rumors were none other than the ones Jang Ye Ri herself had spread. She couldn't help but smile.
“Excellent.”
“Yes. Besides, I’ve heard the Weapon Merchant cannot steal a weapon that has undergone a rite of ownership. With the Reaper’s Scythe in my possession, I should be more than capable of dealing with him.”
Jang Gi Young nodded in satisfaction at his son’s words, but it was impossible. Jang Ye Ri knew very well that Jang Gi Hoo was not the master of the Reaper’s Scythe.
Though it was invisible, a bitter sediment of resentment was clearly building between the father and son. A powerless son and a father with no interest in him. She knew the resentment Jang Gi Hoo was accumulating would soon return as a potent poison.
“I will look forward to it.”
“Yes.”
And so, the dinner concluded. Unlike their usual meals, Jang Gi Young seemed quite pleased, likely because of his son’s slightly changed demeanor. It had been a suffocating but fruitful meal. Just as Jang Ye Ri was breathing an inward sigh of relief after Jang Gi Young had left...
...Jang Gi Hoo suddenly smashed the table, climbed on top of it, and began to choke her.
Just like always.
Although she could have easily dodged his lunge, Jang Ye Ri deliberately chose not to avoid him.
“You filthy bitch...”
“Ugh...”
“I warned you not to run your mouth in front of Father. This castle isn’t yours. It is mine, and mine alone. No matter how much you struggle, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re the daughter of a whore-like demon slave. Know your place, you disgusting bitch...”
“Gasp...”
A horrifying sensation pierced her chest. But Jang Ye Ri did not react. Instead, she continued to stare up at her brother with a blank expression. She kept her gaze cold as she looked up at him, but the eyes that bore down on her were gleaming with lust.
“Just like your mother, you have a face that makes me want to crush you beneath me. If you don’t want to be pinned under me and crying out again, you’d best watch your words and actions from now on. Do you understand...?”
“I... under... stand...”
“Ptui.”
Jang Ye Ri closed her eyes. A moment later, as if he had said all he needed to, Jang Gi Hoo slowly got off her.
“I told you, there won’t be a next time.”
Jang Ye Ri gave a small nod. As she watched Jang Gi Hoo turn his back, a murderous intent surged within her. But not now. Suppressing the rising rage, Jang Ye Ri unconsciously muttered to herself.
“Anai Totka.”
It was the only phrase she knew in the Green Skin tongue.