Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: Family Time
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Let's talk.
It had been so long since he'd heard those words that Dayus couldn't even remember when it was, making him truly feel his current situation.
To put it nicely, he'd been living freely as his heart desired; to put it harshly, he'd been living recklessly. The family had given up on him.
Darius had only occasionally warned him, like a reminder, to not cause any trouble and just marry a daughter of the Bright Family.
Deia hadn't spared him even a glance. If they were ever in the same space, she'd immediately snap that he disgusted her.
Remembering how he'd responded to Deia's reactions back then with emotional and depraved behavior brought a gritty regret like sand pouring in.
"Is your right hand okay now?"
It might have been a clichéd way to start. Dayus's right hand, now without a trace left.
Staring at the empty space, Dayus nodded bitterly.
"It's just a slight throb now."
Another brief silence followed that answer, but Darius eventually continued.
"You're really Dayus Verdi, right?"
"...Yeah."
His short reply alone made the stark difference from Kim Shin-woo obvious, so Darius let out a bitter sigh and rubbed his eyes with a thick hand.
"Yeah, I thought it was too sudden a change."
Darius had already heard everything from Deia. She couldn't even guess what reaction he'd have, so she kept her mouth shut for now and watched the situation.
"You're already... dead, aren't you."
The heavy question landed.
That one sentence alone brought such sorrow that tears welled up.
"Yeah, yeah... that's right."
A choked voice escaped.
A sigh filled with self-reproach for why his life had ended up like this.
"Why?"
A calm demeanor uncharacteristic of Darius.
No, it was pity and sadness disguised as calm.
"I don't... know. Before I passed out, I did drugs... drank alcohol, and also...."
Various reasons were listed.
Looking at it now, it was amazing he hadn't died sooner.
But with each reason he spat out mindlessly, Darius's expression darkened.
"...."
After hearing all the reasons, Darius couldn't even sigh. He just hung his shadowed face and stared at the floor.
Then, naturally, his gaze shifted to Deia.
"Why did you hide it from me?"
"What were you going to do about it?"
"What?"
Deia, arms crossed, showed no retreat even against Darius, who couldn't hide his anger.
"Saying it would've brought that guy back? He's a lost cause anyway. But we can make it seem like he didn't screw up. You know how much trouble we'd be in if we told the Bright Family he died back then, right?"
"Deia!"
Blood vessels bulged on Darius's forehead as he scolded her for saying something she shouldn't, but Deia still didn't back down.
"What! You liked it too! That idiot! Not even our family, not my brother! But that man took care of me way better than you ever did!"
"...."
"Whether he was high on drugs, drunk, or just emotional. Better than this fucking bastard who filled the mansion with women's moans every day, asking his own blood to fuck him!"
Unable to hold back her anger, Deia clenched her fist and raised it high, but slowly lowered it as if suppressing her emotions.
"So much... so much better."
Her head bowed deeply.
Tears fell beneath it.
With tears wetting her feet, Deia sobbed like a child.
"Give him back, you bastard. That man. Give me back my real brother...."
"...."
"You came to help? For that man? Bullshit. I was finally starting to forget bit by bit, and seeing your face brought up the good memories before the hate and disgust."
Wiping her tears, Deia glared at him with reddened eyes.
"I don't need a bastard like you."
He couldn't even respond.
Darius knew how much stress she'd been under.
In fact, her misogyny toward men could be entirely blamed on Dayus.
The old Dayus would've immediately hurled insults and vulgarities.
But he slowly got down from the bed, knelt, and bowed his head to the floor.
"I'm sorry."
"....!"
Deia's eyes trembled. The Dayus she knew would never kneel or apologize to anyone.
But on the threshold of death.
Having accepted his end.
With Kim Shin-woo's farewell, Dayus had made a decision for others only at the very last moment. He had changed a little.
"You... fuck."
That didn't mean the victim would accept it, of course not.
Gritting her teeth, Deia tried to vent her anger again, but Dayus's voice echoed through the room from the floor.
"I'm already dead. But before I leave, let me do something for the family."
"...."
"The reason I'm here now is for that man you wanted."
"Fuck...."
She wanted to tell him to get out right now, but she couldn't. She didn't know what Kim Shin-woo was doing, but it must be serious enough to revive a dead Dayus.
Her head knew, but her heart didn't understand. Rage boiled to the top of her head.
"You...."
Slowly cupping her face with both hands, Deia lifted her head high to hide her tears.
"The wounds you gave me... they will never disappear."
Too many wounds.
Because they were family, so close, those sharp words and actions flew at her without escape.
The deep scars they created were the kind that could never heal.
"But on top of that."
Over those deep wounds.
A new voice and memories overlaid them.
- Just give me five minutes a day.
It started with him asking for just five minutes to show her his changed self.
- It's the opposite. I'm the one who took over Dayus's body.
When she demanded no lies, he revealed his identity without hesitation.
- He was a pitiful man, but not one deserving pity. Still, at the end, he regretted his life as he left.
He told her about the real Dayus Verdi's end, but even that held consideration for her.
- You might not want it, but I'll work to become the brother you'd be proud of.
Did he know?
That the bear keychain from when they ate together in Graypond long ago—she still kept it very precious.
"Because his memories covered them. As for you... I won't forgive, hate, or deny."
"...."
"I'll forget. That's how I overcome the past."
That alone.
Was more than enough gratitude for Dayus, but he didn't say it.
He had no right, and Deia wouldn't want to hear it.
The end of their twisted relationship.
Seeing them each find their own answers, Darius felt complex emotions but slowly approached Dayus and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"What you did to Deia is certainly unforgivable."
"...."
Darius met eyes with Dayus, who slowly raised his head.
"But what I did to you can't be excused as the responsibility of an eldest son either."
"Brother."
"I'm sorry I couldn't lead you down the right path."
Reflecting on the past when, despite being the eldest, he'd ignored his utterly broken little brother because he didn't want to see him that way, Darius apologized.
"Ugh!"
Seeing the eldest brother embrace the sobbing younger brother, Deia quietly stepped aside.
Even if her relationship with Dayus was over, she had no intention of intruding between the eldest son Darius and Dayus.
She went outside, leaned against the wall by the door, arms crossed, and waited a moment.
If Pindenai were here, she'd have a cigarette in her mouth.
Thinking it would be a good way to pass the time, she stayed arms crossed until Darius came out.
Seeing her, he paused briefly but immediately realized why she was waiting.
"So, what are you going to do?"
"What do you mean?"
Her brows furrowed at his response of asking despite knowing.
"Don't imitate him."
"Ahem."
Caught imitating Kim Shin-woo, Darius awkwardly cleared his throat and turned his head sharply, but Deia pressed on.
"Whether you accept him as your little brother or not, I don't care. To me, there's only one second brother."
"...."
"Even if you don't accept it."
At Deia's bold declaration, Darius looked down at her for a moment, then chuckled, placed a hand on her head, and stroked it.
"What are you doing!"
Irritated by the sudden touch, Deia grumbled, but she didn't push his hand away.
"No, it's just funny."
"What is?"
"Getting another little brother at this age."
"That means...."
"Why are all my little siblings so extraordinary?"
Removing his hand from Deia's head, Darius replied with a pleased smile.
"If they took after you even halfway, I'd have fewer worries."
Leaving those firm words, Darius headed back to his study.
Watching his back, Deia thought for the first time.
"We're family."
He seemed reliable.
A moment later.
"De-Deia! What do we do about this?!"
If he hadn't come rushing into her study with the invitation from the Clock Republic in a fuss.
She might have thought the eldest son was finally reliable.
"How can you not hold a mood for even half a day?"
"Ahem!"
Darius cleared his throat and pretended not to hear, while Deia snatched the invitation from the Republic and checked it.
"A banquet for the peace treaty?"
A banquet to restore the strained relations between the Griffin Kingdom and the Clock Republic.
An invitation to Necromancer Dayus Verdi, who couldn't be left out of this incident.
Seeing it, Deia felt a headache coming on.
"Why send this straight to us instead of the royal family?"
"They think Dayus is dead, don't they?!"
Darius was right. This invitation, carrying a bizarre meaning, felt like a glimpse into the Clock Republic's true face.
"Sigh, contact the royal family right away. It seems like those Republic bastards are up to something."
"Got it!"
"And you! You bastard! You were all cool and heavy just now, so shouldn't you at least try to keep that image for a day!?"
Deia ended with a complaint, but Darius had already turned his back and gone outside, ignoring the shout.
"Whew."
It gave no time to continue her personal complicated worries. Looking down at the heavy banquet invitation in her hand, Deia closed her eyes tightly again.
With the entire continent's attention focused on Griffin and Clock.
Ignoring this would be like rejecting the peace offering they extended first by bowing their head.
'But just attending could bring many benefits.'
Whatever scheme the Clock Republic had, they were the ones bowing first.
It could also make other nations perceive that the Clock Republic admitted their wrongs.
'The suspicious parts.'
Suddenly holding a banquet at this time while bowing their head.
Sending the invitation directly to the Verdi Family instead of the kingdom.
Inviting Dayus Verdi, whom they believed dead.
Unhappy with all of it, Deia's eyes went to the phrase at the end of the invitation.
She didn't know when it had been written.
The elegant handwriting gave a strange sense of pressure.
- Please return the item you took.
"Item?"
Wondering what they might have taken, Deia pondered briefly before her face twisted in fury.
She nearly crumpled the invitation by mistake.
"The Saintess's left hand? Return it?"
They were demanding the return of former Saintess Stella's left hand, which Dayus had retrieved at the cost of his life.
"Sigh."
Realizing the situation was getting complicated, Deia let out a sigh.
As for Deia's personal feelings toward the Clock Republic—being brutally honest.
They fucking sucked.
But from the Griffin Kingdom's perspective, they couldn't afford to be hostile toward the Clock Republic as well.
Through the Marias Great Forest incident, they'd learned that Jerman, the desert kingdom, was eyeing them covetously.
With the risk of being attacked from both sides, Griffin's top priority was restoring neutrality with Clock.
In that case, coolly returning the left hand and having the Necromancer attend the banquet for a peaceful resolution seemed best.
The problem was.
"Haaaaah!"
The current Dayus Verdi wasn't a Necromancer.
"I can't tell that idiot to go to the Republic!"
They thought he was dead, so just his appearance at the banquet would deal a huge blow.
"You bastards."
Leaning back in her chair and staring at the ceiling, Deia muttered with longing.
"When are you coming back?"