Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Shadows of Jealousy
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Of all times.
It's dark.
Her hands clenched tight.
But she felt no sensation at all.
Rachel realized it in that moment.
It's that dream again, she thought, swallowing a tense, shaky breath.
Familiar voices echoed around her.
The jeering noise from those who saw her left alone in the family, the pressure from others who believed she could overcome it. The betrayal from those around her whom she'd thought would support her to the end, unending misfortune.
Whenever these memories resurfaced, it felt like her chest was being torn apart over and over.
Instinctively, Rachel hugged her elbows close.
In this darkness, she could rely only on herself.
There had been times when nightmares like this in her sleep made her so afraid of slumber that she'd avoid it altogether.
That made her all the more sensitive to it.
Whether succubus or dream demon, there was always this undercurrent whenever Rachel made a fuss.
But something was off.
This didn't feel like her body alone. Her own frame wasn't this large.
It was warm. The sensation of thin arms—arms she'd thought were slender—holding her returned gradually.
Rachel, lost in a daze amid hazy emotions for a while, snapped to attention at the touch.
"I...an? Ian? Are you there?"
"Yes, I'm here."
Her lips, which had only been moving ceaselessly, finally shaped familiar words.
But facing his face again, mere sheets of paper apart, a bewildering mix of embarrassment washed over her—stirring something familiar yet laced with faint anticipation, striking right at the center of her chest.
So close. Incredibly close. The gap was narrow enough to hear shallow breaths.
A complex, subtle feeling she couldn't quite grasp.
The moment their eyes met, she felt an emotion she absolutely shouldn't have as herself. That made her feel even more ashamed.
"Mother?"
"...Yes."
"What did you say?"
"I... yes!!!"
Her heart ached.
She didn't know what it was, but she thought this emotional game had to end.
Sometimes, she even mistook herself for growing younger. Just because her body looked youthful.
Like the saying about fearing the late-blooming wind. Lately, such thoughts were all that filled Rachel's mind as she grabbed at her advancing legs.
Even if it meant shattering them, ripping out bones, and ruining her spine.
The reason she went this far... it felt like she could only keep moving forward.
Really, truly—how many times had she thought just one more step here? She was losing count.
If that moment came, her instincts screamed there'd be no turning back.
"Mother, are you alright? You're suddenly breaking out in cold sweat."
"...No... don't... speak. Just stay."
Rachel tried to pull away from his embrace several times, her lips twitching, before finally dropping her head as if giving up.
As Ian cautiously approached her, Rachel walked a step away in tandem.
Her words from moments ago must have shocked him deeply.
After swallowing a sigh, Rachel spoke lowly, as if she'd made a decision.
"...Ian."
He turned at her serious tone, and she felt mad with the urge to shatter her earlier resolve.
"I... I'm sorry. Please. Can't we just stop this now...? It's not right anymore. No more advancing... No, I'm your mother. This kind of behavior can't... no... happen."
Rachel turned her face away as she spoke.
Each word felt like driving a nail into her own heart; her shoulders trembled fiercely with every period.
Still hypersensitive from waking from that nightmare, she forcibly gripped her trembling hands like someone with the shakes.
Passing a large artwork displayed in the corridor, when her continued questions went unanswered, her eyes slowly fluttered shut.
"...Ian? Why... why won't you answer? I'm so... lon—"
Startled by the word she nearly uttered, she clamped her mouth shut, eyes narrowing.
Ian silently looking down at her pathetic self terrified her.
"..."
"Today, I've only disappointed you. I'm sorry..."
"Rachel."
"No. Don't call me by name... Please, this isn't right. It's not.... There shouldn't be this atmosphere or words between us."
"...Because of Father?"
"That's not the issue. I could never be with you from the start. It can't happen. That fact will never change. It won't... change."
Facing the hesitant woman, Ian placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Then let's stop. It seems we both need time to sort out our feelings."
"......Alright."
Rachel's voice came out dead at the end.
Had she truly expected that answer? Or had she hoped he'd ruin it all and pull her into his arms?
The hand gripping her shoulder hurt as it pressed down.
But this was for the best.
From this banquet onward, with Ian... As those thoughts nearly resolved her worries—
-Whoosh.
She instinctively lifted her head into the familiar embrace that pulled her close.
By the time she thought to roar what are you doing, she already grasped the situation.
-RUMBLE!
Black-skinned forms, magic with an eerie glow.
".....Ma, monster? No. Demons....?"
As dizziness hit from the demons' sudden assault—
The demon that had glared for about three seconds vanished anticlimactically, torn in half before her eyes.
"Master. I... I, now. Why—"
But she recoiled at the red figure that appeared simultaneously.
In the brief moment she'd burrowed into Ian's arms, chilling killing intent targeted her.
"...Va, vampire?"
......
"Here it is."
The maid with red eyes swung her arm once.
Unlike how it looked from afar—just empty wind—the estate echoed with roars loud enough to pass for magic beasts ravaging the halls.
What the hell is that bitch...!!! The client said nothing warranted caution except the family head and Ice Palace Lord...!
The thief leader, barely shifting position behind a pillar, couldn't hide his shock.
Hiiik! Covering his head, he rolled to dodge the barrage of wide-area spells.
A shield that held firm against ten Rahino beasts?
Damn it, it crumpled like a D the first time it took a single arrow from her.
Clearly the same shape arrow, but the trick inside made over ten times the power difference—utterly unreasonable.
"Kuh... damn it."
As strength left his legs and his vision shook, the footsteps echoing in the corridor filled him with dread.
He'd survived this long thanks to stealth perfect for erasing traces.
Assassins trained basic stealth, and veterans elevated it to mid-high levels as technique.
Now it was meaningless. No, her absurd response beyond common sense rendered it pointless.
Sensitive to blood scent over sight, ambushes leveraging first-strike advantage.
Even if Yuria had gone easy and he somehow landed it, anything short of an Aura Blade wouldn't scratch her—just tear clothes, prompting "...How dare you touch the maid uniform Master personally bestowed." Then she'd rage, slaughter minions, spare him alone for this sadistic game.
"What the hell is she if not a real demon...!"
Blood already seeped from his right abdomen. Since when? If he knew, he'd have dodged from the start. Her true terror lay in her insanely efficient mana control.
Her core radiates strong mana, amplified threefold... Plus properly trained mana breathing for fast recovery.
At her pace, fleeing would just let her recover all spent mana with a breath.
That was the moment.
"How long do you plan to play this childish game of hide-and-seek?"
A chilling voice whispered by his ear from beside the pillar.
-Clack.
His trained reflexes fired faster, pulling the crossbow trigger.
But the crossbow was already crushed in Yuria's hand.
"S, steel crossbow crushed like that... Guh!"
A precise kick to the solar plexus spun the thief's body into the wall.
A normal person would've died instantly, but as assassin leader, he didn't. Only he survived her first strike, so Yuria dragged it out slowly.
Not cruel by nature, she felt no guilt toward humans. She reserved special treatment solely for her master Ian. Nothing more, nothing less.
But even that bored her now.
"I won't touch anything but Ian's blood—reeks otherwise... Fine. Dog food will do."
With a low chuckle, Yuria slowly opened her eyes.
Her ruby pupils blankly stared at the path and torn clothes.
She tossed the assassin's crossbow-hanging arm aside.
Like ants swarming, vampire kin burst from shadows, devouring it. Soon, even bones crumbled away.
Yet the leader clung stubbornly to life.
"Guh... kkh, urk!"
Yuria tilted her head at him on the brink of death.
Her wide eyes and faint smile, like recalling something forgotten.
"Didn't expect you'd last twice over.
Don't look up at me with those vermin eyes. At least a painless death—
No.
Painless would be too merciful. You've stolen time with my master, after all."
In that instant, the assassin regretted instinctively lifting his head a thousand times.
Yuria toyed with her chin, gazing at the blood-smeared window.
Where had the assassin leader title gone?
Terror poured from quivering knees and chattering jaw.
Primal fear to flee gripped him, but his ankle below was already coated in warm saliva from vampire kin poised to bite.
Despair seeped through thin skin; he'd never imagined this fate.
"...I hear strange noises. A woman's moan, near Ian? That voice............"
Clutching her chest, the maid danced alone through nobles frozen asleep—a picture of obsession, or beyond.
As an assassin, he'd met many madwomen, but none as mentally off as her.
Nor so overwhelmingly dominant.
Not since first gripping a sword against a beast had he felt such humiliation.
"You ruined the day I could've conceived my child."
The maid knocked the window, hand on her lower abdomen, troubled.
Tap.
A wood chip fell.
Ruby-red eyes gleamed through bloodied panes amid black wisps.
"Still alive? Impressive. Must be blessed by god."
No hope of mercy.
She'd prepared to flee herself.
No feet.
Ankles torn off already.
Source obvious without looking.
The leader entered the wolf-kin maws in under three minutes.
"...Damn."
Accepting his end, the assassin gnashed teeth.
Dozens more kin hungered after devouring his ankle.
He knew: each had hides shrugging Aura strikes, jaws crushing human skulls effortlessly.
Should've realized from the start.
Young vampires spewed red auras screaming to kill; Yuria's surroundings were eerily quiet.
That raised questions.
Even century-old vampires struggled with bloodlust; her casual mastery was huge.
Backing away, his final choice was one.
Demonization meant for all banquetgoers as catalysts.
Self-activate,
or die now.
Soon, a low-grade demon roamed the hall.
....
Back to now.
Having barely saved Rachel from the demon, I managed to lift my head.
Rachel seemed slightly flustered, raising her voice, but spotting the scene below, her expression grew complex again.
"I, Ian. It hurts. Ease up on my waist... a bit."
Had I gripped her waist too hard?
No one would believe she'd wanted distance moments ago.
Just a man and woman in love.
From afar, like lovers sharing passion.
-Slick.
"Hmph?!"
As they slipped on the fallen demon corpse, their lips nearly brushed.
Suddenly, a figure in the mirror.
[Your life faces absolute threat. Escape the scene immediately.]
[Final Boss (Yuria) feels deep betrayal toward you.]
[Final Boss (Yuria) finds no fault in you. The sin lies solely with %%$@##]
[Final Boss (Yuria) feels emotional overflow of #$~^%%%% toward you.]
[Final Boss (Yuria) feels emotional overflow of #$~^%@!% toward you ^%#@@#$].
[Final Boss (Yuria) feels emotional overflow of ????? toward you.]
-Click.
"Master, am I... am I no longer needed........?"
A woman's silhouette gleamed through the shattered mirror cracks.
The red-eyed maid approached unsteadily.
Her eyes rimmed red. Yet massive emotions swirled through the hall.
The night was just beginning.