Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Pulling and Pushing to Get What You Want. (4)
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He tightened his grip on Rachel's hair.
"You have to answer when I call you, right?"
Her hair was pulled taut, intensifying the pain. Rachel bit her lip hard and said nothing.
Theodore Emperor glared at her, a sneer leaking from the corner of his mouth.
"Hahaha."
He swung his hand, flinging Rachel to the floor. She tried not to make a sound, but the sudden impact was unavoidable.
"Ugh!"
A muffled groan escaped as the inside of her mouth tore, blood welling up.
"Rachel."
Emperor Theodore crouched behind her. Even in that position, he loomed enormous.
"What happened earlier? Why did Serenade suddenly go berserk?"
"......"
"It’s never happened before, has it? What was the cause?"
Rachel stubbornly ignored the emperor's question, remaining seated on the floor.
Chin.
Emperor Theodore reached out and seized her chin.
"If you have a mouth, use it. You know, don't you?"
His voice had sunk to an ominously low tone, signaling the anger he was barely suppressing.
"Did something happen to Serenade?"
"......"
"There's no way you couldn't control it. There must be another reason."
Rachel played the part of a mute doll to the end. At her persistent silence, Theodore finally stood up.
Slap!
Her veil flipped back, and Rachel's face snapped to the side. Her pale cheek swelled red in an instant.
Theodore, who had struck her cheek, wore an expressionless face.
"You fool."
When his rage peaked, he stripped all emotion from his features.
"......"
Rachel clenched her teeth, not even groaning.
Flash!
White light burst from Rachel's body. Her reddened cheek swiftly returned to normal.
"Yes, yes. Serenade wouldn't just stand by and let you stay like that, would it?"
After the sarcasm,
Slap! Slap!
The merciless violence began.
But no matter how many times her cheeks were struck, Rachel recovered as if nothing had happened.
Serenade wouldn't allow its master to remain marred in any way.
"Go on, keep enduring it."
Emperor Theodore let out a mocking laugh.
"You do feel the pain, don't you? Let's see how long you can last."
Emperor Theodore's violence continued. Not content with slapping her cheeks, he trampled and kicked her fragile body.
Thud! Bang! Thud!
Unlike him—a towering man in his prime thirties—Rachel's body was that of a delicate, frail teenage girl.
Overwhelmed by the vast difference in strength, she was tossed about like a sailboat caught in a storm.
"......"
Rachel gritted her teeth, making no sound.
She could have blocked the reflexively flying kicks, but she didn't budge. As if terrified of even accidentally touching Theodore.
She simply huddled tightly, enduring the storm until it passed, over and over.
It meant she was already accustomed to such violence. That she could even hold back screams from beatings like this.
Crack!
Finally, Theodore's foot slammed into Rachel's solar plexus.
"Guh!"
Her breath caught instantly, her vision flashing white. Rachel rolled across the floor and crashed into the wall.
"Ugh......"
Clutching her chest, she retched. Though her body trembled uncontrollably, not a single tear welled in her eyes.
She knew from experience.
That if she shed tears, Theodore would enjoy it more. That this agonizing time would drag on longer.
"You're holding out pretty well today."
Emperor Theodore strode over and stood before her.
"Have you gotten used to the beatings? Or..."
A vile smile crossed his lips.
"Are you starting to enjoy it?"
"......!"
Rachel's head snapped up reflexively. Fury flickered in her pain-clouded eyes.
Seeing it, Emperor Theodore's eyes narrowed.
"If that's the case, I'll gladly indulge you, hmm?"
His whispering voice dripped with mockery meant to provoke. He didn't like when Rachel showed no reaction.
"With the festival keeping things quiet for a while."
No matter how much he hit her, she healed instantly. Even if he killed her, she wouldn't die. To Emperor Theodore, Rachel was the perfect plaything.
"You......!"
Rachel's eyes blazed with rage.
No human would say such things. If he knew how she was enduring this with what resolve, he couldn't speak like that.
"You bastard!"
In extreme fury, Rachel's hand flew toward Theodore's cheek.
'Ah.'
She snapped back to her senses too late.
Slap.
Thanks to loosening her grip at the last moment, her slap ended with a faint sound.
"......!"
Rachel's face paled. Not from the fear of daring to strike the emperor.
Trembling violently, she stared at her hand touching his cheek.
Then.
"Aaagh!"
A scream tore from Rachel's mouth.
Whoosh—
The palm that had touched Theodore transformed horrifically. Veins constricted sharply, skin peeled away entirely, exposing muscle and flesh.
"Aaagh, aaaah—!"
It was an excruciating agony no one should endure while conscious.
Like bones crumbling, skin burning, flesh pierced by needles.
"Kuh......!"
Rachel clutched her hand, gasping for breath. Her lips had long since split, stained with blood.
Flash!
Sensing its master's distress, Serenade activated. White light streamed from her shoulder blade, enveloping the hand.
Slowly, bones regenerated, flesh and muscle filled in, skin grew to cover it.
The process was excruciatingly slow and painful.
"Hah, haah."
Rachel collapsed face-down, shuddering. Her face was ashen, her body drenched in sweat.
Emperor Theodore stood with arms crossed, silently watching her.
His crimson eyes were blood-red yet devoid of warmth, jewel-like in beauty but coldly inorganic.
The gaze he fixed on Rachel wasn't that of one human beholding another.
Theodore grabbed one of Rachel's hands and lifted her bodily into the air.
"My cheek hurts."
He dangled her in midair like that and spoke.
"Heal it."
The curt command was one given to an object, a tool.
"......"
Cold fury and hot sorrow gathered in Rachel's eyes. Slowly, she reached toward his cheek.
Flash!
White light burst from Rachel's hand. Simultaneously, the faint mark on Theodore's cheek vanished.
"Hmph."
Theodore released his grip,
Thud.
Rachel's body dropped to the floor like a puppet with cut strings. Emperor Theodore turned his back to her.
"You know our contract, yet what makes you act so boldly?"
Rachel squeezed her eyes shut.
That damned contract.
This magical contract, binding her soul tightly, ensured the subservient Rachel could never harm her dominant, Emperor Theodore.
If Rachel injured him, the pain returned to her tenfold or more.
So excruciating even Rachel, with her extraordinary endurance, would break. A torment like her entire body reconstructing, unbearable in full senses.
Thus, Rachel could never harm Theodore. No matter her intent, every cell in her body rebelled.
Theodore continued.
"I have plenty of time. If you want to play more, I'll oblige."
"......"
"But I'm merciful, so I'll give you a chance. What happened earlier?"
If she kept refusing to answer, Theodore would grab her hand and make her strike him. The fastest way to pry open her mouth.
"......As you know,"
Rachel steadied her ragged breath.
"Serenade gets very active around lots of people. It wants to share its life force."
"So?"
"It was just hard to control the surging power."
The emperor nodded slowly and asked.
"Then why didn't you say so from the start?"
He was deeply suspicious, satisfied only after verifying everything. Rachel knew his nature all too well.
"Because I knew you'd be angry."
Rachel regulated her breathing and answered softly.
"It nearly scattered life force to all those people nearby."
"Hmm."
"I barely suppressed it, so nothing happened. But it could have wasted precious life force......"
Rachel trailed off wearily.
"You wouldn't like that."
As if out of fear of the emperor, she cast her trembling eyes downward.
"......I see."
The emperor's expressionless face finally softened. He gripped her chin, not hiding his greedy smile, inspecting her pallid face closely.
"You know well."
"Your power, your life force, and even Serenade."
It was the voice of a ruler, a master. Irresistible.
"Everything of yours is mine. Mine alone."
His incantation-like words coiled around Rachel's neck like chains. Tightly unbreakable,黏tenaciously inseparable.
"Don't entertain foolish thoughts. Behave, and it'll be easier for both of us."
Emperor Theodore clicked his tongue and turned away.
"I'll come again."
Having gotten what he wanted, he left the prayer room lightheartedly.
"......"
Left alone, Rachel clenched her fists. Aside from the bloodstain at her mouth, no trace remained of what she had just endured.
"Ahh."
Amid her perfectly pristine face, her green eyes clouded deeply with resignation and solitude.
"I want to die......"
Even with eyes open, it was pitch black, as if light had vanished from her world.
"Please, someone... help me......"
Rachel's body slowly crumpled.
❖ ❖ ❖
"Enjoy your time."
Once the mask was donned, the massive door opened silently. With each step, blue feathers swayed gently.
"-!"
"That's Abel Kindriel, right?"
"Oh my god."
The nobles' reactions to me were markedly different from before.
"That blue-feathered mask—that's the guy who went all out with Princess Violet."
"You mean the blackjack where he bet it all? They say she nearly lost that day."
"I saw it. It was an epic showdown."
Some talked about that day at the casino,
"He completely turned the Noble Conference upside down, they say. His tongue was so sharp, no nobles were left unscathed."
"He even had a drinking contest with Lord Mikel? It was his first crushing defeat."
"His swordsmanship is incredible too. I heard Captain Joshua praising him endlessly."
Others mentioned the conference hall.
'Word really spreads fast.'
Noble gossip is something else. Experiencing my changed status wasn't half bad.
As I approached, people parted like the tide, clearing a path. Walking through felt like being the protagonist, Cain himself.
After exchanging my chips, I stood before Room 17.
'Poker.'
Today's goal wasn't winning money but a game for fun. Though I had no intention of losing, of course.
'Hm?'
The moment I entered the room, I sensed a subtly altered atmosphere.
Dealers glanced at me then averted their eyes naturally, but they couldn't hide their trembling pupils.
I spotted one dealer hurrying to the control room.
'......Ah, yes.'
Coming to the casino was a good choice after all. I had a strong hunch the person I wanted to meet would arrive soon.