Chapter 38
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 38
Yulma froze. Someone who shouldn’t have been there had just appeared.
“Daisy?”
“Oh, heavens, are you hurt? Thank God you’re safe.”
A tearful Daisy pulled Ranon and Yulma into an embrace. Behind her, Troy came into view. Just as Ranon had said, Troy really had come to save them.
Then, Yulma caught her breath as she saw the person who entered next. Holy crap, how can a person look like that?
Judging by her clothes, she was clearly a noble lady. Yet, despite her sickly appearance, she exuded an overwhelming aura. If all nobles were like this, it was frankly terrifying.
Seeing them all together, Yulma wondered if Daisy or Troy had brought her.
“Director…”
The sudden intrusion of new faces dragged the Director from her memories and back to reality.
To think the helper her pathetic son had brought was Daisy. The Daisy she remembered was a lucky child—always quiet and submissive. She had been in prime condition to be sold, but Troy had interfered every single time. In the end, the Director’s lasting impression of Daisy was simply the girl who was left over after all the other children were gone.
She hadn’t been a threat, so the Director had left her alone, never imagining she would join forces with Troy, of all people.
“Troy, you truly intend to obstruct me to the very end.”
Why is there no one who understands me?
Merai had sacrificed her entire being for this, yet now, there was no one by her side. Not her son, and not even the demon would bend to her will.
Then, she saw a flutter of white fabric.
The Director’s eyes fixed on the angel standing behind Troy. Merai gasped. She offered a silent prayer, her body trembling with overwhelming emotion.
The world blurred into a wash of white. It was a sensation similar to when she had first seen the painting in the Grand Temple. What a noble, brilliant, and majestic being.
The angel smiled faintly. Merai took it as a revelation—a hint on how to resolve this situation.
Yes. Her beloved son stood right before her.
Merai’s hand fumbled against the wall. Her fingers closed around a blunt object. She gripped it tightly, hiding it behind her back.
There were too many obstacles. She just had to wait for the right moment, when everyone was looking away.
For example, right now.
“Ranon? Yulma?”
“Mary! I told you to keep your eyes closed!”
“But I counted all the way to a hundred…”
If Yulma had made one miscalculation, it was that Mary was very good at counting. It took her a few tries, but she eventually finished and opened her eyes.
As Mary spoke hesitantly, Yulma shouted fiercely. Mary shrank back, looking as if she had committed a grave sin.
While everyone’s attention was on Mary, the Director seized her chance. She lunged at Troy. Sensing the ominous movement, Yulma hurriedly pulled Mary into her arms and covered the child’s eyes.
Thuck!
“Mo…ther?”
“Haah, haah. Ha, hahaha… Hahahaha!”
The Director laughed brightly. Her expression was one of pure ecstasy, but as tears welled up and streamed down her cheeks, no one could mistake it for a smile of joy.
No one had expected her to stab her own son. But since the Director herself hadn’t intended to harm him until that very moment, it was only natural that no one could have predicted it.
Troy staggered, leaning against the Director for support. Daisy tried to rush forward, but Yulma and Ranon grabbed her arms, holding her back.
“Melek. I offer my son as a sacrifice. Surely, Troy is worth that much. Now, you’ll grant my wish, won’t you?” the Director whispered to the demon, reaching out with her blood-stained hand.
Melek, who had been gasping for breath after being struck by Ranon’s blade, swallowed hard at the delicious scent. It had been far too long since he had last eaten. With his body already weakened and now wounded, an intense hunger surged through him.
His reason was slowly eroding. Just as Melek was about to feast on Troy, a clear voice snapped him back to his senses.
“Are you hungry?”
Melek nodded, not even registering who was asking. The Director had dismissed it as a lie, but Melek truly hadn’t had a proper meal since becoming a demon.
“I’ll provide the food. There’s no need to force yourself to eat right now.”
The voice was firm, almost a command, yet it was also kind. Melek decided to obey.
“What are you doing? Melek!”
At the Director’s scream, Melek felt a profound sense of pity. It was clear that Merai was still trapped in that basement from twenty years ago. Was he any different?
The Director turned her anger elsewhere.
“You… didn’t you come to save me?” she pleaded, looking toward Evangeline. Just like when she appeared through the painting in the Grand Temple, hadn’t she descended now to give her an answer?
Evangeline replied nonchalantly. “That was the original plan, but circumstances have changed.”
“Have I… been abandoned?”
“Yes. You failed to meet the conditions. So, stop this now.”
Abandoned first by the demon, and now by the being she was sure was an angel, the Director finally gave up. The scenery of the basement swam into Merai’s vision.
She saw her son, bleeding from a wound dealt by his own mother. She saw Daisy, Ranon, Yulma, and Mary watching her with wary eyes. She saw the other children, covering their eyes and ears, turning away from her.
Merai burst into tears.
The realization that she had ruined everything crashed down on her with visceral force.
Seeing that the Director had lost her will to fight, Ranon and Yulma pulled Troy away from her and supported him. Miraculously, Troy was still conscious.
“Thanks, Ranon… Yulma.”
“Shut up. You’re injured.”
Caught in a storm of conflicting emotions, Yulma couldn’t bring herself to say ‘you’re welcome’ and spat out a curse instead. Daisy ignored their bickering as she examined Troy’s wound. It was deep.
She looked toward Evangeline.
“Why… why didn’t you save Troy?”
Whether it was Lady Evangeline or the demon named Jelly, both could have easily stopped the Director. Troy wouldn’t have been hurt.
“It wasn’t part of our agreement,” Evangeline replied casually to Daisy’s unspoken accusation.
Her words struck Daisy with a dull shock. That was right. Daisy had asked her to save the Director and the children.
She had no right to blame Evangeline. Since the lady couldn’t possibly understand human emotions, she had simply tried her best, in her own way, to fulfill Daisy’s request.
Daisy had been the one to curse Troy, to strike him from behind. She had no right to criticize Lady Evangeline for merely watching as he was stabbed.
“Why? Do you want to save him?”
“Yes. I want to save him.”
Was there a way? A way that didn’t involve raising him as a corpse, as Jelly had done…
“Fortunately, I have some holy water. Just one bottle, though.”
One bottle?
“Daisy, you choose. To whom shall I give the holy water: Troy, or that man?” Evangeline pointed a finger first at Troy, then at Melek, whom Jelly was tending to. When Daisy hesitated, Evangeline retracted her offer.
“I’m joking.”
Evangeline’s lips curled into a smile that looked like it belonged in a painting.
Daisy felt sick to her stomach. If she hadn’t heard those last two words, the person she would have chosen was obvious.
*
Daisy rushed inside. Good, it looked like she found the kids. She grabbed the boy and girl and pulled them away from the Director. All the other children were huddled in a corner; why were these two out in the open where it was dangerous?
The Director must have realized we were coming and was making a final, desperate stand. Someone was already wounded, likely from a sword fight.
The man with chained arms and covered eyes looked like another prisoner destined to be sold as a slave.
“Melek?”
“You know him?”
“Yes, for now. But he seems a bit… different?”
So, Jelly knew him. Did they meet when they were both kidnapped by human traffickers? Or was he a beastkin, too?
“A kinsman?”
“Pardon? I suppose you could say that.”
So, he was a beastkin, and they were kidnapped together. That settled it. This laid bare the fact that the Director was involved in Jelly and Daisy's kidnapping as well.
“Troy, you truly intend to obstruct me until the very end.”
Talk about a guilty conscience. She’s the one who committed every crime, yet she's trying to paint Troy as the villain. Classic gaslighting. It’s domestic violence.
The Director had no intention of admitting her faults. While we were distracted, she stabbed Troy, and he collapsed against her. Who takes their own son hostage?
Then, as if Troy wasn’t enough of a bargaining chip, she tried to recruit Jelly’s friend. She was whispering, so I couldn’t hear well. Jelly, whose hearing was as exceptional as his sense of smell, summarized the conversation for me.
“She’s trying to tempt him with food.”
What? Would he really fall for something like that?
“He looks like he’s starving.”
I guess he would. The Director must have been starving him. So that faint “I’m hungry” I heard earlier wasn’t from the children, but from that man, Melek.
How pathetic, being bribed with food. I stepped in before Jelly’s friend could fall for it.
“Are you hungry?”
The Director is so petty. Does she think she’s the only one with food? I have some too! I bought a ton of bread to give to the kids. There’s an armful of it waiting in the carriage.
“I’ll provide the food. There’s no need to force yourself to eat right now.”
“What are you doing? Melek!”
Fortunately, that seemed to cut off the Director’s gaslighting. Melek rebelled, and her attention snapped to me.
“You… didn’t you come to save me?”
Did she plant a wiretap on me? How did she know that was my original intention? Ah, right. The spirits. They carry people’s words around. She must have heard it that way.
If Daisy had known the Director was this wicked, she never would have asked me to save her. But the situation has changed now, hasn’t it?