Chapter 12.2

“Oh? Uh…” Odelliana hesitated, struck by the stark differences between their current encounter and their past interactions. Could someone truly change so drastically?

“Are you hurt anywhere? Are you in pain?” she inquired, concerned.

“I’m fine,” he replied calmly, his composure belying the recent altercation with a group of assailants. Despite the visible bruises and cuts marring his body, he showed no signs of discomfort, casually brushing dirt off his clothes as if it were an everyday occurrence.

As Odelliana murmured, “You’re a mess,” Matthias couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He brushed the dirt and blood from his hands onto his clothes before extending his hand. His fingers, long and slender with prominent knuckles, seemed almost elegant in their offering. It was ironic—the injured offering aid. Despite this, Odelliana accepted his hand, feeling the gentle wrap of his fingers around hers as he helped her to her feet with a firm grip.

“Thank you,” she said softly, grateful for his assistance.

Matthias nodded lightly, his gaze already turning away as if preparing to leave. Odelliana’s instinctive grab at his arm halted his departure.

“Where are you going?” she blurted out, embarrassed by her own forwardness.

Matthias paused, his expression unreadable for a moment before he answered calmly, “I need to go home; it’s late.”

Realization washed over Odelliana—it was well past midnight, and sensible people should be home. But she couldn’t let him leave without addressing the danger lurking in the darkness.

“…They might try to beat you up again,” she warned, her concern evident.

“Then I’ll just take it,” Matthias replied, his tone surprisingly resigned.

Odelliana’s brows furrowed in disbelief. “You’re just going to let them beat you? No, if you don’t resist, they’ll keep seeing you as an easy target and continue to bully you.”

“Then should I kill them?” 

Matthias’s response was chilling, delivered with a casualness that sent shivers down her spine. It was a reminder of the darkness within him, a side she had glimpsed before.

She remembered a similar question from long ago. When she had asked what should be done about someone who was an inconvenience, Jocelyn had answered with chilling nonchalance.

“If you find someone annoying, kill them. If they’re in your way, get rid of them. What else can you do? Lerusha, you’re my cherished knight. If necessary, I can help you. I can ensure there’s no backlash. I can clean it up neatly for my loyal servant.”

Back then, they had been so desensitized to harming others. They had killed so many people with their own hands that guilt had become a distant memory. They justified the sacrifices as necessary for the greater good and eliminated all obstacles without hesitation. They had become numb to the act of killing, feeling no severity in it. Failures as humans, less than beasts.

This time, couldn’t they live a little more like humans?

“If killing them would ease your anger, I won’t stop you. But I… if it were me, I would just kick them back. You shouldn’t hurt people recklessly. In the end, it will come back to you as karma.”

‘Remove anyone who harms or hinders Jocelyn.’ This belief had led the blade to eventually turn towards her. Jocelyn had removed the queen he had installed as a stand-in because she got in his way. She reaped what she sowed.

“…Is it necessary to kill someone you can subdue without killing?”

“But if you let them live, they could come back to haunt you later, right?” Matthias gestured towards the bottom of the mountain. “When they wake up, they’ll be furious and come after you first. They might try to kill you. If I kill them now, you won’t get caught up in unnecessary trouble.”

“So, are you really saying you want to kill them all?”

“If necessary.”

“If you had the strength to kill them all, why did you just let them beat you in the first place?”

Matthias paused for a moment, then gave a slight laugh. His answer was unexpected.

“Well, maybe I was desperately waiting for my savior.”

Comment

Options

not work with dark mode
Reset