Chapter 28
“……!”
“He knows fully what fate awaits Ragnar’s successor, yet he endures it himself. Atone for the sins of the domain’s people? It’s nonsense.”
Exion spat out a coarse curse through his clenched teeth.
“All those sons of Impellias are sadists. Ragnar there, and all the dignified officials—they’re all perverted sadists.”
“……”
“Even knowing that, the one who chose this path is the person himself. Your beloved Lord Theogrim. Do you know why?”
Looking into the still confused eyes of Arzeletta, Exion spoke slowly and clearly, as if chewing each word.
“If he wins all these trials and takes Ragnar’s place, all of Ragnar’s wealth, power, and domain will become his.”
“……”
“Think that’s all? That bastard can also leave this prison-like domain. ‘Del Rose’ has a fiancée. A lady from a family richer than the king himself. If he marries her, he’ll get more money than he could ever spend and live like a god.”
With every word Exion spoke, Arzeletta’s eyes darkened as if the light had been snuffed out.
It wasn’t news she didn’t know. Arzeletta had also heard about Theogrim’s fiancée.
Rumors of the pure lady and the saint of Impellias being joined were always mixed with sighs, envy, and lamentations.
In this domain where all things sentimental were forbidden, the story of Del Rose and her fiancé was the most ideal and beautiful romance they could imagine.
The stories drifting through the streets felt like vague rumors that she could barely brush off…
But in this moment, the words Exion spoke clearly to her gave Arzeletta direct pain.
Del Rose had a fiancé.
A lady so beautiful, refined, wealthy, and above all… pure, that Arzeletta dared not even compare herself to her.
It was certain she was the spotless daughter of Impellias, so clean that even the stern Lord Ragnar recognized her as Del Rose’s fiancé.
“You’re a bastard who sold your body to perverts out of greed for power and money. You accepted that miserable life only for success. Becoming the successor of Impellias is originally like that—”
“You…”
With eyes full of tears, Arzeletta asked Exion.
“Didn’t you ever suffer something like that?”
Startled by the unexpected question, Exion flinched.
“Your godfather is Lord Ragnar, isn’t he?”
Suddenly, the scar left long ago flared painfully on Exion’s back. At the same time, the heat that rose was from Arzeletta’s face and heart meeting his gaze.
She could not possibly say, right before these eyes, that she had pushed the pain she should have borne onto someone else.
“…I have dirty red hair. There’s no way such a sacred role would be entrusted to me.”
The moment Exion twisted his lips to speak, a sharp crack sounded again.
Szzak—!
“Ugh…!”
Exion covered Arzeletta’s mouth again as she was about to scream. She struggled with her mouth blocked.
Twitch.
Theogrim’s body convulsed. There was no scream, no cry, no sound pleading for relief, but the pain his body testified to was tremendous.
Arzeletta wanted to die.
She recalled the faces of those who had committed the sins Theogrim bore one by one.
They had beaten her, insulted her, trampled on her, harassed her, and tried to r**e her. Even while they moved silently like flattened bugs under Impellias’s strict rules, they persistently committed sins—against beings weaker than themselves.
The sins of those people were being borne by the one dearest to Arzeletta, with his body.
“……!”
For a moment, the pain in her heart felt like it was breaking apart, and Arzeletta pressed her chest tightly.
It was no metaphorical pain.
‘What is this?’
It felt as if someone was twisting and tearing her heart. If an immense sorrow manifested as physical pain, it would feel exactly like this.
Pressing her chest firmly, Arzeletta watched Theogrim. The number of lashes falling on his back had already passed ten.
Flesh had fallen, and blood stained the floor.
Arzeletta wanted to run to him, hold him, and cry. She wanted to endure the lashes he was bearing in his place.
She wanted to ask him. Was it really your choice to live this life, as Exion said?
Was this pain truly what would bring you closer to the gods?
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.