Chapter 184
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
The intense sounds of futile struggling, the noise of desperate thrashing, gradually began to fade away. Then, at some point, only the sound of axe blows laced with fierce anger echoed through the room.
The sound of the axe stopped altogether when the major was reduced to nothing more than a carcass hanging in the butcher’s shop.
Thump.
I opened my eyes slightly at the sound of the axe hitting the floor. At that moment, the man, who had been looking down at the mangled, unrecognizable body, suddenly dropped to his knees.
Blood splashed up from the puddle, soaking his sleeves and staining his knees with red. Yet, he seemed oblivious to it, as his entire body was already drenched in blood.
The man buried his face in his blood-soaked hands, his shoulders and chest heaving with silent sobs.
I thought he was mourning the death. He had killed the man he hated most, but in doing so, he had also killed something precious that he had held onto for years.
* * *
“Why isn’t there any movement?”
One of the soldiers, who had been watching from the empty farmhouse higher up the road, muttered suspiciously as he lowered his binoculars.
When the Major had gone in, and shortly after, when Johann Renner had entered as well, they had expected the Major to arrest him and drag him out. But it had been more than 30 minutes since he entered, and there was still no sign of movement on the other side.
“Shouldn’t we go check?”
“But didn’t the major tell us not to come until he gave the order?”
The terrified private stopped the corporal. Before the Major went into the Werner house, he had come to ask if Rize Renner was at home and if Johann Renner had returned. He had warned them not to approach the Werner house until they received orders, no matter what sounds they heard.
“That’s true, but wasn’t that gunfire we heard before Johann Renner went in?”
“I’m sure the major said not to approach, no matter what noise we hear.”
“Guess you’re still a rookie, no flexibility at all.”
The corporal put the binoculars back in their leather case and gestured toward the eerily quiet house.
“Still, something feels off. Let’s go check it out.”
A short while later, the corporal stepped onto the empty front yard, whispering to his subordinate.
“Just check through the window to make sure the major is okay, then quickly return to your post before anyone notices. That’s the trick.”
But all the windows on the first floor were completely covered by thick curtains, blocking any gaps. The curtains were so thick that even the shadows inside couldn’t be seen, making it impossible to tell if anyone was moving.
“It’s too quiet.”
The corporal, having walked around the house, muttered with a worried expression.
It was highly suspicious that there was not a sound to be heard inside, as if everyone inside had died.
Knock, knock.
He knocked on the front door and pressed his ear to the crack, but there was no sound from within.
The suspicion grew even stronger. The corporal, this time, pulled out his handgun and stood with his back pressed to the wall next to the door, signaling to the private beside him. He then shouted.
“Major Felkner! Sorry to disturb you, but is everything alright? If there’s no response, we’ll go in!”
After a moment, he heard footsteps slowly approaching the door. They lacked the weight of a Major’s footsteps.
With the gun ready to fire at any moment, the private exchanged glances with the corporal. As the door creaked open, the person on the other side slowly became visible. The corporal’s expression changed to one of shock.
The woman visible through the crack in the door looked horrifying. Her face was pale, but that wasn’t the only thing wrong. A large, dark bruise marked her left cheek.
‘My God…’
Her hair was disheveled and tangled, her skirt was wrinkled, and her cardigan was hastily put on with the buttons out of place. Her pale neck was marked with a red handprint, clearly from being choked by the major.
‘That crazy beast must have been eyeing her all along, and once he had the chance, he pounced on her.’
It was then that he understood why the Major had said not to come in no matter what sounds they heard—he’d been planning to r**e her.
He felt his stomach churn as he realized he was facing a woman who had just been assaulted, and he couldn’t bring himself to speak. But the trembling Rize Renner spoke first.
“T-the major… h-he’s… up on the second floor.”
As if overwhelmed by emotion, when she mentioned the Major she suddenly broke down in tears. His stomach tightened. He didn’t know the full circumstances, but it was clear that this woman had been deceived by a spy.
If it was a crime, she would be punished. But could the torment she suffered at the hands of a beastly man be considered a justified punishment? The woman’s situation was utterly pitiful.
“Soldiers… all… were told… to come in…”
With a weak, sobbing voice, she relayed the Major’s orders. The corporal, without a word, entered through the door she opened and lowered his gaze. He was ashamed to look at the woman in the eyes. He had been a silent observer of the assault.
“The major… he said… everyone should come in. Are the two of you all that’s left?”
As he headed toward the stairs, the woman closed the door behind her and asked.
“That’s right.”
The corporal replied, his foot on the stairs.
Just then, he heard a voice.
“Stop.”
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