Chapter 20 – Girl Seeking That Girl, Guy Chasing Him (3)

A tense current flowed through the dark hallways. Luke answered in a calm voice, as if he wasn’t surprised that he was immediately identified.

“Well. It looks pretty smart. Let’s guess what’s going on, Doctor.”

“Because I’m smart, but not mind-reading. But if you put a knife to her lady’s body, can you tell me that much?”

“You seem to enjoy joking. It’s not funny.”

“Hmm? Hey. What are you doing there?”

Then a strange voice came from behind. The sound of the armor rattling made me think it was a passing guard.

“…It’s annoying.”

“Hey. Didn’t I ask. What the hell…”

Unfortunately, the curious guard placed his hand on the shoulder of the mysterious assassin. I mourned him, imagining the bloody scene that was about to happen.

“When a person speaks…”

“Stupid bastard.”

Luke quickly turned around, grabbed the guard’s hand, and hit him hard on the head with the hilt. The guard, who had been hit in the temple with precision, hesitated and let go of his sword, and Luke did not miss the opportunity.

“Aww!”

His screams echoed through the hallway. Blood is flowing again in this mansion. I looked back slowly, fearing that blood might splatter.

Then he saw a guard holding his leg and Luke crossing his arms in front of him.

“Looking at his familiar face, he doesn’t seem like a rookie. What kind of courage do you have to disturb me?”

“Sorry…Sorry. The hallway is too dark…”

“Asshole.”

He clicked his tongue once and spat on the floor.

“Go away now. Don’t disturb me any more.”

“All right…”

The guard lowered his extended head and hurriedly fled. In an unexpected situation, I tilted his head and looked at him.

“What are you. Were you from the baron family in the first place?”

“Or what do you think?”

“I asked a stupid question. I guess the professor is a very dangerous person to the baron?”

“That’s one reason. He’s a key figure in the opposition, so you never know what he’s going to do.”

Luke answered unexpectedly and drew his sword. I leaned against the wall and smiled.

“It’s too easy to tell. Isn’t it a little lax?”

“I’m just telling you because it’s information you need to know. And I’m telling you because I need to know what I’m going to say from now on.”

He crossed his arms and looked down at me.

“So. Did the Baroness believe you? Does she think you’re a real doctor?”

“It’s not a question of believe it or not. Because I’m a real doctor.”

“Don’t even think about playing with words now.”

Luke frowned in displeasure, then shrugged his shoulders to ease his expression.

“Well, that’s okay. It doesn’t matter if you’re a real doctor or not. The important thing is what you do.”

“What is that?”

“Do nothing.”

What kind of joke is this? When I tilted my head, he closed his eyes tightly.

“You don’t even know what this is about, what kind of doctor you are. You really don’t know why the baroness keeps giving birth to deformed babies?”

I smiled as I realized something as I slowly chewed over his words.

“Could it be… Was the Baron’s intention?”

“If that’s not it, then what? That’s a knight in its own right. There’s no way there’s something strange about the body. But the baron doesn’t want to be confined to a woman like that. I had to come up with a reason somehow.”

“So. Did you intentionally give birth to a deformed child? But rather than that, it would have been better if the pregnancy was interrupted from the beginning.”

“You don’t understand. She doesn’t just want to banish the woman, she’s trying to get her to a mental institution. If you tear and kill a child born as an asshole in front of her eyes, even that woman will turn around someday. “

A bitter taste of humanity spread from the malice contained in the calm tone. Luke continued his speech with a tired expression on his face.

“She’s been holding on for so long. But I guess this is her chance to drive her crazy. She’s expecting so much from the pregnant kid.”

“For me not to do anything, is she going to ruin that child again this time?”

“She’s kind of disappointed if you understand now. I thought she was a smart woman.”

I didn’t bother to ask what would happen if I didn’t. Because that’s a stupid question. Instead, he meekly nodded her head.

“Okay. I’ll do that.”

“Yes. Well, you’re not a doctor anyway, so you can’t do anything about it, but anyway, don’t do anything stupid. Just come and pass the time.”

“Doctor!”

Suddenly, Nadia’s voice came from inside the room. Luke glared at him and quickly disappeared into the darkness.

“You’ve waited a long time, right? Then let’s go. You can look forward to it. We prepared really grandly today.”

Nadia clung to me as if she were talking to an old friend of hers. Between her heavy make-up and fancy jewelry, the loneliness she tried to hide came along with the smell of her artificial perfume.

All the laughs come out She returned as a warrior who defeated the demon king, abandoned by her lover, who was once her colleague, and ignored even by her family’s servants. The doctor who treats her with kindness is actually a fake dinner party for her husband.

Although she felt sorry for her, she did not feel guilty. No matter how unhappy she gets, she just needs to get what I want. I immediately recalled a smile and then answered brightly.

“Yes, got it.”

“You’re a little late, ma’am. The baron is waiting for you.”

“Huh? Was I that late…? Did I look angry?”

Nadia groaned and asked the maid who had been ignoring and swearing until just a moment ago. Then she answered bluntly, without a change of emotion.

“No. You’re not that upset. So hurry in.”

“Ah… Yes. I will.”

Even after answering, she hesitated for a long time. She was so nervous that you could see her gasping for breath. Nadia stared at the ground in a cold sweat, then suddenly she grabbed my shoulder and said,

“Let’s go… Let’s go! We just need to go in.”

“Don’t be too nervous, Nadia. It’s just a meal.”

“What? Who…Someone said he was nervous! Got it. I’m going in. I’m going in.”

Nadia took a deep breath, catching her breath. And she opened the banquet hall door with her own hand.

A beam of her blinding light fell in an instant onto her face. The moment I closed her eyes, disgusting at her, I felt Nadia’s grip on my hand. I slowly opened my eyes, startled by the surprisingly cold feeling.

As soon as I opened my eyes, the light from countless jewels shattered on my tattered hat. Ceiling, wall, floor. Even though the jewels that occupied even the top of the table were obviously precious and precious, they gave off an impression of being vulgar rather than splendid. I laughed impatiently when I saw that even the edge of the tablecloth was embroidered with gold thread.

Perhaps it is the result of reflecting his own situation of becoming a baron even though he is the hero of the same warriors party. As if to disprove this, in the middle of the wall on the other side was decorated a bow and arrow that the baron used during his active duty. At this point, I felt sorry for him, let alone funny.

But I couldn’t laugh out loud. Because the owner of the bow was sitting right in front of him. I felt as if I was suffocating amidst a wave of self-confidence, and paid false respect to the most famous archer in Imperial history.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Baron Rick Leonhart.”

At most, I lowered his head, but he turned his gaze to the side without paying attention to me. And he greeted his wife in an incredibly cold way.

“It’s late. Nadia.”

It was only two words, but Nadia trembled as if she had been slapped on the cheek and hung her head. And she stuttered terribly, trying to pour out the excuses she had prepared.

“That… That’s Rick… It took a little while to prepare…”

“I should have told you to call me Baron in front of people.”

“…Sorry, Baron.”

In the end, respect comes only when you respect others first. As if proving that he was a humble mercenary, he pointed at Nadia and said,

“Okay, come quickly and sit down. The food is all cold.”

“Yes, got it.”

Nadia hurriedly moved to the seat next to him, following his fingers. No, what if you don’t introduce the person you came with? I sat down in a random seat, admiring the level of sophistication of this couple, and when Rick started his dinner speech, ignoring me, I could only sigh.

“Okay then. Is everyone here now? Very good.”

He smiled for the first time and rose from his seat.

“I’m sure everyone will be hungry, but before that, I can’t help but explain how meaningful this event is. Today is the day Professor Heide, whom I respect, joined us for dinner. Thank you again for accepting the invitation. I want to tell you, Professor.”

The professor, who hadn’t let go of his stiff expression since I entered, finally gave a thin smile and bowed his head to the baron.

“No. Rather, I am honored, Baron.”

“Well, as I’m sure everyone already knows, Professor Heid is currently working as a potion professor at Erendel Academy, and was once mentioned as a potential candidate for the position of president of the academy. As I recall, he received enthusiastic support from young students in particular. I heard that, right, Professor?”

“It was an undeserved interest to me. I am just grateful to the students who supported me.”

“Unfortunately, however, he did not get to the position of president. It was fortunate for me.”

I suddenly felt bones in the formally wrapped words. The professor closed his mouth and clenched his fists under his table.

“The professor has always been critical of the couple, especially my dear wife, Nadia, isn’t he?”

“You misunderstood, Baron. I just…”

“I still can’t forget that day. How much her wife cried while reading the paper the professor presented. I remember struggling all day trying to soothe her.”

The professor couldn’t say anything anymore and just bit his lip. I, too, tried to soothe the feeling of being disappointed as I watched the food getting cold.

“I…”

The professor, who had been silent for so long, finally opened his mouth. As the baron stared at him, the professor, unable to meet his eyes, cast his gaze over his shoulder.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding, Baron. I just wrote what I thought was the truth in the thesis. But, as you well know, the Baron, it wasn’t the truth. The thesis has already been invalidated for false statements. Now, It won’t be forgiven, but I’d appreciate it if you would just… See it as a stupid mistake by a stupid professor.”

“A mistake.”

Rick chewed the word, rolling it in his mouth. Then he said with his characteristic false smile.

“Of course all mistakes must be forgiven, Professor. Nadia has made many big mistakes with me, but she has always forgiven me. She is a loving wife and, as my best friend Bobby said, forgiveness is a heroic virtue.”

“Thank you, Baron. As expected, the baron’s mercy…”

“But isn’t forgiveness, after all, something that requires knowing what a mistake is? Professor? Actually, unlike my wife, I’m an ignorant person who doesn’t know much about academics. Professor, could you explain the contents of the thesis?”

“Yes…?”

The professor, who had made a foolish mistake that he would not be forgiven for a moment, opened his mouth blankly as he froze as it was. But, like a clever man, he quickly came to his senses and made his excuses.

“Ah… If the baron wants it, of course, but unfortunately… It’s been so long that I can’t remember the contents of the thesis. I’m sorry, but that request…”

“I knew that, so I prepared it. Bring it.”

The baron snapped his fingers, and a thick wad of paper fell in front of the professor’s eyes. A ruthless voice descended on the cruelly neat cross-section of the paper.

“Please summarize only the important information. Dear professor, the contents of the devil and the prophecy.”

The professor opened his mouth once again as if to come up with an excuse, but it seemed that he had no other choice. He pondered and finally lifted the paper. And in his trembling voice he read his mistakes.

“…Five years ago, a group of self-proclaimed warriors invaded the territory of the demons, killed the demon king and other key figures, and returned to the empire. We all know all too well what happened.”

“They killed me. That’s funny. Please continue.”

“They claimed that the resurrected Demon King threatened the well-being of the people of the empire and furthermore planned to annihilate the human race, so they killed them. As the knight Nadia claimed, it is true that about 100 knights stationed on the border died at the time the demon king was resurrected, but this is a figure including deaths due to disease and accidents, and the average number of knights killed by demons It’s a level that doesn’t deviate much. Considering that accidental deaths accounted for a large portion, this indicates that corruption in the military service within the empire has become serious…”

“Oh, skip the boring stuff. After that, about me and my wife.”

“Ah yes.”

The professor turned over his paper with trembling hands. Then he cut his finger on the side of the sharp paper and bled, but he didn’t even notice, and he grabbed the paper with his bloody hand.

“And there is also controversy about whether or not to defeat the demon king. Even aside from the content of the hero’s prophecy, which is the core, there is a lot of controversy especially about the knights Nadia and Rick among the party members. In the case of Nadia, she was not qualified until now There is a record of several deliberation committees on deprivation of knight positions, and fellow knights also questioned whether she had excellent skills to defeat the demon lord. It can be seen as a question itself.”

At this point, I peeked at Nadia, but she seemed intent on keeping an eye on her baron. But the baron, who had been listening carefully, raised his hand and gave instructions to the professor.

“Please continue.”

“And Rick, who returned after defeating the demon king and married the knight Nadia, was also not superior in terms of skill, according to the testimonies of his clients when he was a mercenary. Other party members returned unscathed after defeating the demon king. Unlike the others, Rick’s injury, where his index finger was amputated, is a sign of a fierce battle, or just a sign of inexperienced skills. As for which one is true, only the warrior party members will know.”

“Stop.”

Rick interrupted him with a single clap. Then he looked at the professor quietly.

“That’s a good article, Professor.”

“…Thank you.”

“When I first heard this…”

He suddenly jumped up from his seat and walked towards him. And he put his arm around the professor’s shoulder.

“I’ve been thinking about how to rip this fucking piece of shit to pieces.”

“…!”

A hand was only raised on his shoulder, and the professor made a choking sound.

“I saved the world even by cutting off one of my fingers, but what comes back is this kind of bullshit. So I thought a lot.

“I… I…”

“But after learning about the professor, I changed my mind a bit. I also realized that I had a bit of a misunderstanding.”

The Baron slowly moved away from the professor and this time moved towards the seat next to him. There, like her husband, Lydia was holding her breath and trembling.

“The professor couldn’t have done it with bad intentions. Like this…”

His thumb gently caressed the nape of Lydia’s white neck.

“There’s no way someone who married such a beautiful wife would do that.”

The Baron closed her eyes and pulled her chin to face him. Then, licking her lips with her tongue, she spat greedily.

“Come to think of it, ma’am. I didn’t formally say hello. By the way, in our baron family, we greet women by kissing them as a sign of respect for the other person. Shall we greet each other?”

“Baron. I…Eup…!”

Before she could express her refusal, her baron’s thick lips swallowed hers. Her tongue slid in her mouth in an instant, and her gurgling sound echoed throughout the hall.

“Eup… Uh…”

“Haa… Jurup…”

When Lydia protested by keeping her lips shut, he grabbed her neck and forced her mouth open to savor her mouth. Bright red lips, a soft tongue, and even a place deep in the mouth that seems to give off a sweet taste. While his own wife was humiliated by her baron, the professor sat beside him and did nothing but his hands trembled.

“Whoa…That’s good…”

“Baron…I…Ah…!”

As the baron’s lips left a dark mark on the nape of her neck, the baron’s wicked hand slipped under the table. Although I couldn’t see exactly what was going on, Lydia’s warm groans sparked my imagination.

“Whoa…You’re sweating a lot. Ma’am. I need to get this sorted out…Professor Heyde?”

“Yes?”

“There is a present prepared for me.”

“Ah…That…Yes. The alcohol I collected while serving…And some potions I made myself…”

“The stamina potion that the professor made is particularly effective. It’s even effective for stamina.”

“Yes…”

The professor let out something he didn’t know whether it was a moan or an answer and eventually turned away from his wife. Lydia watched his savage attitude with her own two eyes.

“Then bring it now. For some reason I think I’ll need it soon.”

“Yes? Yes… Yes. I see. Luke, could you bring me some of those presents?”

“Yes. Professor.”

Luke, like the baron, left the banquet with a cruel grin. As the baron was preparing to enjoy Lydia, Nadia’s voice suddenly came out.

“Hey… Baron?”

“What, Nadia? I’m busy right now.”

He answered curtly and waved his hand under the table persistently. Lydia was gasping for her breath, now completely relaxed. Nadia spoke out even though she knew she was no longer in his grasp.

“Baron. That’s… You haven’t greeted me yet.”

“How do you say hello to a couple?”

“But today we’re seeing each other face to face for the first time, so why don’t you say hello…?”

“Haa… Fuck.”

Rick pulled his hand away from Lydia’s bottom as if the excitement had died down. He strode towards Nadia as she let out the breath she had been holding in with her exhausted sighs.

It was inadvertently self-inflicted in her jealousy, but she averted her gaze, shrugging her shoulders, whenever her baron approached. And when the baron finally approached her, she rather tightly closed her eyes.

“Do you want to kiss me like that?”

“…Yes. Baron.”

“Yes. Then.”

Unexpectedly, when he answered honestly, Nadia raised her head with hope. Rick slowly bent her back toward her.

Then he picked up a wine glass from the table and poured the contents all over her head.

“Kyaaak!”

With her shrieking screams, she raised her arms, but the baron steadfastly poured all the goo over her head. Nadia looked up at him trembling with her eyes open, and Rick gently set her glass down on her table and opened her mouth.

“Oh, Nadia. What if I spill all the alcohol?”

“Ah…”

She groaned in vain as she watched the water dripping down her long hair. Then, bowing her head, she said.

“Sorry…”

“I guess you’re not feeling well. Is there a doctor there? Excuse me, take me to my room and check on me. It doesn’t matter how long it takes.”

Thankfully, he noticed my presence and gave me instructions like a servant. I silently nodded and stood up from my seat.

“Okay, Baron. Then wake up, Ms. Nadia. I’ll take you to your room.”

“Okay, I get it.”

“Nadia-san…?”

The baron frowned at him as if the title was uncomfortable, but he quickly turned around as if he didn’t want to care. And he slowly moved towards Lydia, who despised him for not protecting him, and the professor, who felt betrayed for not resisting. As they lamented their tragic fate, Nadia’s low voice passed by their ears.

“…Thank you, Ms. Rachel.”

“What are you doing with this?”

She thanked me in her miserable voice, even adding ‘nim’ to me. Could this be the true face of the heroes who saved the empire? If you leave Nadia in her room and return, you’ll even see the legendary archer raping someone else’s wife. I thought it would be better to leave after talking with Nadia in her room. For a while she’ll have to listen to her lamentations, but in the meantime she’ll hear something useful.

I approached her door, supporting her body, which felt especially heavy because it was drenched. The liquid that flowed from her hair blended into her skin, giving off the smell of alcohol unique to strong wine and the fishy smell of thick blood.

…

Okay. It smelled like a thick bloody smell.

I stopped her body as I held the doorknob. This smell, which still lingers in the mouth, gave off the distinctive fishy scent of human blood.

Just in case, I ran my nose through Nadia’s hair, but that wasn’t where the smell came from. This ominous smell was clearly seeping through the cracks in the door.

“Damn it.”

I cursed barely audibly and then pushed the door very slowly. Then, the light from inside leaked into the dark hallway and illuminated the figure of a man who had collapsed and was covered in blood. Because of the dust that flowed in, it felt like my mouth was full of dirty sand.

“Ah…”

A familiar voice passed my ears. Thinking that she must be dead, the man casually tossed over the thrown limb and looked this way.

“Luke.”

I quietly called his name. But he didn’t move, just stared at me in the eyes. Looking closely, the arteries in his right and left hands had all been severed, and blood was spurting out with tears. I slowly turned his head towards Nadia as I looked at the wound that had been carefully cut to the point where it felt like it was sincere. She looked at Luke with her disbelief eyes, then managed to open her mouth and let out a word of her own.

“It can’t be… I can’t…”