After My Dead Ending

AMDE | Chapter 25

25.

“That lunatic! Why are you here! What about the ship! You lunatic!”

I shouted in astonishment, calling him a lunatic twice.

It couldn’t be. This man shouldn’t be here. The one who deceived me and made a lifelong contract. The one who benefits the most if I die, that impudent pirate!

He continued to approach without flinching or saying a word, despite my furious face.

“Yiik…!”

I grabbed Kano by the collar and rushed at him without hesitation.

“This crazy bastard―”

As I clenched my teeth and reached out my hand, Kano spread his arms wide and rushed at me.

“…Kuck.”

I ended up in a tight embrace with Kano. The gust of wind from his muscular arms, chest, and abs overwhelmed my weak body, making an audible sound as I struggled for breath.

‘Damn muscle mass…!’

“Mr. Kano—! Even if it’s you―”

The knights and servants, who were a step behind, rushed in to chase Kano but stopped in unison before crossing the threshold.

“Ah!”

“Oh my!”

They gasped and looked at the two embraced figures in dismay. At that moment, thousands of romances flew through their minds, and misunderstandings were about to begin.

Thump―.

I swiftly lifted my knee into Kano’s center without mercy.

“Ah…”

A dull sound followed as Kano, who had held his breath, let out a sigh and stumbled back one step away from me. Even for a man with a massive frame, there were vulnerable spots.

“You worthless bastard. Have you finally turned your brain into muscles too?”

As Kano’s large body moved aside, I, with a wild expression on my face, rose up. The people who had gathered at the door, dazed and lost in thought, finally snapped out of it and quietly dispersed.

“Kano, you bastard! Why are you here? What about the ship heading to Nectaro, you lunatic!”

I clenched my fist and struck his chest, but it felt like hitting a rock, and my fist was the only thing that hurt.

“Aisa…”

Kano softly murmured someone else’s name as if he was overwhelmed with joy from their reunion. At the same time, it seemed like he was about to embrace me again, spreading his arms wide.

Although Kano was more than five years older than me, I was his master. It was not allowed for him to call my name.

I agilely stepped back and swiftly struck his jaw with the palm of my hand.

Slap! Slap!

A cheerful sound reverberated through the air.

“Quiet! Who dares to call their master’s name? Can’t you get a hold of yourself? Don’t forget, even though you may be my business partner, according to the contract, I am unquestionably your master.”

“…Seeing you strike my lips to silence, Lady McFoy, you are certainly resolute.”

Kano murmured, gently caressing his lips that had been struck by me. The always laid-back guy seemed to be begging like a mad person, which furrowed my eyebrows even more.

“Why? Is it such a shame that I’m still alive?”

So I asked, knowing well that Kano didn’t mean it in that way.

Kano smirked as if he understood my intentions, furrowing his eyebrows in a seemingly painful expression. His face looked somewhat relieved, which felt quite odd to me.

“Hmph, there’s not much that will benefit you from me being alive.”

I crossed my arms and confidently replied, avoiding Kano’s intense gaze.

“Lord, our meeting, though tainted with deceit and distrust, we have been bound by paper for several years. How can you say that? Wouldn’t you be sad if I died?”

Bound by paper for several years. If someone were to hear that, it could easily be mistaken for wedding vows.

I joined forces with pirates to save my family. I needed the seafaring routes that Kano possessed.

Kano, fifteen years ago, deceived and made me, who was only fifteen years old at the time, sign a lifelong contract. The power of a mere piece of paper was incredible, but that was because it was a ‘binding oath’ sworn in front of the God Mehera, an unbreakable covenant.

In this contract, anyone who breaks the oath dies. A promise guaranteed by the God Mehera. It was like a curse brought upon by mutual agreement.

Kano had to work for me until the day he died, strictly according to the terms of the lifelong contract that heavily favored me. He was deeply angered by this arrangement and I know that even now he is secretly searching for a way to break the ‘unbreakable covenant.’

‘Then why does he look at me with those eyes? Just do one thing.’

I silently bit my tongue while catching a glimpse of his large trembling hands. It was clear what kind of answer Kano wanted, but I didn’t give it to him.

I understood Kano’s feelings. It had been quite some time since he had looked at me with those eyes, and as a merchant, I wasn’t oblivious to these things.

However, I didn’t have the leisure or the right circumstances to provide an answer to his feelings.

Above all, I treated him openly as a subordinate, without fully trusting him, but Kano had become someone to me… somewhat like an uncle.

He was a closer presence than my deceased older brother Aino, with whom I had little emotional connection or contact. There was a certain bond formed by the time we spent together.

Kano was a person who played the role of an uncle or an older brother in the world I had cultivated as Lady McFoy for ten years. And I hoped that he would remain in that position.

“…”

I abruptly turned my body away from Kano, who was looking at me with longing eyes.

“You, don’t you have any intention of learning noble etiquette until you die? Wait in the reception room. I’ll be down soon.”

As I said that, I gestured to the servant outside. I deliberately responded coldly to Kano’s urgent pleading. Wake up, that was my intention.

Kano reached out as if trying to grab me as I turned away, but he couldn’t really catch me. The servant who had discreetly entered led Kano away. He didn’t take his eyes off me until he left the room.

I didn’t deliberately avoid his intense gaze. I simply received it with my usual indifferent expression.

Just as I was perceptive, Kano, who had lived a rough life as eventful as mine, was also perceptive. Kano knows that I noticed his feelings. He knows very well that I have no intention, leisure, or appropriate situation to reciprocate those feelings.

His true character lay not in extraordinary physique, wealth, or power, but in maintaining propriety and position. Kano was a person who upheld boundaries.

I completely turned my body away.

* * *

“Your face is quite bruised, Lady McFoy.”

Kano, who was surprisingly calm, waiting for me in the reception room at the inn, seemed to be much more composed than earlier.

“Would you prefer it if I had died instead?”

At my sarcastic remark, Kano frowned and complained that I had a bad temper. I chuckled and took a sip of the tea placed in front of me.

“More importantly, where is the Knights Corps? Where are Erica and Uncle Dogman? Why are you alone?”

“Instead of Erica, I came. And I am faster than any knight. Uncle Dogman should have arrived in a village that takes about a day to reach from Katam by now. What was its name?”

Ah, I knew. It wasn’t surprising that Kano had outrun the marching knights. Even without the title of a knight, he was a capable individual in many ways. With extraordinary physical ability and strength, he could easily bring down the commander of the royal knights.

However, suddenly the main characters of this place and Noma Diazi came to mind.

“Well, that’s unknown.”

At my provocation, Kano’s thick eyebrows twitched. His black pupils glimmered with hostility, but I ignored it and moved on to the next topic.

“Baby No, Archie. How is Lady Seymour doing?”

Kano, who missed the chance to argue, grumbled with dissatisfaction and slowly opened his mouth.

“…Have you seen Erica fail? I had her safely placed in a secure house. Since she’s stuck in the countryside without knowing the language, she must be causing a ruckus. Our lord’s temper is gradually resembling yours, Lady McFoy. Lady Seymour must be dying to get away from you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Instead of opening my mouth wide, which would be impolite, I furrowed my eyebrows.

“Please forgive my rudeness, my master. But I cannot lie to you. As you know best.”

“…”

Kano stretched out the contract and leaned back. With a falsely cheerful expression, he subtly mocked and scratched at people. It finally felt like the usual Kano.

“By the way, how much does my lady know? About Diazi and the movements of the Substitute Knights?”

Kano, who had been smiling mischievously, suddenly put on a serious face and asked.

“…Earlier this morning, the scouts I sent met with Diazi’s knights.”

“I see. Then Lady McFoy probably heard the declaration to return to the territory.”

I nodded my head with a sense of unease.

“Don’t worry. According to the informant, there are no traps or suspicious activities. Even if that’s not the case, you need to return to the territory soon.”

“Why, did my distant cousin Oravi move just because he thought I was dead?”

I asked with a wicked smirk. It was the laughter that made me seem like a witch.

“I’m sure you’re not hurt. It’s still the same.”

Kano replied, revealing it as if responding to my provocation. Kano’s presence was strong, so when he laughed brightly, he seemed fierce. Unlike someone who warmly smiles like a delicate flower.

“Hmm.”

I shook my head as if shaking off my thoughts.

“Why is that?”

“…It’s nothing. Yeah, there’s a lot to do. I need to hurry, yes.”

I murmured as I tapped the teacup with my index finger.

“Get ready to accompany me right away. Just join forces with Dogman on the way.”

Kano stood up abruptly and reached out his hand to me. Having Kano’s escort for a day was sufficient. He was someone with the power of a whole unit.

“First, I need to officially announce my survival.”

I nodded and took his hand, getting up from my seat.

“At the same time, let’s deal with that bastard.”

Then I smiled slyly and said.

In this case, that bastard would be none other than my dear cousin Oravi. Thinking of that rat-like cousin Oravi, my back shuddered, and my determination surged.

“Just wait. How long have I been waiting for the moment you move without knowing your place?”

It was frustrating to become a daughter-in-law of a difficult family. I never had a taste for being a lady.

“We’ll go straight to the Imperial Palace and announce it to His Majesty. We need a legitimate justification to take control.”

“Yeah, that’s the fastest way. What about Nyx? Have you decided what to do about Nyx?”

If I were to eliminate threats, Kano found pleasure in eliminating threats. He asked with an excited voice.

If the famous Diazi, known for their division knights and strength, joined forces, they might be able to maintain Nyx’s seal somehow. I couldn’t handle Ophelia’s power at all, so I tried my best to conceal that fact, which left me with almost nothing to do.

It was rather a time to exert effort in preventing anyone from blurting out the fact that “killing Lady McFoy can solve everything.”

“Send people to the Holy Land. Both officially and unofficially. Move in secret to extract the deepest information and also to leak information.”

“Understood. Is there anything else needed?”

“Not needed. Ah…”

“Is there something?”

“One thing, exclude my request. Spit out the commission fee.”

“A request? What kind of request?”

Kano’s anxious face wrinkled slightly. He was a perfectionist in his work, so he was subtly sensitive to these kinds of matters.

“That child.”

“That child?”

“I found him. So, cough up the advance payment.”

Kano remained silent for a moment, then soon realized who ‘that child’ referred to and was astonished.

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