[Chapter 31]
It was a shocking statement. However, even in such a situation, I couldn’t concentrate. The man across from me kept catching my attention. He purposely stood next to the watcher to create distance between us, and he seemed completely indifferent, focusing on the conversation with his characteristic nonchalant expression.
What could it have been earlier?
I was aware of the berserk symptoms, but when I first saw him in the torture chamber, he seemed perfectly fine.
“Princess?”
“Yes?”
My thought disappeared at the watcher’s word.
“You don’t look good. Are you okay?”
I felt the persistent gaze of the two men despite his concern, but I ignored it and forced a smile.
“Yes, I’m fine. So, what happened to Duke Ernest?”
Ian spoke again.
“Do you know that during the war, knights are given a berserk potion? This plan is an extension of that. Instead of boosting the morale of the knights with berserk pation, we’re turning them into weapons.”
“Does the Southern Empire know about this fact?”
Deon furrowed and asked the watcher. It seemed like he felt a sense of unease after realizing that the cycle of berserk symptoms was accelerating.
“They… had no idea. If they had known, they wouldn’t have stayed idle.”
The expression on the watcher’s face seemed to indicate that he had overheard something he shouldn’t have.
“…So you’re saying there’s a plan to weaponize all the prisoners in Dreys Prison?”
“Not me, but my family will be doing that.”
Ian, who drew a clear line, smirked sharply.
Finally, it seemed like I understood a little. Just like the experiment I had conducted alone, the monsters reacted particularly strongly to the prison officer uniforms because they needed to eliminate the power structure within Dreys Prison. Of course, there were also people from the Southern Empire, but they would have no place in their plans to kill even high-ranking nobles like Lemony Christina.
Thunk. Ian slammed the table hard enough to make a loud noise as he stood up from his seat.
“I only know this much. Now that I’ve killed the knights from Ernest’s side, if my father finds out about this, I might become a target for assassination too, so don’t blame me. By the way, Lemony.”
“Yes?”
“Did I do a good job?”
Ian, who had a smug smile on his face, leaned his forehead against my shoulder, expecting praise. I remained still, afraid that refusing him would only make things scarier. However, I felt a gaze from across the room. It was Deon.
His indifferent expression made it difficult to read his thoughts. I couldn’t tell if he was simply annoyed with me or if there was something more. All I could interpret was that his crimson eyes, staring at me, seemed to cool down slightly.
“Someone else will give you the praise.”
As I quickly shrugged my shoulders, the golden eyes that had been drooping suddenly lifted.
“You don’t need compliments from me.”
For some reason, I felt like I should distance myself from Ian.
“You’ll meet someone like that soon.”
I got up from my seat and prepared to move on to Building D. Once I made my way there, I would be able to see the female lead, Leilia. She was the only person who could handle Ian. I wasn’t someone with a broad mind who could resolve his psychopathic tendencies and minor traumas, nor was I a selfless person.
“Not just a toy, but a precious person.”
Adding a brief explanation, I quickly wrapped up the conversation.
“Anyway, then our goal is the same now, right? We all need to escape, the four of us.”
As I changed the subject, thankfully, Deon and Ian nodded in response to my question. Meanwhile, the watcher who had been glancing at the torture chamber door subtly wriggled and quietly took the blanket from the bed.
“How about taking a nap here and departing later today?”
“I don’t mind, but why?”
“Well… the Shinsu had a momentary outburst, and there are monsters gathering outside the door. What do you all think about taking turns to rest and regain our strength?”
Ian, who had been glancing at Deon, burst into laughter.
“I’ll take care of the night watch. Lemony can rest.”
“I’ll do it too.”
“Then I’ll rest as well.”
As Deon realized that Ian’s expression was mocking, he glared at him and muttered. In the meantime, the watcher who had been standing nearby lay down with a relieved expression on his face.
“I will go to another room and rest.”
Ignoring the gaze of the two men behind me, I slipped into the secret room and sank down, letting out a sigh.
Where is the real Lemony?
◆
The next day.
Our group moved away from the torture chamber toward the river. Deon and Ian took care of the smaller monsters, and whenever we encountered a group of them, I would throw the gem attached to the watcher’s lace shirt to divert their attention.
With one more reliable supporter added, crossing the river wasn’t too difficult. We barely avoided the hands of prisoners trapped in the river as we made our way across, and the sparse weeds began to appear through the dry soil.
There was no need to pay attention to anything growing in Building D. After all, every living creature staying in this place would eventually kill each other. Keeping a beast-like demon with a completely different language system in Building D was no different.
“Once we enter from here, we won’t be able to rest until we reach the building.”
“What do you mean?”
Deon asked for the first time since yesterday. I flinched at the unexpected voice, but he seemed indifferent, so I maintained my composure and answered.
“That means we’re entering the wilderness. It’s going to be a full-fledged jungle from here on.”
The sun had already set. It seemed like we would have to spend the night here and move on when it became daylight. Deon, who had brought some firewood, was busy lighting a campfire near a tree. Without anyone saying anything, we naturally gathered around him, knowing that he took charge of such matters.
As the flames flickered and crackled above the firewood, casting dancing light around, a soothing sound filled the air. I turned my head and noticed dark figures lingering on the other side of the river, observing us.
We had taken our positions in earnest, silently watching the fire without a single lighthearted joke. It was partly because we had exhausted ourselves roaming around for half a day, and also because the food we had brought from Building C cafeteria was gradually running out. It was due to the fact that our group had grown by two more people.
“Is there anyone who knows how to shoot a gun?”
However, it was still too early to go to sleep. And during the journey from Building B to this place, I came to a realization. I could no longer rely on Deon and Ian.
Hoping that the watcher would raise his hand, I asked, but Ian, who had been occupying the seat next to me, just smirked.
“Do you know how to use a gun?”
“Yeah, I’m from Ernest family, you think I can’t handle a gun?”
“No, that’s not it.”
I opened my eyes wide in surprise at the unexpected answer.
“Hasn’t Ian always fought with a dagger?”
I receive a friendly response to my question.
“Guns don’t have the same tactile feel.”
I shouldn’t have asked.
I hesitated for a moment and pulled out the gun that I had kept in my pocket. It was one of the items I picked up when the officers were killed in Building B. Initially, I had hoped the watcher, not Ian, would teach me, but as I saw him silently observing us without uttering a word, it seemed like he had no confidence in the gun.
Meanwhile, Deon seemed completely disinterested in this topic. He continued to gaze at the firewood with an inscrutable expression, occasionally tossing a piece of wood to keep the dwindling fire alive. I was curious. Did he truly feel nothing in the torture chamber? When his eyes met my tear-stained face, was his only regret an unfulfilled desire for revenge?
Suddenly, his hand that desperately sought me by the riverside felt like a lie. I felt a sharp pain in my heart. I couldn’t understand why. Deon had always been a man filled with hatred toward me. So why did I feel this sense of betrayal?
“Would you like me to teach you? If you’re going to shoot, let’s go toward the riverbank.”
Noticing that I had been lost in my own thoughts, Ian extended his hand to me and gently helped me up. Just as I was about to stand up with him, a casual low voice came from the other side.
“Is it necessary?”
I looked at Ian with a question out of the blue. Deon, who was leaning against a tree, still had his gaze fixed on the torch.
“Why bother moving? We can do it here.”
“I’m worried it might make too much noise if we shoot.”
“It’s already been noisy since you started talking.”
“That’s why we should go somewhere else…”
“Sit down.”
The firm low voice cut through the conversation, causing me to flinch as I finally met the gaze of his red eyes. I had expected it to be eerie, but it was surprisingly different. Within his gaze, there was a restrained emotion, tightly held back and seeping through.
“Just sit and do it. It doesn’t matter if it’s noisy.”
As Deon sighed, seemingly frustrated with something, he casually threw a piece of firewood. The problem was that Ian, who suddenly joined the conversation, ignited the fire.
“You’re acting like that because of the noise I made? How threatened did Lemony feel because of you that she wanted to learn how to use a gun?”
“A vampire would be more dangerous than a gun.”
“Still, it’s better to deal with a vampire than a horny dog who clings to their owner, isn’t it?”
“So, you overheard, huh?”
Deon chuckled lightly.
“Is your lower part doing well?”
Upon hearing those words, Ian, who had consistently shown a bright expression, hardened his face. As the surrounding air grew chillingly cold, I realized how the atmosphere around me changed when tall men over 190cm engaged in an argument.
I gave up. It was my mistake to seek help from these men in the first place. Feeling intimidated, I met the gaze of the intimidated watcher and showed him the gun. Then, as I inserted the square-shaped magazine into the empty space beneath the grip of the gun, the hesitant watcher nodded. It seems that even though he lacked personal experience, he had learned through observation and acquired knowledge.
“Oh, it’s so disgusting that I feel like vomiting. Why do you ask about the condition of my lower body?”
Amidst the childish argument, the undercover lesson between the watcher and me proceeded. Slide it over. I became flustered by the shape of his mouth, and while touching various parts of the gun, my hand reached the top part of the pistol. I could feel the watcher on the other side vigorously nodding his head. Good. It seemed like I could shoot.
“Disgusting. Even grown-ups can teach something to kids, you know.”
“Wow, are you trying to show off your age? Jeez…”
Bang. The argument between the two was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a gunshot that tore through the sky.
◆
Thank you for reading!
