Chapter 52
Sierra turned her gaze away from the shocked Rita and looked down at the bound man.
He seemed ready to kill Rita on the spot, glaring only at her face.
It was a face that didn’t seem to care about its own life.
Rita, who had been looking at him, flinched and hid behind Sierra.
Sierra caught a glimpse of Rita hiding behind her and then turned her attention back.
In the meantime, the knight who had been chasing the last remaining man returned with a dejected expression.
“I lost him. He was so quick, he escaped by climbing the ceiling. There was no way to catch up.”
“It’s okay. We captured one, so that’s enough. Let’s clean this place up and transport him to the mansion…”
“Watch out!”
Just as Sierra was saying that, Kestian rushed over, wrapping his arms around her and rolling to the side.
Sierra, who fell to the ground with Kestian, frowned.
“What the…?”
As she groaned and struggled to sit up, her eyes landed on Rita, who had an arrow lodged in her heart.
Rita was staring blankly at the arrow that pierced her heart, her arms trembling.
“Wh… why is this happening…?”
“Rita.”
“Lady… why…?”
Rita’s upper body was soaked in blood, and tears streamed down her eyes.
Sierra desperately tried to move toward Rita, but more arrows flew in their direction.
Rita, showered with arrows, slowly collapsed, blood pouring from her body.
“It’s arrows!!”
As the knight shouted again, the sky was filled with arrows.
The knights hurriedly turned to avoid the arrows, but Kestian and Sierra, unarmored, were left exposed.
One knight ran to try and block the arrows, but it was too far away.
“Forgive my rudeness.”
Kestian glared at the incoming arrows and pulled Sierra into his arms.
In that instant, Sierra found herself cradled in Kestian’s embrace.
Kestian drew his sword from his waist, watching the flying arrows, and deflected them with precision.
‘…Wasn’t he a mere bureaucratl?’
Sierra stared at Kestian, who was effortlessly blocking arrows while holding her, his skill bordering on supernatural.
Despite the large number of arrows, Kestian managed to fend them all off before immediately turning his body to check on Sierra.
“Are you alright, milady?”
“…Thanks to you.”
“I’m relieved to hear that.”
Only after confirming Sierra’s safety did Kestian smile slightly.
Sierra’s gaze drifted down to Kestian’s sword tip.
Noticing her gaze, Kestian shrugged.
“Can you handle a sword?”
“I learned a bit as a hobby.”
That was far from just a hobby.
How many people in the Empire could display such swordsmanship?
Kestian, feeling burdened by Sierra’s gaze, hastily sheathed his sword and turned his body.
“It seems the attack has ended. It was brief, but they got what they wanted.”
Kestian clicked his tongue as he looked down at the man lying dead on the ground, riddled with arrows.
If they protected the man from the arrows while shielding the knights from harm, they couldn’t protect him either.
Kestian grimaced as he clicked his tongue.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of help, Sierra.”
“…No, it’s okay. You were plenty of help. I’m more sorry for putting you in danger.”
Sierra turned to face Rita’s body, which lay on the ground, and bit her lip.
‘Belietta, you haven’t changed. You kill someone as soon as they’re no longer needed.’
Even if Rita had done wrong, Sierra hadn’t wished for such a terrible death for her.
As she couldn’t take her eyes off Rita’s face, which hadn’t even closed its eyes properly, darkness settled over Sierra’s vision.
“There’s no need to see. Someone’s death is like the last act of a very short play. There’s no need to remember the curtain call of the descending play. Just remember the content.”
Sierra felt the warmth of Kestian’s hand covering her eyes and calmly closed them.
Only then did she realize her heart was racing violently without her even noticing.
Listening to Kestian’s soft voice, she gently lowered his hand.
Then she opened her eyes again, approached Rita, and closed her unseeing eyes.
“She followed me for ten years. I should at least close her eyes.”
Sierra’s voice was calm, but there was no sympathy or pity in her expression.
Everyone chose their own outcome.
I, too, lost everything because I trusted Rita and those around me.
Rita also paid with her life for the price of her choices.
“You said there’s no need to see, but… no, it’s the opposite. These are things I need to see and remember. Whether I like it or not, they’re the results of my actions. So, I must remember.”
“Sierra.”
“I have no intention of forgetting what happened today. I will remember and reflect on it. I will think about it over and over.”
Thinking about who she would face and where she would express her anger.
As she considered what words to say to those who easily use and kill others, Sierra quietly smiled.
“So I can tell them.”
Sierra stood up and walked toward Kestian.
“About how many people that girl killed, how she killed them, and why she died.”
“…”
“So that I can pay it back in kind. I won’t forget a single detail, and I will repay them all. I will bring pain wherever it can be felt, and it won’t end quickly. When that time comes, they will understand.”
Sierra looked at Kestian with determined eyes.
“That a brutal death is fitting for them.”
Her hollow voice echoed quietly in the empty space.
Only the lifeless body of a young girl, who had realized her sins and died, lay there alone.
***
Aden quickly passed through the hallway, approaching the room guarded by the soldiers.
The guards saluted with disciplined movements, but Aden didn’t acknowledge their greetings and opened the door to enter.
He nodded to the knight guarding Altas, who was resting inside.
“Wake him up, immediately.”
Altas, who had just been released from the underground prison and was trying to get some sleep in a decent room and bed, squirmed away from the hand that suddenly came to wake him.
Seeing this, Aden frowned and drew the sword hanging from the knight’s waist, placing the tip against Altas’s chin.
The sharp sound of the sword being unsheathed and the familiar cold sensation at his chin jolted Altas awake, his eyes flying open.
“W-what?!”
“Are you awake now?”
Altas desperately tried to sit up, but he froze when he noticed the sword at his chin.
He slowly lifted his gaze to meet Aden’s cold eyes, feeling his blood run cold.
“W-why are you doing this…?”
“Lady Sierra was ambushed. She was attacked while trying to protect a servant who sold out her information. She faced hundreds of arrows that could have taken her life.”
Altas looked at Aden with trembling eyes as he suddenly brought up Sierra’s name.
What did this have to do with him?
Stuck in this place and knowing nothing, Altas felt frustrated but had no choice but to listen quietly.
“Sierra acted secretly to resolve the sudden situation and barely rescued the maid. But the fact that arrows flew at her the moment she moved means they knew Sierra was on the move.”
“W-what does that have to do with me…?”
“Who is the insider?”
“W-what?”
“I asked who the insider is that Sierra hasn’t been able to identify yet, Altas.”
Aden lifted his sword again, radiating a chilling light.
Altas desperately raised his chin to avoid being cut.
In this perilous situation, he squeezed his eyes shut and opened his mouth.
“An insider…? I don’t know anything! I swear, I don’t know anything! As I said, I just did what I wanted!”
“Stop lying. I’ve already received reports that you all planted someone close to Sierra to get into Belietta’s good graces. Are you going to say you don’t know anything about it?”
“I really don’t! Didn’t I give you the entire list before?!”
Aden narrowed his eyes as he stared at Altas, who was nearly screaming in a desperate attempt to save himself.
As Aden tightened his grip on his sword and lifted it again, Altas recoiled in fear, raising his chin even higher.
“The people you listed were all swapped out yesterday. But the fact that there’s still an insider means there’s someone left off your list. The ones tied up with you claim you would know.”
“Eek!”
“Who are they? Tell me.”
“I-I really don’t know! What good would it do me to hide anything now? They sold me out!”
“Speak.”
“I-I really don’t know!!”
With Altas on the verge of tears, he gave a scream-like response, causing Aden to glare fiercely and tighten his grip on the sword.
The moment Altas felt the sword tremble, he hurriedly backed away.
“That should be enough.”
Just then, the door opened, and Baran entered with a calm expression.
Aden glanced at Baran as he stepped into the room, then lowered his sword diagonally.
Baran looked at Altas, who was on the verge of tears as he fled, and shook his head.
Aden, who had just moments ago had a furious expression twisted by rage like a grim reaper, relaxed his face as if nothing had happened and handed the sword to Baran.
“Your guess was wrong.”
“Indeed, these guys seem useless. It would be better to silence them and send them back.”
Aden nodded briefly and swept his hair back.
His disheveled gray hair fell into his eyes, blurring his vision.
