CH 155

Chapter 155

If I cut Benny’s head off at once, no matter how strong he was, he would die.

He didn’t know that demons would die if their heads were cut off, so now was the chance to be vigilant.

But the hand that wrapped around his shoulder like a tree root stiffened as if nailed in place.

‘Kill Benny.’

I made up my mind several times, but somehow my body did not move.

The flame that cut through the darkness lit up Benny’s expressionless face.

Benny was expressionless. Even though he was threatened, he didn’t sweat a drop.

I had a hard time accepting that fact.

‘Then whose heartbeat is this?’

Benny grabbed my stiff wrist and pulled it slowly. A dry claw hand was slowly pulled off the man’s body.

As he ran his other hand over the horrific wound, flesh as black as mud rose and filled the open part at once.

His skin swelled like a bubble, then flattened in an instant.

The body that could be seen through the torn clothes was white and clean without any scars.

“…….”

Benny made eye contact with me. There was not a single shred of fear in his vivid purple eyes.

Then I realized The sound of my heart pounding as if shouting that the fear in my heart was mine.

“…Do you want me to die?”

Benny came one step closer to me. I pulled myself away.

“Is that Princess’ happiness?”

“…If it is, then what will you do?”

I shot sharply. I emptied my confused mind as much as possible and thought of only one thing.

‘Alan.’

I must protect the first person who loved me.

Even if I had to kill the man whose family was annihilated by Alan.

As I regained a vigilant posture, Benny gently lowered his delicate eyelashes.

The man slowly opened his arms. As if he was saying it was okay to pierce his heart again like I did before.

I was stunned by the unexpected reaction.

“You may take it out on me.”

“You…”

“If you want to kill me, you can kill me. But not now. Before that…”

I couldn’t help but be amazed at the scene that followed.

“Let me control the duke.”

The man knelt down.

The man who destroyed the empire by manipulating numerous evil spirits bowed his head as if he was going to give everything to me.

“If I control him, the duke will recognize you as a real daughter.”

Benny’s words slipped out like flowing water. It was my desire that I thought was impossible.

“He will tell Princess that he loves you. Every time you make eye contact, he will smile and treat you kindly.”

My cheeks were hot. It wasn’t until Benny touched my bowed face that I could feel my tears.

“No one will leave Princess.”

The eyes looking up at me were unbearably tender.

“You, who have attained full happiness…”

Benny was kind. Very much so.

“I would like to see it.”

And I had to protect Alan from his twisted tenderness.

“…….”

I raised my pointed claws high. Benny quietly closed his eyes as if to let me cut him in pieces.

‘If you want to protect the one you love, kill him.’

The command in my head rang like a bell. Only then did it become clear what I should do.

‘The cause of all problems…’

Slash!

Red blood gushed out.

Benny blinked as blood scattered on his eyelashes, then his eyes widened.

I gasped for breath, my jaw hanging, and squeezed the hand that stabbed my own neck.

‘Get rid of it.’

I love Alan. He was the first person to love me.

But after Alan, I love Benny.

Even if Benny’s method was wrong, I shouldn’t push him away.

There was no way I could treat him as a monster, having lived my life relying on the warmth of certain people, including him.

My vision was blurry.

Benny shouted and held me in his arms as I collapsed. I had never seen him this flustered.

Blood filled my wide-open eyes, and a slimy demonic hand wrapped around the nape of my neck, violently pushing away my hand as I was about to cut further into my flesh.

I resisted. This was the only way to prevent the end of the world and protect the beloved Alan.

‘I want to live.’

The instinct that boiled from the depths of my heart stimulated me.

But contrary to the thoughts in my head, I poked my claws deeper. The warm sensation gradually faded away.

‘But…’

‘Alan.’

‘Dad.’

When I thought of him, my tumultuous heart became quiet for an instant.

‘I want to protect you.’

‘Even if I’m not your daughter, you’re the father I love.’

‘Alan must survive and be happy.’

The whole wilderness shook.

Just before I closed my eyes, I caught a glimpse of a half-collapsed branch of the World Tree reaching out to me.

***

The huge Imperial Palace collapsed to the extent that its shape was unknown.

Black dust was everywhere. The strong smell of blood spread across the empire in the flames.

Instead of sweeping away the enemies, the man stopped on the pillars of the Imperial Palace and looked at the burning Imperial Palace. It was once his residence.

“I thought it would be a little sad… Not at all.”

He smashed the head of a knight of the Imperial Army that rushed at him while looking elsewhere.

The duke covered in scars could be seen over the fallen corpses.

Garou approached with light steps and supported Alan.

“Hold on a minute, I’ll take you to the fortress…”

Thud!

Then a blood-stained hand reached out through the torn clothes and grabbed Garou’s wrist.

No matter how clever Garou was, he couldn’t hide his surprise this time around.

“…How can you be so conscious after all that blood?”

“Let me go.”

Alan’s eyes glistened as he pushed him away.

Garou let him go, but he did not leave the place.

“I’m sorry, but if the Duke dies like this, I’m in trouble.”

“…The smell of blood.”

Alan murmured slowly. The jade-colored eyes flashed vividly from the bloodstained face, as if wearing a mask.

“Yes, it smells like blood. You’re hurt so badly.”

Garou shrugged his shoulders as if he was saying something normal.

“Honestly, it’s surprising that you didn’t die. Come on, let me help you up.”

Garou opened his arms and approached Alan, but Alan glared at him.

Garou was puzzled.

Why was a man who smelled blood reacting so sensitively?

Alan sniffed a few times before looking under the cracked ground and raising his eyebrows.

There was fierce rage in his eyes.

“…It smells like my daughter’s blood.”

Garou narrowed his eyes blindly. That was hard to believe.

The bottom of the cliff was far away, and the surroundings were full of other scents that disturbed the body odor.

“Aren’t you mistaken?”

Garou questioned lightly, but Alan glared at him and shrugged.

Alan was literally like a mad beast, perhaps because of the blood.

“There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize my daughter’s smell.”

“…Hmm.”

Garou folded his arms and stamped his feet.

“I think that damn traitor child took Lilietta out of the barrier.”

“…….”

“So, what are you going to do now?”

Although not aware of the situation, Garou could almost guarantee that Lily’s wounds were never serious.

Because there was no way Benimus would leave it like that.

“I don’t think she’s torn to shreds until she became an evil spirit. It sounds harsh, but I think Lilietta will scold me a lot if I leave the Duke alone now.”

Alan turned without answering. He staggered as though he was going to fall down the cliff.

Garou hastily stopped in front of him.

“Even if the Duke goes, your current body will not be of any help anyway. A little more injury could really put your life in danger.”

“Get out of my way.”

Alan shoved Garou to the side, not paying attention to his words.

Garou grabbed his forearm and groaned as he said “Okay.”

While thinking about where to hit Alan to faint, a good idea came to mind.

“…Lilietta is not even the Duke’s daughter.”

Alan, who had been moving forward, stopped in place.

Garou did not miss the gap and tied his ankles.

“Strictly speaking, we are demons that borrow other people’s bodies. I know you love Lilietta, but… Will Lilietta think of the Duke as her father?”

Garou shrugged.

“After all, you didn’t even treat her like the real Lilietta.”

Over the past four years, Garou became keenly aware of how Alan had treated her.

To be honest, it was also pathetic of her hanging on to a love that could never be returned. Somehow, their images overlapped, so he was concerned.

So he didn’t want to make a choice that would disappoint her.

“Come on, let’s go.”

As Garou blinked in the direction of the fortress, Alan clenched his fists. He stood there blankly, then muttered.

“…I have to protect my daughter.”

Alan’s voice, which came out of his lips, was as heavy as lead, and Garou shuddered.

The blinding sense of purpose in his eyes was close to pure madness.

“To protect my family…”

The ‘Mad Duke’ muttered to no one and moved forward.

“I promised.”

The round bloodstains of dried blood on his back made it seemed as if a hole had been pierced in his heart.

“…Natalia.”

There was only darkness beneath the ground. But Alan peered into the dark abyss and jumped down without delay.

“I made a promise to you.”

The low-pitched voice was blown away by the raging wind.

The man covered in blood fell to the depths of the earth like a ditch.