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Chapter 23
“…What? You mean even if you hadn’t been paid, you would have sold me out?”
“I happen to hold a personal grudge against your mother, miss.”
The butler’s brown eyes gleamed strangely even in the darkness.
The clear hatred in them made Damia feel as if her entire body had frozen.
“So don’t blame me too much.”
“What do you mean? That Romi being hurt… that’s not a lie, right?”
“Don’t expect anyone to come rescue her. We’ve already prepared a believable excuse for her disappearance.”
“You always do things halfheartedly—so why are you being thorough today?!”
“If you meet the late Viscountess in the afterlife, do convey my regards.”
Bang!
As soon as the door slammed shut, the carriage surged forward at an incredible speed.
Damia, thrown onto the floor by the butler, collided with the underside of the seat.
“Ugh…!”
Unsurprisingly, the ride was terrible.
Suppressing the nausea rising in her chest, Damia barely managed to sit upright.
She could not understand the audacity of the butler.
And he harbored a grudge against her mother?
‘That wasn’t even mentioned in my previous life!’
“Wait, wait a moment!”
Damia pounded the carriage roof, trying to catch the driver’s attention and find a way to escape.
“Please, stop even for a second!”
She opened the window with difficulty and shouted desperately.
In truth, she had considered jumping out, but at this speed, she might really die if she fell.
“You’re taking me to Count Fabron’s residence, right?”
Her question caused the carriage to slow slightly.
The driver held back a giggle.
‘Why has he been laughing so creepily all this time?’
A shiver ran down Damia’s arm.
The driver didn’t seem sane, but she had to attempt some negotiation.
“Take me to the Viscount of Sarkis’ residence. I’ll make it worth your while.”
“I’m the fiancée of the Young Viscount. If I disappear like this, the House of Sarkis won’t sit idly by.”
“……”
“No matter where you take me, I’ll be caught eventually!”
The driver said nothing.
Only the sound of the horse being whipped echoed in the silent forest.
Did he think she was bluffing?
“It’s not a lie!”
Damia was no ordinary fiancée now; she was the only one who could prolong the Young Viscount’s life.
Simply holding his hand had eased the Young Viscount’s curse, even if just temporarily.
Whatever Count Fabron offered the driver, she could match it—and more.
“Cassian will never feel dissatisfied with the reward. I promise!”
Screeeech—!
It was as if Cassian’s name served as a signal; the speeding carriage screeched to a sudden halt.
The jolt caused Damia to hit her head against the wall.
“Ugh….”
The driver finally opened the carriage door.
Through her tear-blurred vision, she saw a tall man.
“You’re really noisy,” he said, removing his hat with a sly grin.
“Even bringing up that irritating name.”
He was not a shabby middle-aged man.
The face hidden under the hat was pale, smooth, and unnervingly beautiful.
“Why did you have to make yourself noticeable?”
The man, mocking the driver, leaned his head into the carriage.
Seeing that white, flawless face up close made Damia’s heart sink.
“Tell me, kid. Why did you give the Young Viscount useless medicine, huh?”
“W-What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb. I already know everything.”
“Who… are you?”
“Do I really owe you an answer?”
The smiling face resembled someone she knew—none other than the boy she had always considered the most perfectly formed among living beings, Cassian Sarkis.
But unlike the real Cassian, something about him seemed off, twisted, like a crude imitation.
Even his oddly rough speech differed completely from Cassian’s.
‘The Young Viscount doesn’t have any siblings, right?’
Whatever he was, this man was dangerous.
Instinctively, Damia’s mouth went dry.
“You’re not someone sent by Count Fabron, are you?”
“Oh, smart kid. They still probably think that.”
The man stepped closer, lifting Damia’s chin with the tip of a whip.
“So this is what it looks like? Humans might find it acceptable.”
“Let go!”
“Tsk, speak nicely. I came all this way because I was curious about you.”
Damia’s lips trembled.
“Are you going to upset me? I even wore a face you like on purpose.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Here, take a closer look.”
Up close, the man’s pupils were vertically slit, glinting even in the dark.
Damia gasped. He did not look human.
“You’re not human, are you? What exactly are you?”
“I have an idea,” he said, pale as death, smiling leisurely.
There was no trace of humanity in him.
He seemed like a monster wearing a mask modeled after the Young Viscount, pretending to be human.
“Kid, Cassian Sarkis must die soon. That’s my mission.”
“…What?”
“Do you know how long we’ve worked to eradicate the cursed Sarkis bloodline?”
His chilling words squeezed Damia’s heart.
‘Of course I wouldn’t know! What kind of creature is he?’
She twisted her head desperately, trying to escape.
The carriage was too cramped, and he was too large. There was no gap to slip through.
“Think carefully. We’ve hated the Sarkis family for a long time.”
In the Velotea Empire, the Sarkis family was almost absolute.
Their ancestor had slain a rampaging Light Dragon, saving countless lives…
‘Huh?’
A sudden realization hit her like a blow to the back of the head.
Damia froze, staring at the man before her.
Oval pupils, unnervingly intense gaze, and faint traces of scales around his eyes.
“You noticed? I like a sharp kid.”
His eyes began to glow red.
“That’s impossible. I heard the dragons were wiped out.”
Damia’s lips quivered.
“Even your ancestors probably never imagined that we, born of dragon blood, would survive pretending to be disgusting humans.”
She remembered hearing legends that those born from the whims of the Light Dragon called themselves dragons.
She had dismissed it as baseless, but perhaps…
Or maybe this man was just a lunatic, spouting nonsense.
“Daydreaming again? Look carefully, kid.”
He pointed at his face.
“I even mimicked the face of this cursed bloodline. How could you resist?”
“Why… the Young Viscount’s face?”
“Why? I told you. While I was coming to fetch you, I chose a face you’d like.”
“That’s not all, though.”
“You sure are perceptive. Want to know? You’d be better off not knowing.”
“Tell me.”
He tilted his head, a crooked sneer on the face resembling Cassian.
“Alright. Fine. After that brat dies, we’ll… ah, want to guess?”
Damia’s breath caught. The worst-case scenario came to mind.
They knew Cassian’s life was limited.
Could they be planning to replace him once he died?
“What do you think we’ll do?”
He twisted his head and laughed.
“We’ve spent a lifetime waiting in silence. Can you imagine how long a lifetime is to beings like us?”
“……”
“Especially to me.”
His shoulders twitched irregularly.
She thought he was laughing, but he was gritting his teeth, holding back rising anger.
‘What should I do? Should I promise to do everything if he just spares my life?’
“Kid, don’t try to outsmart me.”
“Ugh…!”
He struck the window with his whip, shaking the old carriage violently.
Damia, already dizzy from hitting her head earlier, felt the nausea return.
“Now, I’ll give you a choice.”
