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Chapter 22
Adenhar’s gaze sharpened even more. He barely pried his dried, crusted lips apart and asked him.
“Duke Crochette… What is your purpose?”
Slen’s thin lips twisted into a faint smile as he looked at Adenhar with his distorted eyes.
“Purpose, huh…”
He tilted his head lazily and whispered in a soft tone.
“Well… just training a disobedient beast.”
Adenhar laughed, seemingly exasperated by the answer. Slen’s otherwise handsome face contorted sharply.
“You’re laughing?”
Slen, his thick eyebrows twitching, immediately drove a knife into Adenhar’s shoulder.
“Ugh!”
Blood spurted like a fountain onto Slen’s face. Their eyes met in midair for a moment, chillingly intense as if straight out of a nightmare. Even just meeting his gaze made Adenhar’s flesh tremble.
“Don’t get cocky for a mere rat.”
Slen muttered harshly, twirling the knife in his hand. Simultaneously, he twisted Adenhar’s neck with the force to break it.
“Ahhh!”
Watching Adenhar struggle in pain, Slen’s lips curved into a faint, satisfied smile. Grabbing his hair roughly, Slen whispered near his ear in a lazy voice.
“So… which part should I cut off next?”
Adenhar’s throat, full of hot blood, shuddered. He tried to gather his wits, but the newly spreading pain left him no strength to resist.
“Haa…”
Still, Adenhar fixed his gaze on Slen. Slen’s lips curled coldly.
“Didn’t know you still had the nerve to resist.”
“…”
“A disobedient beast like you needs harsher discipline.”
This time, his fist flew mercilessly into Adenhar’s abdomen.
“Ugh…!”
There was no way to endure it. Adenhar’s body gradually became more bloodied. But Slen did not stop; his repeated blows into Adenhar’s abdomen worsened the bleeding, which grew more severe. Watching it with a detached gaze, Slen spoke.
“Hey, lackey of the Security Bureau.”
“…”
“I hate humans who indulge in pointless righteousness the most.”
“Ugh…”
“If you want to leave here in one piece, remember this well.”
Slen licked the blood splattered on Adenhar’s cheek, the corner of his eyes narrowing.
“By the way… do you know?”
“…”
“They say the human brain feels like a tomato.”
“…!”
“I wonder if your head would burst like one if I smashed it?”
Adenhar’s expression hardened.
“Then you’d never think of Rachel again… nor dare speak her name?”
He had suspected it vaguely, but this was beyond what he imagined. Slen was clearly not sane. To speak such cruel things so casually… he was truly mad.
Knowing that such obsession tightly bound Slen to Rachel made Adenhar genuinely worried.
“If you do such a thing… Rachel will never forgive you.”
Adenhar’s calm words made Slen laugh derisively.
“You still talk cocky as ever.”
“…”
“Your mouth hasn’t learned anything yet, huh?”
The icy aura he emitted seemed to freeze the surrounding air. Even just standing there, Adenhar felt numb, as if all the blood in his veins drained away.
In the heavy silence that felt like eternity, his low voice finally resonated quietly.
“If you insist on an answer, I’ll give it.”
“…!”
“I don’t care. Even Rachel’s hatred belongs to me.”
“…What!”
“If that means she can only see me… I won’t hesitate to go even further.”
I woke up with a sudden, terrifying chill. Cold sweat ran down my face. I wiped the sweat from my chin with the back of my hand and sat up, narrowing my eyes slightly.
What…? Was that a nightmare?
It felt as if someone had called me, yet there was no one around. Then I heard heavy rain pounding like a storm against my ears.
“Ugh… rain again?”
I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. I must have had that strange dream because of this gloomy weather.
Glancing at the wall clock, it was 5 a.m. I exhaled a deep sigh, muttering.
“Annoying… I barely slept at all.”
Sleep had already fled. Reluctantly, I decided to get up. I wanted to check on Adenhar’s condition anyway…
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
Knock, knock—!
I told them to come in, and Slen appeared. He smiled gently at me, seeing I was awake.
“You’re up early.”
I sighed and replied.
“Yeah… I woke up quickly.”
Looking at it one way, this was all Slen’s fault. He rarely let me sleep at night! But there was nothing I could do. I had to keep him off guard for now. Otherwise, on the day I go to the palace, suspicious Slen might not leave me behind in the mansion.
“What are you thinking?”
His voice, deep and accented, made me answer nonchalantly.
“About you.”
Perhaps pleased by my answer, Slen’s expression relaxed. He perched on the bed and cupped my cheek with his hand. The sudden closeness carried a faintly bitter, sensual scent that tickled my nose.
Slen leaned even closer. Our eyes met, and he smiled faintly. At the same time, his body’s warmth brushed against me through the air.
“You’re good… I hear all the sweet things I like from you.”
Soon, his warm lips briefly touched my forehead, leaving a mark of sticky possessiveness. Not stopping there, his lips traced from my eyes to my nose and down to my mouth. When our noses almost touched, I quickly pressed my hand against his lips.
“No. Slen.”
Slen’s eyebrows twitched in discontent at my words.
“Why?”
Why? Does he really not realize? If we kissed now, he wouldn’t let me go for a while.
“I’m tired.”
He snorted softly.
“I have stamina.”
“I said I’m tired.”
“You just stay still. I’ll take care of everything.”
His audacious words made my cheeks burn. My legs already felt weak because of him.
“Seriously! Are you a beast?”
“Only to you.”
“…!”
“No man can stay rational with a woman he likes on the bed.”
Even so… it’s not even night.
“You should try to keep your reason.”
Indeed. Was last night’s torment not enough? Slen chuckled lowly and teasingly whispered.
“Whether you taste good or not…”
“…!”
Then Slen held my hand and licked it.
“Ugh…!”
His quiet gaze on me sparked passionate flames.
“After teasing my taste so much, you won’t take responsibility?”
“That’s… not my fault. It’s because you’re so greedy.”
I subtly shifted the blame from myself to him. Slen chuckled clearly and gave a pretty, smiling eye-laugh.
“True. That’s my fault.”
“…!”
“Because I went crazy over you. But the more I taste you, the thirstier I get.”
“What?”
“I don’t know how to satisfy this hunger.”
