In the background, the footfalls of the playing children resounded between the suppressed cry of a girl devoid of hope. Her sobs, though quiet, dominated all sounds.
"I’m scared," Rose uttered.
"A boy my age back in the slums... he said he loved . He brought the cursed food after fighting for it."
"He was killed by one of the abominations."
"Now, these masked people showed up and started threatening . They’re forcing to betray you and I can’t refuse, I don’t want to... I told the soldiers that I didn’t eat the cursed food but I did."
She pathetically groaned in frustration, covering her mouth as tears stread on her face.
"I ate many of them. And I lied because I didn’t want to die!!!"
Zarria couldn’t say a word. She just looked at the girl while concealing her own inner turmoil.
"I watched my grandpa turn into a monster..."
"He suffered so much, I’ve never heard him scream with such fear."
She looked at Zarria with widened, desperate eyes.
"Am I gonna end up the sa?"
She grabbed the hems of the long sleeve of Zarria’s brown dress.
"I want to graduate, Lady Zarria. I want to learn how to read and write. I want to see the world. My whole life has been nothing but pain, and in the end... I never stood a chance."
Rose clutched her head and then took backward steps. She began gripping her blonde hair tightly in disgust, causing so of it to fall off.
"Just kill now, please."
Zarria touched the wall to balance herself when she felt like she was about to collapse. Then, turning her back to the crying girl, she began to slowly walk away without saying anything.
What was she supposed to do?
Her steps beca faster and she found herself running.
Running away from it all.
She’d thought everything was going well.
She’d thought she had saved them.
Aside from the imnse pain in her chest, it also felt like she had betrayed her brother. Dhein entrusted the people of the slums to her and she failed him.
Before her tears could even form, she wiped them away and ran even faster until she reached the manor gates.
Upon entering, she saw the ssengers that just got back from the town with the latest news in the capital. She imdiately went up to them and then desperately asked:
"Is Dhein coming ho?"
The ssengers looked at each other when they noticed that sothing was wrong with Zarria.
"N—No, my lady. According to the reports, the battle in the Callex Region is worsening and his help is being required. So, until that is over, Master Dheinyrus won’t be coming ho."
The hope from her face vanished and her shoulders dropped.
The ssengers lowered their heads before walking out.
Now that it had co to this, Zarria didn’t have many options left. She was getting desperate as well.
She entered the mansion and went up to the third level where the corridors for the offices were. Her feet took her in front of one door she had been dreading.
As she was about to open it, the owner of the office appeared behind her.
"Do you need anything, Zarria?" Raymond Theocheirós asked with a low tone.
With hitching breath, Zarria turned to him slowly and saw a physically imposing man. He had a masculine, square face and a neatly-combed blonde hair. He wore a faint smile that didn’t even reach his hollow eyes. At one glance, it was easy to tell that sothing was wrong with her uncle.
She had been trying to make a connection between him and the treason in the empire, but to no avail. Even though his own secretary was confird to be a part of it.
But since Sike was dead, it was much harder to gather evidence. Raymond was no fool himself, Zarria was well aware of that. It wouldn’t be easy to prove his guilt if it was possible at all.
In her silence, Raymond spoke.
"You don’t look well."
She clenched her fists.
"Uncle, where have you been?"
Raymond’s lips curled up slightly.
"I had a eting with the security departnt today. I was just about to grab my wallet from my office to have lunch. You see, I accidentally left it here. I’m really getting old."
He laughed.
Zarria moved aside as she had been blocking the door.
Raymond then entered his office.
Monts later, she heard his voice from inside.
"You wanted to talk to about sothing, right?"
Zarria peeked inside, and her uncle was rummaging through his ssy desk for his wallet.
"You can co in."
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she entered his office.
It was a dark, classic interior with minimal decorations. So paintings for depictions of historical events were hung on his walls, the lamps were also emanating an elegant glow in the room, lighting up the piles of paperworks and personal belongings of her uncle’s.
"Ah, found it," Raymond blurted with delight, raising a brown leather wallet.
He then turned to Zarria.
"Go on," he said.
"Tell what’s bothering you."
She felt her heartbeat getting louder, pain was starting to grow inside her chest.
Nevertheless, she spoke.
"I know you’re behind this, uncle."
Raymond raised a brow.
When they threatened Rose, they still didn’t give away their identities even though they could control her. That ant they could be recognized and identified without the mask, and if Rose decided to sacrifice her life and speak the truth, it would be detrintal to their sches. They were sohow connected to the clan, that was for sure, but because Rose herself couldn’t attest to that, no one else could.
Even so, Raymond was the leading suspect according to Dhein, and Zarria was willing to bet everything on his words.
"Behind what?" Raymond asked.
Zarria exhaled and then replied.
"You ordered Sike Monrow to take control of the slums. It was how you manage to slip in the distribution of cursed food, wasn’t it?"
Raymond sighed.
"Didn’t I already prove that I have nothing to do about that? I was even investigated by your mother and she said I was innocent."
Zarria imdiately responded.
"But that was when we didn’t know demons were involved. After my brother’s discovery in Selense, we could change the factors and investigate you again. I’m sure the results will be different this ti."
Raymond fell silent, his face was calm and blank.
Then, a creepy smile tugged at his lips, making Zarria restless.
"I was just ssing with you, my dear niece."
He stepped closer and Zarria backed away.
"Of course, we know Dheinyrus was going to find out about us eventually. That was why we didn’t bother hiding our real colors. Instead, we focused on building a shield."
She frowned.
"A shield?"
Raymond stopped in his tracks and then replied.
"Yes. So that we could stay safe even if the scion chooses to pursue us. I’m sure you’ve t one of them already."
Zarria’s blood ran cold.
"I knew it."
The shield he was referring to was Rose and the others who had possibly ate the cursed food but hadn’t been transford yet. As long as they were kept alive, Raymond was safe. He used them as a bargaining chip that prevented Dhein from being aggressive with his investigation unless he didn’t care what happens to the ’at shields’.
"So, you see," Raymond continued.
"You can’t prove anything, you can’t accuse of anything. On the other hand, I can just reveal that your friend has lied about not eating the cursed food and she’ll get executed the sa day. We don’t even have to lift a finger. Do you understand your situation?"
Zarria’s eyes widened as Raymond leaned closer, whispering to her ears.
"You are caught in a trap, Zarria. You have no choice but to do as we say."
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