Karon’s world had been the laboratory.
Before he was sent to Valkyrisen.
There were certainly tis when he desperately longed to be called a success.
But it wasn’t because he wanted sothing grand like being a direct descendant.
What he wanted was simple.
To be freed, even just a little, from the endless agony.
To have his pleas to stop, even once, reach the ears of the researchers.
That was all he had ever wanted.
In the end, Karon, who remained a failure until the very end, learned how to beco numb over ti.
Screaming and struggling only prolonged the experint.
Doing things like banging his head against the glass until blood flowed from his forehead to distract from the pain didn’t help either.
The fastest way was to simply keep quiet, lie there as if dead, and wait for ti to pass with his eyes closed.
The habits and patterns he had developed during those days of suffering were still with him.
So now, how did it feel to be called a success...?
‘It’s filthy.’
Suppressing his murderous intent was work in itself.
With all emotions deadened, he asked in a harsh, expressionless tone:
"Is that really what you call a proposal?"
Of course, he had no desire for sothing like being a direct descendant of the Basilisk.
What kind of confidence did this person have?
It wasn’t just arrogance; it was a foolish statent.
At this, Nyx smiled as if he understood, lifting the corners of his mouth.
"Yeah, well, you were adopted into the third prince’s family of Valkyrisen. What could you possibly want now? You were taken in, even after your true identity was discovered, just because you’re young. It must have seed like the best place."
"..."
"And then, you were lucky enough to et the Ratson young lady, save your life, and now you can control the poison. It’s not surprising that you think no one will be able to handle you soon, is it?"
He had never thought that lowly.
But since he had no intention of spilling his feelings in front of Nyx, Karon remained silent.
This made Nyx take it as confirmation, and he continued, as if he had expected this.
"But when I extend my hand, you’d better take it. If you miss this opportunity, you’ll be forced to co with next ti. And then, I’ll have your leash, just like when you were an experint."
"Is that all you have to say?"
"You’d better listen closely. Do you really think Valkyrisen and Ratson will last?"
It was truly laughable.
Was this the person who failed at every plan they tried?
‘Seeing how he’s engaging with here, he must know this plan is already a failure.’
But Nyx didn’t seem to care much about his plans falling apart one by one.
Why did he have such a careless attitude?
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
It was as if he didn’t really care whether it succeeded or not...
‘What the hell is he relying on to act this way...?’
It would have been better if it was just a bluff.
But Nyx, instead of wasting ti bluffing, would sacrifice test subjects to sohow improve the chances of success.
So, the fact that he spoke like this now...
‘He must be really confident.’
If that’s the case, maybe it’s better to strike first.
If I can solve this without Elodie suffering any more, and if I can solve it on my terms...
‘...Direct descendant.’
A thought suddenly flashed through Karon’s mind.
If he beca a direct descendant, he would be able to know the location of the Basilisk’s main palace.
The Basilisk's headquarters.
As a test subject, he had never set foot there.
He could never have.
It was a place only those permitted could enter.
But, if he beca immune to all poison and entered as a direct descendant, he could unleash the poison and wipe out the entire family without leaving a single living thing...
But then, he quickly dismissed that thought.
That would definitely be a surefire way, but it was a thod that could only be used at the very end.
Like the mont he knew he was going to die from going berserk, with no place left to retreat to.
Because...
"The fact that I, a Ratson, am still alive ans that your poison is still under the influence of the gods. No matter what your origins are, you are still a living person. A creation of the gods, and under their care."
"Just like , and like everyone else."
He didn’t want to betray that belief.
‘I’m nothing.’
Because he was treated like a human.
Elodie’s one word, which had turned his life upside down, remained unchanged.
But Karon also knew that he was a monster beyond the point of being a creation of the gods.
He knew that deeply.
It may have looked different in the eyes of the compassionate representatives of the gods...
But how long could it last?
How long could it be tolerated?
He hoped Elodie never knew. Never, ever.
He hoped she wouldn’t regret the choice she made to save him, no matter what.
He didn’t want it to remain as a wound he wanted to forget.
He wanted to remain human in her eyes until the end.
Because, no matter how he looked at it, he was the one who had gone down the wrong path, pretending to be human while acting out all those pretensions.
Lost in thought, Karon stopped walking completely, and it was then that Nyx broke the silence and spoke up.
"Looks like you’re willing to listen to now?"
"Well, I don’t know. What about you?"
"Don’t waste your energy and just play along. No matter how much you deny it, you're still my blood."
"Too many different things have mixed into my blood for it to be called yours."
If he was considered Nyx’s bloodline, he might as well be called a monster.
After all, wasn't he a creature created by humans? More like a chira, wasn't it?
At Karon’s sneering remark, Nyx smirked.
"Does denying it make you feel better? If that’s the case, I won’t say anything more."
"...."
"You’ve mixed your genes with mine quite well. That’s why, even if you turn into an animal, you can maintain the clean shape of a snake."
"...."
"Actually, you're closer to my clone than my child."
This ti, Nyx wasn’t saying it to provoke Karon.
His tone was less mocking and more like he was just delivering information.
But with those words, Karon’s eyes, which had been motionless for a mont, suddenly flickered with emotion.
It was the most dramatic change in his expression.
‘Aha.’
Nyx, having recognized Karon’s sore spot, smirked and began to provoke him.
"You hate because I’ve given you pain, and you want to deny it, right...?"
And then, as if dealing with a child throwing a tantrum, Nyx kept speaking.
"In the end, you’re just like ."
"...."
"You’ll grow up to be just like . No, you’ll rise to beco the most powerful Basilisk in history."
The mont he heard those words, Karon made his decision.
Whatever his ulterior motive might have been, it seed like a plan he thought had a chance of success, so now might be the best ti to eliminate Nyx.
"So, you’ve turned into a good little dog for the Ratson girl, huh?"
Noticing the poison slowly spreading from Karon, Nyx spoke, looking a bit troubled.
"Seems like you’re under so kind of misunderstanding."
Elodie had clearly told him to only lure Nyx in.
If Nyx showed any sign of scheming, he was told to quickly retreat without looking back.
She had only told him to think of his safety above all else and never get hurt, to return safely no matter what.
But those words...
‘As long as I don’t get hurt, that’s what matters, right?’
She had told him not to engage if he judged the situation to be dangerous.
"I never told you not to kill him."
Of course, Elodie would think he had fallen alone and died, but that was another matter.
Karon held back his final words and quickly approached Nyx.
***
The unconscious Bluewood Count was dragged out by the knights and completely removed.
Now, he was set to undergo what could be considered near-torture interrogation, and then work in the mines of Animallia until the day he died.
Of course, since it was concluded that the cri was his own doing, not the entire family’s, the title of Count Bluewood naturally passed to Seraphina!
‘Seraphina Bluewood, Count...!’
How perfect this resonance was.
Now, at last, the title shone as if it had found its rightful owner.
It had once been like a poor pearl hanging around a pig’s neck, but now, thanks to Seraphina, it would shine brilliantly, and the family would flourish!
Now that Seraphina was a Count, she didn’t bother cutting off any of the servants.
Rather, those who left did so on their own, their feet dragging.
Due to the incident where the signs of Seraphina’s abuse were revealed at the academy, no one else would hire them.
Since there were few nobles, in this small kingdom, nothing worked as well as ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) a letter of recomndation from an employer.
Moreover, there was no rumor more deadly than those that circulated in high society.
Because of this, most of the Bluewood servants had no choice but to stay in the mansion, crying while eating mustard, so to speak.
They still had to keep working in order to survive.
"Hmm, Graham Bluewood."
Now that she was Count, Seraphina was the first to examine the family tree.
She then pointed to the na of her late father, her biological father, and said,
"Remove this na."
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