"M-mother... W-what is this? What is happening?!" Shirley was frantic. She couldn't understand the scene she was witnessing. "Father, why are you just standing there? Help her!" She was so frantic she didn't register Nicholas was snickering at her.
"Shirley, close your eyes!" Irene, who had enough of it, pulled Shirley to her chest, successfully covering the latter's vision. "Nicholas, you sick bastard! What have you done to your own wife?!" In response, Nicholas cackled madly.
"I am just doing her a favor of making her what she really is."
"What are you—"
"She is a harlot, Irene. She betrayed our marriage for pleasure."
Irene shut her mouth. She had suspected Catherine must have been up to sothing each ti she had ntioned "Gatherings". However, she had never expected her suspicion would be proven true. Catherine didn't look like the type of soone who would do things like that.
That proved just how good Catherine played her ga.
Nicholas inched closer, and Irene stepped backward. The forr frowned, and stared at Irene.
"Why are you distancing yourself away from ? Along with my daughter no less?"
"You are not sane, Nicholas. Who knows what you might do to your own daughter?"
"Huh, I am amazed by your words. Now that I realized it, you just called by my na."
"Are you expecting to call you like how I used to call you? You are not my master anymore. You have lost the privilege!"
Nicholas glared at Irene coldly. He didn't like soone like Irene ddling in his plan. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he exclaid at Irene.
"This is our family matter. Stay out of it, and you will be harmless."
"Hah! Even more reason to not do so!"
"You darn old hag!"
Nicholas lost his patience. He strode to Irene's way, and tried to grab her. "Tried" being the keyword. That ans, he didn't manage to do that. Therefore, he was surprised.
"Huh? You are pretty agile for your age." Nicholas quirked his eyebrow, while looking at Irene. Irene, while carrying Shirley in her hands, had distanced herself away from Nicholas.
"How did you get there? One second you are in front of , and the next second you are in front of the door." Nicholas asked in puzzlent. "Well, you will never know what elders hide, unless you ask them." Nicholas humd at Irene's answer.
Nicholas looked at Shirley who was quivering in Irene's hug. Caressing his moustache, he decided to do what he had intended since the beginning. The moaning in the background was urging him to do it faster.
"You know what, Shirley? For all this ti, I have treated you to my very best as my daughter. I have just recently found your Mother betrayed , ever since Basil was entrusted to . So, that' ans, you are not really my daughter, after all."
Shirley raised her head from Irene's chest, and tried to look at Nicholas. However, Irene stopped her. Irene was very sure she wouldn't be able to handle the scene happening in the background.
"What do you an, Father? Mother would never do that!"
"Yes, darling, I know. It is unbelievable, right? I reacted like that too, until I saw the evidence. I still have it with , in case you are curious. However, it doesn't matter anymore, does it?"
"What do yo— Kyaa!"
Shirley was cut in her speech as Irene moved away from the incoming Nicholas. This ti, Nicholas coming at them fully intending to inflict them harm. Irene could see it plainly in his eyes full of madness.
"So, that's the case, huh? You are a Knight, Irene?!"
Nicholas shouted in amusent, while Irene kept moving. She utilized her Movent Technique that she hadn't used for quite a long ti. Nicholas, being a Mage, also utilized his Step Art.
"[Fire Bullet]!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Nicholas shot countless of fire bullets at Irene. He didn't care he would burn the room. The room had been built different. It could withstand a weak spell like that. Still, he couldn't get Irene. Therefore, Nicholas clicked his tongue in annoyance.
In the other hand, Irene was sweating. Her old body was starting to not be able to keep up. No matter how much she had trained her body in the past, it was all in the past. She wasn't as fit as she used to.
"Tsk! Hang on tight, sweetheart!" Irene warned Shirley who was carried in her arms, before uttering sothing that would shock Nicholas, "Killing Technique: [Sparkle]!" Her soles lit up, before a blast of Qi was directed at Nicholas.
Boom!
"Gah! This accursed hag! What have you done?!"
Nicholas was montarily blinded by the light. Luckily, he had managed to pull himself, before the blast had happened. Thus, resulting only in montary blindness. When he regained his vision once again, Irene was already close to the door.
She was eager to get out of the room. However, Nicholas rely smirked.
Bam!
"Huh?!"
Irene, who had kicked the door with every power she had, was surprised. The door that should be fragile, didn't break under her imnse force. Her spine turned cold. She knew who was the culprit.
"Hahaha! Did you think I wouldn't make any precaution? I know this thing would happen when I formulated my plan!"
"Nicholas! What are you planning to do?!"
"Well... who knows?" Nicholas smirked, and clenched his fist. Mana gathered around him, and it was accumulating in his clenched fist. Then, he uttered his Spell, "[Burning Gauntlet]!" His fist was instantly coated in fire.
Smirking coldly at Irene, he dashed at her.
Whoosh!
While carrying Shirley, Irene utilized her Movent Technique to her very best. She could only run. She couldn't fight Nicholas. She was outclassed badly.
Gritting her teeth, she ignored the pain her body was enduring. She needed to get Shirley out of here.
Sadly, fate wasn't in her favor. Nicholas caught up to her, and reappeared before her. Her eyes widened, and Nicholas smirked.
"Surprise, old hag!" Nicholas swung his fire coated fist at Irene.
Bam!
"Gahak!"
Irene was thrown backward like a bullet. Blood spurted out of her mouth due to the internal injury she suffered. It hurt badly. However, she kept hugging Shirley tightly to protect her from the collision.
When her body landed on the ground, she couldn't twitch even a muscle. The fatigue, and the pain she was enduring was unbearable. Shirley sat herself up, and looked down at the lying Irene.
"Irene! No, no, no, no! Irene, please wake up!"
Irene's abdon was scorched badly. The skin was peeled, and it was bleeding profusely. She constantly coughed from ti to ti, and it was easy to deduce her stomach was ruptured.
"You endured well. I didn't even know you were Knight."
Shirley jumped in fright, before pulling Irene's body close to her. Nicholas rely laughed at the scene in amusent. At that mont, Irene held Shirley's hand, and muttered softly.
"You have to run, sweetheart. This man is not your father anymore."
"No! I won't leave without you!"
Shirley was crying profusely, and Irene could only smile bitterly. Things wouldn't end beautifully, and she was sure about it. Thus, she cried at her helplessness.
"Who trained you, Irene?" Nicholas asked, without any care to Irene's bitter thought. Surprisingly, the latter answered him, "It was my Master. My one and only true Master." Instantly, Nicholas' eyes darkened.
"So, it was the accursed Halton, huh?"
His mind travelled back to the past.
***
[Nicholas' Recount]
I was shocked when I received the baby in my hand. Looking at the tall man in front of , I asked with trembling voice.
"Lord Rotherre, what is this?"
"Nicholas... Among all of my subordinates, you are the longest by my side. Therefore, I trust you the most. I will entrust my precious treasure to you. I hope you can keep him well."
The shocked couldn't mutter anything, except, "Who is the baby?" Halton answered without missing a beat, "My son. My most precious treasure." His eyes were warm, and tenderness could be felt from the aura he was exuding.
My eyes teared up. There was only one reason he entrusted his son to . There must be sothing going to happen to him.
Rustle.
The bushes around us trembled, before six white hooded figures erged. My body tensed. The aura those people were exuding was suffocating. However, like always, my lord, Halton Rotherre, was unfazed. He faced the people gallantly.
"Nicholas!" He called . "Yes?" I answered. "Keep my son safe." He smirked before charging at the six figures.
I stood there dumbly, not knowing what to do, before I was awaken by the scene that would be forever etched to my brain. It was the scene where one of the figures' hand pierced Halton's heart. It happened when he was facing my way.
It happened because he protected .
"Kuhuk!" He coughed blood, and it was splashed on my face, and clothes alike. "Damn, bastard...! What are you doing here? Go!" Even with the pain he must be enduring, he could still muster the power to smirk.
I ran to the very best I could, leaving my lord, who had changed my fate for the better, behind. It was raining that night. The blood on my face was washed away. However, the bloodstain still remained on my clothes.
I wished the rain could wash away the mory too. However, it couldn't. I didn't know whether I was crying or it was the rain. However, I was very sure everything was blurry. Looking down at the bundle in my hands, the treasure my lord had entrusted , I didn't know what to do.
I hugged the baby closely. I was determined to keep the baby with . That was, surely, until another shocking thing was revealed.
"Halton Rotherre has betrayed humanity. He joined his hands with the people from 'Beyond'."
"W-what do you an, Great Pontiff?"
"I an it as what you have heard."
I was shaken. People from 'Beyond' is our way to call the people living in the area whose Obelisk isn't conquered yet. It is said those people pledged their loyalty to the Obelisk Master for them to be able to stay there.
The kind, righteous, and amiable Halton Rotherre, my lord, joined hands with them? I was simply shaken. I couldn't believe what I heard, until the evidence was shown to . That day, I discovered myself had been betrayed for the entire ti. Since that day, I spite betrayal the most.
I didn't know how I should act from then on. Things escalated quickly. The Viscount title was handed to , and anything related to Rotherre was exterminated. It was gone like it had never existed before.
People also quickly forgot of Halton. However, I couldn't just forget him. I have the thing that reminds of him everyti. In other words, his son. My indignation toward Halton's betrayal was constantly provoked everyti I saw the baby.
I had even thought to kill the baby. However, I was reminded by my own common sense. He was just a baby. Babies are born bereft of any sin. They are born without any mistake. I couldn't vent my anger on him.
But still, my rage didn't quell that easily. Thus, I distanced myself away from him. I was afraid the betrayal he reminded of would make eventually kill him.
[End of Recount]
I am awaken from my thought, and by the ti I realized it, I am already ripping my daughter's clothes off. I know she's my daughter. She is born between and my betrayer of a wife. But, I am already losing it.
I can't bear it any longer. The betrayal that is constantly happening to makes this way. I have been lied to in my whole life! Everyone is ssing with . Now, it is my ti to ss with them!
As I am close to tear the undergarnts of my screaming daughter, the barrier I set on the room is broken.
Bam!
The door opened, and soone steps inside. The sheer aura he is exuding reminds of that day. The person enters the room, and I can finally see him fully. He wears a luxurious white suit, and it is ruffled due to whatever reason it is.
He looks my way, and I can finally see his face. He is soone I know. With as eyes as cold as the coldest abyss, he stares at with a concentrated bloodlust.
"Well, well, well. The son of a betrayer has co!"
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