The Tyrant Won’t Let Me Go - Chapter 39

Turning around, I saw a stranger in a black robe.

 

“What? Who are you?”

 

The large robe that completely covered her face, so even the gender of the person was unknown.

 

“Hey, k-knight!”

 

When I looked down, I saw a bare finger sticking out between the sleeves of the robe, which was draped so that I wouldn’t see even a single strand of hair.

 

“Knight, have mercy on me.”

 

It was the voice of a woman who had rested a lot, and had a shrill voice.

 

The fragrance of alcohol vibrating between thick robes made me frown.

 

“Here…”

 

Anyway, I couldn’t turn a blind eye to the person asking for help, so I threw a penny of gold coins into her hand, which she collected.

 

The woman grabbed my clothes again as I was about to turn around and walk back to the carriage.

 

“Knight, there’s only one. Knight?”

 

I frowned and didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, so I threw in another gold coin.

 

“Hey, why only two?”

 

The woman spoke in a voice as if scratching with iron, touching the gold coin in her hand.

 

“You’re so cold-hearted. Was that the mercy of the person who protects the Empire?”

 

With a frown, annoyed by the woman’s attitude like it was natural for me to hand out additional gold coins as she wants.

 

Caliberne also said she didn’t like her attitude.

 

[Oh, doesn’t she cross the line already?]

 

“You’re talking nonsense.”

 

Then the woman said with a big smile.

 

“Do you have the audacity to think you could wash away your sins for eight years with only two gold coins?”

 

At this point, I had a feeling that she wasn’t simply a vagrant who came to beg.

 

Eight years. Do you know anything about me?

 

It bothered me to talk about that specific time of eight years.

 

It’s only been eight years since I met Cedric and started living as a member of the Imperial Knights.

 

“But what do you mean by sin?”

 

As I joined the Imperial Knights, I lived a neat life than anyone else, far from committing any sin.

 

Of course, due to the hard training and preparing for Cedric’s class, I was forced to live like that.

 

Anyway, I didn’t do anything to commit a crime, and I didn’t have time to do that.

 

Being wary of the thought of acting strange no matter how I looked at it, I glanced over at the woman wearing a black robe.

 

But with the worn-out robe and the thin wrist seen between the sleeves, it was completely impossible to figure out who she was.

 

“What do you want?”

 

When I asked in a sharp tone, her mouth, which was slightly exposed under the hem of the robe, smiled.

 

An unpleasant, evil smile.

 

“Huh?”

 

Then I know for sure. I definitely remember those dry… parched lips.

 

“I can’t believe it.”

 

At that time the wind was blowing, the robe covering the woman’s head tilted.

 

As a result, her rich silver hair, which was hidden by the black robe, swayed in the wind.

 

Silver hair just like mine.

 

A face that looks just like me, except for the wrinkles.

 

Black eyes that looked dead.

 

“How dare you treat your mother like this! Ha, even if you ask for forgiveness.”

 

The moment I recognized who she was, a white snowstorm hit my eyes, and the memory of that day when the biting cold wind brushed against my cheeks like a blade flashed through my mind.

 

“You think that after entering the Imperial Palace, you’ve changed your roots, which used to roll like a bug in the slums.”

 

Taking a deep breath without realizing it when I remembered the moment I first arrived in front of the Herceli Orphanage eight years ago.

 

A swirling snowstorm.

 

An old orphanage that looks like it would crumble.

 

My Mother, who didn’t look back after letting go of my hand.

 

That feeling of being left alone in a pure white empty space.

 

Just the thought of it, was such a painful memory.

 

“Yeah, even if the people around you find out who you really are, do you think they’ll stay by your side?”

 

“What?” ᶜᶦᵉˡ

 

“What I meant, if they knew your secret, would they still be by your side?”

 

“Secret? What do you mean secret?” ᶜᶦᵉˡ

 

“You asked what I wanted earlier.”

 

She spoke with a smirk around her lips.

 

“It’s simple. I want you to do what I tell you. If you do that, I’ll keep your secret.”

 

“If you refuse, I’ll let the world know your secret, okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

A yellowish tooth could be seen between the lips of the silver-haired woman who was smirking.

 

“Then you’ll be abandoned by those great Imperial Palace people.”

 

The one who abandoned me, the one who made me live in a sense of loss that I was abandoned by the whole world, seemed to rejoice over the fact that I would be abandoned again.

 

“Everything will come back to its place. You’ll roll desperately down the ground again. You should have done that in the first place.”

 

“What nonsense…” ᶜᶦᵉˡ

 

“That’s how it works. You’re no different from me. Wasn’t it unfair that you’re the only one that rose?”

 

As she spoke, blood was rushing in her eyes as she took a deep breath, most probably from excitement.

 

Biting the flesh inside my mouth the moment I noticed the anger in her eyes that seemed to pop out.

 

Immediately, I could smell blood in my mouth.

 

“It was amazing, hearing that you played and ate alone, living as if you’re a noble, without even thinking about finding the parents who gave birth to you. Well, this mother could forgive you anyway. Because there’s a bond between a parent and a child.”

 

She said as she reached out her hand.

 

“If you listen to this request of mine, I can cover up your secret.”

 

“I don’t want to.” ᶜᶦᵉˡ

 

She frowned at my firm answer without hesitation. Then she took a step closer and she asked in a sarcastic voice.

 

“Are you crazy?”

 

“No, I’m sane.” ᶜᶦᵉˡ

 

“You’ll regret it. Aren’t you scared?”

 

The bloody-dark eyes stared intently at me.

 

As if trying to find weakness, desperately.

 

Well I expected my mother to return not long after I was abandoned.

 

A few weeks later, when I found out that it wouldn’t happen, I had come to hate her.

 

But sometimes, I defended her, telling myself, ‘Maybe she lived a difficult life.‘

 

And now, I only knew it when I looked into her eyes, which was busy finding my weakness.

 

While standing there, she must have been waiting with bloodshot eyes trying to pull me down.

 

There was no happy ending like those fairy tales that reunited with their child they abandoned, sought forgiveness, and looked lovingly at the child who grew up and begged for forgiveness.

 

 

The only thing that caught her eyes was not longing and tears, but also a bitter greed.

 

Staring straight into her eyes and said, “Are you afraid of ants on the street?”

 

In an instant, her face turned cold.

 

“What?”

 

Nodding to myself still staring at her, who looked as if she didn’t understand what I said.

 

“Before being my parent, I can’t be afraid of you who can’t act like a human and just crawl on the floor like an ant.”

 

The hand sticking out through the robe was shaking.

 

As if she couldn’t stand my words.

 

“You’re ungrateful!”

 

A small knife was in her hand as she rushed forward without hesitation.

 

And I quickly took out the dagger I was wearing on my waist and hit the knife flying towards me.

 

The moment my dagger and her knife collided, a dazzlingly bright spark splashed.

 

“Argh!”

 

Drops of blood fell on the floor along with the scream.

 

The knife, which hit my dagger and flew from her hand, bounced away.

 

When she discovered that her knife had fallen out of reach, she cursed in her evil voice.

 

“Ugh, damn it!”

 

I wrapped her right hand around and pointed my dagger at her neck as she glared at me fiercely.

 

At the end of the dagger, a blue spark splashed wildy.

 

“How dare you say that to your mother…!”

 

She muttered like a supporting villain and reached out towards Ciel.

 

If you attacked me with that knife, you still wouldn’t be able to reach, but it seemed like you’re out of your mind in anger.

 

Just then, a sword popped out of all directions and aimed at her neck

 

Cedric’s guards, including Sera, were aiming at her coldly.

 

“Don’t touch her.”

 

An overbearing voice with a clear warning was directed at the woman.

 

Cedric’s red eyes, growling like a beast and aiming a sword at the woman, flashed with an eerie hue.

 

“If you don’t want your neck to be cut off.”