Chương 5: Role Without A Self: Chapter 4

Chonga. Bang. Bang. Bang. An older maid made her way downstairs carrying two enormous pots filled with food. After reaching the ground, she lowered them carefully before heading back up to bring down the trays and utensils used to distribute meals to the prisoners. Cling. Cling. Cling. Ding! A small signal echoed through the corridors to call the prisoners, but it was muffed over the loud cheers and excitement of the people it tried to inform that mealtime had arrived.

Each prisoner received a bowl of rice, a thick serving of soup with meat, and utensils of their choosing. The food was still steaming hot, and its smell spread through the corridors, reaching even the deepest parts of the prison.

Saintess Seraphina leaned in close to his ear to whisper some words only Nate could hear. She even covered her mouth as she did so, ensuring no one else could catch what she said. After her set of actions, she held her hand out and an attendant quickly placed down a handkerchief. While she cleaned her hands, she was making her way back to her temporary seat, when she noticed a pile of untouched and partially rotten food. A frown crossed her face as she noticed a faint dark mist swarming around within it.

'Luckily, it's quite weak.' She clenched her robes tightly before quickening her steps.

'I need to alert-' The aroma filled the cold stones of the prison.

'Faa-damnit' That Thing had already started feasting on the aroma. So, Saintess Seraphina did what she knew best, she raised the same handkerchief from earlier and lightly covered her nose. She did not want anything of that caliber near her. Her assistants immediately noticed her discomfort. They quickly brought out fans and air filters, redirecting airflow away from her. The guards also formed a controlled "bubble" around her, ensuring the smell did not reach her seat.

Essentially cutting off the 'oxygen' supply of that creature. During the setup, Seraphina turned toward Nate Monet, she wanted to test something.

"Are you excited for the meal today?" she asked. Nate pursed his lips.

"Is that a yes or a no?" she tilted her head.

"You have to be more clear with your thoughts, Nate Monet."

"I don't want any of your so-called meat," Nate said coldly, meeting her gaze directly.

"Why is that?" she asked.

"You can't be serious." Nate replied, his eyes unwillingly drifting towards the frantic mist.

"You and I both know what 'meat' truly is."

"Oh…?" She studied him for a moment.

"Could that be the reason you refused to eat the meals presented to you these past few days?" The young man remained silent, lips pressed together.

"Oh my goodness, you're such a dear," she said lightly.

"But at the beginning, you were eating quite happily. Unless…" Her eyes sharpened slightly, as she pursed her lips.

"You see it, don't you?" she asked.

"Would that change anything?" he answered.

"That's true," she said after a pause.

"It's quite sad, but… it could have been put to good use." She let out a small sigh. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"If I tell you… if I knew this earlier…"

"You would have set me up in a crowded prison, wouldn't you?" Nate finished her sentence.

"Oh my," she laughed lightly, though her eyes told a different story.

"You're such a jokester." sign"Why was it you?" she murmured to herself.

"We can't change the past," Nate said flatly.

"Therefore, it is no longer a question of why." Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

"Such a beautiful, yet romantic scene. What a shame, though. The little game you were trying to play has long been seen through by me."

"Father?" Saintess Seraphina Aurelia Valcrest stood up in shock, in contrast to the figure of the Duke who slowly walked in carrying a heavy presence despite his silent footsteps.

"What brings you here?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly at the end.

"Well, if I did not appear, dear, you would have allowed an insignificant variable to slip through, wouldn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked. The duke snapped his fingers. One of the shadow guards stepped forward, carrying a frightened girl who bore a striking resemblance to the individual in chains. Her mouth was covered with a cloth, preventing her from speaking. As she looked around in panic, fear filling her eyes as she tried to understand where she was, the Duke spoke.

"This is a rat I found trying to escape. It seems she had a very elaborate yet interesting path planned." He turned his gaze toward Seraphina.

"Care to explain?" Seraphina pursed her lips, refusing to engage.

"If you won't talk, then…" the Duke said, looking toward the shadow guard. The shadow guard immediately understood and removed the cloth stuffed into the girl's mouth.

"She will." After the cloth was removed from Jeanette Monet's mouth, she glared at the Duke with hatred. Gathering saliva in her mouth, she spat at him.

"Die, you old bastard!" she said, almost gritting her teeth. Duke Valcrest looked at the spit that landed on the lower corner of his coat with absolute disgust.

"Kill her." The guard pulled out a weapon, ready to shoot. But Nate Monet, who had been lying still throughout this entire process, suddenly opened his eyes. In a flash, he moved toward the guard, using his magic to stop him from killing his sister. However, the Duke had long anticipated his actions. A barrier was already surrounding him, making Nate's magic completely useless.

"You've finally decided to stop pretending to be weak, I see," the Duke said.

"Quite a pity, though."

"Everything before this was merely speculation. Had you not acted, you and your sister might have gotten off completely free." He laughed heartily.

"You're still far too young." The Duke turned his attention toward Saintess Seraphina.

"You created the perfect scenario, the perfect play, and yet, with just a little provocation, everything falls apart." He pointed at Jeanette Monet and Nate Monet.

"You see these creatures? They are worthless. As a Valcrest, you should know that working with variables is never the best strategy. They could always turn on you."

"Like how he did. He turned on your plan just to protect his so-called sister." The Duke snapped his fingers. The person who had been disguised as Jeanette Monet collapsed, and another guard stepped forward to catch them.

"This whole charade was nothing but a ruse. Your sister was never here." He laughed loudly, the sound only fueling Nate Monet's anger. The Duke had made one mistake. He could insult him. He could threaten him. He could even use his position against him. But he could not mock his relationship with his sister and expect Nate to remain calm. Nate Monet's fury burned through him. He did not care that the Duke had a barrier around him. He did not care about the consequences waiting afterward. He wanted the man dead.

The consequences could come later. He would deal with them when they arrived. Nate lunged forward in rage. But he failed to notice that, at some point, the figures in front of him had changed. The person standing there was no longer the Duke. It was a young man, completely terrified, staring at him. But Nate only saw the 'Duke laughing at him', he had fallen into a hallucination which was slowly shattering. Before he could react to the change, he had already attacked him.

The scene that followed was brutal, leaving the young man suffering a gruesome and painful death.