Chapter 88

“Nuna.”

Tears streamed from eyes that had lost their function.

He forgot even to breathe until the bloody tears traced red lines down to the tip of his chin.

The single streak of blood, spreading red, looked as if the mark of his torn heart had been etched onto his face.

“Nuna.”

There was no answer from the one whose breath had already ceased.

Why, why nuna….

“It wasn’t supposed to be you, Nuna.”

You could have just pretended not to know. Even if you had turned away, ‘we’ wouldn’t have resented you.

Kind nuna must have forgotten how to turn away. That’s why you ended up in this horrific state.

That’s why you died without even being able to close your eyes.

“I’m sorry, nuna.”

He would have to walk a very long road from now on.

Perhaps the day would come when he would forget nuna’s face, her voice, even the gentle touch that used to wipe away his sweat.

But, I will promise you just one thing.

“I will definitely get revenge for you.”

I will definitely get revenge on the one who did this to you.

I can’t easily promise anything, but I will risk my life to… keep this one promise.

“So, close your eyes.”

With a trembling hand, he closed the eyes that she hadn’t been able to close herself, the eyes that had desperately watched over the children’s safety until the very end.

* * *

Waking from the nightmare, Ferdiel said nothing.

He had dreamed it hundreds of times, too many to scream upon waking from a nightmare of the past.

If it were a nightmare he had only once in a while, it would be painful, but when it becomes a daily routine, one grows accustomed to it.

“You’re awake.”

At the unfamiliar voice, Ferdiel slowly turned his head.

“Where is Hartain?”

It was a female priest he’d never seen before. A face that was unpleasantly reminiscent of his sister. An unwelcome guest sent by the Pope, it seemed.

“Sir Ignos has been summoned by the head of the Ignos family and has stepped out for a moment.”

The current head of the Ignos family was the Pope’s dog.

In other words, the Pope had deliberately called Hartain away to create a pretext for filling the spot with his own person.

“Losing something once is enough, is it?”

Muttering softly, Ferdiel suddenly let out a sigh—Hah.

Now he understood. The reason he had shown mercy in Lerwon’s case, which was so out of character for him.

He must have thought they were in similar situations.

An adopted child, worthless parents, a life used as a tool rather than a person.

“Bring me Dr. O X-yeong, was that it?”

“Pardon?”

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

He wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but thinking of it as his own unique form of scream, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. It was actually a little amusing.

“I will assist you.”

“Yes, do as you please.”

He had no intention of leaving his post for the time being anyway.

With an emotionless face, the female priest expertly tidied Ferdiel’s clothes and fixed his hair.

Thanks to her, Ferdiel was instantly transformed into the plausible figure of His Eminence the Cardinal.

“His Holiness the Pope summons you.”

“No, I will go directly to the Ignos family.”

“Your Eminence.”

At the low call, Ferdiel clenched his fists tightly.

Fel couldn’t be harsh with women of this age, especially female priests.

Because they reminded him of his sister. The kind and gentle female priest who couldn’t even close her eyes in the end.

“He is my father, but he has no shame.”

Ferdiel muttered as if he were truly fed up.

The oldest scar. It was truly a disgusting sight to see the very person who created it be the one to exploit it the best.

“Understood. I will go see His Holiness at once.”

Damn it, I really don’t want to go.

Still, once he met the Pope, he would head straight to the Ignos estate to get Hartain.

With that thought, the steps that had felt so heavy became a little lighter.

* * *

Standing before the Pope’s door, a wave of nausea rose within him for some unknown reason.

When he was young, he couldn’t hide his emotions and would vomit without restraint, but now that he was older, that was quite inconvenient.

Ferdiel entered with a beaming smile and, without hesitation, fabricated a gentle voice.

“Father, have you been well?”

“You have a way with words.”

Hearing the Pope’s voice, tinged with a slight displeasure, gave him goosebumps.

“You were the one who taught me.”

Ferdiel’s words, actions, and even his minor habits were all taught by the Pope.

Because the Pope’s son, not some orphan with no parents, had to be perfect in every way.

Thanks to that, few knew that Ferdiel had lost his sight.

Within the Church, only a very select few, only the cardinals trusted by the Pope among the cardinals, were able to survive knowing the truth.

“So, what have you been doing for the past two years to only now return?”

“I thought you would ask something else.”

“What else is there but that?”

“Weren’t you curious whether I had discovered a weakness of a certain count you so despise during my short stay at the Academy?”

Ferdiel asked with a bright smile.

The Pope gave no answer. He simply remained silent.

But, that alone was enough.

“As expected, if he has a weakness, it would only be his son.”

The Count’s weakness couldn’t be hidden anyway. In that case, he had no choice but to mention it first to build at least a little trust.

“The Count’s weakness is his son. Then he must be burning up inside even while pretending not to.”

“I suppose so. His only son is in the hands of His Holiness the Pope, after all.”

Perhaps because he had heard the answer he wanted, the Pope’s face brightened noticeably.

At that satisfied face, Ferdiel’s carefully maintained composure almost shattered.

It seemed his nature of finding particular happiness in others’ misfortune was not going to change. Personality isn’t something one can change at will, but it would be nice if he at least pretended to try.

“Are you planning to make him a heretic?”

Asking about the Pope’s intentions, it was particularly difficult to maintain his usual composure.

“Yes, it would be best to make him a heretic. If that proves too difficult, then creating some charges to keep him in the Church wouldn’t be a bad idea either.”

As long as he was in his hands, he could always find a way to use him.

He was deeply curious to see how Evan Lisitoel would react if his only weakness, his son, was taken from him.

The mere thought of Evan Lisitoel’s smug face contorting was so amusing that he couldn’t help but laugh.

For that reason, he could bestow a measure of mercy on the son who had dared to defy him.

“Well, did you enjoy your two-year excursion?”

What a gentle voice. It even hinted at the mercy of a father embracing his son who had run away from home for two years.

“It was an exceptionally good time.”

“Is that so? Then I would be pleased if you would slowly tell me what happened to you.”

“…If that is what you wish, Father.”

The Pope was a consistently disgusting human being.

Ferdiel barely managed to suppress his urge to vomit and, contrary to his feelings, managed to put on a bright smile.

* * *

“Ueeek.”

Contrary to his plan to head to the Ignos estate to retrieve Hartain, Fel went straight back to his room and emptied his stomach.

Trying to act the part of a gentle and proper son in front of the Pope all day long really felt like his insides were twisting.

“Aigoo, I knew you’d be like this.”

Hartain shook his head at the scene that unfolded as he barely made it back home.

“Shut up, Tan.”

Fel, having emptied his stomach acid and rinsing his mouth with water, grumbled softly.

“What did they say at the Ignos estate?”

“I’ve told you so many times to refrain from throwing up on an empty stomach. You’ll ruin your insides.”

Hartain deftly changed the subject, clearly not wanting to talk about what happened at home.

He wanted to press him for details, but decided to just let it go.

“Do you think smiling sweetly in front of that man is something that can be done with ordinary patience?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Acting the part of a good son in front of the Pope was a rather difficult task even for Fel, who had cultivated a transcendent level of patience.

“I don’t know how many times I thought about just killing him.”

Ferdiel muttered chillingly with a smile on his face.

In truth, he could kill the Pope whenever he wanted. Fel was no longer the child of the past; he was more than capable of killing people.

It was none other than the Pope who had taught the young Fel how to kill.

However, Fel didn’t want to kill the Pope so simply.

That would be too easy a death.

Considering all the atrocities the Pope had committed so far, it couldn’t even be called a punishment.

That was why he had been preparing a judgment that could be called revenge, a long and drawn-out one, for so long.

“Could our plan have been discovered—?”

The real reason Fel had to be away for two years. If the plan they had been preparing for years had been discovered—

“No, I’m sure of it. The Pope knows nothing.”

He had put a tail on Fel, but that was because of his history of being detained at the Academy.

If he had known even a little about the plan, the Pope would have dealt with Fel without hesitation.

Fel was useful, but only as a tool. The Pope was by no means a merciful character who would let a tool aimed at his own throat be.

“Everything is perfect.”

However, a variable still existed. And it was the worst kind of variable, one that could overturn and shake the entire board.

“Theo Lisitoel, that human is the variable, right?”

Hartain, sensing Fel’s thoughts, asked cautiously.

“Yes.”

Fel didn’t bother to deny it.

“If it were up to me, I’d just kill him.”

“You know that’s scary because you’re serious, right?”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Hartain answered shamelessly.

“How could that possibly be a compliment?”

At Fel’s grumbling, Hartain laughed like a fool, and Fel finally felt his stomach settle a little.

“So, what happened to the watch I ordered you to do? Why did you come out?”

“It was Your Eminence who sent me for convenience’s sake anyway, and he said he wanted to be alone from now on and told me to get out on my own?”

“Really?”

Is he up to something?

Fel recalled Theo, who had been smiling with a shameless face.

“He didn’t… escape from prison, did he?”

“Eh, no way.”

The Church’s prison was secure. Especially the prison for sinners awaiting heresy trials.

The reason they didn’t bother to guard the prisoners was because they were confident that the prisoners couldn’t get out, no matter what special abilities they had.

However, for some reason, he had an ominous feeling.

If it was Theo Lisitoel, it might actually be possible.

“Should I go check?”

“No, there’s no need for that.”

Fel swallowed a sigh.

Living as a Heretic Inquisitor, Fel could confidently say he had seen all sorts of crazy people in the world. But among them—

“You seem to be the best, Young Master.”

When Theo opened the window, he saw a person crouched outside.

“Young Master, what do you think?”

“Hehe. I have no idea what you’re talking about?”

Theo, who had escaped from the supposedly inescapable prison of the Church, gave Fel an awkward smile.

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