āCongratulations on your revenge, Angelica. ā¦ā¦ How do you feel now?ā
Brad asked, unconcerned that his father had been slaughtered in front of him.
He walked around to the front of Angelica, who was still standing in the position in which she had crushed Count Calcifer, and bent down to look at her face.
āItās not as emotional as I imagined it would be. Itās boringā¦..No, itās not. Is it empty?ā
Count Calcifer was the man who had refused the call for reinforcements from his allies, the Ilkas, and had sent Angelicaās family to their deaths as a result.
It was the first time sheād ever had to avenge the deaths of her family, but Angelicaās heart was strangely calm.
āIsnāt that what revenge is all about?ā
āNo, it isnāt. Itās not that revenge is empty, itās that itās not enough that it ended so easily.ā
Angelica thinks.
Sheād like to see more resistance.
āHow can a traitor to a vicious Empire be as weak as this?ā¦ā¦Shouldnāt the enemy be stronger and more powerful?
It is unforgivable that the man who killed her family should be of this calibre.
It is a shame for the family that the house of Ilkas has been destroyed by such a trifling little villain.
āI wonder if my feelings will ever be satisfied until the Empire is destroyed. I will not be satisfied until I have destroyed the enemies of the kingdom, the enemies of the House of Ilkas.ā
āIs that so?ćMy bride is a greedy girl if she treats my family, the largest noble family on the eastern border, as an appetizer.ā
Smiling, Brad took Angelicaās hand.
He kissed her bloodied right hand and slowly dropped to one knee to the floor.
āOh, my dear bride, Angelica, the Red Angel of Death. I will see to the end how your vengeance will end.ā
āTo the endā¦ā¦ā
Angelica looked down at Brad with a cold stare as he knelt down and sang as if he were proposing to her.
Then she flips her right hand and puts a dagger to his neck.
āā¦ā¦!ā
āYou do understand right? You are one of the Counts of Calcifer. Youāre one of my enemies.ā
āā¦..Yes, Iām one of your enemies. Iām one of the people who took your family from you.ā
He grabbed Angelicaās right hand and pulled her towards him.
The thin point of the dagger plunges shallowly into his neck, and a stream of blood trickles down.
āIād be happy to be killed by you. The only thing I would like is for you to kill me with a kiss instead of this tactless blade.ā
Brad laughs at Angelicaās physiological disgust and wipes her neck with his sleeve to remove the blood.
āā¦ā¦Brad. Iām going to let you live because youāre still useful. Iāll kill you last. If you want to see me avenged, Iāll kill you after Iāve finished with all the enemies of the kingdom.ā
āIām honoured. Iād be very happy to be there for you in your final moments.ā
āWell, then youād better make yourself useful to me before I kill you. Iām going to blow you up so cleanly that you wonāt be able to see a trace.ā
She then walks away, leaving Angelica to her own devices.
The locked door is opened and Bradās men, who had sealed off the room, enter at the same time as Angelica.
Covering their mouths and noses with clothes, they take their cleaning tools and begin to clear away the remains of the massacre, as they had been instructed to do in advance.
Brad stood and watched Angelicaās back with euphoric eyes, then picked up an apple from the fruit platter on the table.
The apple was a little old, perhaps a servantās mistake. It was overripe and the skin was discoloured.
But Brad didnāt hesitate to take a bite of the ripe fruit and chewed the flesh off the skin.
āā¦.. Fruit and women taste best when theyāre rotten. You are much more attractive than you used to be. My dear, dear Angelica.ā
A lovely woman who grew up nourished by loyalty to her kingdom and corrupted by revenge.
Brad Calciferās lips twisted into a crescent smile at the thought of his beautiful but terrible bride.