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Episode 137: Starting Line (II)
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How far could a person go when he or she goes crazy?
Deborah, whose face was covered in soot, thought as she looked at the stuffy iron bars which showed the sky the same size as the palm of her hand.
“If I’m skinny, wouldn’t I be able to get out there…?”
The iron bars were so narrow that it was difficult for even a single hand of Deborah’s to get through.
To begin with, it was a prison built to kill the person it held.
Even the light that came through those grates couldn’t fully illuminate her face.
Nevertheless, she harbored the irrational hope of escape.
‘If I don’t do this, I feel like I’m going to go crazy.’
“I can get out…”
Deborah muttered blankly.
‘I don’t know how many days it’s been since I was in prison.’
No, maybe dozens of days, maybe a month or more.
At first she cried for days and nights, cursing and screaming at the queen.
Then she tormented the guard all day to let her go.
After she was beaten harshly by the guard, she realized the reality.
“Why did this happen?”
Deborah was engrossed in the matter, thinking about it for days.
She just wanted to live well.
As a lady of a poor barony… She wanted to be a person that was like ordinary nobles, like people born with such nobility… That, like that arrogant queen.
She also wanted to be happy.
She just didn’t want to go through the misery of being beaten up for surviving the carriage accident.
She didn’t want to live like her damn parents.
Like her parents, never…!
Hence, so far…
She never failed to do her best.
But why!
No matter how much Deborah thought about it, she couldn’t figure out why she was ruined.
So, after that, she gave up thinking and just slept.
Finally, helplessness came.
When she opened her eyes, there was no distinction between day and night in the prison.
Normally, after this period, all prisoners lost their will.
However…
At first, Deborah did not know about giving up.
Kwang—!
The chains swayed from her body. Deborah put her hand into the narrow iron grate and made a squeaky sound.
‘I can go out when I’m shriveled up.’
It was when she was dreaming the impossible and crazy.
A deep bass rang across the prison.
“Madam Deborah, are you completely crazy already?”
“!”
Deborah, with her hair scattered, looked back in surprise.
There was a friendly face.
No, she would be happy to meet anyone here.
Johann, dressed in black garments, was standing there.
Surprisingly…
Just looking at Johann, Deborah’s eyes became clear in an instant.
A very welcoming look appeared on her face.
“No, of course I know I can’t get out of here.”
“But…”
“…Unless Archduke Marquis helps me.”
Deborah smiled slyly.
With her hair sparse and face dirty, the ‘social butterfly’ grin was somehow eerie.
“You must have come because you have something to say to me, right?”
“Say anything. I’ll listen to anything.”
Johann let out a low laugh.
He seemed to be having a lot of fun.
In fact, Johann very much enjoyed this situation.
“Madam. Deborah… you’re very persistent.”
“You’re here because you have something for me to do.”
“Hmm, how are you sure about that?”
When Johann asked, with his eyes shining as if testing her, Deborah responded with a servile smile.
But contrary to her expression, she was very good at judging the situation.
“At the end, you threw me away as if I was of no use… Yet you looked for me again. In a situation where there was nothing good to do with me. Otherwise, you would have only seen me when I was being executed!”
The corners of Johann’s lips rose.
“And, Archduke, you came without anyone accompanying you, at a time when the guard was not around.”
Seeing that she thought so far in this short period of time, she still seemed useful.
Now that Berylia had lost her memory and his own power was almost complete.
At this crucial time, Johann needed such a tool.
‘I mean, one that will lick the floor.’
Morality that fell to the ground and could do anything… A faithful and smart slave.
Johann said with gentle-looking eyes.
“I’m sorry I sent you like that last time.”
He had never felt sorry for anyone in his life. However, there was a bright smile on Deborah’s face.
‘Well then. Good people are useful in times like this.’
‘That’s how big your heart is, that’s what’s on your mind!’ In front of Deborah, who was firmly deluded, Johann took a document out of his pocket.
It was an ‘amnesty’. The only amnesty that Johann possessed thanks to the sharing of the powers of the emperor.
The moment she saw it, Deborah’s eyes widened and shone.
Swiiik!
Johann pulled his hand back slightly, avoiding her rushing towards the pardon.
His lips were curved.
It was really obvious that he was enjoying the situation.
“I just can’t give it to you…”
“How, how can you give it to me? I’ll do anything, Archduke!”
“Can you really do anything?”
“…Anything! I’ll do anything really!”
“Then first.”
At the same time as he stopped talking briefly, the tips of Johann’s index and middle fingers pressed against Deborah’s forehead.
That moment.
“!”
Hundreds and thousands of images flooded her mind.
A world of only blood and darkness, a terrifying future that Johann and Toulouse were trying to create.
The cries of those who obeyed and suffered.
What he wanted and what he had been hiding suddenly appeared in Deborah’s eyes in that instantaneous moment.
Deborah had no choice but to see the future that this man in front of her, ‘Johann Marquis’, wanted; his true desires.
“…….”
Deborah’s pupils lost focus and an ominous fear began to creep in.
All Deborah dreamed of was power in this complete world.
The future Johann was trying to grasp was of hopeless pain and sin.
“I, I, I, I, go…”
Finally, Deborah opened her mouth and took a step backwards away from him.
Johann, with black eyes sunk like hell, he spoke with his distinctive low tone.
“Why do you cling to me, Madam?”
“….…”
“It’s what you wanted.”
“Oh no…!”
With a grin, Johann tilted his head. A black aura ran down his shoulder and all over his body.
Krrrr-eak.
The gate of the iron fence bent and made way.
“Get out of here! You monster!”
Jak, tak.
Johann crumpled his stature, slipped into the prison cell, and walked towards Deborah.
Then he quickly grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back.
“Ah…”
Deborah’s slender neck helplessly tilted, and she entered Johann’s arms.
He bent his broad shoulders, looking straight down at her.
Those indifferent eyes seemed to be looking at a thing. It gave her goosebumps.
Saaaa—
Soon, a black energy flowed out like a snake from Johann’s lips, forming beads on his hand.
“Open your mouth, Madam.”
“!”
“You said you would do anything, do what I tell you.”
At that moment, a voice was heard from the empty air.
[You can’t use that yet! Because your power is still unstable… What if you can’t get it back?]
“I’ll take care of it. You keep quiet.”
At the sound of a mysterious voice, Deborah burst into tears in terror.
Johann put his index finger into her weeping lips and pushed the marbles deep into her mouth.
“It’s better to live under me than to be executed… Swallow.”
“…Heuk, nhhh.”
The death penalty wasn’t the problem. Deborah knew instinctively that if she didn’t swallow this now, she would be put to death here.
…Gulp.
Eventually, she shut her eyes tightly and swallowed the unknown.
Johann burst out laughing and wiped the hot tears on her face away.
“Well done.”
Deborah shuddered every time he touched her.
As he let go of her hair, she staggered and leaned against the wall.
“What the hell did you feed me…!”
“A part of my heart. ‘Some kind.’”
Deborah’s expression contorted miserably.
“If you disobey my orders, it will ruin you inside.”
“!”
“But don’t worry.”
Johann pulled the messy hair behind her back.
“You can listen well, can’t you, Madam?”
* * *
People’s attention was fast flowing, and the news that Deborah had been given amnesty didn’t last long.
Their interest in the ‘faded’ socialite only slightly boiled and was soon buried.
People evaluated her, saying she really had cockroach-like viability. But that was all.
Rather, the biggest issue was that ‘Her Majesty the Queen had lost her memory’.
The person who would host the banquet was also a small issue, and it was interesting that it was Johann, not Rixus.
People thought, ‘The Archduke has a strong friendship with Her Majesty’.
More than that, no one dared to imagine.
“It’s amazing, all of them, nobles who had spoken to Her Majesty!”
Seryl whispered in my ear.
‘Everything… Has something to do with me?’
Well, it was a banquet to recover my own memories, so it was understandable.
But the invitation by Johann.
‘It means that Johann knows everything about my relationships.’
I didn’t know if I really had a close relationship with him… But it seemed true that Joanhn was deeply interested in me.
“Your Majesty the Queen.”
At that moment, a deep, low-pitched sound flowed into my ears.
Johann, dressed in a fancy banquet suit, said with a smile on his handsome face.
“You came to my banquet.”
“…I’m the main character, I can’t not come.”
His eyes shifted slightly.
“But what about the ring?”
“Berylia.”
At that moment, a languid bass pierced between the two of us.
…It was Rixus.