༺ Sincerely ༻
“…Heave-ho.”
Mistaking the chair leg for Frey’s leg, Lulu fell asleep, her drool wetting it as she snuggled against it. Carefully lifting Lulu, Frey laid her down on the bed in her room.
– Swooosh…
Carefully, he tucked away the strand of hair she had in her mouth behind her.
“Hehe…”
Frey gently stroked her hair, ensuring she wouldn’t wake up. Even in her sleep, Lulu seemed to revel in his touch, flashing a content smile.
“For now… I need to keep you hidden in the mansion for a while.”
Looking at her with affectionate eyes, Frey adjusted his attire and headed towards the door of her room.
“…That damned woman shouldn’t have targeted you from the very start.”
Worried that she might wake up and cling to him, asking to come along, Frey quickly left Lulu’s room.
“Go down and get ready.”
““………””
“It seems my words mean nothing to you.”
Speaking in a cold tone to Alice and Arianne, who had been waiting quietly outside the room, Frey continued.
“I can send you back to jail at any time. The verdict allows for it. If that happens, not only will you be expelled from the academy, but you’ll also face severe consequences in prison.”
At the mention of expulsion, the two girls flinched. Frey gazed sharply at them, walking between the two.
“Just follow my orders quietly. Don’t even think about anything stupid.”
““…Yes.””
Reluctantly responding to his words, the two girls followed Frey as he began descending the stairs.
– Swoosh…
Withdrawing his gaze from the girls, Frey pulled out his walking stick.
The two girls briefly exchange glances, subtly trying to close the distance between them and Frey.
“…Have you called for the carriage?”
However, Frey, with a brief jolt in the hand holding the walking stick, turned to the girls and asked a question.
“It should be waiting outside.”
“Did you affix the family crest? I worry if lowly girls like you would have done it properly.”
“…There should be no mistake.”
“Well, we’ll see.”
Frey, looking pleased with the respectful addresses from the two girls, resumed walking.
“Ah, wait…”
Arianne, surprised by Frey’s unexpectedly faster pace, attempted to stop him, but…
“…Never mind.”
Alice grabbed Arianne’s arm.
“Let’s be clear.”
“……..”
Arianne, hesitating with trembling eyes, looked at Alice.
“You stay out of this, I will handle it alone.”
“But…”
“I just found out that you can’t kill people. Unless it’s to protect and defend.”
Lost in thought, Arianne was interrupted by the cold voice of Alice, who fidgeted with the dagger in her arms.
“After it’s done, make sure to clean up well. If you don’t want to get involved, you can use a protective barrier around the area.”
“I, I’ll help too…”
“Do as you wish. But don’t get in the way.”
Before long, Alice transformed from the upright and intelligent representative of the commoners into a skilled assassin from the Moonlight family.
“Welcome, Frey.”
Alice hastened her steps and left behind the gloomy Arianne, and accompanied Frey out of the doorway and into the carriage.
“The destination is…”
“Go to this place.”
“Understood.”
Soon after, the woman naturally took a seat beside him.
“I’ll rest a bit until we arrive.”
“…Understood.”
Leaning slightly towards her with closed eyes, Frey murmured after responding in a soft voice.
‘I’m sorry, Frey. You won’t be arriving there.’
Each time she was set to assassinate a target, her homicidal urges would surge and for some reason, they were even stronger now, consuming her entirely.
‘…Forever.’
A moment later, the carriage set off.
.
.
.
.
.
“……Mmmm.”
“…………”
Inside the carriage, which was moving rather slowly towards the destination Frey had mentioned, Alice sat rigidly.
“Hmm…”
On her shoulder, Frey was nodding off, his head resting against her.
The very target she was to assassinate today, the prey she needed to hunt, completely defenseless, was entrusting his body to her.
From the perspective of a skilled assassin like her, this situation resembled a well-prepared feast just waiting for her to indulge.
She felt an overwhelming urge to dig in.
– Rustle…
While contemplating drawing the knife she held and aiming it at Frey’s throat, she yearned to partake in the feast.
He was known to be the one responsible for imprinting the ‘Curse of Familial Subordination’ on her and her associates.
She harbored a desire for revenge against Frey, knowing he could control her with just one word.
“……..”
Yet, Alice suppressed such urges.
That wasn’t the plan. Killing him now would implicate the innocent girl standing before her. So, she exercised transcendent patience, awaiting instructions secretly conveyed through the curse.
“Hmmm…”
But something was off today.
Her patience, usually a well-honed tool during her assassination missions, had been wearing thin.
“What the… What…?”
Every time Frey breathed against her shoulder, two emotions raced through her, clashing fiercely against each other.
One of them, of course, was murder.
The disgust she felt for Frey, the man who had created the ‘curse’ that had turned her and her comrades into puppets of the Secret Lord.
The displeasure and disgust she experienced in the morning when she woke up to find him standing in front of her with a meaningful expression, threatening to turn her into a sex slave on an imaginary day.
Furthermore, the various other negative emotions she felt when he did his various evil deeds all came together to give her a very strong sense of ‘killing intent’.
For some reason, it was worse today.
“Hmmm…”
The unknown emotion that accompanied that killing intent puzzled Alice. The cold-hearted woman, both outwardly and inwardly, had been artificially trained not to feel most emotions during assassinations.
What she was feeling now was quite ‘disturbing’.
‘I wonder what…’
Deciding that it was time to analyze the cause, she diligently analyzed her emotions.
“I don’t know…”
However, after quite a while, she couldn’t draw any proper conclusions.
For some reason, every time she looked at Frey’s pale face, she hesitated to kill him.
It was impossible to pin down her ambiguous state to a single emotion.
– Swish…!
Alice, engrossed in the greatest challenge of her assassination life, suddenly turned her gaze as the flow of air changed.
– Crack!
“…Ugh.”
A rock struck the spot where she was looking at the window.
“What the…?”
Although the stone didn’t penetrate the magic circle, as the carriage was well protected, it was enough to open Frey’s eyes, who pretended to be asleep and surveyed the situation.
“What…”
Even though he hadn’t been sleeping, Frey rubbed his eyes and groggily looked out the window.
“…….”
And then he froze.
“Damn.”
People on the street were throwing rocks at him, angry and furious.
Some were throwing bottles instead of rocks, others were throwing eggs, and a few even brandished wooden pokers.
“Get off me!”
“…Ugh!”
Naturally, those people were immediately arrested by the surrounding security forces.
“You trash…”
“Just go die.”
“Why are the guards not arresting him…”
It was impossible to apprehend everyone spewing insults.
The crest of the Starlight family on the carriage gleamed brightly in the sunlight, capturing the attention of everyone in the marketplace. The onlookers spilled onto the streets, reacting with hostility.
“…How amusing.”
Frey, momentarily frozen, soon lifted the corners of his mouth, his expression revealing intrigue.
“No matter what they say, I’m perfectly safe here.”
His reaction further fueled the anger of the crowd. After observing the chaotic scene in the paralyzed streets for a while, Frey seemed to lose interest and nonchalantly closed the carriage curtain with a click of his tongue.
“How strange…”
At that moment, Alice’s suspicions intensified.
“What’s going on…”
She had noticed it.
A fleeting expression, discernible only to a seasoned assassin like her, one trained to scrutinize every nuance of their target.
She caught Frey’s expression.
For a split second, Frey had a terrified, hurt, anxious, and sad expression.
‘Did I truly waver just from witnessing that?’
Certainly, beholding such vulnerability in her target, Frey, didn’t evoke any sympathy or mercy. For a seasoned assassin like Alice, the chance of experiencing those emotions was as likely as her letting out a sneeze.
But why?
Why did she hesitate, even a little, after seeing his expression?
It wasn’t born out of sympathy. She had grown too emotionally detached for such sentiments.
Could it be love? That seemed implausible. There appeared to be no possibility of her suddenly developing feelings for Frey.
‘Maybe it’s just my mood…’
Ultimately, she chalked it up to having a bad day, contributing to her emotional turbulence. With that realization, she discreetly continued observing Frey.
“Alice.”
Before she could register it, Frey, who had been scrutinizing her intently, spoke to her.
“Take good care of me tonight as well, okay?”
Frey said with a creepy smile.
“……..!”
Upon hearing those words, Alice felt a chill run down her spine.
“Ee, eek…!”
The applause she heard every morning, which she had been trying to ignore. A tingling sensation. The satisfied look on Frey’s face.
As the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, an uncontrollable surge of anger coursed through her.
“You, you bastard…!”
It was peculiar. As much as she had despised and wished such a situation would never occur, her reaction seemed disproportionate.
Even if her emotions exploded, she, who was trained to prioritize the mission, shouldn’t have fallen for such a distasteful provocation.
– Swish…!
For some reason, an infuriated Alice, having lost her rationality, had quickly drawn her blade and pierced Frey’s left arm.
“Hmm.”
“……!”
Frey observed the unfolding situation with interest, while Arianne was flustered by the unexpected turn of events.
‘What… What have I done?’
Swiftly regaining her composure, Alice began to think on her feet.
‘I’ll think about that later….for now, I have to deal with this situation.’
Having made up her mind, Alice forcefully twisted the knife embedded in Frey’s arm, aiming to inflict pain and incapacitate him.
“…Hmm.”
“……?”
However, she soon found herself panicking.
“What are you trying to do?”
Because Frey did not show any sign of pain and looked at her with a calm expression.
“What did you do to your body…”
Though flustered, Alice attempted to maintain her composure and pull the blade from Frey’s arm.
“…Eh?”
To her surprise, the blade refused to budge.
– Whirrrrr…
“Oh.”
A sudden surge of dark energy emanated from Frey’s arm, tightly gripping the blade.
“What is this…”
Drenched in cold sweat, she swiftly attempted to draw another weapon, but…
– Clang…!
“Ah!!!”
In an instant, Frey, wearing a cold expression, seized her by the collar with his left hand and forcefully slammed her onto the carriage floor.
“Ugh…”
“……..”
Given the numerous soundproofing and protective magic spells within the carriage, the impact was enough to stun her.
And just like that, the situation was swiftly resolved.
“How… How did you…”
“Did you think the Demon King didn’t grant me any power?”
“Ah…”
“There’s no need to command you through the curse. You’re no match for me even in your normal state.”
After a brief silence, Alice asked such a question.
“Just kill me.”
Hearing Frey’s mocking reply, she spoke with a trembling voice.
“I don’t want to live like this anymore either.”
She spoke looking at Frey with a face full of disgust and revulsion.
“Every night, being treated like that by you… Death is better.”
“That was a lie, you know.”
“Shut up, just kill me. You bastard.”
Like a defeated warrior, she declared, while Frey looked down at her, smiling.
“I don’t want to.”
He whispered coldly.
“…..Ugh.”
Upon hearing his words, Alice tightly closed her eyes.
Like a prey overpowered by a predator, she blamed herself, feeling weak and pathetic. She chewed on her lips.
“Pwah.”
Then, she spat blood-stained saliva at Frey.
‘Kill me… Just kill me…’
It was a provocation, desperately wanting him to end her life.
‘Please…’
However, failing the mission triggered the Curse of Familial Subordination, casting a web of excruciating pain upon her and her companions. Simultaneously, dreadful consequences loomed over the children she cherished as younger siblings. To avert this fate, she faced a grim choice: either take her own life or be killed before the curse’s activation.
“Just kill me already…!!!”
Amidst her cries and pleas, Frey gazed down at her and, unexpectedly, took a different course.
“Heave-ho.”
“Eh?”
In an instant, he lifted her and settled her beside him.
“Want to make a bet…?”
“A bet?”
Then, Frey smirked.
“My power weakens every week.”
“What?”
Alice’s eyes widened in shock. Chuckling, Frey opened a window, casting a thoughtful gaze outside as he continued his story.
“So, try to kill me every week.”
“What do you mean by…”
“No, to be precise… Attempt to assassinate me with all your might, every week.”
Alice wore a baffled expression, unable to comprehend Frey’s words. Arianne, pinching her cheek, wondered if she was in a dream.
“Any attempt during that time, I won’t hold you accountable. You can legally kill me.”
“What…?”
“I’ll even leave a will to ensure your safety. Moreover, people might actually appreciate it. If you succeed in killing me, you’ll probably be treated as a hero.”
Frey’s cryptic proposition continued, and Alice, glaring at him with a small pool of blood in her mouth, spoke in a cold voice.
“Why me…? For what reason…”
“Instead, if you fail to assassinate me…”
“…I knew it.”
Hearing Frey start to lay out his condition, Alice displayed a disgusted expression.
“I’m not your plaything. So…”
“For a week, serve diligently as a maid, without complaining.”
“…..?”
But the words that sprang from Frey’s mouth were not what she had expected.
“Sincerely, just like a maid who has served me for a long time… be a rather diligent servant.”
“…….”
“In return, I’ll give you the chance to assassinate me every week.”
As Frey finished, the atmosphere inside the carriage turned silent.
“What do you think?”
The offer, naturally weakening him week by week and allowing her to legally kill him, was quite tempting to Alice.
No, it wasn’t just tempting. It was an offer she absolutely had to accept.
If she periodically attempts to assassinate him, the pain caused by the constant command to ‘kill Frey’, which persists even if the master dies, would cease.
The same would go for her colleagues.
Additionally, she could become a hero by killing Frey, who she believes was not only the creator of the ‘curse’ that made them like this but also the worst kind of villain.
“Why…are you making such an offer?”
Thus, Alice posed the question again.
“What do you gain from it?” Alice asked, attempting to grasp the underlying motives behind this remarkably advantageous proposal.
“I’m not sure.”
Hearing her, Frey shrugged in response.
“It seems fun?”
Hearing that, Alice frowned.
“…Or maybe, I miss the servants?”
But when Frey said those next words, Alice unknowingly relaxed her expression.
For a fleeting moment, a sad expression crossed his face.
“Well… you guys can figure it out.”
“M, me too?”
“Yes, you too.”
While Arianne posed another question to Frey with a surprised look, Alice spoke with a blank expression.
“Alright.”
Suddenly, her expression turned cold as she declared,
“I don’t know what you’re up to, or what your story is… but I’ll kill you.”
“Alright, it’s settled then.”
Frey smiled slightly upon hearing it, then he opened the curtain with a pleased expression.
“………”
The surroundings of the carriage were still surrounded by protesters waving signs, causing Frey’s expression to darken instantly.
“…Ugh.”
Then, Frey clutched his chest abruptly, his body trembling.
“Whew…”
Despite the palpitations, he made a deliberate attempt to peer outside, maintaining an impassive expression.
“…Anyway, today’s assassination attempt was a failure.”
His voice carried a touch of loneliness as he continued to fix his gaze on the outside world.
“So do me a favor.”
“What favor…?”
“Can you wrap this in bandages?”
Saying this, Frey extended the arm that Alice had attacked.
“………”
Alice observed him in silence.
– Swoosh, swoosh…
She began wrapping Frey’s arm slowly and then flinched momentarily.
“Um…”
As she glanced at Frey, who remained focused on the furious mob brandishing signs, she found herself grappling with the emotions that stirred within her.
The feelings she felt for Frey were…
Similar to the familiarity she felt towards the Hero of Money she’d recently been dining with regularly.
And guilt, as well as self-pity, which she couldn’t quite understand.
“………”
These sentiments were ones an assassin should never entertain.
“I’ll kill you, Frey. If I beat you, I’ll subject you to brutal torture before ending your life.”
“Alright.”
“I won’t fall for your intentions. If I see any hint of you using me… I’ll just kill myself.”
“Do as you wish.”
“And, today’s assassination attempt isn’t over yet. Be prepared.”
“Understood.”
Attempting to quell her emotions, Alice adopted a harsh tone, but Frey seemed unfazed.
“…….”
In the end, she closed her mouth and continued to wrap the bandage around Frey’s arm in silence.
“…I sincerely wish you’d just drop dead.”
Quest Content: Remove Serena’s Curse of Familial Subordination
Progress: 20%
Reward: Annihilation of the Secret Lord, ???, ???, ???, Serena’s 19+ Event Unlocked, Top Priority Designation
A system window popped up in front of Frey, who was smiling softly as he looked outside, and it was only after she said those words that he realized she was done bandaging him up.
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