Chapter 96
“Don’t you hear me telling you to let go?!”
A scuffle could be heard from somewhere. Becky was being grabbed by a man and dragged to a secluded area.
Becky struggled to pull her hands free, but it was no use.
Finally, the man stopped at the edge of the forest, where no one else was around.
Becky quickly yanked her hand away and rubbed her sore wrist. The man gave a crooked smile.
“What’s with us? Feeling a little rough today, huh?”
“I don’t feel like doing anything with you, rough or otherwise!”
“You don’t feel like it? How sad. Last time seemed… quite heated, didn’t it? Was that just my imagination?”
Becky bit her lower lip at the man’s sly words.
Since the day she promised her engagement to Lucas, she had ended things with most men. But there was one—just one—that remained, a little rat of a man.
That was my mistake.
She should have realized when he lunged at her like a beast the day she mentioned her engagement. How many times had he clung to her, claiming it would be the last time?
No matter how much she pushed him away or refused, he constantly sought some kind of contact. Did that mean he liked her?
Impossible.
He was already engaged to another woman. Their relationship was never built on love, so neither she nor he expected anything from it. He simply couldn’t bear to let go.
“Why so quiet? You’re secretly enjoying this, aren’t you?”
The man smirked, placing his hand on Becky’s waist.
Becky clicked her tongue at him, frustrated that no matter what she said, he interpreted it however he pleased.
“Are you already losing your mind? Deaf? I told you I’m not doing this anymore! I said I’m engaged!”
“Who’d think you’ve kept your virtue intact? What’s wrong with being engaged? I’m engaged too, yet here we are having fun. As long as it’s our secret, no one will know.”
“You say that, yet you dragged me out here where people could see. Your fiancée was probably around too, wasn’t she?”
“You kept avoiding me, so I had no choice. I didn’t want this either.”
Her frustration boiled over at his manipulative way of twisting everything onto her. She wanted to shout, but feared that others might come, so she restrained herself.
Steeling herself, Becky grabbed the man by the collar.
“This is the last time. If you pull another stunt like this, I swear, I won’t forgive you.”
The man finally found the response he wanted and stretched his mouth into a snake-like grin.
He moved in on Becky. At first annoyed, Becky soon found herself involuntarily responding to him.
Just as the man kissed her more passionately than usual—
“Becky.”
A voice she shouldn’t have heard reached her ears.
It felt like all the blood in her body drained instantly. Becky reflexively pushed the man away and turned her head toward the voice.
“Lu-Lucas…!”
As she feared, it was really Lucas. He stared at the tangled pair with an expressionless face she had never seen before.
But beneath that blank gaze simmered a quiet fury.
“What’s this?”
The man, still unaware of the situation, glared at Lucas with irritation, as if he were an unwelcome guest.
Seeing the disheveled clothes and the red lipstick mark on the man’s lips, Lucas let out a helpless sigh.
“…Arista, you were right.”
Hearing Arista’s name, Becky, who had been too shocked to even think of excuses, snapped back to reality.
Behind Lucas stood the infuriating Arista.
Becky’s eyes flared instantly.
“…You! You actually went through with it!”
Unable to say a word to Lucas, Becky unleashed her anger at Arista. Arista, momentarily dumbfounded, tried to speak, but Lucas let out a chuckle first.
“Shouldn’t you be explaining yourself to me first?”
“Lucas… it’s not what it looks like…”
“Judging by your reaction, everything Arista said must be true. I hoped it wasn’t…”
For a brief moment, Lucas seemed hurt, but his anger quickly overwhelmed it.
“I don’t even know who I’ve been seeing all this time. Who are you? Wait… is your name really Becky?”
Those eyes, denying everything, bore into Becky like she was nothing.
The intensity was suffocating. She had never imagined the blue-eyed man she adored could look at her like that.
Panicking at the thought that Lucas might leave her forever, Becky ran to him and grabbed his sleeve.
“No, it’s not what you think! I only love you! I mean it!”
“….”
Lucas frowned further, seeing her exposed shoulder.
“Lucas…!”
As Becky lunged toward him again, Arista grabbed her and pulled her away.
Becky groaned at the strong grip.
“Don’t you dare touch me with those filthy hands.”
Locking eyes with Arista’s fierce purple gaze, Becky took a shaky breath and then grabbed Arista’s long hair.
“This is all your fault! You brought Lucas here on purpose, didn’t you? Huh?!”
“Let go.”
Despite the pain from her hair being pulled, Arista remained expressionless. Lucas, more disgusted than her, shoved Becky back.
“Becky! What are you doing?!”
Falling backward, Becky was shocked at being pushed and lifted her head.
“Arista, are you okay?”
“Yes, it’s nothing.”
Lucas gently touched Arista’s head, focusing all his concern on her alone.
Seeing them together like a couple, Becky let out a hollow laugh.
“Ha… hahahaha! You’re pretending to be lovers just because I ended up like this? You sly little—! You told Lucas on purpose, didn’t you? You want him all to yourself!”
Arista hesitated, unsettled by Becky’s furious accusation. Becky, losing Lucas, could think of nothing else.
“What are you talking about?”
Only Lucas, confused, assumed Becky was having a final outburst.
Pointing at Arista like a madwoman, Becky shouted:
“Didn’t you know? She likes you. That’s why she tried to separate us.”
Lucas’s eyes widened. Conversely, Arista’s face went pale.
“What friend’s little sister! That woman has never seen you as her friend’s brother! Do you have any idea what she’s thought behind that innocent face?”
Lucas was too stunned to even glance at Arista.
Arista likes me?
He had never imagined it. Arista was only the close friend of Ares’ sister, and a friend he cared about… nothing more.
“…Don’t say something ridiculous like that. You think I’m a shallow girl like you?”
Hearing this, Lucas snapped back to reality. Arista glared at Becky with contempt.
“You’ve never suited him. Eventually, he would have seen through your true self. So stop making excuses and look at yourself. Right now, you’re dirtier than the mud beside you.”
Becky looked at the puddle nearby and shivered.
“Ah… this is terrifyingly brutal.”
At that moment, the man who had been with Becky spoke and helped her to her feet. She had assumed he had left since he had been quiet, but he was still there.
Arista frowned at the familiar face.
That man…
He was the one she had seen shopping with her mother before. He had been with Becky back then as well.
“Well, I suppose there’s no excuse now, but isn’t it too cold to be so distant toward your fiancée?”
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
“And, it seems it’s not just us who are being inappropriate.”
“What nonsense…!”
Arista snapped, but the man didn’t stop.
“Honestly, you weren’t touching like we were. But you were with someone else too, weren’t you? Didn’t you sneak into the forest in hunting clothes to play without anyone seeing?”
Even knowing it was a flimsy argument, she was furious. To equate herself with them just because they were there together was intolerable.
Unconsciously, Arista ignited her aura with her left hand and stepped forward—but Lucas was faster and punched the man.
“Don’t lay a hand on Arista. Someone trashy like you has no right.”
Lucas’ voice was beastly as he growled. The aura Arista had summoned vanished instantly.
Lucas shook his fist and walked away. For a moment, his eyes met Becky’s, but it was brief—he passed by without lingering.
Becky, who had lost everything in an instant, couldn’t stop Lucas from leaving.
Meanwhile…
Kuooo-!
“Ahhh!”
“S-Someone save me!”
Deep within a dense forest where sunlight barely reached, the terrifying roars of monsters echoed, mixed with the screams of people.
The air was thick with a metallic stench, and blood stained the surroundings.
They had all tried boldly to hunt the monsters, but the creatures’ strength was far beyond their expectations, leaving them defenseless.
Casualties occurred, and those who survived fled in a panic.
But one man, injured in the leg, could not stand and helplessly watched an approaching orc.
“P-please… save me…”
A gigantic orc, drooling and baring sharp teeth, advanced. Its hand was smeared with the blood of the man who had just died.
The man’s knees trembled. He instinctively knew he would be the orc’s next target.
Kuwooo!
The orc lunged at him. The man couldn’t even scream, tightly closing his eyes.
But the horrible pain he expected never came.
Even the orc’s ferocious roar vanished, leaving a strange silence.
Thinking he might be dead, the man opened his eyes. The scene before him was exactly as it had been before, except for one thing—the orc was split in two.
“Eek!”
The man screamed, dragging himself backward in terror.
“W-what is this…!”
“Are you okay?”
A pleasing mid-low voice sounded. Shaking, the man turned to see glowing red eyes flashing like lightning.
“It’s good you’re not late. You almost died.”
Only then did the man realize Herwin had saved him.
“I never thought the monsters would come this far…”
Herwin clicked his tongue and looked around. Nearby, a corpse lay cold and lifeless.
If only I had come a bit sooner…
If he had assessed the monsters’ location correctly, no one would have died. The monsters had entered the royal forest only after midnight, so he assumed they would be on the outskirts.
Yet the monsters boldly ventured deep into the forest.
“But… is there only one monster?”
Reports said there were two left. But here, there was only one.
“Y-you mean there’s another monster?”
“Yes.”
“When I arrived, there was only one!”
The man recounted what he had seen.
He and others had thought they could defeat the monsters together, but one man had died, the rest had fled, and only the man with a leg injury remained.
So there had only been one monster here all along.
This is bad.
Knowing that a lone monster roamed this vast forest sent chills down his spine. Herwin stood and handed the man a signal flare.
“Fire this, and the knights will come.”
“T-thank you! I’ll never forget this favor!”
Herwin waved dismissively and mounted his horse, preparing to find the remaining monster with utmost vigilance.
“Let’s go!”
He hurried, determined to prevent any more casualties.
