CHAPTER 84………………………
“…That bastard.”
The words coming out of such a delicate mouth were anything but delicate.
Bang!
Perched on the windowsill, watching the world outside, Cayden finally smashed the frame. He wanted to leap down into the garden, but the restraint his father had fastened around his neck tightened.
“Be grateful it’s still only your neck.”
Meaning this wasn’t the end.
Clashing with his father was as natural to him as breathing, so there was nothing to fear. What truly weighed on him was something else.
“Master, I’ve brought the key.”
“Come in.”
Neither the man who suddenly appeared, nor Cayden on the windowsill, showed surprise—they were both used to this kind of situation.
The man in a black mask knelt before Cayden as soon as he entered.
“I brought it while the Count was away.”
He held out the key to the restraint with both hands.
Blood dripped onto the shards of glass scattered across the floor, and the restraint glimmered with black mana stones.
Cayden’s beauty, decadent to the point of being frightening, was overwhelming.
“Once the guests leave, the Count will soon return to his chambers. He’ll check the vault first, so it must be put back before then.”
“Mhm.”
Cayden picked up the key and spun it around.
Just as his subordinate said, his father was extremely sensitive about the vault. With his sharp eyes, he’d tear the house apart if he realized something was missing.
“Master, quickly…”
“Forget it.”
At the sound of many people moving outside, Cayden tossed the key back to his subordinate.
After going through all that trouble to bring it—why give it up now?
The flustered subordinate couldn’t understand, until Cayden frowned.
“Do I have to explain myself?”
“N-no, sir.”
The man quickly bowed, frightened by Cayden’s flashing red eyes.
As he tucked the key back into his clothes, Cayden’s gaze shifted to the window.
Restless, he tugged on the restraint with his fingers, his face twisting with pain.
“Ugh…”
This one was even worse than the last. The last restraint he’d torn off had been replaced with one set with stronger mana stones.
The constant chiming of the mana stones made him feel sick. Where did Father even find such things?
He cursed inwardly, but still made no move to break it.
At the end of the line of departing horses stood Adel.
Even as the servants and their father went back inside the manor, only his eldest sister remained, watching the departing backs until the very end.
From his perch at the top of the manor, Cayden could see all too clearly who she was watching.
“Damn…”
He clenched his fist, not even knowing who he was cursing.
Shards of glass from the broken window dug into his palm, blood dripping freely.
What made his face even colder was the absence of anyone who might kneel to tend his wounds with a handkerchief.
“They’ll return in a week.”
“And why tell me that?”
“Because you’re the only one who can protect Adel in the meantime.”
“Insane.”
“I know. You’ve always been insane when it comes to your sister.”
Grinding his teeth, Cayden recalled Killian’s visit at dawn. Of all places, here!
He’d half-expected the man to mock him, but instead, he had spoken only of Adel.
“So even if I ask you to stay insane for just a week longer, it shouldn’t be too much.”
It wasn’t even a request—it was said with the arrogance of a command.
“If something happens to Adel while I’m away, I’ll hold you responsible.”
“Do you have a death wish?”
“Not the kind of wish that can make it come true.”
A man who couldn’t tell a joke smiled bitterly, and Cayden’s rage boiled over.
How dare he give orders!
Of course, even if he had begged, Cayden wouldn’t have listened—but if the man’s goal had been to provoke him, it had worked all too well.
“You think just because my sister favors you, you can strut around? Don’t forget—I’ll be the one to take your life.”
“And who dies first—we’ll see when the time comes.”
“You bastard…”
“Cayden Sergio. The only reason I tolerate your arrogance is because your devotion to Adel is genuine, and because you are useful in protecting her. Once that value is gone, I’ll repay you for everything you’ve done.”
The man’s long fingers brushed the sacred sword at his hip.
It wasn’t an empty threat.
As his rival revealed his true nature, Cayden let out a short laugh. Perhaps it was even a shiver of anticipation.
“And what if the opposite happens?”
To fight such a man head-on—
The thought alone fueled his long-burning desire.
After all, protecting his sister was his duty; he had never doubted that. So he demanded a real reward instead, provoking Killian.
Killian, as if expecting this, raised his brow.
“…As you wish.”
“…Then you could’ve left quietly.”
Even earlier, his shameless public display of affection with his sister had been like a deliberate show for Cayden.
Those eyes, staring up at the exact window where he stood, still burned in his memory.
But the worst part—what stung his pride—was that his sister had fiercely clung to that man’s collar.
“…”
Damn it. Were her eyes blind?
The sister he knew would never…
Her world had always been money. Everything else was just decoration, worthless.
He had been satisfied, even proud, that he alone held a place in her world besides money. But lately, she kept bewildering him.
She laughed openly in front of others, searched the crowd as though looking for someone…
The sister who only ever smiled at him now wore a brightness that unsettled him.
“Master, someone’s outside—”
“Leave.”
Cayden’s eyes flashed. His instincts were sharp to disturbances.
The moment his subordinate slipped away silently, soft footsteps approached the door.
“Cayden, here you are.”
“…Ah. What is today, that everyone comes looking for me?”
Seeing Noella standing demurely there, Cayden let out a hollow laugh.
As if all the people he least wanted to see had decided to visit him today.
He knew it wouldn’t be his elder sister, but he hadn’t thought this woman would come here.
“Well, well. My dear younger sister, here of all places.”
“It’s not as if I shouldn’t.”
Noella smiled as she walked in uninvited. Her audacity narrowed Cayden’s eyes. Clearly, she had a reason for coming, though he couldn’t tell what.
“You look well, Cayden.”
“…Do I?”
Though blood from his hand pooled at his feet, Noella smiled serenely.
Cayden narrowed his eyes, then lifted his hand and licked his blood.
“Thanks to someone, I have to do this now and then to feel at ease.”
“Cayden.”
“Want some? Didn’t you always like this sort of thing?”
Of course, she’d never actually tasted it.
He raised his bloody hand to cradle his own head, leaning against his knee.
With the shattered window at his back, if only wings had sprouted, he’d look no less than a fallen angel of evil.
Noella folded her hands like a saint, showing no disgust, though unlike Adel, she didn’t offer a handkerchief.
“Cayden, you misunderstand me.”
“Misunderstandings are for people.”
“…How can you say that?”
“You and I are the same kind. We both know it.”
“…”
“That’s why you wanted me gone. Because one of us is enough.”
He chuckled darkly.
He looked like the most charming demon imaginable, but his eyes on her were ice-cold.
“I wear mine openly, while you keep yours hidden. Isn’t that right?”
“…Because Adel always shielded you…”
“Shut up. Don’t say her name.”
His blade-sharp glare silenced her, and she shook her head slightly.
Why did every man become so sensitive at the mere mention of her sister? It was both amusing and wearying.
“Well, she isn’t here now, is she?”
As Noella revealed her true self, Cayden’s interest grew.
When they were children, she had shown her demonic nature from time to time, but ever since Adel took firm control of House Sergio, Noella had lived as if possessed by an angel.
Or rather, she had been intoxicated by her own act of angelhood.
“My, how nostalgic.”
“Don’t bother with false pleasantries.”
“Then why are you here?”
“…Let’s say I came to help.”
From her sleeve, Noella pulled something out.
It was the exact same key his subordinate had shown him earlier. Cayden stroked his chin, intrigued.
“I thought Father only kept those in the vault.”
“They still are.”
“…”
“That’s what I believe. If there’s one in the world, why not two?”
Toss.
She tossed the key lightly. Cayden caught it, running his fingers over its surface. His red eyes gleamed at the feel of cold metal.
“The same goes for you. If you can’t have Adel’s protection, shouldn’t you find another way?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know better than I. Adel has changed.”
Look there.
Noella stepped to the window.
Squish.
She stepped into Cayden’s blood, gazing outside with eyes clear as a lake.
“That’s real.”
“…”
“Have you ever seen her look at someone like that? She means it.”
“So what?”
“So maybe you should think about your own future. You can’t live forever as her loyal dog. You’ve got talent—you should use it.”
Turning from Adel at last, Noella’s gaze returned to Cayden.
Her blue eyes softened, damp with pity at the sight of the leather collar tight around his neck.
“Oh dear. You need treatment quickly.”
“…Do I now?”
Click.
Cayden slipped the key into the restraint at his neck, watching Noella all the while.
As he turned it, her face brightened with encouragement.
“Good choice. Father will think you’ve run off again, so he won’t search. Go hide with your people for now, recover, and then—”
“Me?”
The bloody restraint dropped from his neck. The raw wound suited him all too well.
As he rose, Noella stepped back in alarm.
“You’d better leave. If Father learns you removed it yourself, he won’t let it slide. You’ll lose everything—escape and get treated before—”
“It’s fine. I’ll put it back on.”
“…What?”
“I was told it suits me.”
He didn’t need to say who had told him.
Smiling as if he had nothing left to lose, Cayden tilted his head, rubbing the back of his neck.
The restraints his father had made were heavy shackles indeed.
If another’s blood touched him, it burned his flesh immediately—there was no mistaking what they were meant to prevent.
“Oh, right.”
Cayden stepped toward Noella, who looked suddenly uneasy.
Grinning, he leaned in close, until he was right before her nose.
“…Give me your hand. I’ll return the key.”
