Part 2 Chapter 103
“Wh-who is it?”
Ryan, who had been silent for a while, suddenly frowned and turned around.
“Who are they calling ‘Boss’? Who’s the boss here?!”
…Was he serious right now?
Then he quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, why did you come?”
I crossed my arms and walked up to him.
“Why do you think I came?”
“Don’t tell me you came to find me. Why? I told you I’d finish my last job and come back.”
“Then why did you bring Diana’s kids?”
Ryan flinched.
“What, were you going to let them see their mother suffer in this hellhole until she dies?”
“Yes.”
“What?! Are you serious?”
He answered right away, and I was shocked.
“It’s because of the cure medicine, right?”
He didn’t answer.
“I knew it. But you know I can make it too. If Diana doesn’t want to cooperate, then let her be. Don’t use the kids as leverage.”
Still, Ryan said nothing. Then he jerked his chin toward the corridor.
“Let’s talk outside.”
“Fine.”
As Nike and I followed him—
“B-Boss!!!”
We jumped.
Behind us, the prisoners were still kneeling on the floor.
“Should we keep our heads down, Boss?!!!”
We looked blankly at Ryan.
He sighed, bit his lip, and finally gave up pretending. Then he smiled wide and said,
“Yeah~ keep them down~ unless you wanna get beaten to death~~~”
***
Luckily, the kids were safe, staying in the guards’ quarters for the night.
I followed Ryan and Nike down the hallway.
“How did you even know I took the kids?”
“The capital’s travel registry,” Nike replied. “We got a report.”
Ryan looked offended.
“So the royal family spies on every citizen like that?”
“Only suspicious movements,” Nike said calmly. “If you’re not doing anything bad, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Ryan just sighed and pushed open the door.
The three children inside jumped up.
Nike stared at them, then looked back at Ryan.
“You know kidnapping is a crime, right?”
“I didn’t kidnap them,” Ryan said. “They came willingly.”
“Don’t play word games. If you threaten them, that’s not ‘willingly.’”
“I—I really came on my own!” a boy shouted.
It was Jeremy, Diana’s eldest son, about fourteen now. I sighed when I saw him.
He bravely stepped forward. “I brought my brother and sister myself.”
“I see,” Nike said.
“Yes. And Uncle told me why Father died.”
Jeremy looked straight at Nike, speaking clearly like he had rehearsed.
“I understand. It couldn’t be helped.”
But his eyes were filling with tears.
He continued, voice trembling, “He also told me about Mother. That she did bad things too and must be punished. I understand that… but please, could you let her live?”
Then he broke down crying. “Uncle said if we come and show her our faces just once… she’ll be spared… please…”
I couldn’t bear to watch.
Jeremy was the one I least wanted to meet—because in the last timeline, he was a good kid who once came to me for help.
He had said, “Auntie, Mother’s acting strange. She’s been making medicine at home, and I have a bad feeling about it.”
That warning had helped me uncover Diana’s illegal drug ring that nearly destroyed the empire’s health system.
Seeing him like this now—crying and begging—hurt too much.
Nike looked stunned. “You’re seriously using children for this?”
Ryan just shrugged. “It’s a win-win. The kids get to keep their mother alive, and she provides labor.”
He said it like it was nothing.
“Guess none of you have hit rock bottom before,” he added, looking at us both. “When someone who lived in luxury all their life falls this far… they stop wanting to live.”
***
Princess Diana of Bassenberg—born to wealth, power, and comfort—was now a prisoner.
The moment she arrived at Abyssus in a dirty prison uniform, she saw the face she most hated—her younger brother, Ryan.
“Hey!”
But instead of anger, she smiled faintly and ran to him.
“Why are you here? Perfect timing.”
“…”
“Kill me, will you?”
“Ha. I knew those would be your first words,” Ryan said dryly.
It was easy to understand why she wanted death now.
She had lost everything—her house, money, status, and pride. Living miserably was worse than dying.
“Your sentence was death,” Ryan said. “I pulled strings to get it reduced to life imprisonment. You should thank me.”
“Don’t act like I don’t know your real motive,” Diana snapped.
Healing-type ability users were valuable resources. Instead of executing them, the empire forced them to work.
“So you just want me to make medicine till I die, huh? Screw you.”
“Don’t want to?”
“No. Why should I?”
“You did plenty of bad things. Maybe you should repent before you go.”
“Why would I? I’m already doomed. Why waste my last strength helping others?”
She sneered. “You want to play saint? Go use your precious little sister for that.”
“Oh, she’d do it anyway. But having two people increases efficiency. Making medicine is hard work.”
“Enough!” she snapped. “If you’re not here to kill me, move. You think I need your permission to die?”
“Come on,” Ryan said, catching her arm. “Did you hear what happened to your husband? He hung from the gallows.”
She laughed mockingly. “So what? Trying to provoke me?”
Ryan sighed. “As I expected, no love between you two. I’m definitely marrying for love.”
“Are you here to joke? Fine, I’ll play along—boo-hoo, I’m so sad, darling! My husband’s swinging from a rope!”
Ryan shook his head. “Still running your mouth. Listen carefully. Stop talking about dying and start making medicine.”
“Never, you bastard.”
“You still don’t get what you did wrong, do you?” Ryan said coldly. “Why did you take over Elliott’s human-trafficking business? You saw those kids being sold—didn’t you feel anything? You’re a mother yourself.”
Diana froze for a moment.
Then she slowly stepped closer, smirking.
“So what?” she whispered.
And laughed. “Are they my kids? Hahahaha!”
Her laughter was sharp and cruel—until she saw behind Ryan.
Three small figures being led in by a guard.
Her own children.
She went silent.
Ryan smiled—cruelly.
“…You insane bastard.”
