Chapter : 79
Anna clenched her fists at those words. At least she could tell that he believed what he did was justified. Raiden furrowed his brows for a moment as if in thought, muttering to himself.
“Where should I start…? I suppose it’s easiest to understand if I go in chronological order.”
He seemed to have a lot to say, so he slowly relaxed his body. Then, in a low voice, he began his story.
In the western Marcus territory, Raiden’s mother, Cecil, had gained fame for her beauty, but being from a fallen noble family brought its own peculiar troubles. She was plagued by relentless attention from men, nobles and commoners alike, all vying for her hand.
Having an extra, outwardly visible, physical attribute made things worse—men’s lewd advances caused her body to wither from constant torment. It was during this time that she met Raiden’s father.
He was a distant relative of the Marquis of Marcus but had lived like a commoner, receiving no support from his family. With a kind and just nature, he helped Cecil sincerely, without ulterior motives, and it was natural that they fell in love and married.
Eventually, the two married, but threats remained. The Marquis of Marcus, who occasionally visited, looked at Cecil with covetous eyes. Additionally, one of Raiden’s childhood friends, though the second son of a lesser noble, was consumed by envy. Cecil wanted to leave all of that behind and start anew, but her husband did not.
Then Raiden was born, and the three of them shared the happiest time of their lives. Especially, the father and son were so close that even Cecil sometimes felt a twinge of jealousy—they would often go on trips alone, leaving her behind.
They would quietly discuss in bed how they would live once Raiden grew up and left them. Sometimes they wished for another child, and they delighted in watching Raiden grow rapidly, like a flourishing plant. They lived such a peaceful life.
But happiness did not last.
One day, as usual, Raiden and his father went alone to the nearby mountains to play. Raiden, carrying a bundle of dry wood for firewood, was returning when he witnessed his father being struck down by someone’s sword.
The shock was too great for a child to handle. He immediately lost consciousness, and by the time he woke, his father’s whereabouts were already unknown.
Cecil and Raiden waited for him. Raiden could not bring himself to tell his mother what he had seen, unsure if it was even real, knowing how desperately she sought her husband. The guilt piled up in his small heart. Seeing her son growing increasingly withdrawn, Cecil decided to leave their hometown.
Perhaps she had realized that her husband was no longer in this world. On top of that, the Marquis of Marcus was increasingly revealing his lust for her, making it unbearable to stay.
“Let’s go to the capital, Raiden.”
They settled in a remote mountain near the capital. There, Cecil raised her son while doing all sorts of chores, and Raiden, visiting the local church every weekend, honed his skills as a knight and became a novice holy knight affiliated with one of the capital’s major churches.
Raiden said,
“You know what happened next, don’t you?”
“…….”
Anna silently nodded. When fifteen-year-old Anna and eighteen-year-old Raiden met, they had blossomed into young love. Thinking back on it filled her heart with both joy and sorrow.
“And now, the story takes a different turn.”
At those words, Anna swallowed hard.
Raiden, who was nurturing his innocent first love with Anna, eventually faced that fateful day—the day of the martial arts tournament that would decide their destinies.
They say effort never betrays you. The foundation he had diligently built every day lifted him to the highest level. Raiden became the youngest winner in the tournament’s history, and the archbishop, pleased at the idea of promoting him as the face of the church, promised to petition the emperor to grant him the title of a junior baron and a small estate, on the condition that he serve as a holy knight for a set period.
This meant Raiden finally gained the social standing to be with Anna, something he had longed for.
He was so elated that he lost his sense of reality. If he had thought a bit more, he would have realized it wasn’t so simple. Excited from his victory, he hurriedly sent a note to Anna that he would come to the Everkline mansion, then rode frantically toward her. He wanted to meet her, request her father’s blessing, and share the joy with her.
In his excitement, however, he failed to notice how unsettled he was when he finally met John at the mansion.
“I wish to marry your daughter.”
“……What?”
As Anna had repeatedly said, Raiden expected her father to be kind and good-hearted. Instead, he was met with an explosive, violent response. Raiden could have defended himself, but he clenched his teeth and endured it—he could not harm Anna’s precious father.
John did not stop there. He expelled Raiden, then sent men to attack both Raiden and his mother.
“!”
Anna covered her mouth with both hands. Her body trembled at the shock. Her father had not only driven him away but also attacked him?
Then it suddenly occurred to her.
‘Could it be… the reason I never got to see his mother…?’
A wave of dizziness swept over her, as if all the blood had drained from her body. No, that couldn’t be. Anna pressed her hand to her chest and hoped fervently. It couldn’t be just that. Never…
“…….”
Raiden said nothing to the terrified Anna. He simply watched, as if her struggle were an amusing spectacle. Anna, desperate, asked first.
“Where… is Raiden’s mother now…?”
Hesitating to continue, destiny, as always, crushed her desperate hope.
Raiden’s gray eyes darkened almost to black. He spoke slowly.
“She was struck by a blade sent by someone and passed away.”
“…….”
Anna squeezed her eyes shut. Raiden’s tone was calm, not betraying the trauma of losing the only family he had endured. Yet she understood—his composure did not come from overcoming grief.
He was still tormented by his mother’s absence, agonized by her death, reliving it every day, every moment, until even his expression and voice had grown worn.
‘Father… how could you do such a thing?’
Her chest ached, weighed down by guilt, leaving her unable to shed tears. That kind woman had been brutally killed, and yet he, who had trusted and run to her, had almost been killed by the father as well… yet he shamelessly lied to his daughter.
Raiden had left her, he said, for money…
“…….”
Anna, eyes tightly shut, muffled her sobs. Raiden stared at her silently before speaking.
“You pretend not to know.”
“……What?”
Anna managed to open her eyes. The blue eyes, filled with grief, showed a flicker of confusion. She had no idea what he meant.
“Well, I expected as much.”
Raiden shrugged. She looked truly distressed and exhausted. Whether it was genuine or a façade, her pain was vivid.
Yet, there was no guilt for her own part in this.
‘She goes all the way to the end like this…’
He had expected it to some extent. But seeing it firsthand, he let out a hollow laugh.
Raiden had imagined this moment countless times—telling Anna everything. In his imagination, she had various reactions. Some he could understand, some burned him with hatred as if it consumed his whole body. He had pondered it so much that he wished he could stop thinking entirely.
Now, seeing her angelically beautiful and in anguish, her reaction did not deviate from his expectations.
So, it was mundane.
‘Lisa was right.’
Even when everything was exposed, she never admitted her wrongdoing.
Raiden wondered suddenly.
‘What if she hears the rest of the story?’
That was something he had only learned recently, so she could not know. That curiosity was about to be resolved.
Raiden adjusted his position and crossed his legs slowly.
“Do you remember what I told you before?”
“……?”
Anna opened her eyes slowly. Seeing her chest cowering, her pale face barely holding up, and her tear-filled blue eyes, he felt a faint mix of admiration and amusement but concealed it skillfully and continued.
“I told you my father was killed, didn’t I?”
“……I remember…”
Anna nodded with difficulty, though doubt lingered on her face. Why bring up that story now?
Raiden understood her. He had initially found it hard to believe as well. How could anyone expect that not only a misfortune but a layered series of tragic events would unfold?
Raiden spoke gently, as if teaching a child.
“The one who killed him… was also your father, Anna.”
Her mind went blank, and a high-pitched ringing filled her ears. She could not fully comprehend.
‘What… did Raiden just say…?’
