Bloed, Regina, and Liu Ying returned to their residence in a heavy silence.
The three of them had a lot to think about after hearing the conversation in the private room. Mostly Bloed and Liu Ying, though. Regina did not care as much as the other two.
When they reached the place where they were staying, Regina looked at Bloed.
"Master, are you alright?" Regina asked concerned.
Bloed forced a smile out. "I'm alright. I'm just thinking about the situation."
Regina hesitated slightly before sighing. "Master, I don't think she would have liked to see you put yourself in danger due to this."
Bloed was startled before nodding with a wry smile. "You are probably right. It's just my own stubbornness."
"… I only hope you can escape from her shadow someday, master. There are people waiting for you. I'm waiting for you."
Bloed smiled softly. "Don't worry, I won't make you wait for long."
A soft curvature appeared on Regina's lips. "I hope so. Then, I'll go to prepare dinner."
Bloed nodded. He thought about going to work in his laboratory for a while to clear his mind, but he was stopped by Liu Ying.
"Bloed, can you come with me?"
"Hmm? Where to?"
Liu Ying smiled and pulled Bloed's hand, bringing him to the courtyard.
"Come, sit." Liu Ying sat down in the grass and patted the place beside her.
Bloed nodded confused and sat down.
Liu Ying smiled. She then gazed at the night sky and heaved a long sigh.
"… Bloed, when I lost my family, I did not know what to do. Every night, I remembered the expressions of despair and hatred in my siblings and parents' faces, I remembered my uncle's determination and the expression of my grandpa after seeing the family fall.
"In fact, it still happens. Many times, I wake up in the middle of the night due to nightmares. It's as though they are asking me to avenge them… Every day, I think about how I'm going to kill the people that betrayed us." Liu Ying chuckled bitterly.
"It must be hard.��� Bloed said.
"It is." Liu Ying replied. "But it's much better now than before. Do you know, Bloed? Since the day I met you and Regina, the nightmares have become less and less. Of course, I still dream of the day I can kill those traitors with my own hands."
Bloed could feel the hatred and anger in Liu Ying's voice.
"Revenge huh…" Bloed sighed and fell deep in thought.
"... Bloed, I feel that same hatred in you." Liu Ying suddenly said.
Bloed was stunned.
"What do you mean?"
"The first time, I thought it was my imagination." Liu Ying said while looking at the sky. "But I soon realized it was not. Although you hide it very well, I can see it in your eyes."
Liu Ying then stared at Bloed with a smile. Bloed could see his silhouette being reflected in her amber eyes.
"The Blight is dangerous, I know it. I also understand it must absolutely be destroyed. But I feel the reason you are obsessed with it is different. It goes beyond a feeling of duty, and seems more like hatred."
Bloed fell silent. He could not deny those words.
Indeed, he was obsessed with the Devourers.
Just like Liu Ying said, he hated them.
Maybe even more than his own parents.
After hesitating for a moment, Bloed sighed.
"Before I was called Bloed, I had another name. Well, that part is not important. The important part is that one day, I lost everything. My family, my name, my friends. Everything was taken from me and I was thrown into the exiled lands." Bloed said in a reminiscent tone. "The one that rescued me from that darkness was my mother."
Liu Ying was startled.
She had heard Bloed mention his mother several times, but this was the first time she heard about this.
"Then, your mother…"
"Yes, Camilla is actually my adoptive mother."
"She was a great woman." Bloed chuckled softly. "She taught me everything and gave me everything I have today. My mother made me the man I'm, and I… I loved her."
Seeing Liu Ying's confused reaction, Bloed chuckled again.
"It was not familiar love. It was different. She was my first love."
Liu Ying was stunned. No Regina?
Before she could ask, Bloed continued talking.
"It was just a one-sided love, to be honest. Although I loved her, Camilla always thought of me as her son. I did not care, though. For me, it was enough if I had her in my life." Bloed said without hiding his smile. "But…"
Suddenly, Bloed's expression clouded.
"One day, she fell ill."
"... So that was the reason she died."
"Yeah, but… She did not have to die."
"Huh?"
Bloed stared at the sky in a daze. "Although it was not one-hundred percent certain, there was a way to keep her alive. A way to keep her alive long enough to find a cure. I would have to go through many difficulties, but at least, there was hope... Unfortunately... Mother refused."
"Refused!?" Liu Ying was astonished.
Bloed nodded. "That day, I learned that although Camilla was still alive, her heart was already dead."
"… Is that related to the Blight?"
"It is." Bloed expression was indifferent, but his heart was twisted in pain. "Mother lost everything due to the Devourers. Her family, her daughter, her husband… Even her world was lost. To her, death was a kind of release.
"Thus, even when there was a way to keep her alive, she still chose death."
"That is… sad."
"Now you understand, right?" Bloed smiled wryly. "The Devourers were the enemy of my mother. It's true they are dangerous, and it's true they can destroy the world, but the true reason I'm obsessed with them is that I carry my mother's hatred with me." Bloed's face was full of determination. "She gave me everything, so if I have the opportunity to kill it, I will not let it pass."
Liu Ying fell silent.
Through this conversation, she seemed to understand the human being called Bloed a bit more.
Moreover, she understood how huge the place Camilla Norman occupied in his heart was.
It was such a huge place that it seemed impossible to replace.
But Liu Ying was not discouraged.
"Thank you for telling me that."
Bloed shrugged with a smile. "We are family. You told me about your situation, it's fair to tell you about mine."
Liu Ying's lips curved up. She hugged her legs and stared at the sky happily.
Then, she put her head on Bloed's shoulder.
"The Blight, huh. I wonder how strong the people behind it are."
"Probably much stronger than us."
"You are right, but I'm sure we will manage to surpass them one day." Liu Ying's eyes were filled with conviction.
Bloed smiled. "It's great to be confident."
Liu Ying shrugged. "Well, that kind of confidence is necessary if I want to avenge my family. Sigh, I should work harder. There are a lot of people I want to surpass."
Liu Ying then looked at Bloed and smiled sweetly.
"Hey Bloed, was your mother beautiful?"
Bloed was startled before answering. "Very."
"Is it so? But I think I'm more beautiful than her."
–So, look me closely. I'll show you how great I am.
…
In another part of the city.
Javelin was bowing in front of a stern-looking cat woman.
The woman stared at him with a hard-to-read expression. Finally, after almost one minute, she grunted.
"Do you think I'm here to clean your messes?"
"I'm sorry."
"I don't need your apology. If you would have told me about this earlier, things would not be so complicated!"
"… I'm prepared to accept my punishment."
The stern-looking woman sneered. "You better. Very well, I will help you."
Javelin sighed in relief. "Thank you, Madeline."
"You don't need to thank me. Since the moment the Blight was involved in it, it was not something we can ignore. Besides… How can I not help my little brother?"
Javelin smiled wryly.
"I want all the information you have about the situation on my desk as soon as possible." Madeline said. "Let's see which bastard is crazy enough to use the Blight."
...
P4TRE0N: patr-eon.com/aidnovels