I gaze down at Pula, laying her down carefully on the couch to my left, then I lean my back on the soft cushion with a relaxed posture. I crossed my legs, tapping my fingers on top of my thigh.
With thoughtful eyes, I pondered how to torture these two slugs in front of me.
What is revenge? And how to do it?
If I was still the same me as before, this word might not even cross my mind, because I will never do it. That was how my past self works and operates.
Always trying to avoid conflict and drama.
However, the situation is different now. Because I'm not the same person as I was before. Well, perhaps there are still a few things about me that stayed the same, but the rest died when Pula passed away.
So now, how do I start with this?
Revenge or violence is not my field of expertise, but what I know about revenge based on the history books I read is that; revenge is a cycle of bitter sweet retaliation.
It's a never-ending saga of vengeance. Once people enter this whirlpool of revenge, they will never be able to get out again. Anyone who enters this path of revenge will be forced to drown deeper by the strong pressure of the whirlpool, trapping everyone for eternity to the abyss.
So I am fully aware; that once I started my vengeance from these two slugs; it is either they or someone else close to them might take revenge against me. And of course, I can't let myself be bullied again, so I will retaliate back, then they will do the same, and this revenge will continue on and on until no one else is left then everyone is…
Dead.
This is why I have to be careful. I promise Pula that I won't be reckless and that I will take good care of myself. Which is why I need to form a perfect plan of revenge. A vengeance that will leave no opening for retaliation.
I stared at the two who bent their bodies in a 45 degree angle, hanging their heads low to me. Alexandra said that her aunt is innocent. Perhaps she was right about it, but so what?
It was still her aunt who caused me grief. It was under her aunt's orders that Pula is…
I frowned, recalling unsightly memories again. I place my left hand on Pula's body next to me, caressing her pink fur for comfort.
However, her body is no longer soft to the touch and instead feels stiff. So many hours have passed, and Pula's body is slowly deteriorating. I need to arrange a proper funeral for Pula first. This is a matter that needs to be prioritised.
With these thoughts in mind, I stared at Saint Agatha's expressionless face observing me. I ignored her prying eyes as I stated, "I need to arrange a funeral…"
Saint Agatha nodded, and I glanced at the two in front of me. "Afterwards, I can settle this compensation."
I leaned forward, peeking at the gladiator woman's face, and I placed the tip of my palm under her chin, lifting her head up, making her stare at me.
"You won't go back on your words, right?" I asked, curving my lips into a crescent smile.
The gladiator woman clenches her jaw as she purses her lips. "Lady should not worry, I will dutifully accept whatever the punishment you pass to my head, whether it is death or life-time imprisonment," she said like a knight of justice.
Yet, the way she blinked the lids of her eyes right afterwards made me feel otherwise. Hearing her answer, I retracted my left hand as I leaned my back to the couch again. Her words and tone sounded serious, but it still feels deceitful for some reason.
"Hmm, what about this man next to you?" I inquired casually, glancing at the silver haired man.
The gladiator woman then turned at the man then she turned to me again. "I will make sure that he will not escape whatever the punishment that the lady will pass to us," she replied, forcing the silver haired man to lower his head down even more, and his posture appeared really awkward.
At that statement, I only nodded thoughtfully.
"I see, but…" I trailed, lifting my left hand to grab the back of my neck as I continued, "even if you promise me here, it doesn't hold any legitimacy, well, does it?"
The gladiator woman stiffened. I narrowed my eyes boredly with her reaction, retracting my hand from my nape to my side.
Sure enough, my gut feeling is on point again seeing how this woman reacted to what I said. Even though I already somehow felt that the bloody woman was deceiving me, it still doesn't feel good.
I tap my fingers on top of my thighs again, thinking how to settle this matter.
I need to arrange Pula's funeral first, but I can't let go of this opportunity as well. I don't know why Joan and Saint Agatha are helping me handle this matter, but having them on my side is indeed helpful. However, I'm not sure what their intentions is for doing this, and right now, this gladiator woman is still keeping the matter about my identity as a secret
I have an inkling; that those two guards outside still don't know who I am based on the looks they gave me earlier. What's more, the silver haired man has this reaction earlier as if everyone still thinks of me as a criminal.
Which means that the gladiator woman was just probably forced to settle this matter because of Saint Agatha and Joan. Or probably because of her niece, Alexandra.
So if I don't grab this chance right here, then I might not get the same assistance again from Saint Agatha and Joan. That would leave me alone to settle the matter with these two slugs in front of me.
That wouldn't do since I'm still not strong enough to take my revenge alone against these two slugs. Not to mention that this gladiator woman still dares not to announce my identity as a high ranking noble. If there is no one to back me up, I might be chased by soldiers and be accused as a walking criminal.
I don't think I would be able to handle the situation if things go awry again. I might look confident right now, but I'm still weak like an ant. Because I still have no idea how to control my own mana, nor do I have knowledge how to use it, and furthermore, I have no polish skills. I only know how to dodge and some low quality defensive fighting forms.
I might have been able to smash and break the face of this gladiator woman, but that was because she let me beat her up.
I'm not quite certain why she let me, but it was probably because of her niece. Or maybe she is afraid of the person behind me, I mean the father of the original Nasrin, Duke Lukas Urduja.
Meanwhile, the battle in the Dregs Arena doesn't also count, because I only took advantage of the time when she let her guard down.
When I was crawling on the ground to where Pula is, and while the gladiator woman squatted next to me grabbing my head, I only managed to retaliate back because she let her guard down. Probably because she thought I won't be able to attack back considering the situation at the time.
Whatever the case, it means that I'm still not strong enough to handle everything alone. That's why I need to take advantage of this opportunity.
However, if I end the lives of these two slugs here, then there will be an aftermath for me to handle. I don't want to kill and kill forever. I promise Pula that I will take good care of myself and not do anything reckless. On the other hand, if I decided to just torture and cheat them with treasures, then they might come to me again later on to retaliate.
That isn't good. I want to settle everything in one swift motion of revenge, then live a hermit life alone in a far away forest. This revenge needs to be handled perfectly leaving no trace for opening.
My brows creased as I fell deeper into contemplation, looking at the gladiator woman.
"How about binding them with a soul contract making them take an oath to the heavenly beings they worship," Saint Agatha suggested out of the blue.
The gladiator woman frowned when Saint Agatha stated this. My lips raised, glancing with curiosity at Kendra's look alike.
"Oh…please do tell me about it," I inquired like a gossip girl, gesturing for Saint Agatha to continue with my left hand.
"If they break the oath, they will be electrocuted until they're dead," Saint Agatha explained with her expressionless face.
I stared at Kendra's look alike inquiringly. "That's convenient, but can I control the content of the oath?"
"Yes, you can write the oath they will recite, and they will be binded by that oath for eternity," Saint Agatha answered.
"Hmm…" I replied, tilting my head to the side as I gaze at the gladiator woman's face. Sweat started building up on her forehead as her eyes darted at me with a glare.
My lips curve, giving a sugary smile at the gladiator woman. "I see, let's create a soul contract then."
"You hear that old hag?" Joan said, smoking on the side.
The gladiator woman swallowed as her mouth twitched.
"What are you waiting for Amana? Go prepare the necessary items for a soul contract," Saint Agatha urged, still expressionless, but her voice was full of threat.
The gladiator woman peered her eyes at me; she sauntered her legs to her drawers with great reluctance in each of her steps.
"It will take some time," the gladiator woman muttered with visible unwillingness, moving her legs step by step in a stiff timid manner.
While waiting for the gladiator woman to gather the items for the soul contract, I notice that the silver haired man seems to be lowering his head more; like he is trying to hide his presence in the room.
My lips twisted to a knowing smile, looking at him with mischief. This man is the one who framed me, and I always feel like this guy has some sort of grudge against this body. I wonder why.
If I'm going to take revenge against this man and the gladiator woman, then I need to be informed of who they are. Especially since I have no idea why he did that to me. Why did this guy purposely targeted me?
According to what Sun Tzu quoted in the book of Art of War: 'keep your friend close and keep your enemies closer.'
However, it doesn't mean I will befriend these two slugs. What I need to do is to understand why this guy framed me. Is it under the orders of that gladiator woman? Or did he just do it on his own volition? And for what purpose? Is there some type of organisation behind him that is targeting my back?
I need to discover his reason, or else I might end up dead before I know it, and I can't let that happen because of my promise with Pula. Not to mention that this slug hit an arrow at Pula's body. I can't let him go unharm.
Physical torture might make him feel in pain, but I want to make him suffer more than that. I want him to feel regret that he disturb my peace. I tap my finger again on top of my thighs, looking thoughtfully at the man.
"Soldier," I called casually.
The man did not answer as he remained in his position. I took a loud exasperated sigh, making sure that the gladiator woman heard it.
The gladiator woman glanced at the man. "Answer the lady, soldier."
The silver haired man groaned, and after a while, he finally answered. "What is it lady?"
The man spat the word lady with venom, while still hanging his head low. I wasn't sure why at first, but now I think I'm certain. This man indeed has a grudge against me, and I have no clue why.
The lids of my eyes squinted at this man. "Well, soldier, stand up straight then look at my eyes," I stated in a tone brimming with dominance.
I notice the man's shoulder lifting up and down lightly. He probably just took a deep sigh just now.
After that, the guy lifted his silver head hair, standing up 6 feet tall. As he stood up straight and proudly, I saw a little resemblance of Emilia Iscariot to this man. The difference is that Emilia Iscariot always looks humble, gentle, and elegant. While this man appears arrogant and lacking in manners.
I remain in a trance, staring more at his features. Now that I look at this guy's face, he really resembles Emilia Iscariot. It didn't occur to me since Emilia Iscariot's temperament is so much different from this ill-mannered guy.
In the book, Emilia Iscariot is mentioned as a spy from the rebel army sent inside the militia of the Maple Kingdom. Even though I don't trust everything in that bloody book, it still holds important information.
I look at the guy deeply with a calm gaze. His dark brown eyes stared down at me, twisting his lips into a disdainful smirk.
If this guy is related or has connections with Emilia Iscariot, then it can only mean that he is also probably part of the rebel army. Well, there is only one way to find out.
"Emilia Iscariot," I uttered out in a casual tone, testing him out. In an instant, the smirk on his face faded bit by bit as he gave me a menacing glare.
Slowly, my lips curved to a knowing smile as I solved the missing piece of puzzle behind the identity of this man. I finally understand why this man is targeting me. He is also probably a spy put in the kingdom's militia from the rebel group.
This man probably knew from the beginning who I was the moment he laid his eyes on me, and so he deliberately targeted me. This news struck a bolt in my mind sparking the small light of glinting chaos within me.
Just because I'm part of the aristocrats I have to be targeted? Is this how the rebel army operates? Targeting and framing the innocents?
Because of this stupidity that this man hit an arrow at Pula?
The white blade reacted, causing a tremor. I grabbed my wrist with my left hand as my heart surged up in a thundering pulse, causing a storm inside my chest.
I slid my tongue swiftly on my lower lip as I smiled as sweet and as sticky as a honey, feeling an intense craving for blood.