{ A/n : This is Re-Edited version, Novel will upload from 1 November until then I will rest, Thank you }
'Caught you,'
Ryuk thought to himself, his amber eyes locked onto a man in a mask who seemed to be trying to conceal his thoughts.
The man stood and quickly exited the hall, heading toward the payment area of the auction house.
Ryuk paid no mind to the mask; he remembered the face of that man, A rush of past memories flooded his mind.
// Past Life Memory //
"N-no!, Your majesty, have mercy, Henna, tell his majesty to have mercy," a woman with tear-stained eyes begged Ryuk, her desperation evident. She then turned her pleading gaze toward Henna, who stood beside Ryuk.
The woman's husband had been taken by soldiers for unknown reasons, and she was begging for his life to her daughter whom she has never accepted as one.
"R-ryuk, can't we forgiv—" Henna looked towards ryuk
"Kughh! "
Before Henna could make her request, Ryuk had lifted the man by his neck, his amber eyes locking onto his. He injected his mana into the man's body, causing excruciating pain, and the man's heart-wrenching cries silenced any pleas Henna had been about to make.
"Accept every one of your crimes, Rohan. Tell Henna what you did."
Thud
Ryuk forcefully threw the man to the ground, where he gasped for breath. He then met the intense gaze of Ryuk's amber eyes.
"Haaa... haaa... Your Majesty, I had sold the 'Soul Orb ' at the auction house. I joined forces with the Aidiac Kingdom for treason. I did it for money, and then I..."
Rohan continued to confess his life's deeds, as if he were in a confession session, with Ryuk looking down on him, unwavering.
Unaware that Henna had already left the place due to the gruesome state of her father, Ryuk tried to explain how she had been used as a mere tool to an end. But Henna couldn't believe him, and she ran out of the place, overcome by emotions.
Tears streamed down her face as she thought, 'He really became a monster.' The memory of her father's desperate state, held by the neck, haunted her. She had heard stories from Jenny about how Ryuk had killed her family, but as a noble, she had considered those claims foolish coming from a slaves mouth.
Now, witnessing her own family's suffering due to Ryuk's actions, she was broken.
'I have to ask for help from «Edward». Only he can stop him now.'
Henna remembered a man with emerald eyes who was hailed as a genius in the Heindal Continent.
Her mind was in turmoil, but her ultimate goal was clear: she wouldn't allow more families to be destroyed due to Ryuk's selfish desires.
// Ends //
Rohan collected his money after paying a hefty commission of 40% to the auction house. He moved cautiously toward the back door, keeping his face hidden behind a mask to avoid being recognized.
As he made his way towards the exit, a voice rang out, and he turned to face the speaker. The shock that washed over him was palpable as he recognized the man.
'Ryuk Von Selvius.' The name echoed in Rohan's mind, and disbelief overcame him.
How could Ryuk recognize him, and what was he doing here?
Rohan's gaze shifted to the Soul Orb clutched in Ryuk's hands, and a dreadful realization began to take hold.
'No, it can't be,' he thought, a sinking feeling settling in.
"Greetings, Mr. Rohan," Ryuk's amber eyes locked onto the man drenched in sweat. A sly smile crept across Ryuk's face as he took a step towards Rohan, causing the man to falter and fall to the ground.
This turn of events was not unexpected for Ryuk. He had low expectations for a man who had married a second woman just to salvage his failing business barely a year after his wife's death, leaving a three-year-old girl to suffer under the torment of her new mother.
"Y-your H-highness—"
Rohan's eyes widened as he stared at Ryuk's hands, which were now shrouded in a black, smoky aura. He felt himself being devoured by the darkness, experiencing something he had never dreamt of.
It was like a never-ending nightmare, a solitary fall into endless darkness until everything dissipated in an instant.
"It's Done, Mr. Rohan. Now, you will send me reports on the tasks I assign you from time to time. Understood?"
Rohan couldn't grasp what Ryuk meant and tried to voice his confusion. "I don't understand, why would I—"
"AaaGggghhhhh!! "
The entire empty hallway resounded with the agonizing screams of a man as two amber eyes looked down on him, sealing his gruesome fate.
.....
Jenny's POV
"Here, Lady Carlien, from now on she is yours, and this is her contract," one of the auction staff handed over the contract to the woman who wore a soothing smile on her face. I stood below, gazing up at her.
"Guess I have a better life now,"
I couldn't help but think. In my previous life, Lady Carlien had been one of the most esteemed women in the Selvius Kingdom.
"Shall we go, little girl?"
I heard her sweet voice as I nodded and followed her closely. A surge of excitement coursed through me, knowing that I had been granted a fresh start. Lady Carlien gracefully acknowledged all the nobles along the way, embodying the essence of a noblewoman.
"Lady Carlien, I know how to calculate and can help you earn money too,"
I couldn't help but share the advantages I could offer so that she wouldn't feel that her money had been wasted on me. However, it seemed like my words fell on deaf ears as she continued without a response.
Upon reaching the carriage, Lady Carlien entered without uttering a word. I hesitated for a moment before I too ascended the steps, but a sudden push from one of the servants sent me tumbling out.
THUD
"Ouch"
"Aren't you a slave? Don't defile Lady Carlien's carriage," the servant scolded, leaving me bewildered and unsure of why he had done that. I expected Lady Carlien to reprimand the servant as Ryuk had done in my previous life when a servant had tried to stop me.
"Lady—"
The carriage doors closed in my face, leaving me standing outside.
I assumed she might be tired and decided to move on.
I brushed the dirt off my clothes and followed the other servants into a wooden wagon. The seats were rough, made of wood.
BUMP
The path was rough, and I winced in pain every time the carriage wheels hit an uneven surface. I resolved to complain to Lady Carlien about the servant who had pushed me out of the carriage.
If it were Ryuk, that servant's head would have rolled. He should be grateful he wasn't serving that demon as his master.
The carriage came to a halt, and the wagon stopped shortly after. The servant left the wagon, and I followed Lady Carlien, who was heading towards the mansion.
I realized I needed some rest and planned to ask the maids to arrange a room for me before deciding on my next course of action.
"Where are you going?"
Lady Carlien's voice interrupted my steps. She seemed to be gazing at me with peculiar eyes. I couldn't quite grasp the meaning of that gaze.
It felt as if she were looking down on me, a different feeling from the way Ryuk's eyes had felt. It could be just an illusion.
"Lady Carlien, I know you must be tired. I just wanted to inform you that after I earn enough, I will repay all the money back to you."
"Of course you have to, after all, I have purchased your soul."
She smiled, but it felt cold, and her words were chilling. I had intended to express my desire for freedom but was interrupted.
"Um, I meant to purchase my freedo—"
SMACK
A sudden force struck my cheek, causing a stinging sensation. I turned my head to Lady Carlien, confused and hurt.
"Freedom, heh, I guess they didn't train you," she remarked, her tone icy.
.....
Carlien's stern gaze fell upon Jenny, who laid on the chilling ground before her, confused and frightened while her hands held her cheeks.
She gestured towards a servant who swiftly appeared with a whip in his hands.
Jenny's eyes widened in alarm, not comprehending what was about to happen as she looked up at Carlien with a mix of fear and innocence.
Carlien, still looking down on the little girl, swung her hand, which held the whip.
THWUCKK!
Pain seared through Jenny's body as the whip's tail made brutal contact, and a cry of agony escaped her lips.
"Arrghhhh!"
Carlien showed no mercy, each swing of the whip a testament to her fury. She was relentless, convinced that this punishment was necessary to tame her
,'A slave should act like one'
Thwuckk! Thwuckk! Thwuckk!
The whip struck Jenny repeatedly, leaving a series of welts and bruises on her skin. Jenny's cries grew louder, her voice a haunting melody of agony.
"Aghhhh! No, please, Lady Carlien, I didn't mean to—"
Tears streamed down her face as she endured the excruciating pain, her pleas falling on deaf ears.
Carlien's cold eyes remained fixed on Jenny, her resolve unwavering, those were determined to make the girl understand the consequences of her actions, no matter the cost.
"Haah....Tch, my hands started to hurt," Carlien sighed, inspecting her palm with a frown. She seemed to have forgotten the small, pitiful girl lying on the cold ground, taking shallow breaths.
She then turned to one of her servants and ordered, "Throw her in the stables and bring me some warm water. It's very cold outside."
The servant bowed and his eyes briefly fell on the girl, who bore tear stains and had eyes blank with the agony she had endured, both mentally and physically. Her perception of nobility had shattered, and her body had been mercilessly beaten.
The servant lifted her lifelessly, as if she were nothing more than a rag doll, and unceremoniously tossed her into the stables.
Jenny landed on the dry grass, her gaze fixed on the starry sky above. In a barely audible murmur, she uttered one word
"R-ryuk "