Esdeath froze for a moment, her mind racing as chaos erupted around her. Blood spattered across her face, warm and sticky, while the passengers screamed and scrambled in panic. She wiped the blood away with her hand.
One thing she knew for sure—nobody could harm her as long as they were bound by the rules. Breaking the academy's or kingdom's rules meant punishment, and no one wanted that, right?
But what if someone didn't care about the rules?
As she watched that man brutally kill the ticket checker without hesitation, not even thinking about the consequences. The others could call the guards at the next station, but this man seemed utterly fearless. He didn't care.
"Crap! Our strength isn't enough to handle a Rank C Awakened!" Esdeath thought, forcing an innocent smile to hide her fear.
Instead of reacting, Esdeath slowly sank back into her seat, pretending to stay calm even though her heart was racing. She let out an awkward laugh, trying to break the tension. "Hahaha... He just came on his own. I didn't call him! I swear... We're cool, right? Cool!"
But the men ignored her completely, acting like she didn't even exist. Instead, they turned their attention to Maruti, speaking in a language Esdeath didn't understand.
Esdeath blinked, feeling even more frustrated. As always, she had no idea what they were saying. Her only option was to ask Maruti. "What did he say?"
Maruti leaned back casually, like none of this was bothering her at all. "He said he doesn't understand what you were babbling about, but he knows exactly what you were trying to do. He said there won't be a next time."
Esdeath gritted her teeth, her face twisting in frustration. "Tch... you know what? Tell him 'Fuck You' for me," she snapped, her anger flaring up.
Maruti's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Really? Alright, here I go!" She stood up, ready to deliver the message.
Esdeath's eyes widened in panic. "Hey, hey! I was joking! Joking!" She grabbed Maruti's arm and pulled her back down, her voice a desperate whisper.
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Every time the train stopped at a station, the three men blocked the path, making sure there was no way for Esdeath and Maruti to escape. They sat there, waiting and watching for an opportunity to run, but not a single one came.
Esdeath and Maruti tried to come up with excuses, like needing to go to the bathroom or saying they were hungry. But each time, one of the men would follow them to the bathroom, standing guard outside. When they asked for food, one of the men would go get it while the other two stayed behind, blocking their way.
Esdeath sighed deeply, glancing at Maruti. Despite their bulky, muscle-headed appearance, these men were no fools. They were clearly professionals, and any attempt to slip away was met with careful monitoring. Both Esdeath and Maruti felt the weight of the situation pressing down on them, realizing how trapped they truly were.
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The academy's small force had been searching for Esdeath and Maruti all day, and Lortell had also ordered her head maid, Lorraine, to join in the search for Esdeath. Time passed quickly, and before anyone realized it, night had fallen.
Lortell, instead of returning to her palace, stayed in a private room provided by the academy. She sat in a chair, lost in deep thought, her expression serious.
"Careless… so careless…" Lortell muttered to herself, frustration clear in her voice. "I never imagined Esdeath would awaken or have the guts to leave her territory. I didn't place any investigative essence stones on her, and now I'm paying for it." She sighed deeply, her fingers tapping the chair's armrest.
"It's all my fault… The world is full of dangers, and what will I do if something happens to her?" she questioned herself, her worry growing by the second. But then another thought crossed her mind, and her eyes narrowed in anger. "That Luna… her friend. She went missing and esdeath went to find her, If she comes back, I swear I'll kill her for getting so close to esdeath!" Lortell clenched her fists, her teeth grinding together.
"And who the hell is Maruti anyway? Is she close to Esdeath too? Damn it, I leave for just two months, and now I have more competitors for Esdeath's attention? I can't accept this!" she fumed, her thoughts spiraling.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, snapping Lortell out of her stormy thoughts. Lorraine, her head maid, stood at the door with a grim look on her face, clearly indicating bad news.
"My lady, we searched everywhere. We even questioned many criminals in the area, but no one knows anything. But there's registration for train ticket by her name, It seems… she might have gone to another state of the kingdom," Lorraine reported, her voice heavy with disappointment.
Reaching out to criminals wasn't unusual. Sometimes, kingdoms and criminals worked together for mutual benefit. After all, if there were no threats or crimes, what would the king have to protect the people from? Sometimes, kingdoms even staged attacks to later save their people and appear as heroes, gaining the trust and loyalty of the citizens.
Lortell's anger boiled over as she gritted her teeth and stormed toward a nearby table. Without a second thought, she grabbed a small object and hurled it directly at Lorraine. It struck the maid's head with brutal speed, yet Lorraine's face remained expressionless, as though nothing had happened.
"Can't you do a single thing right? What are you even good for?" Lortell screamed, her voice sharp with fury.
Despite the object hitting her, Lorraine showed no sign of pain or discomfort. She continued to report in her usual calm tone, "My lady, as you instructed, I've also been investigating on Esdeath's activities at the academy. She's been caught up in some trouble. The murder of a noble named Eldon was blamed on her, but since there was no evidence, no action was taken." Lorraine paused before continuing, her words measured.
"And... she's also been a victim of bullying."
The second Lorraine mentioned the bullying, Lortell's eyes widened in rage. Her entire body stiffened, and her face darkened as if a storm was brewing inside her.
"Say more!" she demanded, her voice dripping with cold fury.
Lorraine spoke without hesitation. "A group of students took Esdeath to the rooftop of the academy and beat her badly."
As the words left Lorraine's mouth, Lortell's body trembled with uncontrollable anger. Her hands clenched into fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She whirled toward the wall, slamming her forehead into it with a sickening *thud*.
"It's all my fault… My fault! My fault! My fault!" Lortell screamed, smashing her head into the wall over and over again. "I'm nothing but scum! What right do I have to face her now? I promised her I'd protect her. I told her to never worry about anything! I should die of shame!"
She continued slamming her head against the wall, each hit louder than the last. Her voice was filled with self-loathing, and tears of frustration mixed with the insanity growing in her eyes.
Lorraine, watching the entire scene unfold, didn't flinch. She stood by, completely indifferent to Lortell's violent outburst. Her thoughts, however, were a different story.
"Why am I even here? Shouldn't I stop her? No… I'm actually feeling sorry for the wall. There's no way it can hurt Lady Mariette even a little." Lorraine's thoughts were cold and detached, and as she predicted, cracks began to form on the wall while Lortell's forehead remained unscathed.
"Ten years ago, I thought it was pure love between two girls, but her obsession with Esdeath grows worse by the day. I should've reported this to Master back then… but now it's too late. Lady Mariette is an S-rank awakened. Even Master can't do anything at this point. All I can do is watch." Lorraine sighed internally, her mind heavy with regret.
After what felt like an eternity, Lortell finally stopped, breathing heavily. She turned toward Lorraine, her eyes burning with hatred and madness. "Tell me their names. Every single one of them!" she demanded.
Without hesitation, Lorraine listed the names of the girls involved in Esdeath's bullying. There weren't many, just a few students, Of course in this mess ethan's and kaelith's name did not appear, Because Lorraine didn't bothered to check competition's photazes, Because anyone can injured in a competition, Right? And unknowingly Lorraine saved ethan and kaelith.
but the last name caught Lortell off guard.
"And the last person is Corin Reynold," Lorraine said calmly.
"Corin?" Lortell repeated, surprise flickering in her wild eyes. She whispered to herself, "Yes… that boy must be the mastermind behind it all."
Suddenly, a twisted, maniacal smile spread across Lortell's face. She threw her head back and let out a chilling laugh, her voice echoing through the room.
"Hehehe… Hahahaha!"
Her laughter grew louder, more unhinged, as she stared at the ceiling above. The look in her eyes was deranged, consumed by obsession. "I have to make things right. I need revenge for Esdeath… And Corin? I'll deal with him last. I'll give him the cruelest death imaginable."
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Corin paced back and forth in his luxurious private room, his mind a mess of confusion. It was already midnight, but he couldn't stop thinking about what Esdeath had told him. His thoughts kept circling, never settling.
"Should I go outside like she said? Or was it all just a big lie?" He muttered to himself, trying to make sense of everything. Every step he took felt heavier, his head buzzing with doubts.
"What if it's a trap?" he wondered, stopping for a moment. His gut twisted at the thought, but something about the way Esdeath had looked at him made him hesitate. There was something in her eyes—something he wanted to believe. No matter how many questions spun in his mind, that look kept haunting him.
"What if she's telling the truth? What if my life could actually change?" Corin whispered, gripping his hair in frustration. The possibility tugged at him, making it harder to think straight.
He stopped in front of the wall, took a deep breath, and slammed his fist against it. "I can't shake this feeling! I need to know!"
His heart pounded as he stared at the wall, breathing heavily. "I'm going out," he decided, the tension in his body easing just a little. "Whatever happens, I have to see for myself."