The golden morning light filtered through the curtains, falling gently on Alex's face.
He stirred, his eyes half-lidded as he noticed Mischel standing close—too close. Her gaze lingered on him, studying his features with open admiration.
Yawning, Alex smirked. "What are you doing, Mischel? Don't tell me you plan to rape a man like me in broad daylight?"
She jolted back, flustered. "N-No! I was just… looking. I mean, you're so… charming."
Alex reached forward, pressing a stiff finger against her lips. "Stop flirting with me."
Mischel pouted. "Fine, Sheng."
He hesitated before speaking. "I… I heard you mumbling something last night."
Her face turned red as she struggled to recall. "What… what did I say?"
Alex sighed, standing up. "Forget it. Get back to your work. I'm heading to the inn."
….
The inn was the empty saving with five people in it Lars Shelly Luck and two more.
Alex slowly walked in, his black robes flowing behind him, his posture carrying an effortless arrogance. At a side table, Shelly, Lars, and Luck were eating their meal.
He glimpsed that small child near the counter, eyes full of timid curiosity. Alex gave him a faint, reassuring smile before making his way toward his companions.
Lars greeted him first. "Sir, you're back."
Luck, still chewing his rice, mumbled through a full mouth. "Senior, you're back…"
Shelly, as usual, remained indifferent.
Lars gestured. "Sir, have a seat. You should eat something."
Alex pulled out a chair, adjusting his robe lazily.
Then Lars called out, "Miss Scarlet, can you bring food for Sir?"Scarlet, the small boy's older sister, nodded and walked toward the kitchen.
Nearby, two well-dressed young men lounged at their table, their eyes filled with arrogance. Their posture, their smirks—everything about them screamed privilege.
Just as Scarlet passed by carrying a tray of food, the one in the blue suit extended his foot slightly.
She tripped.
Dishes shattered against the floor.
Laughter erupted from the two men.
The blue-suit one grinned. "Did you see that? The little waitress fell so beautifully. Just like a dog."
The other chuckled. "Yeah… but she's quite sexy. Maybe we should make her kneel for us properly."
The first one leaned in, voice lowering to a mocking whisper. "Don't you know? Lognas killed her parents with his own hands."
A moment of broken serenity.
Lars shot up from his seat, his knightly instincts flaring with rage. "You bastard—!"
Scarlet whiffed her head, forcing a smile. "Sir, it's fine… I'm used to it."
He clenched his fists. "Used to it?!" His knuckles turned white, his anger barely restrained. He turned his glare to the noble brat.
The one in blue smirked, standing up. "Oh? A mere knight dares to glare at me? You want this lowly waitress? Take her, I don't care."
Lars' breathing grew heavy. "You're going to regret this."
The noble brat laughed, unfazed. "Oh really? Do you even know who I am? My brother is Lognas Ragaltha, and my father is Lama Ragaltha. Do you really think you can lay a hand on me? I'll see to it that you're stripped of your knighthood and spend your life rotting in a cell if you touch me.
Lars' grip tightened around his sword hilt.
But before he could react, another voice cut through the air—calm, yet sharp.
"Who is superior?"
The room fell silent as Luck stood up, his golden hair catching the morning light.
The blue-robed brat froze. His mocking grin faltered. His eyes flickered over Luck's features—golden hair, regal posture… recognition hit him like a slap.
His face drained of colour. "I… I am fucked."
His arrogant smirk shattered as he dropped to his knees, trembling. "Prince… I… I'm sorry, Your Highness! I didn't know!"
Luck's expression remained indifferent. "Stand up right now Apologize to her and leave."
The noble brat hesitated. "B-But… she's just a mere waitress how can I—"
Luck's eyes sharpened, and in that instant, the noble felt the weight of something vast pressing down on him.
He gasped. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Miss Scarlet!" He bowed his head in desperation.
Luck sighed, shaking his head. "It's settled, then. No need for more trouble."
But Alex…
Alex hadn't moved. Hadn't spoken.
He sat there, silent—observing.
Then he finally stood.
Luck turned towards him. "Sir, don't worry. It's already dealt with—"
But Alex completely ignored him.
His gaze flicked toward that small boy near the counter,
"Kid. Come here."
The child hesitated, his small hands trembling. Scarlet's face paled as she saw Alex's gaze toward her brother.
"Sir, please! He's just a child—you can't involve him!"
Alex ignored her as well, his eyes locked on the boy.
The child stepped forward, his legs weak barely active. On account of Alex knelt to his level, his voice softer yet slightly manipulative.
"I'm giving you a choice."
The boy looked up, confused, and afraid weight of the situation making his body shiver.
"If you truly hate them—hate the people who killed your parents—then take revenge with your own hands."
Alex slowly reached for a kitchen knife which was placed at the table then placed it in the boy's tiny hands.
The child shook violently. "H-How can I,…?"
The blue-robed noble scoffed. "Ha! Do you think this pathetic insect can—"
Alex's voice gashed the destitute voice of the noble brat behind him,
"Tell me, kid. What will you do if they come for your sister next?"
The boy's breathing hitched.
"If they kill her, will you just accept it?"
Silence.
Now Alex's voice dropped ice-cold. "If they rape her, will you accept it?"
Scarlet gasped tears of helplessness and poverty in her eyes. "Stop it! He's just a kid!"
Alex turned his gaze to her. "And what are you? A survivor? Or just another corpse waiting for its turn?"
Her lips trembled.
Alex leaned in toward the boy. "You want to protect her, don't you? This is your first step. Do it."
The boy's grip tightened around the knife. His eyes, once full of fear, began to burn with something else—rage. Hunger his thoughts swirling with revenge.
Kill
Kill them
You have to do this.
Kill those who take what yours Alex's voice plunged into the kid's skull
His breathing ragged. He looked at the smirking noble, all he could see was his dead parents ' stained heads and can heard the voices of their plead."
He lunged
But the noble caught his wrist easily, laughing. "Pathetic." He slapped the child down.
Alex exhaled though he knew that kid would not be able to do anything still he wanted him to take one step forward into this vast curse of reality.
"I see. You're still too weak."
He rose to his feet, shifting in the air with a sudden chill that could make even an ice bear tremble.
Within that frigid atmosphere, another noble who was wearing a brown suit tried to run cowardly it wasn't his fault even a turtle stepped fast with the fear of predator.
Alex watched him running with ignorance he released a sliver of his aura.
The next moment that brat collapsed mid-step, his knees giving out as his throat clenched shut. A strangled wheeze escaped his lips, his hands clawing at his own neck as if gasping for air that no longer reached his lungs.
The blue-robed noble stood frozen, his previous arrogance now drowned in sheer terror. He stumbled back, knocking over a chair.
Alex stepped forward, his movements unhurried—leisurely, almost. He smoothed back his dishevelled white hair, securing it with his hair clasp. His gaze, cold and unreadable, locked onto the blue suit noble.
The noble's breath turned shallow, his skin glistening with sweat.
Alex reached out without hesitation. His fingers brushed the boy's face—just a touch, feather-light.
And then, with an effortless pull—
The flesh peeled away like wet parchment.
A sickening rip filled the room.
The noble's scream tore through the inn, raw and piercing, a sound that clawed at the ears. Blood gushed, hot and thick, dribbling down his neck in crimson rivulets. His hands shot up, clawing at the exposed muscle beneath, his nails digging into the slippery, pulsing tissue.
His body convulsed as agony overtook him.
The smell of iron filled the air—thick, nauseating.
Alex watched. Unmoved. Detached.
And then he let go the. The bloodied scrap of skin fell, landing with a wet sickening slap onto the wooden floor.
The noble crumpled, his wails reduced to wet, gurgling sobs.
Alex exhaled softly.
"Still pathetic."