Chapter 14.1 – The Seeker

Autumn rain soaked everything on the ground. He remembered the day he possessed her, when the sun was bright—perhaps the sky knew the regret of a man who’d lost his lover. Suddenly, dark clouds gathered, dimming the day and pouring down.

The father he’d hated since childhood was long dead, and the rival he could never defeat was now playing in his palm.

Raindrops fell on his nose and ran down to the ground. The ticklish sensation made Karden shiver. He exhaled the cold that clung to his lungs and went inside.

Inside, the house smelled of nothing human. Even with a stove, he felt no warmth and rubbed his arms.

He ran his hands over dustless furniture, imagining the day Liat would come upstairs.

A space filled with his tastes would soon be filled with Liat’s scent. Not now, but someday in the future Karden would claim.

He entered the inner room and lifted the carpet. A pattern drawn on the floor glowed blue, recognizing its master.

Placing his palm on it, concentrated mana split the floor. Dust floated in the air, and Karden waved his hand irritably.

He wanted to move straight to where she was, but having used up much of his magic for a long-distance transfer, he was nearly spent.

This, too, would be solved if Liat willingly stood by his side.

It would be a long battle. She was stubborn.

He tried to organize his thoughts, but the darkness in the basement stirred up old, lingering emotions.

Should he bring her loved ones and t*rture them in front of her? If he brought Alvin, Delin, and Lisa and pulled out their nails one by one, would she break? Having run the basement dungeon since his father took him in, Karden’s mind was full of cruel t*rture methods.

His father was dead, so why should he hold back? Why wait? Hadn’t both of them lived happier than he’d expected?

His anger flared, curses boiling inside. Karden had always been violent, and after joining Himbrid, it only got worse. He knew he had a bad habit of getting excited too easily.

Was she ignoring him? Why was it fine for that man, but not for him? Why? Was it because she found his past—wandering through trash bins in lowly status—disgusting? But he had a title now, didn’t he? Did he have to be flawless? What was he lacking that made him so anxious and angry? Karden couldn’t understand.

Countless questions filled his head, ringing in his ears and bringing on a headache.

He remembered his father’s lessons about patience and endurance. The man he killed lingered in his mind even after death. He didn’t like it, but his father was the only one Karden could seek lessons from.

When he first took the Himbrid name, the first thing that greeted him wasn’t warm hospitality or family affection, but the underground prison. Led there by his father, he entered a space thick with darkness. The sounds of crying and people dying constantly drilled into his ears.

No matter how much he cried and begged, the door wouldn’t open, and the only day it did, he was beaten. By the time he’d scratched the iron door enough to lose his nails, he’d grown used to the pitch-black and his emotions wore down.

Recalling those sensations calmed his headache and brought back his reason. He was a little excited, now so close to the feast he’d longed for.

In the end, hadn’t everything he wanted fallen into his hands? His father’s death, even Liat, whom he’d so desperately wished for.

If he waited patiently, he could have her completely. A well-bred woman like her couldn’t endure this life for long.

As he descended the stairs, the basement’s musty smell stung his nose. He saw the door to her room. He laughed as he turned the knob, finding it wouldn’t open.

“Liat, you haven’t been eating properly. Acting childish won’t make things better.”

Clunk. He twisted the knob repeatedly, and inside, Liat’s weary voice tried to block his intrusion. Her pitiful, trembling breaths reached his ears.

“You’re not well. I said I’d grant anything except letting you go, so why be stubborn?”

He enjoyed it. Seeing the noble being he’d watched from afar now pushed down by someone as lowly as himself made him feel equal at last, and excitement ran down his spine.

He heard her quiet breathing, and something unexpected happened—the door opened on its own, allowing him in.

“…”

A woman stood at the door. After days, dark circles under her eyes made her look exhausted. She didn’t avoid Karden’s gaze.

Liat decided to implement the plan she’d considered—now was the time.

“So you’ve finally decided to accept me?”

“…I can’t live like this.”

“Hm?”

“Just let me out of here. I won’t run away…”

Her mouth was dry, but she kept her composure. She worried Karden might suspect her sudden change, but after observing him, she’d reached a conclusion.

“Of course.”

Karden often mocked the pride and attitude of foolish nobles, urging her to bow down. He had a strange inferiority complex about nobles, so she decided to use it.

Her thin, tired face and body from not eating were perfect for gaining sympathy.

“Honesty suits you.”

Karden seemed pleased she’d yielded, and laughed happily. He gently grabbed her wrist and led her out, with no consideration for someone locked up for days.

Outside, there was only darkness. The space was so dark and dusty she coughed, but Karden ignored it and pressed forward.

Soon they reached what seemed to be stairs, and Karden opened a hidden space. The shallow sunlight stung Liat’s eyes after being trapped in an artificially lit room.

She paused before stepping outside, hiding her agitation as she looked up at Karden, whose face was shadowed by the backlight. She hoped he wouldn’t notice her sweating.

“I prefer spaces outside your room. It suits you better, so take your time to adjust.”

“…Yes.”

“Liat, drop the formal speech. You didn’t use it with that man.”

With the way out in sight, the gatekeeper gave her a challenge.

“With all the time I’ve watched you, aren’t I as close as a childhood friend, like him?”

She should have nodded to appease him, but her body wouldn’t move.

How could she put this repulsive person on the same level as her Alvin?

What did a kidnapper expect? Judging a subhuman by human standards was a mistake.

Liat closed her eyes tightly and opened them again. If she thought of this as her journey back to Alvin, she could endure it.

“…Yeah. You’re right.”

Her gentle smile showed no trace of a lie. Liat decided to think of the man before her as Alvin and act accordingly.

Putting a mask over his face was easy.

Climbing the stairs and stepping outside, she realized the place she’d been trapped was hidden by magic. Complex magical formulas were drawn, beyond her current learning.

“This way.”

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but the sweet air outside told her she’d been trapped for a long time.

Led by the hand, she reached a cozy space with a fireplace. Karden, as if testing her, brought her to the entrance hall.

The primitive, foolish way he probed her was almost funny.

Liat shook her restrained wrists in the air, then turned to the dining table and sat down, her body trembling.

“I’ll prepare some simple soup and salad.”

“…Can I look around the rooms while you cook?”

“Even while shaking?”

“I got restless just sitting still… Is that not okay?”

Thinking she couldn’t escape with the restraints, Karden agreed.