Karial’s face contorted in agony, almost demonic, but I didn’t care. She was used to enduring pain. Even if she stifled her moans and clenched her teeth, no one would be surprised by her reaction.

“E-Even if you do this to me…!”

“Well then, let’s raise the stakes. If you can stand the pain of all five fingers…”

“I’ll give you one of my eyes.”

Her eyes widened in shock at my whispered words. Karial, already in tears, bit down hard on her lip. She bit so hard that blood came out, but she didn’t look pitiful. Her expression seemed to say she would endure anything. But I knew she wouldn’t. I wouldn’t let her.

I covered the scene with my hand, forcing her second finger with my thumb. I pressed down hard, bending the already injured finger as if folding paper.

Zetak even endured having all his fingernails and toenails torn out. If she was anything like him, she should be able to withstand something like that with ease. So I didn’t think she’d stop at the second finger. But after only two, she let out a scream. Her whole body convulsed as she thrashed around, and I let her go, pushing her to the ground as if I had lost my grip.

“What a shame. You could’ve at least earned an eye.”

I whispered so quietly that only she could hear.

She was collapsed on the floor, banging her head and crying like a child. Whether her cries were from pain or frustration at not being able to claim the eye, I couldn’t tell. I looked down at her, writhing and gasping like a caterpillar. Over something as trivial as this. I had done far worse to Zetak, yet here she was breaking free.

But do I even have the right to criticise her? After all, I had caused Zetak untold pain. It was strange. She had violated what was mine, and I thought it would give me satisfaction to make her pay for it. I thought it would calm my anger. But instead of feeling better, my chest only grew heavier.

Karial lay on the floor, bleeding and crying, and it reminded me of Zetak five years ago. He had cried like that too. He had been bleeding from his back and had collapsed on the cold stone floor just like this.

Even though this was an open training area, it felt suffocating, as if I were trapped in a dank underground prison. The figure lying on the floor no longer looked like Karial, but like Zetak. Without realising it, I took a step back and someone lightly supported me from behind. When I turned, I saw red eyes staring at me. At some point, Zetak had come up and was now looking at me with a dark expression.

“I told you not to do that.”

Did he know I would feel this way? I looked down at Karial. Was that pain in my chest because I had hurt her so badly? Is that what humans call guilt? No. It isn’t. I felt nothing when I hit Karial, nor when I broke her fingers. Just as I had felt nothing when I had trampled Zetak.

I pressed my hand to my chest. This pain wasn’t from what I had done to Karial. It was the feeling of what I had done to Zetak coming back to haunt me.

“Stop thinking unnecessary things.”

Zetak said softly as he took my hand. Somehow that made my chest hurt even more.

“You…”

Are you calling what happened to you something trivial? I couldn’t bring myself to ask. If he said yes, what could I say? While I was lost in these thoughts, I saw priests rushing over in the distance. When they arrived and saw the blood-stained training ground, they were horrified and immediately ran to Karial.

Even as she was being treated, her eyes never left me. In fact, she kept staring at Zetak, who was holding my hand, as if she wanted to kill him. This grotesque obsession of hers brought Zetak’s words back to my mind. She really did resemble him in some ways. But there was something else. The affection, the concern for my welfare – it wasn’t there with Karial.

“My goodness, what kind of sparring could lead to this…?”

“Are you sure training swords were used?”

The priests cast accusing glances at me as they examined the condition of Karial’s back. I responded by pointing to the practice sword lying on the floor. Even after seeing it, they still looked at me with doubt, as if they couldn’t believe it.

“It was just an accident, I’m not used to using my left hand, so I couldn’t control my power properly.”

“What nonsense…! Even if you’re royalty, this will cause a huge scandal. It’s a miracle her spine wasn’t broken. Heaven itself must have intervened.”

No, it wasn’t a miracle. I took care of it. If she had been paralysed, the situation would have been much more difficult. Besides, Zetak wouldn’t have been able to take his revenge on someone tied to a bed, unable to move. What satisfaction could there be in taking revenge on someone so helpless?

“Now that I think about it, her hand seems to have been beaten improperly, and a finger or two may be broken. Take care of them as well.”

“Her fingers?”

The priests looked down at Karial’s hand with puzzled expressions. Their faces froze at the sight. The fingers, completely bent sideways and folded unnaturally, were injuries no sword could have caused. The priests, who had seen countless wounds, would know that.

But I didn’t worry. Karial would deal with the matter herself before they made it an issue. After all, her family wasn’t powerful in high society for nothing.

“Send the invitation. I’ll be waiting.”

Tears streaming down her face, Karial nodded slightly. She had finally accepted. It was her tacit agreement to cover it all up as an accident. What a foolish woman. Did she really think that simply inviting me to her estate would allow her to handle everything? She may have made thorough preparations, but to be so blatantly obvious – who wouldn’t prepare for such a trap?

Zetak took my hand and led me out of the training grounds. It was only after we had descended that I noticed something simmering in his demeanour. He seemed unhappy about something. It wasn’t my accepting their invitation – he’d said he’d leave that decision to me.

“Are you upset?”

Was it because I had ignored his words and done as I pleased? I thought it might be, but his reaction suggested otherwise. He looked up at me with quiet eyes, and somehow those eyes seemed fixed, almost rigid.

“I think I’ve mentioned this to you before… you really do forget things easily.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If someone endures all five fingers… you give them an eye.”

“…….”

“I told you, didn’t I?” 

Not to use your body as a bargaining chip. His voice was soft, but that only made it more chilling.

—

As I stepped out of the training grounds, the passing nobles cast glances in my direction. Given the bloodstains that covered the front of my shirt, it was understandable that they were startled. Half assumed I was injured, the other half thought I had hurt someone. Those who hadn’t witnessed the sparring match with Karial would spread unfounded rumours. This, in turn, would help to obscure the truth of the incident.

Walking through the halls in bloodstained clothes didn’t bother me. What did bother me was Zetak pulling my hand. He seemed incredibly displeased and it was written all over his face. In fact, as soon as we entered the dormitory, he threw me onto the bed. The word “threw” is accurate – it wasn’t a gentle action. Perhaps the only reason he hadn’t thrown me on the floor was because of some remaining kindness.

“So, tell me. What if by some chance Karial had survived all this? Were you really going to give her your eye?”

“I knew she couldn’t take it. For a delicate young lady like her, that level of pain would have been unbearable.”

Unlike you. I swallowed the words. She wasn’t like him, who had endured so much pain from an early age. No matter how much Karial resembled Zetak, reality wasn’t as forgiving as ideals. Even if she had sworn in her heart to endure it, the pain would bring her to her knees. And it had. But Zetak didn’t seem satisfied with my explanation, judging by the furrow in his brow.

“Don’t assume that everything always goes the way you think, Your Highness. If she had really endured it, the one writhing in pain right now wouldn’t be her – it would be you.”

“……”

“With your personality, you would have kept your promise. You would have really given her your eye, wouldn’t you?”

“……”

“You have no idea how reckless your actions were.”

As he approached me, a strange cracking sound came from his back. From behind him, I saw one of his spider-like legs slowly extend upwards. Judging by its size, it was the smallest. He pulled it out and continued walking towards me.

“And you haven’t even considered how I must have felt watching all this.”

Was he worried about me? I almost asked, but stopped myself. It felt like it would only make him angrier.

“Your Highness, I think it’s time to correct that habit of yours. Would you like to make a wager with me?”

“What kind of bet?”

Zetak glanced at his spider leg before turning his gaze back to me.

“Fortunately, spider legs don’t have poison, do they?”

“…….”

“I’ll raise the stakes. Five times, just like before. I’ll pierce Your Highness’s body with this five times.”

“…….”

“If you can take it without screaming, I’ll let it go. But if you can’t, promise me this – never use your body as a bargaining chip again.

His eyes were sincere. His expression was cold, and his gaze shone with the same cruel glint that reminded me of his future self. Something was wrong. He had indeed told me before not to use my body as a bargaining chip.