Chapter 29

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Chapter 29 – A Stepping Stone To Take Care Of That Day (5)

“No matter what I did that day, you wouldn’t have died.”

“…”

“I was going to say this as soon as you entered this room if you had asked about the explosive magic tools.”

‘Because the original story needs him.’ It was surprising to say such words in such a calm manner. Thinking about the past when she struggled in an endless swamp of emotions, she smiled bitterly. Evelyn continued her speech, turning to Liam, who didn’t respond.

“It means that even if I had stabbed a knife into your heart, you would have miraculously survived. That day and in the future too.”

Liam scanned Evelyn’s whole body with a wary look. Her words sounded like someone who knew the future. That was Evelyn’s intention. In Liam’s mind by now, Evelyn might be a stupid con artist. Well, his thoughts didn’t matter much. He would soon realize his error.

“That day… ‘I came too soon,’ you said.”

Evelyn giggled as she thought of what she could get from such a terrifying original. With a smile closer to a smirk, she replied

“After overcoming a life-death situation, you still managed to remember that.”

In fact, Evelyn’s intervention was faster than the original setting. Etrada arrives at the place only after Herald and even Leon die, and Liam loses consciousness.

“…When was that –right– moment that you were talking about?”

“When the one who survived with you died.”

To put it bluntly, her intervention, which was faster than the original, saved Leon. He was one of Liam’s cherished figures. There was nothing wrong with that, as it only increased the debt.

“If it goes as scheduled, it should be then.”

“Scheduled…”

The smile slowly disappeared from Liam’s face after repeating Evelyn’s words. One could see his thoughts running through his mind.

‘Now I should give him some time to sort out his thoughts.’

“I think we’ve had enough conversation.”

She meant that it was time to pay the price. Evelyn began reciting what she should receive from Liam.

“Now prepare a place for me to stay. Give me a person to work for me, too. This is the price of your and your friend’s lives.”

“…”

“The value of the story you heard today… Well, one day I can let you know what I want. By then, there will be nothing left between us.”

“It’s cheaper than I thought.”

“I didn’t mean to give anything for free. You have to pay the price exactly. I didn’t do much, why would I ask for something expensive?”

Evelyn turned her head signaling the conversation was over. Liam smiled after a brief moment and bowed deeply.

“It’s too late to give you my thanks, but thank you for saving me and my friend.”

“Right.”

Evelyn waved her hand as if to dismiss him. Wordlessly, Liam left her room at the inn.

Liam rubbed his forehead with his index finger and sighed. Instead of returning to the Agramento mansion after the raid, he went to another hideout to lay low. It was for his safety and to recover from his injuries. Finding he was still alive would only lead to another attack. Less than two months had passed since he returned to the family and announced that he was alive, and he was already threatened with death. He couldn’t know who ordered the raid on that day, so it was better to remain in hiding. Although one hideout had been discarded since it was revealed, it was easy for him to disappear because there were more than one such place.

‘It would be good if you take this opportunity to make them think I’m dead, but…’ The one who ordered the attack wouldn’t be sure of success without Liam’s body.

‘Three left.’ Currently, there were four remaining successors to the Agramento’s Marquisate, including Liam. The eldest son registered before the legitimate son was born, the third son registered three years before Liam, and the second daughter, born of the Marquis’ wife. The second and third son and eldest daughter were long dead, and the remaining were people Liam had to kill. Keeping them alive was no option. Because if they live, Liam himself must die. Just because he didn’t choose death for them, didn’t mean they would take the same posture. A relationship where one can only live by killing each other was the fate given to Agramento’s blood. Liam’s eyes closed as he thought of the half-siblings he had to kill in the future. And he touched his still throbbing neck. The cuts left under his bandages were clearly felt. When he remembered Herald dying on that day, a thick, terrifying murderous intent rose. However, Liam tried to catch his breath and muttered.

“Not much time left…

He had to quiet his impatience. Revenge, peace; the life he dreamed of wasn’t far away, so he had to move more stealthily. Liam clenched his jaw to control the murderous intent that was boiling inside. It wasn’t that he wanted to kill his siblings from the beginning. Even if they were half-siblings, a family related by blood was something Liam longed for when he was young. However, the ten-year-old boy, excited to meet his siblings, met his half-sister, who climbed on top of him while sleeping and tried to strangle him. The next day, the little boy, trembling with fear, heard his older brother whispering that he would kill him as soon as possible. After experiencing death crises more than dozens of times in the half a year he stayed in the Marquis’ residence, the boy was no longer a child. Only beast instincts that had abandoned vain dreams and longed for revenge and survival remained. He looked forward to the day when he would slaughter those who wanted to kill him. Liam tried to regain his calm by lengthening his breath several times.

But his emotions still ran wild. Because the death from the past came rushing at him.

“Stupid…”

The face of Herald as he pushed him away and died vainly in his stead continued to appear for days. There were days he recalled Leon, lying like a cold corpse. They were Liam’s brothers. Even though they didn’t share a drop of blood, they were more special than his own flesh and blood. Enough to give up his life in the face of death for Liam without hesitation.

Creeck– Unaware of it, his teeth squeaked. Herald’s death only continued to spur Liam’s murderous intentions. He lifted his eyelids again, revealing his fiercely blue eyes. A considerable amount of time had passed, but Leon was still unable to move. Even if the wounds healed, he would be limping. The physician said that Leon’s survival was close to a miracle. ‘Is that why?’ Absurd words scratched his nerves.

“When the one who survived with you had died.” The one word that assumed Leon’s death was very distasteful. Yet, strangely, a chill ran down his spine.

‘Is it because of her calm yet firm tone?’ He couldn’t easily shake off what that woman had said.

‘What were the words of that woman of whom I neither know name nor face? As if knowing the future speaks with such confidence. Bullsh*t.’

“She must be a total scammer.”

He only provided a residence for her right away because he owed his life. It wasn’t a bad deal because it was cheap. There were other things to pay off, but… It wasn’t burdensome.

He wanted to know what she would want him to spread in the future. Spreading rumors was easier than breathing to Liam. Vetern was full of people who would speak on his behalf. Moreover, it was difficult to find the source of rumors that spread through people’s mouths. The more the rumors start from the bottom, the stronger the tendency. It meant that Liam would be less burdened by doing what that unknown woman wanted. As she said, once the work was over, there would be nothing left between them.

He organized his thoughts as he glanced around. A paper on the table showed an incongruous presence. A letter with only a few lines of text and the envelope that contained it.

Liam gave a small mansion to the unknown woman. The mansion on the outskirts of Vetern was one of the properties he had purchased in someone else’s name. The more places where he could avoid the eyes of his half-siblings, the better. Handing over the mansion’s certificate of ownership to her did not trouble Liam. As he had said before, the price was very cheap for the price of his life. However, the correspondence he received after transferring the mansion was different.

Liam frowned as he looked through the letters he had already scanned over and over again.

[It’s a nicer mansion than I thought. I’m happy with the price you paid, so I’m going to pay it back.

If you go to Razimall, you’ll be full so much it’ll be hard to swallow everything; at Simphon, you’ll have the most ideal meal. In Milborn, you won’t have much to eat, so do as you please.

After that, it’s up to your actions, so do it well.]

Razimall and Simphon were the names of mountains located in the central part of Hereos. Milborn was a small and medium-sized city about ten hours away from Vetern. He couldn’t believe that was what she mentioned while talking about meals. Even though she predicted Leon’s death, he was still wary of that woman. Liam was thinking of ignoring such an important correspondence.

If it goes as scheduled, it should be then.” Although he failed because he could not shake off the voice that remained in his memory.

“As scheduled…”

‘Who made that plan? What do you know?’

“Did I come too early?” That one word that scratched his insides kept grabbing Liam’s ankle. Eventually, he clicked his tongue and rubbed his forehead. In fact, sending a person to the place mentioned by the woman wouldn’t mean any loss to him. There were also a few personnel to be dispatched secretly.

Yet, he couldn’t easily make up his mind. It was because his intuition was telling him that once he started giving meaning to her words, there would be no end.

Right, Liam was wary of being swayed by an unknown woman in the future. When he recalled the woman’s arrogant attitude, as if looking down on him, displeasure arose.

‘I thought she knew what I was thinking.’ Liam didn’t know the woman’s face, name, or age, but surely, she wasn’t someone from the enemy’s party. She knew about him even before meeting him. Not just personal information. As if penetrating and seeing through to the choices he would make, she knew the thoughts he had, and the reasons for his actions. It was unpleasant to be read by someone he didn’t know. Especially if he himself didn’t know anything about the other person.

After wandering in his miasma of thought for a long time, Liam eventually sighed. What he did, covering his eyes with his hands, was send a man to the area the woman mentioned. She was obviously hiding something. If he didn’t dig it out, he would continue to be dragged around.

“That can’t be.”

Liam frowned as he recalled the woman’s soft voice. He didn’t know what her purpose was, but not everything will go her way.

And a few days later, his forged vigilance grew sharper and inflated his body.

He received a report announcing the discovery that Agramento’s second daughter had a place to train assassins in Razimall.

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