Chapter 204: Interlude - New Hope (1)

Chapter 204: Interlude - New Hope (1)

“...Ah.” A brief exclamation left her mouth.

Ohjin’s lips were shut tight, and not an ounce of pity reflected on the surface of his eyes.

As if trying to tell her that Paulo’s death wasn’t her fault, he simply looked at her in silence.

“Ohjin...”

However, there was no way she wouldn’t know that it was undoubtedly a fact that he took direct action and killed Paulo for her sake.

When she trembled, fearing that she would forever lose the hope she held deep in her heart, he picked up his spear in her stead.

“Thank you...”

“You don’t need to thank me.” Ohjin pushed away her arms and created some distance. “It wasn’t for you. Rather, I did it because I wanted to.”

“...”

Isabella’s eyes trembled.

She couldn’t understand why, but his obvious lie made her anxious mind calm down a little.

“...Sob.”

Tears started to flow down her face once again despite not having shed tears a single time while she was stressed by those horrifying cravings for blood.

‘I wonder when I turned into such a crybaby.’

For some unknown reason, she loosened up when she was around Ohjin.

Isabella looked down at Paulo’s headless corpse.

Her faded memories were left as a faint image crossed her mind.

Her caring father, gentle mother, and sister who she loved more than anyone were just that—memories.

‘Now...’

The memories she could never return to floated around her head like a fading fragrance.

“Ohjin... what do I do now?”

Isabella approached Ohjin and leaned her head on his chest.

“The hope I dreamed of has disappeared.”

Her sister was missing, and both her father and mother were dead.

Even if she was miraculously able to find her sister, she could not return to the past she longed for.

“It’s because of you...”

Isabella chuckled, finding the words that left her mouth a little ridiculous herself.

Ohjin was the reason her hope disappeared? She herself knew best how little sense it made.

“Yeah. It’s because of me.”

He nodded his head with a calm expression.

He was the one who killed Paulo and completely crushed what little hope she had left deep in her heart.

Isabella’s eyes quivered as she looked at him.

Thump, Thump—

It wasn’t like her cravings for blood were acting up, but her heart started to beat like crazy.

“Then since you’re responsible...”

With her head lowered to hide her reddening cheeks, she pulled on his waist with both arms.

“...Please become my new hope,” she said in a complaining manner.

Isabella knew that she was being childishly unreasonable.

“Okay.” Ohjin stroked her hair.

Her curly blond hair slipped smoothly in between his fingers.

“Sob... sob.”

Her shoulders trembled.

“Waaaaaah!” Letting go of her suppressed emotions, she cried like a baby in his embrace.

Ohjin patted her back in silence so that she could say goodbye to the hope she deeply cherished and send them away along with her tears.

“S-Sob.”

How many minutes had passed? Isabella raised her head with her eyes swollen and red.

“Will... I be able to forget this?”

Most likely not.

The incident would be engraved into her memory and torture her for her whole life.

Ohjin put his hands on her shaking shoulders and spoke to her. “Yes. You’ll be able to forget.”

He whispered sweet lies into her ears. “Everything... will be alright.”

It didn't matter if it wasn't the truth.

Every now and then, a single lie was more comforting than a thousand truths.

* * *

The news of Damien Salvator’s death spread across not only Italy but the whole world in an instant.

According to the testimony of the next... no, the current family head of the Colagrande Household, Isabella Colagrande, the summary of the incident went as follows.

1. The Hirudo Faction of the Black Star Organization had their eyes on the Colagrande Household that basically reigned over Italy.

2. Paulo Colagrande detected the Hirudo Faction’s movements and invited Damien Salvator to the household to ask for his assistance.

3. However, the Hirudo Faction had already infiltrated deep into the household and used Paulo and Isabella as hostages to attack him.

4. Damien fought valiantly but was met with a heroic death.

The light gradually took shape and eventually looked exactly like Ohjin.

‘Mirage.’

With the ability to control light meticulously, he could make mirages that were like holograms using light.

“This will be useful.”

There were an infinite number of ways to utilize it—even more so for someone who was born with a talent to deceive others.

“Well... I still need some practice to get used to it.”

He held out his hand to what looked like a mirror reflecting himself and his hand passed right through it.

Like throwing a rock on a calm surface of water, ripples appeared on the light and the mirage of himself scattered away.

Ohjin still wasn’t used to maintaining its shape because creating mirages with light required so much precision.

‘It’ll still be more than useful once I practice enough.’

He smiled in satisfaction at his newly obtained powers.

“But I wonder why Damien didn’t make use of such a good ability.”

Sight was the most important of all human senses.

Just being able to utilize mirages properly to fool others could completely change the outcome of fights.

“Ah, could it be?”

Ohjin changed the light on top of his palm into several different colors.

The light freely changed colors like customizing the hair color of an in-game character.

Ohjin was finally able to realize why Damein didn’t use such an overpowered ability like ‘Mirage’.

‘It’s not that he didn’t...’

Damien couldn’t use mirages in the first place due to having no ability that could adjust light wavelengths to change color like the ‘Transformation’ ability Ohjin had.

‘Come to think of it, Damien only used the color white.’

In that case...

“Does that mean I’m the only one who can use mirages?”

Ohjin’s eyes shined as he made a mirage of himself once again.

The mirage had his pitch-black spear in its hand and a threatening look on its face.

“Damn, you are one handsome motherfucker.” Ohjin mumbled something that would have made Ha-eun collapse laughing while he got rid of the mirage.

He wanted to start practicing making mirages that instant, but he didn’t think Ha-eun would allow that since they had just gotten home.

“Ohjin! Let’s get some food delivered in commemoration of returning home!”

The moment he thought so, Ha-eun abruptly opened the door and entered.

Vega was sitting on top of her head like they never fought from the very beginning.

[Delivered? Are we not making food but ordering it?]

“Yeah! Pizza, chicken, jokbal*, you name it. Let’s order everything!”

TN: A Korean dish consisting of pig's trotters cooked with soy sauce and spices.

[Ooh! That’s a good idea! How unexpected of you!]

“What?”

When Ha-eun frowned and was about to move her hands near Vega—

Ding, dong—

—the clear sound of bells rang out.

“Did you order already?”

“Hm? No, I haven't yet...”

Ohjin tilted his head and opened the front door.

Click—

“Hello, Ohjin.” Isabella waved her hand with a gentle smile on her face.

Behind her were bulky bodyguards wearing sunglasses and suits lined up with a large trunk in their hands.

“...What’s this?” asked Ha-eun while pointing at the large trunk.

“My luggage”

“...Luggage?”

“Yes. Isn’t there a room open here?”

Isabella entered the house, her eyes sparkling.

“H-Hey, hey you! Who said you could move in?!”

“Oh my, have you yet to hear the news from Ohjin?” She elegantly raised the hem of her one-piece dress and respectfully bowed in Ohjin’s direction.

“My name is Isabella Colagrande, appointed as Ohjin’s exclusive maid from this day forth.”

“...What?”

‘Appointed as an exclusive maid?’

‘By who?’

“Wh-Who would appoint you?!”

“Fufu. Who else? Ohjin appointed me himself.”

‘What?’

‘Me?’

‘...When?’