Chapter 246

Chapter 246

“Jesse, press it down with the stick.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just let the sack float away? It’s all tied up anyway.”

“No, what if it floats back up? Press it down and make sure she’s completely dead before letting go.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just dismember her?”

“It’s better to just make it look like a regular drowning. What if the girl’s father starts poking around? Tsk.”

They shoved the struggling sack with a blunt stick. Bubbles were rising from within. Given time, she would drown.

Cain knew that Verdic must not trace this back to Crown Prince Gueuze. Verdic occasionally supplied materials that left no traces. If he found out his daughter had been brutally murdered, he would investigate thoroughly. If he discovered that Gueuze had ordered it, things would get complicated.

“Ah, yes, that’s right. Just make it look normal... But shouldn’t we at least have a taste before killing her?”

“Maybe that would have been more normal. A prostitute who accepts money is better than one who cries and resists.”

“You’ve never tried it. Once you do, breaking them in is fun. By the way, what should we do for dinner after this?”

“Not sure... How about fried fish? Seeing them flap around makes me want to eat fish.”

“Ugh. You’ve got a strong stomach. I can’t stand anything that smells fishy for a while.”

“This is clean enough, so what’s the problem?”

“Yesterday’s stuff was pretty disgusting.”

The man grimaced. Lately, Crown Prince Gueuze had been hysterical due to the lack of proper materials, making the work unbearable.

“Anyway, since Rud’s gone, that’s practically a promotion for me, right? Lunch is on me.”

“Hey, did you hear that? Cain’s treating us.”

Calm and casual voices exchanged above the water’s surface.

Looking at the wriggling sack, Cain sighed. He wanted to finish quickly and go have a meal.

“Take care of it properly.”

It was inevitable. How could they possibly let a witness live? Though they claimed to release the red-haired woman to deceive her, Crown Prince Gueuze had no intention of letting this girl live. Whoever she was.

“Is she still struggling?”

“Yeah.”

“Persistent. How about we bleed her out and then put her back in?”

“Forget it. I’ve told you a hundred times—Verdic’s gonna dig if we mess this up.”

“Are you talking about Verdic Evans?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

It happened in an instant.

Cain thought his vision darkened.

Night? Did night suddenly fall? Such absurd thoughts came first. But then the excruciating pain hit, and he screamed.

“Ah, aah, AHHHH!”

“Shut it.”

“See, you only suffer when you leave home for so long.”

“...Father, Mother.”

Verdic sighed as he looked down at Isella. Her mother, Selena, also had tears in her eyes. Isella looked around at her surroundings.

“Is this... our house in the capital?”

“Yes, Isella. Everything is fine now. You’re safe.”

It was her room, made of cream-colored fabric and bright wood. It was a comfortable room, incomparable to the small room at the Grand Cathedral. She had used it every summer since childhood, but strangely, it felt unreal. Was her room always this nice?

“Ah, oww.”

“Don’t move too much. You have injuries everywhere.”

“All this suffering... What a mess.”

The stinging sensation on her face reminded her of what she had been through. Isella sat up, clutching the blanket. It was soft and warm. Tears fell onto the pure white fabric.

“Hic, hiic...”

She had survived.

She had survived. She had escaped that dark, terrifying room and the filthy water. Finally, she was alive, holding her parents’ hands at home.

Selena hugged Isella. Mother and daughter embraced, crying and celebrating her survival. After a while, Verdic, with a hoarse voice, spoke.

“Let’s go home now.”

Looking at their battered daughter, they realized anew that they were a family.

When Isella roamed the capital, her mother, Selena, had always kept an eye on her reputation through people. Despite her worries, Isella hadn’t acted excessively.

Verdic had been able to keep track of his daughter’s actions through his wife and had been helping her accordingly. The gold Isella sold had always fetched reasonable prices, and substantial donations were regularly made to the Grand Cathedral.

But being together in a safe place was different. The world was still dangerous for Isella.

Isella looked at her parents holding hands, finding it strange.

“For the time being, your mother and I will be by your side. It seems we haven’t spent enough time together as a family.”

“We’ve realized that life is truly unpredictable.”

“Father, Mother.”

Isella blinked.

“And we need to prepare for your wedding again.”

“What?”

Isella spoke urgently. Verdic nodded.

“I know who you want to marry.”

“Marry?”

“Zion Electra. He’s not worthy of you, but... since he saved you, I’ll allow it. He may still be immature, but I’ll see to it that he’s groomed into the position properly.”

/subliminalwayfarer