Chapter 1.
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*Thwack.*
The first thing I felt upon confirming that the blade had buried itself deep, exactly as intended, was, ironically, a sense of relief.
*Ah, I’ve finally finished my revenge.*
"Haa."
A weary sigh escaped my lips.
They say revenge is hollow. Perhaps I am simply a different breed from the person who coined that phrase. Like finishing a long-overdue assignment, or a sinner who has finally paid their dues, my heart felt as light as if it had sprouted wings.
"Ugh."
What finally broke my silent contemplation was the groan of a pathetic human being, now sprawled on the floor and dying. Because I had driven the dagger precisely beneath his ribs to sever his heart and arteries in one go, the man didn't have much time left.
He could have spent those precious final moments atoning for the sins he’d committed—though even then, it was doubtful the gates of heaven would open for him. It seemed, however, that he had decided to waste even his very last breath.
The wrinkled face of a man who had once reigned like a king twisted toward me.
"He, Helena. How could you...!"
He was Benedict Wickers, the head of the Wickers family—a massive criminal organization that dominated the northern part of the Eastern Continent and held the Crolin Kingdom in the palm of his hand.
But there was no dignity left for the middle-aged man now drowning in his own blood. To me, he was nothing more than a piece of meat about to roll into hell, lying at the feet of the assassin and intelligence chief who served his own organization.
"Benedict Wickers."
I called his name, slowly bending one knee to the floor. Then, I pulled out the necklace hidden beneath my clothes and gently rubbed the blue gem.
*Whoosh—*
With a low sound like a gust of wind, I felt my appearance, masked by the artifact’s magic, begin to shift.
My dark red hair turned black.
My ordinary brown eyes shifted to the color of bright red rubies.
The pale impression that had reminded him of his dead daughter faded into a visage reminiscent of my mother in her youth.
Shock began to spread across Benedict’s face as he looked up at me helplessly.
"Yo, you... could it be, Morton...?"
Though many years had passed, the fact that he recognized me immediately was likely due to the jet-black hair and blood-red eyes characteristic of the Morton family, which I had inherited from my father.
"Do you recognize me now?"
"You were... surely dead. Ho, how..."
"No, I survived that day. And I crawled my way up here to complete my revenge. It’s all thanks to you, Benedict Wickers."
*Thank you.*
I whispered into his ear.
"I abandoned the surname, but I kept my real name, Helena, on purpose. Yet, you never suspected a thing."
Benedict Wickers was a man so foolish it was absurd, especially considering the power he had clutched. A complacent incompetent who never dreamed that the blade of my revenge was slowly looming over him.
"Kuh. Krrrk..."
Perhaps his blood loss had reached its limit; red, frothy blood bubbled from Benedict’s lips.
"This is for thirteen years ago, when you used the Morton family and slaughtered them."
My father had trusted this man, Benedict Wickers, before me. And because of that foolish judgment, not only my father, but my mother and my younger brother, Lucas, were all brutally murdered.
Right in front of my eyes, as I hid in my father’s secret workshop concealed beneath the floor.
*"Run, you have to live!"*
*"Mom! Father!"*
*"Hurry. Take this and run. Go, Helena!"*
Thirteen years since that day when I was ten.
The screams that had haunted me every night for so long were finally fading away, along with the sound of Benedict Wickers dying.
"Cough, ugh..."
*I wish you’d just die already.*
I spoke to the man who was still gasping, pathetically unable to let go of his attachment to life.
"Hurry up and rot in hell."
"...Ugh."
With my words, the light of life flickered out completely from Benedict Wickers’ eyes.
I watched the now-lifeless corpse for a moment in silence before standing up.
"Now, it’s my turn to die."
Of course, I didn't mean I was actually going to die. I just needed to fake my death to safely slip out of the Wickers organization. I had no intention of being hunted for the rest of my life as the traitor who killed the boss. The Wickers were famous for being ruthless in that regard.
I pulled a round object from my pocket. It was another type of artifact, like my necklace; a mana bomb that would detonate after a set time once a tiny amount of mana was injected.
"It’s a prototype, so it better not be a dud."
It was an invention from an unnamed workshop that hadn't been officially released, something I’d managed to acquire with great difficulty through the black market. I nudged what used to be Benedict Wickers with the tip of my toe and turned away.
"Now, if I just set this properly on my way out..."
But I had to stop before I could even take two steps.
A large man with gray eyes and dark red hair—similar to the appearance I had maintained while living as Helena of Wickers—was standing in the doorway of the office.
"...Edward."
Benedict Wickers’ son and successor. He was Edward Wickers, the man I had used to carry out my revenge.
"Why are you here right now..."
He shouldn't have been here. He was supposed to be away from the mansion for several days to inspect external business operations. I had made sure of that. And yet, why?
"Helena."
Edward’s cold, inorganic gray eyes scanned my body as if searching every inch of me.
"That blood..."
I gritted my teeth. I knew better than anyone how a friend would look, drenched from head to toe in her father’s blood.
"Come here."
Edward, whom I expected to rush at me to kill me, instead held out his hand. Just as always, never doubting for a second that I would approach if he called.
But those days were over.
I didn't move. Instead, I shifted the mana bomb to my left hand behind my back.
"If you don't want to come, I’ll go to you."
*Step, step.*
Unable to wait any longer, he began to walk toward me quickly. I drew the sword at my waist. I could see Edward, never taking his persistent gaze off me, drawing his own sword without hesitation.
*Whoosh!*
Soon, Edward’s heavy sword came flying at me. I didn't dodge.
*Clang!*
With a harsh metallic sound, our swords collided, sparks flying.
"Helena."
*Grrrk—!*
Amidst the chilling sound of blades scraping against each other, Edward commanded, "Put the sword away."
"Would you, if you were in my shoes?"
I scoffed and shoved Edward away with all my might. A dry laugh escaped me at the arrogance of the man who, even in this state, let himself be pushed back by me out of habit.
At that, his cold gray eyes locked onto the corners of my mouth.
It was as I expected.
I took that opening to roll the mana-infused bomb behind me. For a split second, Edward’s gaze followed it.
It was an opening.
*Whoosh!*
I lunged forward with the sword he had given me.
"Do you have the luxury of looking away?"
"Helena, you...!"
Edward gritted his teeth and swung his own sword to block mine. Taking advantage of his disrupted stance, I quickly checked outside the office. Thankfully, there was no sign of other organization members yet.
That was when his hand, reaching to grab my shoulder, was already within reach.
"Not a chance."
I quickly pulled my body back and tried to strike a vital point again, but failed. His sword was already pressing heavily down on mine.
"Listen to me quietly."
Edward growled low.
*Is this the only way?*
Instead of retreating, I dove into his space and gave my wrist a light flick. A dagger hidden in my sleeve slid familiarly into my hand.
*Thwack!*
The sharp blade dug into Edward’s side. It wasn't a fatal wound, but it was a spot that caused significant bleeding and pain. For a normal person, it was a place where one would lose consciousness or have their reason paralyzed by pain the moment they were stabbed.
But the moment I tried to let go of the dagger’s hilt to retreat, *thud*.
Edward’s hand caught my wrist.
"Don't go."
The immense grip strength made my entire arm tingle.
"If you leave like this, the Wickers will hunt you down. You know exactly what that means."
"I know."
My voice, answering him, was as rough as his own breathing.
"But I can't die here, can I?"
Die as a traitor who murdered the boss, or be hunted. There was no need to deliberate. I twisted the dagger once more and shoved it deeper into Edward’s abdomen.
"Ugh!"
While Edward’s body staggered for a moment, I shoved him hard and started running toward the door.
At that moment, a burning sensation spread across my shoulder.
"You stubborn bastard."
Edward had swung his sword at me even in that state. But I couldn't stop running. I kept sprinting toward the office exit and looked back.
Through my black hair, which was fluttering in the air as if it had been shorn along with my shoulder, I saw Edward kneeling on one knee, his gray eyes glowing darkly as he glared at me.
"Try and run, then."
He said, "I will find you, Helena. You will eventually return to the Wickers. And then..."
*BOOM—!*
The mana bomb exploded.
Using the impact, I rolled my body and succeeded in escaping the office.
"What is it! What’s happening!"
"It’s the office!"
I heard the shouts of Wickers members scattered throughout the mansion as they came running toward me. Naturally, the mansion’s security would become lax.
I hid my body in the darkness, heading toward the escape route I had prepared for so long.
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