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Chapter 38

“I thought you would come.”

Irik stood next to Philia and caressed Philia’s neck. Claude’s gaze rested on Philia. His reddish brown eyes saw Philia’s disheveled outfit, and they instantly gleamed with cold anger.

“Why, do you think I attacked her like you did?”

At Irik’s words, Claude said,

“What is this?”

“It’s all because of you.”

“…….”

“The way I became like this, and the way Philia became like this.”

“And so?”

Even in dire circumstances, Claude seemed relaxed. With that strange composure, Philia felt that the situation she was in was unrealistic. Irik laughed as if it was ridiculous.

“So, I want to kill her in front of you.”

“Brother…”

“Shut up.”

Philia felt something touch her own neck. It was a weapon. Claude stood, watching. His expression looked as relaxed as usual, but Philia understood.

He was not relaxed. Claude froze as he saw the threat posed to Philia. It seemed he had never thought that Irik would end Philia’s life.

The same was true with Philia. She had no idea that the kind Irik would change so quickly. To even use a dagger… He hated blood… Irik looked at Philia and smiled at her widely.

“You, me, and that guy, let’s all just die.”

Tears fell from Irik’s eyes. But his mouth was tearing open with a smile. Philia could not comprehend Irik’s madness. Does he really want death? If not…

“What do you want?”

“You heard, Claude Piast, the evil demon’s life.”

Claude laughed when he heard that.

“Then take it.”

“…….”

“What do you want? Do you want to cut off my neck? Or are you going to gouge out my heart here?”

What was he talking about now? Even Philia thought that Claude was acting strange. He was too easy-going when his own life depended on it. No, he even seemed to be happy. It was as if he had waited, as if to answer what he had hoped for.

“Yes, maybe it’s better to end it all here. Right, Philia?”

Claude spoke to Philia for the first time. He stared at Philia’s face. Similar to Irik, he too has sharpened lines.

As Philia’s eyes met, there was a faint joy in those reddish brown eyes. Reading it, Philia flinched. She was always close to his body, so it was the expression she had read without realizing it.

“I don’t want to die with you.”

Philia said. It’s really funny. It was funny that she couldn’t even choose her own death now. Claude smiled bitterly at Philia’s scornful gaze at him.

“Is that so?”

“What does it matter? Philia, you and I will at least die together today.”

Irik said. Philia was terrified and frightened. But she didn’t want to tell him to save her. She was even angrier.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

Philia asked Irik. The tone of the voices of these people, who were in a crazy situation, were too calm.

“Philia. I loved you as a woman.”

Irik said. Philia finally burst out laughing at him. Was he making a confession here, in this situation? Have they really gone crazy? Philia said with a cold smile.

“You say you love me? What are you doing to me with such a heart? Is this love?”

“Philia.”

“This is the worst confession in the world.”

Philia clenched her teeth and said.

“You are the worst. If you want to get revenge, do it alone. Why must you bring me into it…”

“…….”

“Are you scared after all? Because you don’t have the confidence to deal with that person in front of you, you brought me in. A cowardly bastard, a scum-like scoundrel.”

Everything was disgusting. It was funny to say that after he did whatever he wanted according to his own feelings and now confesses that he loves her. It’s good to have feelings. However, why did she have to sacrifice herself without being able to resist their emotional play? Even though she’s not a doll, they’ve always been one-sided with her, she was sick and tired of it. Death was no longer scary. She’d rather have this life come to an end.

“…….”

“Dirty scoundrel. I regretted the moment I liked you, thinking of you as my brother.”

When the harsh words that would have never come out of Philia’s mouth, Irik lost his reason.

“You!”

Stab!

Philia felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. Irik had stabbed the dagger into Philia’s shoulder.

“Philia!”

“Ugh!”

It hurt. She gasped for breath at the pain from being stabbed by the blade. She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. The red blood ran madly through her hands.

“It’s your fault.”

“Philia!”

Claude yelled as he ran. As soon as came closer, an arrow flew and stabbed into his shoulder. It was a simple trap set up with a thread, but Claude didn’t even see the simple trap as he only saw Philia.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay still?”

The dagger that Irik had stabbed in her shoulder was aimed at Philia’s neck. Philia’s face turned pale. Claude said as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

“What do you want?”

“Drink the poison there.”

Irik beckoned. Claude asked with a puzzled expression.

“What does this mean? Didn’t you say you would kill her with me watching?”

“I don’t have time. I have no intention of killing Philia here and leaving only you alive.”

Irik put his dagger at Philia’s neck, closer to her skin.

When Philia looked at Claude with a helpless gaze, he looked back at Philia for a long time, then poured it into his mouth and drank it in an instant.

She could have stopped him by saying no. But Philia didn’t stop him. She just kept her mouth shut and watched the tragedy.

Soon, Claude’s legs buckled under him.

Irik saw it and released her. Philia lifted her body up with a trembling expression on her face.

“It is a poison with no antidote. I made it myself.”

Irik said. Philia looked at Claude. She couldn’t understand Claude. Why the hell did he drink it? Claude just had to leave.

If he turned away, whether she’s dead or not, it didn’t matter. Didn’t all of the temple people do the same? He just needed to turn away from her like the temple people who turned away from her plight.

“How terrible, you drink the poison voluntarily to die together. The man who was the Crown Prince who would have ruled over the country.”

“…….”

“How pathetic! Pathetic!”

Even after he collapsed, Claude tried to stand up. But, as if his body had lost all strength, he fell down. Philia met Claude’s gaze. Claude stared at her, at Philia. She still couldn’t read his expression. She just knew it in a simplistic way.

But the emotions she could read this time were so simple that Philia couldn’t turn a blind eye to it.

Love.

He was looking at her with his eyes full of love. A mournful yearning.

It wasn’t that he didn’t know what love was.

But that love was too one-sided and coercive. So for Philia it was very painful.

Still, she couldn’t forget him, maybe it’s because of his eyes.

Claude still loved Philia. That was the only reason he acted that way, and it was the reason he was willing to swallow the poison after succumbing to Irik’s threats.

“Why…”

Before Philia could even ask him, her waist was pulled. Irik’s hand caressed her body. She knew what was going to happen now. What Irik ultimately wanted.

He was trying to recreate the event in the sanctuary. He wanted to go back to the old days when he witnessed Claude and Philia mingling in the sanctuary.

For Irik, it was the worst thing in the world. There were more terrible things to Philia than that.

Only the person who witnessed the affair changed, Philia’s role in it was the same. Irik will take her body. He didn’t want to be her tool anymore.

“No!”

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