Chapter 137
Kirine, who had been waiting for when Ares would speak the activation word, tilted her head slightly. Then she felt her wrist burning. Very small, precise coordinates began appearing on her protective bracelet—the same type as Ares’s.
When she confirmed the coordinates, she couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. It was where that woman had lived with her daughter.
‘How creepy.’
It seemed the woman felt like she was with her daughter when she was with Ares in the place where she’d been happiest while alive.
“Let’s go.”
“Where?”
As Kirine suddenly waved her hand dismissively, the guild master tilted his head in confusion, and she grabbed his wrist. In an instant, they were transported to the house where that woman had lived with her daughter, accompanied by the dizzying sensation of their feet leaving the ground.
The guild master, experiencing teleportation for the first time, retched and complained as soon as his feet touched the ground.
“Couldn’t you have warned me?”
“It was urgent. Besides, I told you I’d pay more for speed, didn’t I?”
“Where should we start looking?”
“…”
Kirine looked disdainfully at the guild master’s sudden change in attitude, clicked her tongue briefly, and surveyed their surroundings.
“…?”
Contrary to her expectations, the mansion’s exterior was remarkably clean and tidy. Though still old, it showed clear signs of careful maintenance.
‘I suppose that shows how meaningful this place is to her.’
From the outside, it didn’t seem like Ares would be here. But the coordinates pointed precisely to this location.
Thinking it best to check inside first, she slowly opened the main entrance and stepped in.
‘This is completely different from the white mansion.’
Well, the white mansion was essentially abandoned after Ares left. She probably didn’t want to remember those memories either.
‘No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t seem like Ares would be here.’
Full of tension and suspicion, she began carefully examining each area.
But there was no trace of Ares anywhere. It seemed like any other ordinary mansion.
‘Then why did the coordinates point here?’
Unable to make sense of the situation, she entered the last room. Like the exterior, the room was spotlessly clean. With its music box, jewelry case, and bed with white lace, it appeared to be a dainty room fitting for a noble young lady.
But something felt off.
‘There are signs it’s been cleaned meticulously, but it doesn’t feel lived in.’
The bed was perfectly made, and everything on the dressing table was arranged with absolute precision, without a single item out of place.
Still hoping to find some clue, she opened the dressing table drawer.
“Ha…”
A cold, bitter laugh escaped her lips.
It was the protective bracelet she had given to Ares.
***
“Wow… I couldn’t believe it, but it’s really you?”
Unable to believe his eyes, Ares let out a hollow laugh.
It was someone who seemed completely out of place here, someone he’d never have expected to see.
Though he had vaguely remembered glimpsing golden hair at the edge of his consciousness, he’d thought it must have been his imagination. But this was no imagination.
“Is it because you’re His Holiness the Pope? How bold of you to participate in kidnapping the Captain of the Imperial Knights.”
The sarcastic words spilled from his mouth involuntarily.
But Vincent showed no sign of displeasure, simply staring silently at Ares.
“Of all people, I never expected you to be involved in such dirty business with that woman. Even a novel would be criticized for such an unlikely plot.”
Ares had expected him to protest, to demand how dare he insult His Holiness the Pope.
But Vincent just crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, as if daring him to continue.
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Not even close.”
Ares laughed coldly, as if mocking the question, then glared at Vincent viciously.
“I wonder how you plan to face Kirine after doing something like this.”
Ares had never liked Vincent from the beginning. To be more precise, he had been wary of him.
While everyone else praised him as an angel incarnate or a gift from heaven, Ares had never seen him that way.
It wasn’t that Vincent had ever wronged him or made any mistakes. On the contrary, he had been kind and gentle. He had been especially tender in front of Kirine, showing the most benevolent attitude possible.
That’s exactly why Ares disliked him more. It felt like he was trying to show Kirine what a good person he was.
It seemed repulsive and hypocritical. And his instincts hadn’t been wrong.
“How disappointed will Kirine be when she learns her trusted friend did something like this?”
“Well, worry about that after you manage to get out of here safely.”
Vincent let out a mocking laugh and slowly approached Ares, who kept trying to provoke him.
“Your future is already decided anyway.”
He found Ares both pathetic and pitiful for speaking out of turn, not knowing his fate.
“Either you’ll be imprisoned here until you die, or you’ll die soon.”
Now right in front of Ares, Vincent lightly flicked his silver hair.
“The choice is yours, Ares Arensis.”
In response to this playful gesture, Ares smiled coldly and reached for Vincent’s throat. But before he could make contact, there was a crackling sound as if electricity had sparked, and he felt a shock.
It was similar to what had happened when he tried to kill that woman. The only difference was that the impact was much stronger this time.
‘No wonder he approached without any fear.’
While Ares clicked his tongue, berating himself, Vincent wore an irritating smile as if he’d expected this.
“Your violent tendencies are showing again.”
After clicking his tongue disapprovingly for a while, Vincent jerked his chin toward the woman behind him.
“Well, your mother will educate you properly.”
“Who are you calling my mother?”
Protesting that he’d never had such a crazy woman as his mother, Ares looked down at his blackened hand and tore off the hem of his shirt to wrap around it.
“I really didn’t want to go this far.”
Since Vincent had crossed the line first, there was no need to hesitate anymore.
“Darling, help me.”
The only option left was to call Kirine immediately and show her what Vincent had done. Even if it seemed petty, Ares felt no shame about it.
“…”
But not only did Kirine not appear, an strange silence hung in the air instead. Even after waiting a bit longer, thinking she might come soon, the silence persisted.
‘…?’
He couldn’t have gotten the activation word wrong. Yet he couldn’t understand why it had no effect.
As Ares stood there, confused and flustered, Vincent watched him quietly before finally unable to contain himself any longer, burst out laughing.
“Pfft.”
Once he started laughing, it turned into full-blown laughter.
“Ah, were you trying to call Kirine?”
He was laughing so hard tears were forming in his eyes.
“How cute.”
Nous_Defions
Of all the dumb things, Ares; you got the words wrong!!! It should be HONEY, help me… *facepalm*