Chapter 141
‘I didn’t want to go this far, but…’
Given the situation, Ares had no choice but to stab his hand with a wood splinter. Since his previous injury hadn’t fully healed, the pain was enough to make him groan.
‘She should come by now.’
After stabbing himself two or three times, he finally couldn’t take it anymore and threw the splinter to the floor, collapsing. Looking quietly at the blood flowing across his palm, Ares gritted his teeth and focused on the sounds outside.
‘I can definitely hear something.’
Though faint, he could hear someone’s footsteps approaching from far away. Judging by the short, quick steps, it had to be that woman.
‘Should I make it more dramatic?’
Thinking he looked too normal except for his bleeding hand, Ares deliberately smeared blood on his clothes and neck before collapsing to the side. Just as he closed his eyes, hoping this would look shocking enough, the footsteps stopped in front of the door.
Soon came the creaking sound of the door opening.
“Child, it’s time to eat.”
“…”
At the gentle voice, Ares held his breath and kept his mouth shut. It wasn’t time yet.
“Why are you lying there? Are you sick?”
The woman, who had entered carrying a tray, tilted her head at seeing Ares lying on the floor. When she finally realized he had collapsed, she quickly set the tray on the bed and approached him.
“Aria? Aria!”
Ares remained motionless even as she shook his shoulder. He deliberately kept his body completely limp to make her lower her guard further.
Only then did the woman realize something was wrong, and she began examining Ares with a pale face. The blood on his chin and neck had spread across his clothes. Then she discovered his injured hand, still bleeding.
“Good heavens! What have you done to yourself?”
Though scolding him, the woman looked around the room frantically trying to provide first aid, eventually tearing the bedsheet to wrap around Ares’s hand.
But before she could touch him, Ares’s eyes flew open and he roughly grabbed her throat.
“What are you—!”
Before she could push him away in surprise, her eyes began to close, unable to resist his harsh grip. As she lost consciousness and went limp, Ares roughly threw her onto the bed and wrapped his hand with a torn piece of his sleeve.
“Phew…”
After checking once more that the woman was unconscious, he let out a long sigh before quickly heading outside.
‘Was there a staircase at the end of that corridor?’
Following his vague memory, Ares stepped outside but involuntarily stopped. There were clear bloodstains on the floor, as if something had been dragged across it.
‘Could it be that woman from next door…’
Sighing with regret, Ares started walking again toward the end of the corridor. When he reached the door, he tried to open it but the handle wouldn’t turn.
‘Locked.’
Ares let out an irritated sigh and returned to the room where he’d been imprisoned. The woman must surely have the key.
But when he returned to the room, the woman was nowhere to be seen.
***
“What are you talking about?”
Vincent asked in confusion, finding it strange that Kirine was watching him with such wariness, unlike his own joy at seeing her after so long.
“Exactly what I said. Do you have Ares?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“Because I think you know.”
“…”
Kirine spoke quietly, not taking her eyes off Vincent for even a moment.
“I have so many questions I want to ask you, but I won’t.”
This wasn’t the time to waste on that.
“Just give Ares back.”
She wouldn’t feel at ease until she could confirm with her own eyes that Ares was safe.
But Vincent just stared at her silently before breaking into a smirk.
“The way you keep acting makes me seem like the bad guy.”
Though Kirine hesitated at his bitter smile, she spoke even more firmly.
“Bring Ares back before you become an even worse person.”
Ares was the top priority right now. She felt anxious and uneasy, worried about whether he was safe or possibly injured.
Trying to hide these feelings, Kirine bit the inside of her cheek and clenched her fists.
Vincent watched her with an odd expression before slowly speaking.
“Would it be too obvious a lie if I said I didn’t know anything?”
Finding his own words amusing, Vincent let out a laugh that was almost a sigh, then settled back comfortably in his chair.
“It really is difficult to lie to you. Or perhaps ‘deceive’ would be more accurate?”
“…”
Though he seemed regretful, it was as good as admitting he knew Ares’s whereabouts.
“So where is he?”
Kirine gripped her knees tightly, trying not to show her impatience as she asked again. She was willing to consider leniency if he told her where Ares was right now. Though she couldn’t forgive everything.
However, Vincent simply continued to stare at Kirine with an unreadable expression.
“Let’s not waste time.”
“…”
“Where is Ares?”
“…”
“Is my question hard to understand? I’m asking where Ares is.”
After maintaining silence despite her repeated questioning, Vincent lowered his gaze for a moment before slowly parting his lips.
“What will you give me if I tell you?”
Kirine couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at his bargaining tone.
The fact that he was trying to negotiate in this situation was so absurd that her voice came out irritated automatically.
“Isn’t offering leniency already being quite generous?”
Wanting more than that would be greedy. No, it would be selfish.
“I tried to understand you. Because you were once my most precious person and friend.”
“…”
“How much more understanding and forgiveness should I give you?”
Her emotions began to surge as frustration and anger welled up.
Vincent watched her quietly before muttering softly.
“Friend… a friend…”
After repeating those words several times, Vincent let out a fierce, bitter laugh.
“How funny. I never asked for your understanding. Never asked for your forgiveness either.”
