Chapter 16
The sound of the rain kept pouring into Evelyn’s ears. Drops clung to her eyelashes, making it hard to see clearly.
She blinked several times, but the terrible scene in front of her didn’t change.
“Ah…”
All that came out was a short, helpless murmur—more a sigh than a word.
She knew standing still like this was foolish. She should move. But her body wouldn’t respond.
It felt like the world had stopped.
No—like it had collapsed.
These were the people who gave Evelyn everything she’d never had. Family love. A teacher’s guidance. A friend’s companionship. They gave her a reason to live.
When she’d had nothing, they became her everything.
And now, in a single moment, they were gone.
Leaving her behind.
They weren’t related by blood, but to Evelyn, they were family. And as she faced the sudden loss of those she cherished most, her grip on reality began to slip.
Slowly, she turned her head and looked at the fallen bodies.
The corpses of the demons no longer resembled anything human. They were burned black, still smoldering in the flames.
Even with the rain pouring endlessly, the fire refused to die out.
Evelyn stared at the bodies—nuns and children, or what remained of them—and opened her mouth.
“…You killed them?”
“I did.”
“…Why?”
Her quiet question was met with a calm, matter-of-fact answer.
“Because they were demons.”
“…But they were people.”
“They changed right in front of me. Lost their minds. They attacked to kill—and eat. I did what needed to be done.”
She didn’t want to blame him.
She told herself it was her fault—for not finding Jerry in time.
Maybe she just wanted to avoid the truth for a little longer.
But when that denial finally broke, all that was left was a nightmare.
“Please… put the fire out. Please…”
Evelyn sobbed as she begged.
She hated Chaser for what he’d done—what he’d caused. But he was the only one who could stop the fire. So she pleaded.
“This is enough. Please…”
“Demons are hard to kill. You have to make sure they’re completely gone.”
But even Evelyn could tell—they were already dead.
“They’re gone…”
Was that what he meant by “killing them”? That even the memory of them had to be erased?
She couldn’t tell anymore if the wetness on her face was tears or rain. The sky’s downpour was endless and heavy.
Everything she had carried—her duties, her strength—washed away with the rain.
All that remained was despair.
“Hic… Please… Please…”
She couldn’t stop crying.
She wanted to pull herself together, but the sight of her family wiped out so suddenly made her head spin. A feverish heat crept up, and her vision blurred.
She kept begging, but the flames in front of them didn’t fade.
The part of her that tried not to resent Chaser slowly crumbled. As she watched his cold, unbothered face, her anger grew.
“Did you really have to kill them?”
Even though she knew she shouldn’t…
“If even one escaped, this would happen again somewhere else. I had to stop it.”
“Why do you always expect the worst? Maybe there was another way!”
And just like that, she said it—blaming him directly.
The hatred building inside her burned hotter, swallowing her reason just like the fire had swallowed the monastery.
“Maybe…”
In her grief, even the most irrational thought began to feel real.
“Maybe all of this… happened because you came here.”
Before she knew it, her eyes were filled with rage, staring straight at Chaser.
But even then, he didn’t react.
He didn’t flinch at the accusation. Didn’t argue.
“I only did what had to be done.”
Chaser’s cold response crushed what little warmth Evelyn still felt toward him. It plummeted into nothing, replaced by a wave of fury.
“They were fine just this morning! Healthy people—laughing, working, living their normal lives—and you expect me to believe they suddenly turned into monsters? People turning into demons? How is that even possible?!”
“Must be nice, living out in this backwoods place, so unaware of the real world.”
As Evelyn screamed at the horror unfolding around her, Chaser answered with a cold, mocking tone.
“This kind of thing has been happening more and more. Word’s spreading about a plague sweeping through the Empire’s capital.”
He looked at her with a pitying expression—like she was too naive to understand what was really going on.
Something about that triggered a memory. Judy had mentioned an illness once. Maybe that was what Chaser meant.
But his dismissive attitude only made Evelyn’s anger surge.
“How can you say that so casually?! This happened because your people didn’t do their job! If these monsters were infected, then you should’ve killed them! Why didn’t you? Why did you let them live?!”
“I warned you. I told you what could happen.”
Her thoughts spiraled wildly—grasping for someone to blame—and ended up at a conclusion that was reckless, maybe even unfair.
Evelyn charged forward and grabbed Chaser by the collar.
“So you’re saying it’s my fault? Or is it yours? If you hadn’t let them, get away in the first place, none of this would’ve happened, right?!”
She shook him, but Chaser didn’t budge. He simply stared at her—calm and unreadable.
Eventually, her strength gave out.
“Why won’t you say anything…?”
Right now, she didn’t need judgment or blame. She needed someone to pull her out of this nightmare. A single word of comfort might have helped her find her way back to herself.
But instead, Chaser spoke plainly, without empathy.
“What am I even supposed to say? I took shelter here by chance, and suddenly everyone around me turned into demons.”
His gaze grew colder.
“I’m more surprised that you’re the only one who didn’t.”
“You think I’m… you think I’m the reason?!”
“Think logically. In a situation like this, who’s the most suspicious?”
It felt like her heart stopped. The world spun. Her voice broke.
“N–No. It’s not me.”
“That’s for the knights to decide. We’ll know for sure once we reach the capital.”
And suddenly, everything made sense.
Chaser hadn’t been protecting her.
He’d been watching her—monitoring the only possible suspect left alive.
“…Ha. Haha. Hahaha…”
In disbelief, Evelyn let out a bitter laugh. Soaked to the bone, her laughter echoed like someone who’d completely lost it.
Chaser said nothing, just watched. But even his patience seemed to be running thin.
“We’re heading to the capital. They can investigate there.”
“Just…”
Still laughing, Evelyn’s voice dropped low, filled with quiet resignation.
“Just kill me.”
Chaser raised an eyebrow, confused for a moment.
“You’re asking me to kill someone who’s still human?”
He gave a short, humorless laugh. But Evelyn wasn’t joking.
She meant it.
Her life had never felt like much. But after meeting her monastery family, she had finally found joy, warmth, a reason to live.
Now all of that was gone.
She had no strength left to keep going. No will to breathe. Her chest felt like it was caving in.
“They’re all dead… They all left me behind…”
She mumbled to herself, like someone completely detached from reality. Then she looked up again—eyes full of pleading.
“Please. Just kill me. I don’t want to live anymore. Let me die here with them. Please…”
Her grip on Chaser’s collar loosened. Her hands slid down, weak and trembling.
Her will to live had collapsed into a void of despair.
She sank to her knees, her shoulders shaking as tears streamed down her face.
“I won’t hold it against you. I’m sorry. Just kill me too. No one has to know. You can just say a demon got me. Please—just end it.”
But even as she begged, Chaser stood still, unmoved.
And deep down, part of him considered it.
Honestly… maybe killing her would be simpler.
Just as he feared, this had become a disaster—someone from House Luisa had ended up killing her entire family.
Even if it had been a duty, when she came to her senses, she might try to take revenge.
She wouldn’t be a threat. Not to someone like him. But still…
For some reason, I don’t want to kill her.
Chaser looked down at Evelyn as she clung to him.
Her lips had turned pale blue. Her whole body trembled from the cold rain that had soaked her for hours.
She’s weak, but she had some spirit in her.
She must’ve spent the entire night climbing through the rain-soaked mountains, searching for Jerry. That’s what had pushed her this far.
The robe he’d given her was completely drenched.
Her skin was ghostly pale, her small frame visibly shaking from the cold.
And now, after seeing her family die in front of her… she’ll pass out soon.
He made up his mind to wait until she lost consciousness before deciding what to do.
Just then, something caught his attention.
“…What’s this?”
The cloth wrapped around her wrist had come loose, revealing a wound.
Chaser reached for her arm and studied it carefully.
“Please… let me die… I don’t want to live anymore…”
“Wait… is this a demon bite?”
“Hic… Please… just kill me already…”
“Looks like you were bitten before the transformation.”
His eyes sharpened instantly.
