Chapter 184.

The gray-brown pupils pinned to my genuinely smiling face widened as if they were about to split. Soon after, the shock began to well up.

“That, that ……”

Like a pause, Ikris held his breath. It was quite interesting to watch in real time the way a face that was always expressionless like a wax statue turned white.

“Ah, you didn’t see it, did you? How I died.”

The stomach that was clogging up like it was placed on top turned cold. I slowly leaned down and brought my face to him. Breathing stopped he blew out a breath with a “huff”.

“Lord, Master.” Trembling shoulders, feeble pupils.

I whispered sweetly in a happy mood.” Have you ever drunk spirits?”

“When you drink spirits …… not more than a few seconds later, your heart jumped with excitement as if someone were on fire.” “Then I couldn’t catch my breath and opened my mouth for a moment and there was a stream of bright red blood spurting out like a fountain.”

“I drank the vascular venom that constantly makes one hemoptysis. Thanks to your blessing, there was a scoop of blood after losing consciousness.”

“Before I collapsed, I was very sick, Ikris. Do you know how much pain I was in?”

“Ah …… Lord, Lord, Lord.”

I looked as sad as an actor acting on stage, and Ikris’s face contorted for a moment. He shivered in pain as if I had drunk poison. Words like loving me didn’t seem like empty words.

The despair, the frustration, the loss I felt when he took Iben before the bar mitzvah.

“You feel it too.”

I wiped away the weepy expression I’d been making. Then clenched my teeth and spit it out like I was chewing something.

“But it’s all because of you. Get it?”

“Ah, ah. Lord, master …….”

“What a shame. If I had known I would see your face again, I would have simply died.” Indeed, the method I chose gave him a big blow. The face of Ikris, who had never vented his feelings in front of me, was a mess.

The disoriented, trembling eyes were ridiculous. With a parched face, he stammered as breathless as a man who has fallen into water.” Why, ah, master …… why death …… why …… why …….”

“Why?” I laughed cruelly. No, perhaps it was a cry.

“You know. There’s a reason I bought you and took good care of you.”

“Bringing you in was supposed to stop it, but pawned me into the stale. What usually happens to the words of a loser whose purpose fails?”

“Reduced to misery like you, or like the people of your homeland you pushed to the limbs ……”

“Only death.”

I slowly raised my lowered upper body and looked down at the top of his head. The favor gauge bar indicated. Dark red like blood. Ikris, who loves me, doesn’t die either. Is it entirely Ikris’ fault that Hardcore Mode failed?

…No. ……

There were definitely bad choices and judgment on my part. Maybe Ikris is not guilty. If I hadn’t chosen bread, he wouldn’t be running around like that.

But I pity him who I used, and one by one, looking back on my defeat, I’m tired of you. For me, the game stories, the horrible mistresses, the brainwashed Ikris, have no power against them.

“No way.” The only thing left for a loser who doesn’t want to die is to run away. At that time.

“…… If you bring the Duke’s own daughter, I knew the master would hand it over right away.”

“Then the master trusts only me, thinking to rely only on me ……” Ikris, whose powerless face was shaking, suddenly opened his mouth and chanted eerily.

“I’m going out. Just kill Leben, I want to put it all back to the original …….”

“If you’re going to die, you’re going to die on your own, Ikris.”

Interrupting him to grunt like a child, I muttered coldly.

“You’re the one who randomly brought it back and ruined everything.”

“I …… don’t want to die.”

“Why?”

He hesitated, mumbling.” Then …… never see you again.”

“…… Ha.”

“Sometimes, feeling thirsty, I want to die …… The blood pours out at the thought of who else is standing beside you but me.”

“I don’t want to die, master.”

At that moment, he lifted his head which had fallen downward all at once.” So, please tell me.”

“…… What?”

“How to stand by your side again.”

He regretted that it was only temporary. Recovered eyes gleamed.

“Let me do anything ……”

He begs to be handled properly, fumbling with his pockets with the hand that isn’t gripping me. He pulled something out and shoved it haphazardly into my fingers.

The index finger felt cold to the touch. Without realizing it, the large ruby ring sat on my finger.

“I’ll crawl like a dog.”

It was the ruby ring I I threw the other day, and he shivered in fear and pleaded.

“If I’m not happy, I’ll never put words like love in my mouth again ……”

“Please don’t abandon me, master.”

Looking up at me, blurred as if crying, her face was red and beautiful. For a moment, there was a bit of weakness in my heart. The popular Chuck who appeared behind Ikris sobered up at once.

“…… Ikris.”

I slowly withdrew my hand that he had grabbed. He seemed flustered and wanted to grab it again, but he said “Shhh.”

Completely removing my hand from him, I slowly stroked my fluffy gray hair. It traveled slowly down the back of his head and then hit something hard. Fixing my eyes on the flowing skirt located on the front, I said.

“I’m not your master now.”

At the same time, there was a “click” as the ruby egg engaged with the loose groove. Snap-. The black skin that had occupied his neck fell off. The magical clown that proved himself to be a slave, that always bound his breath, finally unraveled.

“…… Master?”

Possibly feeling that the underside of his chin became blurry, Ikris lowered his head to confirm, and immediately called out to me with a dumbfounded face.

“This is my final care for the one who betrayed me, my only knight. Now find your new master.”

“That, what’s that ……”

“Hello.”

I whispered a greeting.” …… Ikris.”

It was then that another voice calling for Ikris resounded through the silent incinerator. The voice caused Ikris to slowly turn his head backward. Iben alternated between the guy kneeling in front of me and slanted eyes.

“That, when I heard that Ikris disappeared …… just, came to find ……” In the sight of both of us, she was busy defending herself and ended up crying. I gripped the splinter of my poking hand a little tighter and tried to act as if nothing had happened and shrugged.

“Glad I found you.” Then passed Ikris and stepped away. Because seats had to be avoided for the sake of the main characters named NPCs.

“Lord, lord.” Ikris, who was looking at Iben blankly, listened and tried to catch me who brushed against me. But before touching his, I quickly moved my feet.

“Pe, Penelope ……”

“Have fun.”

I said to Iben with as harmless an expression as possible before leaving.

“Lord, Lord!”

Ikris cried out ruefully, jumping up from his seat.

“Ikris, wait ……!”

“Let go! Master ……!”

“I have something to say before someone finds out. Me, listen to me!” But thanks to his new master blocking the way, he was able to escape without being caught. I walked out quickly.

***

It was silent inside.

Iben quickly approaches Ikris, staring at the spot where Penelope disappeared.

“Ikris.”

He didn’t turn his head even at the summons. Iben grabbed his arm eagerly.

“Ikris! Where are the shards?”

At that the man’s vision shifted with a clatter. Empty gray-brown eyes, nothing.

“…… Where’s the shard?”

“…… I’ll release you to get the shard, in that case what!” Seeing defeat in the silent him, Iben’s face was overcome with tears and laughter. Regardless, Ikris traced Penelope’s trail with empty eyes before chanting blankly.

“…It’s all over, now.”

“What.”

“The master wants me dead.”

“What ……”

“I must die now. That’s how I’ll realize how much I love her.” Ikris, with a soulful look on his face, moved hastily without catching it. He was about to leave the cellar.

“Even though Penelope and His Royal Highness are soon engaged?”

“Married a few years later, his fiancée Penelope became the Crown Prince and had another man’s child.”

“But can you die anyway?”

The low voice of Ibn stopped Ikris in his tracks.

“Isn’t that what you did. Killed him to try and stop her from getting engaged too.” Iben looked at his back and made a pleading sound.

“I …… heard everything you wanted. Send him to the north to keep the betrothal from taking place just like that.”

“But then it will soon be back to force the betrothal ceremony. He is a strong warrior.”

“…Or will he die?”

Ikris’ clenched fists trembled little by little. Imagine the eyes seeming to roll over. He grunted in a desperate whisper.” …… I want Penelope.”

“What to do, what to do now? How do I get her to smile at me like she used to?”

“Look at me, Ikris.”

Iben carefully walked up to him. Then carefully reached out and lifted his cheek to his eyes.

“Poor Ikris.”

Iben seemed to take her place, and with tears in his eyes he offered the method.

“The way you can have her is simply to hold the Empire in your hands.”

“I…what?”

How can I, who just got rid of my slavery, hold such a big empire. But Iben reminded him with a faint smile.” Have you forgotten? You’re also of noble blood.”

“Ikris Candleman, bastard son of Kru Candleman, the last royal family of the Steppe.”