NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15.1
Stage 1-15. The One Who Came To Deliver A Nightmare
You said you didn’t need a reward, right?
Why is it that only reckless people gather around me?
I hear the sound of fabric brushing against the fabric.
Even though Mio is starting to undress in front of me, my mind stays surprisingly calm.
“Stop it. I’ll call Alice.”
“Alice is standing watch outside, so she won’t hear you.”
“You’re underestimating her. Even if she were on the other side of the world, she’d come running if I called.”
“…Even so, there are reasons why I can’t stop…”
Mio starts talking about her past and circumstances at length.
But I wasn’t paying full attention, as I was thinking of how to get out of this situation.
If I shake her off by force, I can escape from Mio.
However, she would definitely be unsatisfied and push back even harder.
I want to avoid that.
…Come to think of it, I once heard that after experiencing violence, kindness can overwhelm someone, making them unable to process their emotions.
Alright, let’s go with that.
I’ll push through this by blurring the lines afterward.
“So please, Vellet-sama. Could you grant me… a fleeting moment of love?”
“No way.”
Why am I refusing? The reason’s obvious.
I—prefer large chests.
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[You should never have been born.]
I think that was the phrase I heard the most from my mother.
My mother was the mistress of a nobleman.
She was pampered and lived a life of luxury.
But after becoming pregnant with me, the nobleman cast her aside, and she was sent away to the countryside.
Naturally, she couldn’t live as she had before.
My mother came to resent me.
She lost both her easy life and the person she loved, and took her anger out on me.
Ah, I was never meant to be born.
I spent my days without ever knowing the love of others.
One day, after nearly ten years of this life, my mother suddenly passed away.
The same mother who had beaten me so energetically.
After that, I was raised in an orphanage run by the church in the royal capital.
I could have continued working as a nun, but I refused.
One reason, without a doubt, was that I wanted to help children suffering from violence, just like I had.
But the biggest reason was that I couldn’t understand love.
Having never received love myself, I couldn’t possibly empathize with others’ troubles.
I learned how to raise and interact with children from books.
I memorized it all because it was necessary.
But it was all superficial.
I’m constantly tormented by the fear that I’m not truly able to love those children.
“So please, Vellet-sama. Could you grant me… a fleeting moment of love?”
I’m a wretched woman.
Because of my childhood, my figure is far from attractive.
If I explain my circumstances, the kind Vellet-sama will surely accept me.
I know he’ll save me, which is why I’m doing this now.
“Mio…”
Vellet-sama called my name and reached for my cheek—
“Not happening.”
With a slap, I was clearly rejected.
Memories from my childhood came flooding back.
The burning pain in my cheek was the same as what my mother had given me.
“Ah… ahh…”
I braced myself for the next slap, and the next… until he was satisfied.
Just like back then, I closed my eyes tightly to endure the fear.
…But no matter how long I waited, the blows never came.
Trembling, I opened my eyes.
I found myself gently embraced by Vellet-sama.
Huh? Wh-what? Why…?
“V-Vellet-sama!?”
“Sorry. But it was necessary to first overwrite all the pain that haunts you.”
“Ah…”
At last, I understood the meaning of his actions.
Vellet-sama had struck my cheek on purpose, to erase the ghosts of my past.
He gave me the same violence my mother had, but followed it with a different kind of kindness.
This warmth was releasing me from the chains of my past.
“…It seems it worked.”
Vellet-sama patted my back, then stood up.
The warmth leaving my side made my heart ache.
“Now’s not the time to give you the answer you’re looking for.”
“…I understand. I will pray for your safety, Vellet-sama.”
“There’s no need.”
“What do you mean…?”
“Our victory is assured, that’s what.”
A declaration of victory from someone who’s absolutely unbeatable.
There’s nothing more reassuring than that.
“So, Mio, rest easy. When you wake up, it’ll all be over.”
Even as he left the room, Vellet-sama still showed kindness.
Thank you.
But I’m not so foolish as to just sit back and accept your kindness.
“I will be waiting to greet you all at the entrance when you return.”
There was no response to my words.
Only a smile as Vellet-sama quietly left the room.
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