Chapter 28: Regression (3)
Wrath hated handsome men.
To be precise, she hated handsome and confident men.
It was only natural that Loras's head exploded and he died.
Tsk-.
Still, I tried to spare him, but he had to go and make a fool of himself by taking the little boy Paulo hostage.
Anyway.
I managed to save Paulo and Galatea's lives somehow.
Paulo's role was to be sent back alive with the feeling that "having gone through such a horrific experience, every day from now on will be hell itself. Live your life trembling in fear. And while trembling in fear, spread the word – that the Deadly Sins have come."
And Galatea….
"Ugh, th, the writing on my body…"
Galatea became a "living book" at this moment.
To be precise, a living erotic book.
Wrath liked the 'books' I wrote, so she wouldn't try to kill Galatea, who had become a book herself.
Therefore, Paulo and Galatea.
I saved the lives of two innocent people.
In exchange for my sins!
Fuck, I swore I'd never wear a mask again!
I swore I'd never write smut again!
But what choice did I have?
It was the only way to stop the enraged Wrath.
It was a miracle of miracles that Wrath listened to me and calmed her anger enough to communicate.
Now, it's about time to wrap things up and go back-.
As I was thinking that, a bigger problem arose.
"You, what in the world are you doing!?"
She was a woman with red hair that fluttered like flames.
Her two blue eyes seemed to be in great shock, but they didn't forget her fierce sense of justice.
Psyche!
How could I forget the face I woke up to every morning in bed!
Why on earth was Psyche here?
In this terrible, hellish place.
Alone, at that.
Actually, Psyche was that kind of woman.
A woman who would never tolerate injustice and would break through and enter even hell alone.
That's why I fell for her.
The problem was that Wrath, who had barely calmed down, started to get angry again after seeing Psyche.
"Who's that bitch? Great. I was just lacking someone to vent my anger on."
Crack-.
I got goosebumps as Wrath cracked her knuckles.
If Psyche were to die at Wrath's hands here, I would-.
Fuck, I have no choice.
"Wrath. Leave that woman to me."
"Oh? You? How are you going to do that?"
How, you ask-.
Actually, I knew how to deal with Psyche better than Wrath did.
Just as Psyche had cornered me several times-.
I had also cornered Psyche countless times.
I stood between them to prevent Wrath from lunging at Psyche and snapping her slender neck with those brute hands.
And I spoke to Psyche in the most modulated voice I could manage, choosing words and a tone that the devout and pious Hyde would never use!
"Psyche, you cunt! Why are you here? This is no place for a two-faced bitch like you. Get the fuck out!"
"What? Wh, what did you just say? Cunt…? What does that mean? I don't know what it means, but it sounds terribly blasphemous…"
That's right.
The words "cunt" and "dick" didn't exist in this world yet.
Because the Church, which emphasized piety, was dominant, all vulgar terms referring to male and female genitalia had been burned and disappeared.
That was the moment.
Psyche flinched when she saw something in my hand.
"Th, that's the wedding anniversary gift I gave to my husband Hyde! That quill pen! Why do you have it…!? What have you done to my husband Hyde!"
The quill pen.
This was the one from when Psyche asked, "How many angels can stand on the tip of a quill pen?" It was a wedding anniversary gift she gave me.
It seemed she was surprised that the masked man was holding it.
"I'm asking what you did to my husband Hyde! Hyde! Hyde, where are you! Psyche is here! Hyde! If you're here, shout!"
Shing-.
Psyche drew her sword.
I calmly answered her.
"Your husband Hyde can't answer. That bastard is dead. Psyche, wouldn't that be better for you anyway? He was just a husband from a troublesome political marriage."
"That's not true! Hyde is my precious family!"
"Lies just flow out of your mouth! You say that, but you didn't even spend your first night together with Hyde, did you? Can a couple who haven't even slept together truly be called a couple!? Be honest. Do you even love that man?"
"Hyde and I love each other deeply, spiritually! So, we can be called a couple! And my husband Hyde is completely different from you – a lewd and blasphemous man! Don't insult my husband with your standards! Hyde! Where are you!"
"No, all men are the same in the end. The ones who wrap themselves up as devout and pious believers are the ones with the dirtiest secrets. Your husband, that Hyde guy, must have been the same. In the end, he must have wanted to touch your lewd breasts when he saw them swaying. That must have been all he could think about! I know it well. Hahaha!"
"That's not true! Don't insult my husband Hyde!"
"No, I'm not insulting him. Virgin Psyche. All men want to have your virginity. That Hyde guy is no different. In reality, all he could think about was breaking your hymen-."
"I will never forgive you!"
Whoosh-!
Finally, Psyche lunged at me with her sword.
Psyche was quite hot-headed in many ways.
She must have taken after Count Doban.
I had anticipated Psyche attacking after the argument, so I stretched out my hand leisurely.
I was going to use Lust's 22nd Hellish Punishment, "Milking the Milk Jug," to grab Psyche's breasts-.
Then, Psyche, whose weakness was her breasts, would be greatly flustered and scream "Eek!" as she always did-.
And in that moment, I would run away as I always did…!
I know!
It's wrong to touch a woman's breasts without permission!
But I'm her husband right now!
Who do you think I'm going through all this trouble for? Can't I touch my wife's breasts a little? Huh!? Even the Lord would forgive this!?
"Oops, I guess you're my opponent after all!"
That was the moment.
Swish-.
Wrath jumped forward and grabbed the blade of Psyche's longsword with her hand.
With her bare hand!
"You, if you don't let go of this sword right now, your fingers will be cut off!"
"Try it."
Wrath grabbed the longsword and held it firmly like a vise on a machine.
Psyche seemed quite flustered as well.
"Wh, what kind of strength is this-."
"I am Wrath, the Ire!"
Crack, crunch, crunch-!
Finally, the longsword broke in Psyche's hand.
Shattering a steel blade with just her grip.
Wrath, you monstrous bitch.
Anyway, the situation became unfavorable for Psyche.
If this continued, Wrath's fist would pierce Psyche's head.
I couldn't just stand by and watch my wife die like that.
I decided to make a deal.
"Virgin Psyche, step back."
"Hyde! I will never retreat until I find him."
I raised a finger.
And commanded again.
"Psyche, step back."
"I will not retreat! Hyde! You must be alive somewhere! You're not the type to die like this! My husband Hyde! Where are you!"
Psyche was desperately calling for the man she had barely held hands with, as if he were her lover of a thousand years.
I almost wanted to answer for her.
But I couldn't.
If-.
-If Psyche found out that I was that 'Hyde' here?
━Hyde, I'm so disappointed in you! Go die!
Psyche might chop off my head in extreme disappointment.
Never.
Never should my identity be revealed to Psyche!
"Hand over my husband Hyde, you Eros!"
What's Eros again?
Does it mean an erotic man?
I felt that the Count's daughter used even swear words in a rather elegant way.
That was the very moment.
Waaaaah-.
With a loud roar, soldiers began to pour into the cultists' hideout.
The Agarphe family's forces had arrived.
"Psyche! Where is my daughter Psyche!"
"Save the Lady!"
"Expel the heretics and rescue the survivors!"
The timing was perfect.
My battles with Psyche always felt like this.
"Good! Let's fight to the death!"
Wrath clenched her fists.
I told her.
"Wrath, retreat."
"Why? I finally get to have some fun! The Agarphe Psyche is right in front of me, and you're telling me to retreat? If you talk nonsense, I'll crush your balls too!"
Why retreat, you ask?
If this girl doesn't retreat here, more than half of the Agarphe family's soldiers will be wiped out!
The Agarphe family's financial situation is already bad as it is.
Of course, I couldn't be honest about that, so I had to use my head and make an excuse.
"Wrath, didn't you want to see a big flame? If I get hurt or die here, even a little, it will disrupt my plan."
"Plan?"
"Yes, I have a big plan. Don't you want to see it? How this world will change. So, save me. Break through the encirclement and let me escape!"
First, I have to escape!
Wrath looked back and forth between the approaching soldiers and me, then nodded.
"If it's a boring plan, you'll die by my hand."
I turned around and ran.
Where did I go?
I escaped into the sewage pipe in the garbage dump.
I took off my mask and crawled through it diligently.
"…Fuck, it's fine as long as I survived. I won. I won."
"Did you hear? The knights who were trying to subjugate the Crescent Moon Sisterhood are all dead."
"Those knights? The rumors about the "Wrath of The Deadly Sin" appearing must be true."
"Lady Psyche and the Agarphe family's soldiers barely managed to repel her, right?"
Two days after I crawled through the sewage pipe.
Even though the stench of sewage on my body had disappeared, people were still talking about that day's events.
I asked the servants.
"Did you find Oscar Archibald's body?"
"I heard it was in a terrible state. They could barely recognize his face. By the way, Hyde, is it true that you were hiding in a shithole like a coward while people were dying?"
"I wouldn't say it was cowardly. There was a Deadly Sin who could tear plate armor like paper. It's a miracle I even made it back alive. Though the smell is a bit unpleasant."
Even after washing thoroughly with soap, the smell of the sewage pipe hadn't gone away yet.
Anyway.
The Agarphe territory was shocked and terrified by the appearance of a new Deadly Sin.
What about my beloved Psyche?
"...."
I felt somewhat embarrassed to see Psyche's face.
That was why I used the smell of sewage as an excuse to sleep in separate rooms.
Psyche was at the soldiers' training ground with Doban, having a serious conversation about something.
"Deadly Sin Wrath, she was a terrifying woman. The power to crush my sword like hardened sugar…. Father, I need a bigger weapon. Give me the family's treasured sword, "Agarphe."
"Daughter, isn't that weapon too big for you? Your body hasn't fully recovered from the aftereffects of being ill for two years, has it?"
"I need that much. The problem is not just Deadly Sin Wrath. The truly frightening one was the man with the red blood-drawn cross mask. Even now, when I think of that man-."
Psyche trembled as if she was truly terrified.
Doban sighed as he watched his daughter.
"A man more frightening than the self-proclaimed Deadly Sin Wrath. It's scary that such beings exist near the Agarphe territory. By the way, your husband is here."
"Hyde!"
Psyche ran towards me.
Her F-cup breasts swayed considerably.
Wait, why am I paying attention to this?
Anyway.
"Hyde, are you fully recovered now? I'm so glad you're alive! That scene was like hell itself. It was a situation where anyone could have died…!"
"Thanks to your worries and prayers, my condition has improved a lot. By the way, you were talking about a strange man. There was no such man when I was hiding."
The masked me.
I asked, wondering if Psyche would deduce me from that.
I wanted to ask how much information she had gathered.
Soon, Psyche said.
"He was about your height."
"My height?"
Goosebumps rose on my skin.
My 6-foot height was quite tall in this world and could be considered unique.
Could she be identifying me by my height?
As my knees trembled with worry, Psyche frowned and exclaimed.
"Except for his height, he didn't resemble you at all, Hyde! He was the worst man! Especially his, his lower body… And his language was so vulgar! He, he called me a cunt!"
"Cunt?"
"It, it's a terribly vulgar word! It's a word that appears in the wicked story written on Galatea's body. I wanted to wash my ears out! I've never met such a horrible man!"
Galatea.
The Way of the Beast written on her body.
As I recalled it, I felt dizzy for various reasons.
"Where is that Galatea now?"
"She's currently under our care and being treated. I don't know if it's because the cultists' brainwashing was too strong, but she's not getting any better. Hyde, would you like to see her with me?"
I headed to where Galatea was.
It was the underground prison located in the Agarphe mansion.
Why would they lock up a sick person in prison?
I soon found out the reason.
"You damn bastards! How dare you erase the scripture of the one who wrote it on my body! I will curse you! Lord Lust, the protagonist of The Way of the Beast, is my true Lord! Lord Luuuuust!"
This is driving me crazy.
The Knight of Divine Punishment, Galatea, was broken.
Severely broken. Damn these wicked cultists!
As I felt dizzy at this situation, Psyche said.
"Before erasing the blood inscription on her body, I examined its contents thoroughly. Lust, the man who was born after killing his parents. It must be the name of that man who commits unspeakable atrocities."
"Lust…"
"Yes…! That must be the name of the beast who hid behind the mask and insulted and humiliated you and me…! And if my guess is correct, this entire Crescent Moon Sisterhood incident is also his plan…!"
"...."
"We must capture that Lust and hand him over to the Inquisition. Hyde, I swear before your honor, my husband. So, please support me…!"
Psyche squeezed my hand tightly.
"Hyde, while searching for you at the Sisterhood's hideout, I realized something. I, I think I can be stronger if you're with me…."
My heart pounded unusually because it was a more active skinship than ever before.
She's asking me to support her in order to capture me!
That was the moment.
The Agarphe territory became noisy.
"What's going on?"
Psyche asked.
Doban answered her question.
"I heard that someone from the Archibald family has arrived to retrieve Oscar's body. It seems Milione Archibald has come in person."