Salvation Through Delusion C33

Chapter 33

 

For a moment, I froze, forgetting to struggle. What startled me wasn’t myself—but him. He, too, had paused, if only for two or three seconds.

 

In that brief instant, his heavy, slow breath reverberated through me, as if echoing from deep inside my chest.

 

Time itself seemed to slow, every heartbeat etched into my mind with unbearable clarity. That strange, shivering thrill wrapped around my heart again, like cold lightning under my skin.

 

Snap out of it.

 

The shout of reason brought me back. I pushed him away with all the strength I had—but almost at the same moment, he moved again.

 

Damn it. His cursed lips pressed down like they were devouring me, sucking hard enough to steal the air from my lungs. His heat, his breath, the friction of his tongue inside my mouth—it was so intense it felt almost… sensual.

 

The shame of my body’s reaction only made my anger flare hotter.

 

Goddamn it, stop shoving your tongue in there.

 

I tried to bite it, but he pulled back like a ghost—then immediately came right back.

 

And this time, he did something even worse than forcing his tongue in. He bit my lower lip. Hard.

 

“Ah!”

 

I yelped, stumbling backward, dazed. He finally let me go—but I didn’t even have time to breathe before I licked at the sting.

 

The taste of blood spread across my tongue.

 

That bastard bit me?!

 

I snapped my head up, glaring daggers at him. His gaze lingered on my bleeding lips, then lifted slowly.

 

“Tastes good. Next time, maybe I’ll take a bite of the flesh itself.”

 

“Does Your Grace really have such a craving for pig feed?”

 

I ground the words out between clenched teeth, dripping with sarcasm. He only smiled wider. That smug, curling smile—infuriating.

 

And then, before I could say anything else, the world around me blurred like a mirage.

 

“What the—?”

 

In an instant, the scenery shifted.

 

When my eyes adjusted, I realized I was standing behind the summer villa.

 

Ah. I’d escaped the maze garden.

 

Of course—the only way out was a kiss. Damn it. He’d used me as a key.

 

But Tyroc was nowhere to be seen. So the exit must’ve dropped us in random spots.

 

Finally, out of that den of degeneracy. But there wasn’t an ounce of gratitude in me. The bastard had kissed me purely to screw me over—and worse, I could still feel the press of something hard against my stomach from before…

 

Wait.

 

I froze mid-step, my mind catching up.

 

…No way. Was that bastard aroused?

 

No. Couldn’t be. He called me pig feed—he wouldn’t get hard over that.

 

Maybe it was a weapon. Yeah, a sword or something. Because whatever it was… that size was not human.

 

 

—

 

“Tyroc again?”

 

Dr. Lantua’s brows shot up like mountain peaks, and she added, half to herself, “So it’s fate after all.”

 

“Yes, fate. A bad one.”

 

I slumped back on the sofa. I’d only been in that damn garden for an hour, but it felt like I’d aged ten years.

 

“What was he even doing there?”

 

“How should I know? He said he wanted to repay a debt, and then started rubbing his damn—uh—”

 

“What?! Rubbing what?”

 

“His thighs, okay? Thighs!”

 

I slapped my leg twice for emphasis, watching her expression carefully.

 

“Are your ears malfunctioning, Doctor?”

 

“So he went there just to see you?”

 

“As if. He probably saw me by chance—and decided to make my life hell while he was at it. That bastard.”

 

The more I thought about it, the more furious I got. I clenched my fist just as her voice cut in sharply.

 

“He’s the one who’ll save our world.”

 

“Tch.”

 

I shut my eyes, biting back my irritation, but she muttered to herself.

 

“Still, why was he there in the first place?”

 

“Who knows. There were so many people it looked like a carnival. Everyone came to that noble’s estate like it was a theme park, and all they did was—”

 

The image of the maze garden flashed through my mind, making my face twist.

 

“What the hell is wrong with these people? Are they all possessed by lust demons? Or just bored aristocrats drowning in decadence?”

 

“Not just nobles. Commoners too. Everyone’s the same.”

 

“…That’s insane.”

 

“So get used to it. Word’s already spreading that you did something weird there.”

 

“I didn’t do anything!”

 

I protested, but her skeptical stare said otherwise.

 

“Oh really? Because I heard you were laughing and running around with men inside the villa. And then you went around the maze interrupting other people’s… intimate activities.”

 

“Laughing?! I was fighting for my life! Running away from perverts! And in the maze—”

 

I stopped, too exasperated to breathe.

 

“I mean, seriously! They were all butt-naked, rolling around in broad daylight! How could I not say something?! That’s not human behavior!”

 

“It’s their culture.”

 

“Culture? You’re telling me lying naked on grass is culture?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What about parasites?!”

 

“The ticks here are harmless.”

 

…Lucky bastards. I had nothing left to say—but I still felt wronged.

 

“Even so—”

 

“What? You wanna catch the traitor’s attention by acting like a moral officer? You’re not here to judge anyone.”

 

I clamped my mouth shut, looking away. Her eyebrow twitched.

 

“Wait. Don’t tell me—you actually were a moral officer?”

 

“…I used to enforce conduct rules in the shelter.”

 

“Ahhh. That explains why you’re such a stiff old man.”

 

“I just had a strict guardian growing up. And—that’s not the point! Are the rumors really that bad?”

 

“Oh, they’re bad. But don’t worry, you won’t stand out. The story is that you were jealous and sabotaged everyone else’s fun because you couldn’t enjoy yourself.”

 

I wanted to die. But before I could curse, she hit me with another question that froze my blood.

 

“By the way… how did you get out of the maze?”

 

“!”

 

“The only way out is through an indecent, filthy kiss with someone else, right?”

 

My eyes darted away. Mistake. Turning my head exposed the cut on my lip.

 

“What the—why’s your lip like that? Don’t tell me you—”

 

I flinched, biting down on my lip and shaking my head fast.

 

“No! It’s not what you think! I just—”

 

“You bit your own lip and drank your blood to trigger the spell?”

 

“Wh—no, I—”

 

“That would work, technically. But no one’s ever actually done it before.”

 

Wait. That worked?! Why the hell didn’t Solongo say that earlier?!

 

While I silently cursed her, Lantua sighed in admiration.

 

“You’re really something. Your family must’ve been seriously conservative.”

 

“Well, yeah, kind of…”

 

“But hold on. Then how did Tyroc get out?”

 

I stopped breathing. I hadn’t done anything wrong, but guilt still sealed my lips. Luckily, Lantua came to her own conclusion. She was a genius, after all.

 

“Ah, right. He’s from Tuvain too. They’re all shameless. Probably just grabbed someone and kissed them. For him, that’s like saying hello.”

 

“Right. That makes sense.”

 

“Yeah, it does—wait, why do you look happy?”

 

“No reason. Just… relieved to know that bastard’s a degenerate too.”

 

Lantua blinked, confused, but before she could ask, I snapped, voice sharp.

 

“Can I get a glass of dongchimi, please?!”

 

 

—

 

Whoosh! — Crack!

 

A blinding streak of light shot from the tip of a massive sword, piercing straight through a monster and slicing the boulder behind it clean in half.

 

The creature fell in one blow. The soldiers who’d been fighting desperately nearby stared in awe and admiration.

 

As expected of the Duke!

 

Koon Tyroc’s overwhelming presence left them breathless every time. That a human could wield such power was astounding—and unlike ordinary aura, his energy shone like lightning itself.

 

Because of that, many still believed he was blessed by a divine beast.

 

But not everyone watching felt pride. Those who knew the price of his strength—those who had seen him endure hell to reach the top—couldn’t simply cheer.

 

Among them were Enya and Haas, who had served by his side for years.

 

“That’s strange. The Duke seems off today. His movements are… harsher than usual.”

 

From his position at a distance, Haas provided ranged support, allowing him to observe the fight better than anyone.

 

“I don’t think so,” said Enya firmly, who had fought right beside Tyroc.

 

“I think it’s the opposite.”