Salvation Through Delusion C105

Chapter 105

“I told you. I’m the only one who can lift the curse of the House of Koon. So why are you—”

Tyroc raised one hand halfway. He stopped speaking without realizing it, but the gesture was clearly meant for the servants nearby.

Tap-tap-tap.

As soon as the sound of several sets of footsteps faded into the distance, Tyroc spoke again.

“So?”

His voice sounded indifferent, but to Hoiga it was an unmistakable warning.

Go on. Say it. See what happens.

A primal fear surged—an instinctive urge to retreat before overwhelming strength. But after sneaking out of the house with such resolve, after waiting here until dawn… how could he be treated this coldly?

Bitterness welled up. It pushed the fear aside, and Hoiga forced his mouth open, facing those icy eyes.

“So tell me. Why did you do it? Why Adeye Rue? Why did you choose Rue?”

For a brief moment, anger flickered in Tyroc’s eyes, yet the corner of his mouth twisted upward instead.

“Shouldn’t you be asking why I didn’t choose you? Why ask why I chose Adeye Rue?”

Step.

He took half a step closer and spoke in a low voice.

“That sounds like you wouldn’t be this unhinged if it weren’t Rue.”

Hoiga’s eyes trembled.

No—

He should have denied it, but no words came out even as his lips parted. Tyroc’s golden eyes turned impassive again, and somehow that indifference felt like pure disgust. Hoiga squeezed out a voice that barely emerged.

“…Because it’s Rue. Because it’s that stupid, vulgar Adeye Rue.”

“Watch your mouth when you speak about my partner.”

Partner? He was calling him that already, without even a proper engagement ceremony?

Hoiga no longer cared how Tyroc saw him. He just wanted to know why this absurd situation had come to pass.

“Even if Adeye Rue can communicate with nonhuman beings, he can’t lift the curse of the House of Koon. And yet you still chose him? Was he worth it? The most important thing to you is breaking your family’s curse, isn’t it? If you think I would help you—”

“I don’t need you.”

Hoiga’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Tyroc, I told you. You can only attempt to lift the curse of the House of Koon once. And I’m the only one who can succeed in a single try!”

His raised voice echoed through the hall, yet he didn’t even realize how agitated he’d become as he pressed on.

“Without my help, your family trapped in Koon Castle will remain stone forever—!”

A large hand clamped around Hoiga’s throat, cutting him off mid-sentence.

He was lifted into the air just like that, and his face turned a bursting red as his airway closed.

Unable to breathe, he flailed his limbs in a desperate attempt to break free, but that only made Tyroc’s grip tighten.

“Ghk—! Ugh—!”

“There’s only one reason I’m not killing you right now,” Tyroc said calmly. “Today is an important day. I’m going to fetch my beloved partner. I can’t exactly reek of filthy blood, can I?”

He pulled Hoiga close until they were face to face, staring straight into his eyes.

“So from now on, with every breath you take, live in gratitude to Adeye Rue—for saving your life.”

Tyroc tossed Hoiga aside like a piece of trash. With a heavy thud, Hoiga rolled across the floor, but drawing in air was more urgent than the pain.

“Cough—! Hack—!”

As Hoiga lay there coughing on the ground, Tyroc turned away coldly, as if the matter were already settled.

Click. Tap.

The sound of Tyroc’s retreating footsteps echoed through the floor. Hoiga lifted his bloodshot eyes.

“Tyroc. You’ll regret this.”

Tyroc didn’t look back, but Hoiga raised his voice as if making a vow to himself.

“You’ll regret it, shedding tears of blood someday!”

Clatter. Clatter.

Having breakfast with Dr. Kim at the Adeye estate had become routine for me. Today was no different, even though I was leaving for the House of Koon.

The difference was that we were eating in silence.

The menu was chicken tender fritters—heavy for breakfast, but there were pickled radish slices on the side. Yes. Fried chicken and radish.

There was plenty to talk about just from the food alone, yet strangely, I didn’t feel like complaining about this cursed land. We weren’t parting forever, but my mood was oddly complicated.

I glanced at Dr. Kim, who was eating in silence, and spoke.

“I’ll come visit often.”

“For what?”

“…Pardon?”

I skewered a piece of pickled radish with my fork, wondering if I’d misheard.

“You don’t want me to visit?”

“I’m saying that instead of coming here, you should be busy wrapping Tyroc around your finger.”

Ah. Plan X again. I frowned immediately.

“We’re writing a contract. Why waste time on that?”

“You haven’t written it yet.”

“Well, we will.”

I muttered, but under Dr. Kim’s exasperated gaze, I couldn’t help voicing my worry.

“He’ll write it, right?”

“He will. For the sake of appearances. The problem is, that could be thirty years from now. And considering how awful his personality is, that’s entirely possible.”

She clenched her fist, delivering her conclusion backed by ten years of accumulated data.

“So you need to make him sign that contract as soon as possible—threaten him, beg him, seduce him, whatever it takes.”

I hated every single option. So I offered the best alternative I could think of.

“What about getting him drunk and sneaking a signature?”

That disappointed lens slid right back over her eyes.

“Sword masters don’t get drunk easily.”

Damn it. He’s going to live forever. As I slumped in genuine despair, Dr. Kim warned me,

“If you try something half-baked, you might be the one who ends up falling for Tyroc first.”

“Not my type.”

“If you let your guard down like that, you’ll end up giving him your body first—and then your heart. Tsk.”

My body?

“This is a contract marriage. There’s no reason for bodies to touch.”

“……”

“This time, I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Sure. You’ll be right—right after you get blindsided.”

She shook her head.

“Don’t underestimate how promiscuous Tuvine people are. Want to know what’s carved into their bones as common sense? ‘The bodies have to be compatible before the hearts are.’”

She took a sip of water and set the glass down with a clack.

“So these people don’t shake hands when they meet someone new—they test compatibility first. Just imagine how good they must be at sex.”

“Well…”

“Insanely good. No joke.”

Why ask me and then answer it yourself? More importantly—

“You’ve never even done it yourself. How would you know?”

“I’ve seen and heard too much.”

Ten years’ worth of irritation showed plainly on her face. Well, considering Rue himself—

“What exactly are you trying to say? That Tyroc will turn me into some kind of sex slave and do whatever he wants? Haha—”

“Yes.”

“…I was joking.”

“I’m not.”

Yeah. I could tell just by her face. That was what made it worse.

“Ha… I didn’t want to say this, but honestly.”

The absurdity made me laugh first.

“I’m good at it. I don’t like bragging, but I’m really good.”

One of her eyebrows lifted. She looked like she wasn’t sure how to react to such an unexpected piece of nonsense. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed.

“To the point where every person I slept with contacted me again after we broke up. Said they couldn’t forget the incredible nights we spent together. Dr. Kim—”

I leaned in and whispered like I was sharing a secret.

“I’m a bad man.”

Her response was the same look an aunt gives her middle-school nephew going through an especially intense phase.

“How many exes do you have?”

“Two.”

“……”

I lifted my chin proudly, but the look in her eyes only grew more exasperated.

“You’ve never been on the bottom, have you?”

“Of course not. But when it comes to using my body, I don’t lose to anyone.”

She muttered gravely,

“Terminal case.”

I let out a hollow laugh.

“It probably won’t happen, but if—if—Tyroc tries to seduce me physically, he’ll be the one who falls first.”

“……”

“You were about to tell me to seduce him first, weren’t you? Not happening.”

No meant no. Dr. Kim openly scowled at me.

“Don’t come whining later that you like Tyroc.”

“Am I insane? Why would I let myself like someone in a place I won’t even live in?”

I tossed the words out lightly—then froze.

Dr. Kim’s expression hardened.

“Once you close the Eye of Hell, your mission is over. After that, your life is here.”