In the dungeon, the sound of wailing was incessant, the small whip swinging relentlessly, even producing sonic booms.
Truly, practice makes perfect—each lash was delivered with vigorous force.
Under the dim lamplight, every strike left fresh, bloody marks on Gerald’s mangled skin.
Crack, crack, crack.
At this moment, Sieg, upholding justice with an air of righteousness, showed no mercy or pity.
It was a settling of old and new grudges alike.
Given the enmity between them, not taking advantage of Gerald’s vulnerability to finish him off was already generous.
Gerald should be secretly rejoicing.
If it weren’t for the fear of creating an even more exaggerated hero… after all, the current hero was already outrageous enough, in every sense of the word.
The reason Sieg didn’t stop wasn’t just for revenge.
It was largely to observe Emilia’s state and emotional changes.
This was to calm his restless and uneasy heart, to return to normalcy, to stop harboring unrealistic fantasies, and to avoid being emotionally swayed by Emilia.
What was still missing was tangible proof…
His chaotic thoughts were interrupted by Gerald’s incessant cries.
Hanging on the wall in agony, tears streaming down his face, snot dripping, he repeated pleas for mercy.
Finally, he switched tactics, becoming even more servile.
Fawning and flattering, he threw out all sorts of unrealistic promises in an attempt to gain leniency.
“Don’t hit me, please don’t hit me, brother. I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die. I’ll answer anything you ask. Do you like money? I have plenty of hidden stashes. I can give them all to you. Spare my life, please! Yes, yes, when Emilia returns, I’ll reclaim the throne and make you a noble. If you kill me now, you’ll get nothing!”
“Oh, my goodness, is that so? Really, Emperor Gerald? My apologies, I was far too rude earlier. I hope you can forgive me.”
Seeing this, Sieg lowered the whip, shrugged, and feigned interest.
He glanced back at the silver-haired girl standing in the shadowy corner, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
Her crimson eyes reflected the entire scene, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, simply waiting for Sieg’s next command.
Due to her attire, she hadn’t been recognized.
This puzzled him.
The girl’s behavior wasn’t quite as expected.
It seemed the provocation wasn’t strong enough to trigger her condition.
He’d have to intensify the stimulation.
With that thought, he slowly sat down, crossed his legs, and stared directly at Gerald—once his fated nemesis, now fallen and pathetic like a dog.
He steered the conversation back toward Emilia.
“Oh, but that’s not enough, Your Majesty. Emilia loves you so much; she must have left you plenty of good things. Tell me about them. After all, they’re no use to you anymore. You wouldn’t want them buried with you, would you?”
He was ready to play along, bored as he was, curious about Gerald’s reaction when he saw Emilia…
A playful smirk tugged at his lips.
“Fine, fine, I’ll give you everything.”
Though Gerald didn’t dare hesitate, nodding frantically as blood and tears splattered, he knew even a moment’s pause would likely earn him another lashing.
He appeared half-crazed.
But in truth, he was perfectly lucid, knowing that as long as he survived, there was hope.
He could only endure, groveling, a glint of ferocity in his eyes.
When Emilia returns, you’re all dead, every last one of you.
Deep down, he also felt a pang of guilt, perhaps from being betrayed by someone he trusted.
His fists clenched.
Perhaps Emilia felt the same way…
It wasn’t a good feeling.
She must have suffered too.
It was his fault.
The regret grew stronger, no longer just surface-level acting.
He was starting to realize his own mistakes.
But it wasn’t deep enough yet.
Back to the present.
Gerald’s groveling was for survival.
Otherwise, he genuinely feared being beaten to death.
Unfortunately for him, that wasn’t an option.
Sieg wouldn’t let it happen.
At most, he’d beat him half to death, then use magic to forcibly heal him.
And then beat him again until he was satisfied.
After all, he couldn’t waste this trip, and who knew if he’d get another chance like this?
Somewhat distracted, Sieg glanced at the girl, unsure what she was thinking.
Gerald’s weak, fawning voice still echoed in his ears.
“Yes, yes, I remember now. I have something Emilia left me in my pocket—those apology gifts. Your companion didn’t search thoroughly enough, and I hid them well. They’re the deeds to orphanages on the empire’s outskirts. They’re not worth much, but I recall there’s a decent amount of money Emilia left to maintain them, plus some expensive white flowers. Take them, split them with your brothers, do whatever you want with them.”
“…Huh?”
Sieg hadn’t responded yet, tilting his head in confusion.
Why would Emilia leave such things for him?
Maybe it was some romantic gesture, like a token of affection.
It wasn’t his business anyway.
Though it irked him slightly, he couldn’t quite pinpoint why…
Perhaps it was the years of feelings that, in the end, didn’t compare to this punk Gerald.
He reached out to take the deeds, not intending to be polite.
As for what to do with them… he wasn’t sure yet.
Just as he opened his mouth to say something, the silver-haired girl behind him suddenly stepped forward, strode to Gerald, and slapped him hard across the face.
The force was heavy, and she snatched the deeds.
For the first time in a while, she was angry—not just at Gerald’s flippant attitude and lies, but because these weren’t his to give.
They were her apology gifts meant for Sieg.
“What does this have to do with you?”
“After all this time, you’re still the same, Gerald. No progress at all. Now you’re even full of lies. I’m not happy to see you at all.”
With that, she pulled off her hood, her silver hair cascading down.
She lightly shook her head, her delicate face showing a trace of anger.
Her gaze was heavy, devoid of any affection for Gerald.
The atmosphere froze.
Their eyes met.
Sieg, watching from the side, adopted a spectator’s stance.
This was the outcome he’d expected, though the process had been slightly off, but no matter.
He couldn’t help but tease.
“Alright, old lovers reuniting. Not bad, you two take your time. I won’t disturb you. Call me when you’re done.”
Finally, he could…
His thoughts were barely forming when Emilia grabbed his hand, pulling him up from the chair.
He was confused.
Was she asking him to heal Gerald’s wounds or release his restraints?
After all that acting, she still couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.
A day as husband and wife means a hundred days of grace, understandable, understandable…
His eyes darkened, no longer caring about the changes around him.
He couldn’t identify the complex emotions swirling within, not even understanding them himself.
He gave a bitter smile.
If he couldn’t figure it out, he wouldn’t try.
It didn’t matter.
As partners, doing what he could was enough.
That was their relationship.
But he hadn’t expected her lips to press against his, soft and warm.
The silver-haired girl stood on her toes, resolute, choosing the only way to make her stance clear.
In front of Gerald, she gave her first kiss.
But it wasn’t to him.
No way, not like this!