Chapter 20: My Choice!
“Leave?”
Muen’s eyes widened suddenly as he looked toward the door of the room. The door no longer gave him the sense of confinement it did before, as if it could truly be opened directly.
Muen subconsciously grasped the door handle and pushed hard.
Click.
The door opened.
Through the crack in the door, bright light could be seen in the corridor outside.
A glimmer of joy flashed in Muen’s eyes.
As long as the door was open, he could leave this place!
However, he didn’t intend to abandon Selicia; he just needed to seek help from others!
Only by calling for help from others did he have a chance to save Selicia!
“Wait.”
Muen suddenly halted his steps.
He noticed something was wrong.
“The assassin outside the door should also know about this, so why did she let me go?”
“She just said… it’s almost over?”
“What… it’s almost over?”
Muen suddenly turned around.
And then, he saw it.
The maid’s hand gripping the burning dagger, like the Grim Reaper raising his scythe, about to fall and reap the proud soul even in dire straits.
Ahead was life.
Behind was death.
At this moment, it felt like time stood still.
In the faintness, Muen heard the sound of pages flipping, as if a story had reached a crucial point, waiting silently for him to write its continuation.
Selicia’s eyes reflected the blade and flames.
Despair had completely enveloped her, making it difficult for her to catch her breath.
Everything in her line of sight seemed to slow down, as if someone had pressed the slow-motion button.
But Selicia understood that time wasn’t actually slowing down; it was her brain working at lightning speed in a life-or-death situation, causing accelerated thinking.
In short, it was like a carousel.
“How embarrassing… to fall in a place like this…”
“That damn Muen Campbell…”
Selicia cursed the man she hated the most in her heart, but the anger she had just felt was long gone.
At this moment, anger was meaningless.
“He must have escaped by now…”
“That’s good. He shouldn’t die here…”
Selicia closed her eyes, calmly accepting her impending death.
“Thud.”
The sound of the blade piercing flesh rang out as expected.
Hot blood gushed out, splattering onto Selicia’s face.
Selicia didn’t feel pain; instead, she felt a familiar, warm presence enveloping her.
“What—”
She startled, opening her eyes to meet a pair of deep blue, clear, but somewhat dim eyes.
Just like when he invited her to dance at the beginning of the ball.
“Cough, cough. Isn’t it a bit too early to give up now, my princess?”
Muen crawled over Selicia’s body, grimacing, and then coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining Selicia’s pristine white gown a shocking red.
“Why…”
Selicia’s eyes widened in disbelief, the icy coldness in them melting away, revealing a panic and confusion she had never shown to anyone before, like that of a young girl.
“Muen Campbell, why did you save me…”
“Why? Cough, cough… I damn well want to know too.”
Muen struggled to breathe, the dagger representing death piercing through his lungs from behind. The flames that could defy even the laws of gods were now madly burning his body, bringing a pain that seemed to tear apart his consciousness.
“If I have to say… it might… have been a moment of impulse.”
“A moment of impulse? Who acts on impulse at a time like this?”
Seeing Selicia clearly disbelieving, Muen could only shake his head helplessly.
But in reality, he wasn’t lying. At that moment, he could have stepped out and escaped death. But when he turned back and saw the dagger about to fall, all thoughts in his mind vanished.
Any self-blame towards Selicia, any regret for his own weakness, any fear of death, any desire for survival—all disappeared.
He simply didn’t want Selicia to die. He didn’t want this character he had once cherished, this girl who had appeared before him so vividly, so real, so beautiful, to die. Especially not by his own doing.
So, he chose to turn back.
So, he stood in front of the Grim Reaper.
Turns out, what they call obsession might just be his self-deception.
“It seems I really do have intermittent brain dysfunction. I always seem to have a fit at critical moments.”
Muen couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
Just like the time he stayed up until 2 a.m., desperately wanting to draw a card despite everything.
And then, because he got too excited about drawing five yellow cards in a row, he got hit by a passing mud truck and died.
“Is the result going to be the same this time too?”
Fortunately, death wasn’t as frightening after experiencing it once.
“But before that, let me put on one last act, or else it would be a huge loss…”
With that thought, Muen endured the intense pain, forced himself to muster up his strength, and tried to present himself as a true duke’s son, gracefully and calmly smiling at Selicia.
“So now… do I look like a man? Your Highness.”
“You…”
Unfortunately, Muen didn’t wait for Ceresia’s answer.
Darkness engulfed his consciousness.
…
【…】
【Progress loading…】
【Pride Progress: 50%】
【Envy Progress: 99%】
【Greed Progress: 0%】
【Lust Progress: 0%】
【Sloth Progress: 0%】
【Wrath Progress: 0%】
【Gluttony Progress: -90%】
【…】
【…】
【Please continue to struggle.】
【Muen Campbell】
【My ■■■■】
In the depths of Muen’s consciousness, the black book trembled slightly.
“Damn… it…”
Seeing Muen suddenly appear and block this attack with his body, the maid’s eyes burst with raging fury.
Just as… just as we were about to succeed, why did Muen Campbell have to show up at such a crucial moment? Our target isn’t you!
“Weird… Did I just… space out for a moment?”
The maid pressed her forehead, instinctively sensing something wrong, but there was no time to think about such things now.
“Do you think you can stop me like this? Even if you block this attack, with the blessing of the gods, Princess Selicia is nothing more than a lamb waiting to be slaughtered!”
“Whatever, I’ll just stab again!”
The maid tightened her grip on the dagger and pulled it…
Huh?
Why can’t I pull it out?
The maid lowered her head in confusion, looking at Muen.
But she found that where she stabbed, on that gorgeous garment, there were flickers of golden light, firmly trapping her dagger.
“So, it’s this clothing that’s peculiar.”
The maid sneered contemptuously.
It’s not unusual for a duke’s son to have something life-saving, but even if it’s a bit peculiar… It’s just a piece of clothing. How long can it withstand me?
The maid exerted all her strength, and sure enough, she soon pulled out the dagger.
But the pulled-out dagger seemed a bit strange…
“Huh?”
The maid stared blankly at the dagger.
It still gleamed with a cold light, sharp as ever.
But…
“My flames?”
That huge blaze, the holy fire bestowed by the gods?
Why is it gone?
Oho cliche but I like it