I Became a Slave to the Man I Abandoned Novel (Completed) - Chapter 151

A chilling aura permeated Duke Via’s estate. With its master, Khalid, deeply somber, the mansion naturally mirrored his mood. The servants kept their mouths shut, carefully observing him.

Khalid gazed at the newly risen sun. The cool morning air seeped through the gown he wore directly on his skin. Khalid Via stared blankly for a moment, then began to walk.

“Butler.”

“Yes.”

“Send the servants away.”

“Excuse me?”

“All of them.”

“…”

Khalid Via removed his own gown and began to put on the clothes the butler had prepared. He had always been more comfortable dressing himself than being attended to by others. The butler stood behind him, his face grim.

“If you wish to remain here and die, then do so.”

Khalid Via had never thought he would understand Olga Rainerio’s feelings. But now, he understood a little of what she must have felt when she dismissed all her servants in the end. Khalid scoffed at himself. He dressed meticulously, tucking a sword at his waist and a dagger into his inner pocket.

A week passed since that day, and the time came again for the Emperor’s council meeting. During that long period, Khalid Via had thought countless thoughts.

No, he had thought only of one person: Nox Rainerio.

He had claimed he could do anything, yet he had turned away from the easiest path. He scoffed at himself.

Was it a blessing that he could finally admit it now? Khalid tightened the cravat around his neck a little more. For the past few days, breathing has been difficult. But as the sun rose on the actual day, everything calmed down. It was as if he had been waiting only for this day.

Outside the window, the world looked peaceful, as if nothing out of the ordinary would ever happen.

“Hurry if you’re going.”

Khalid bypassed the still-present butler and left the room, heading downstairs to the first floor. Knowing he always took his carriage to the imperial palace at the same time, the servants familiar with his routine saw him off.

Khalid headed for the imperial palace without a single glance back at the receding mansion. Although it was a mansion he would never return to, surprisingly, not a speck of regret remained.

“Welcome, Your Grace.”

The chief eunuchs, who always greeted him upon his arrival at the imperial palace, came out to meet him as usual, and Khalid naturally entrusted them with the sword at his waist for a moment. They never suspected that Khalid carried another sword in his pocket.

It was too familiar. He was the Emperor’s man, after all. They couldn’t possibly guess what resolution he had made by standing there.

Khalid walked as usual, feeling the presence of the dagger hidden in his pocket. The closer he got to the Emperor’s office, the calmer his heart became. He felt as though this was always destined to happen.

“Welcome, Duke Via.”

The palace guards standing before the office opened the doors.

Creak—.

As the doors opened, familiar faces appeared. The faces of those who had died by his hand were long forgotten. Their complexions were bright, simply because the murders of pro-Emperor nobles had stopped.

Unaware of what was about to unfold, the Emperor, Feltion, sat casually on his desk, his eyes fixed on Khalid. “You’re a bit late today,” he remarked.

“Yes,” Khalid replied, meeting his gaze directly. “I had a few things to prepare.”

Amidst the unsuspecting faces, the Emperor’s sharp eyes, hiding unknown thoughts, seemed to pierce through Khalid. Emperor, Feltion. Do you know what I’ve come here to do today? Khalid almost wished he did. He wished Feltion would desperately realize the consequences of his actions.

Quietly, Khalid locked the door behind him. Click. A nobleman closest to the door turned his head.

“Duke Via?” he asked, looking at Khalid. Khalid met his gaze with his usual expression, and very naturally, slipped his hand into his pocket.

What he pulled out was a dagger, about two spans long. He didn’t make a sound until Khalid drew the blade and tossed the sheath to the floor.

Slash! Swish!

Khalid, holding the dagger in a reverse grip, swiftly plunged it into the nobleman’s neck and pulled it out. Facing the sudden rush of eyes, he lunged at the person standing closest.

“What is this, Duke…!”

Without even a scream, another throat was slit. Blood instantly spurted out. Khalid paid no attention to the splatters of blood dotting his face.

“Guards, call the guards!”

“The knights!”

“Your Majesty!”

“Duke, are you mad?!”

Someone ran towards the door. Khalid’s large hand snatched his neck.

“Gasp!”

Snap!

His neck was squeezed in Khalid’s grip. Soon, the sound of something breaking followed, and the body in his hand went limp. Khalid ruthlessly flung the body to the floor. Startled faces appeared. He saw them shouting. But to Khalid’s ears, there was only a buzzing sound. Their words were all garbled, unintelligible. They stood in front of Feltion to protect the Emperor.

“Surely…!”

Someone cried out, as if realizing something, but their mouth was instantly ripped open by the dagger in Khalid’s hand. A scream erupted, and blood gushed out.

From outside, sensing the commotion, someone pounded on the door. “Your Majesty! What’s happening, Your Majesty!”

“Now, Aaaargh—!”

The dagger was plunged into the neck of the man who was about to utter Khalid Via’s name. Crunch, thud. A sound of bone hitting the blade as it was driven in cleanly. Khalid shattered it, thrust deeper, twisted the blade, and pulled it out.

Thud. Blood slowly began to seep from the fallen body.

In that short time, Khalid was transformed, covered in blood. His platinum-blonde hair was drenched, and his white cheeks were spattered, leaving only his blue eyes starkly visible.

Now, only Khalid and Feltion remained.

“Keys! Bring the keys!”

“Your Majesty!”

Outside, frantic pounding on the door followed the abrupt cut-off scream. But the door to the Emperor’s office was remarkably sturdy. Feltion looked at Khalid with an expressionless face. Khalid’s face, too, as he faced the Emperor, was terribly blank, as if he wore a mask.

“Did you expect this of me?”

“Since I’m mad, there’s no way you’re sane either.” The Emperor let out a hollow laugh. “I knew you were mad in a different way, but I didn’t know you were prepared to throw everything away for this, Khalid.”

He wore the face of the sworn brother Khalid had known before Nox came into his life. But no emotion registered on Khalid’s face.

“You shouldn’t have laid a hand on Nox Rainerio.”

“Why? Because he must live only with the wounds you inflicted?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then what is it?”

The two men spoke as they had before Feltion ascended the throne. But it was different now. Then, they stood back to back; now, they snarled at each other.

“Are you going to kill me here and walk out?”

“If I can.”

“Is this the method you chose to possess Nox Rainerio? Utterly foolish.”

Feltion bared his teeth and laughed savagely. Hearing his words, Khalid realized that Feltion still couldn’t abandon his greed. Even after endlessly hurting, crushing, and throwing Nox Rainerio into the mud, leaving him utterly broken, Feltion still couldn’t let go of his desire to “be with him.”

“…I don’t intend to possess him. I can’t.”

Perhaps Feltion had done what he did, hoping to survive by receiving even Nox’s twisted hatred.

“I won’t thank you,” Khalid said, and Feltion frowned. “Thanks to you, I realized I couldn’t abandon my greed.”

Feltion moved to satisfy his own desires. So, what would Khalid Via move for?

“We can’t undo his brokenness.” Khalid gripped his dagger properly. “But we can give him a future without ‘us’.”

Feltion let out a hollow laugh.

“A future where he’s no longer tormented,” Khalid said, looking into Feltion’s eyes. “Is a world without us.”

“…”

Feltion’s mouth remained shut. Khalid smiled for the first time in a very long while. He took a step towards Feltion.

“I’m the one who’s been killing nobles until now.” Feltion’s eyes widened.

“I betrayed you…” Khalid said, without a hint of regret, “…a while ago.”

He pointed the dripping dagger at Feltion, his face looking utterly at peace. Giving Nox Rainerio a future without them. That was Khalid Via’s last resort and the only way he could ever be forgiven.

“And now, I plan to be the traitor who kills the Emperor.”

“Khalid Via—!” Feltion’s roar erupted. Simultaneously, Khalid lunged at him. Feltion drew the sword from his waist.

Clang—!

The sharp sound of blades clashing echoed. Two fierce gazes stared at each other, as if ready to cut. Feltion’s longsword and Khalid’s dagger held a tense balance. The Emperor gritted his teeth.

“You need a future without us?” he bit out the words. Feltion’s arm, pressed against Khalid’s blade, trembled, and his bloodshot eyes were endlessly red. He simply could not accept it.