I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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158th Episode

‘Is there really something going on with that guy?’

They say meeting by chance three times is fate, and with Zigmund, it felt like we’d crossed paths countless times, both unintentionally. At this rate, I was starting to think fate was just gonna throw me toward Zigmund every time.

“Damn… Who would’ve thought that Lewellin would interfere in the succession? Just wait a bit longer. I’ll handle Lewellin somehow…”

“From the looks of it, it seems you’re the one who’ll need handling,” he retorted coolly.

Zigmund remained firm despite Merhen’s pleas. His voice felt like he was dealing with something worthless, almost inhuman.

“Looking at the heir’s name, I thought I’d keep him alive, but at this point, I’m not sure there’s reason to.”

“Wait! Please…!”

Merhen’s desperate plea intensified with Zigmund’s words, heavy as a death sentence.

Zigmund’s presence sharpened like a finely honed sword. It felt like he was about to strike at Merhen any second.

I pressed my throbbing temples and sprang into action, leaping into the air.

Moving silently along the alley walls, I was utterly undetectable, yet it seemed Zigmund sensed my presence, halting abruptly. His instincts had always been incredibly sharp.

Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to leave Merhen behind. The things he’d done to Lewellin were completely unforgivable as her friend. I really didn’t want to save him.

Yet, I had two reasons for charging in.

First, I couldn’t just stand by while someone was in danger.

“Sorry to interrupt, but touching him is a no-go. This life has an owner, you see.”

The second was that Merhen’s destruction had to come solely at Lewellin’s hands.

I flashed a calm smile and landed lightly in front of the crumpled Merhen. Zigmund, as if sensing my arrival, glanced at me without a hint of surprise, while Merhen’s eyes widened at my sudden entrance.

I sighed inwardly.

The only reason I’d refrained from actually doing anything despite the insults thrown at me was my hope that Merhen’s fate would rest solely in Lewellin’s hands. It would be a real bother if he self-destructed right here.

‘That guy deserves to suffer more at Lewellin’s hands.’

With chilling eyes, I cast a sidelong glance at Merhen. He trembled as our gazes met. I clicked my tongue at Merhen’s pathetic state before turning my head back to Zigmund.

‘…That mask.’

I bit down lightly on my tongue.

A white mask identical to my black one. He’d worn that same mask during our first reunion, a gift from none other than Karasho.

“Here. A new mask for you guys.”

One day, Karasho had beamed, presenting two masks to Zigmund and me.

“It was about time Shushu changed out that shabby mask, and Zigmund, you were in need of a new one too. I specially ordered identical ones, just different colors, for each of you!”

Upon hearing that, Zigmund and I grimaced in unison.

“Why the hell would I wear the same mask as that guy? It’s offensive.”

“Exactly. I’d rather stick with my current one. And it’s not that shabby! It’s just inexpensive…!”

“No, your mask is trash, plain and simple. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone mistook it for garbage and threw it in the trash can right now.”

“Ha! Shouldn’t you be the one going into the trash can? And acting offended is downright hilarious. Don’t you like this situation?”

“What are you rambling about?”

“You enjoy being associated with me. Isn’t it an honor for your mask to be linked to mine?”

“You’ve really lost it.”

“There’s no need to be embarrassed, Zigmund Hyde. You can show your happiness openly.”

“…Master, hasn’t that guy just picked up on your sly tricks? I think it’s best to wrap him up and toss him into a bag on our way to the guild.”

Zigmund and I had a contentious relationship. We constantly butted heads and fought like we’d kill each other.

As we bickered as usual, Karasho laughed cheerily.

“How nice would it be if you matched friendship items? You two are obviously happy but just grumbling for no reason.”

“Not even a bit happy.”

“I’ve only got my fists to match with this guy.”

Despite our sharp retorts, Karasho remained unfazed. When she looked at us, her gaze resembled that of an old man watching young lovers, and her eyes drooped slightly.

“Even if it’s a request from your master, you won’t use it? I was hoping you’d enjoy using them together…”

I bit my lip, and Zigmund let out a groan. One of the few things we shared in common was our weakness for Karasho.

“I’ll take the black one.”

“What? The black one is mine.”

I swatted away Zigmund’s hand, which had lunged for the black mask. A hint of annoyance flickered in his purple eyes as he looked at me. I raised an eyebrow sarcastically.

“Why not let the pale guy wear the white mask? With skin like yours, people won’t even be able to tell the mask from your face.”

“……Ha. Your skin isn’t exactly unremarkable either. If you wear a black mask, you’ll look like a chessboard. Hand it over willingly.”

Another commonality between Zigmund and me was our shared fondness for black.

The difference was that Zigmund would wear clothes of other colors from time to time, while I strictly wore black. Because of that, he often teased me as the child of darkness, but to me, it felt like a trivial matter.

“You two really fight over everything, don’t you? Should I just paint the white mask black for you?”

At Karasho’s exasperated remark, Zigmund and I shook our heads in unison. Just the thought of wearing identical masks was off-putting enough, but matching colors would be downright intolerable.

“It can’t be helped. Let’s decide by coin toss.”

“Fine.”

“Loser has to commit seppuku.”

“Right. If the loser… what?”

If one side performed seppuku, there would be no need for matching masks or further squabbling over colors. Upon my suggestion, Zigmund looked at me, utterly baffled, while Karasho sighed.

“Whoever wins the coin toss gets to wear the black mask.”

As Zigmund and I exchanged sharp glares in a silent battle of wills, Karasho spoke decisively. Unable to defy my master’s command, I postponed thoughts of Zigmund’s seppuku and pulled a coin from my pocket.

“I’ll call heads.”

“Do what you want. It’s not like luck has ever been on your side.”

I suppressed my urge to throw the coin at Zigmund’s smirking face, flicking it into the air instead. I caught the falling coin with both hands and dramatically revealed my palm.

Unlike me, who’d experience bad luck at every turn, Zigmund usually had a decent streak.

“Told you so.”

When I confirmed the outcome, my face sank stiffly, while Zigmund grinned leisurely. His bright purple eyes sparkled pleasantly. My hand holding the coin began to tremble slightly.

“Backside… Ugh!”

As Zigmund was about to continue speaking, his hands shot to his eyes. My fingers had swiftly poked into his eyes.

I wasn’t a fan of unfair fights, but I had to win this one against Zigmund. He looked a bit pitiful as he released a low groan, but he was the one who had taught me how to fight dirty, so I decided not to feel guilty.

“Master, look. It’s heads.”

Calmly flipping the coin, I showed the revealed side to Karasho, who looked like a cat that had just wrecked the house.

“Do you really want that black mask so badly?”

After rubbing his eyes a few times to regain his vision, Zigmund asked in a defeated tone. I shook my head with confidence.

“Nope. I just hate losing to you.”

Zigmund’s eyes quietly captured me. Contrary to my expectations that he’d lash out in anger, his response was surprisingly calm.

His face, pale as white snow, wore its usual stoic expression, but I could have sworn I saw a hint of a smile flicker across it.

“It’s amusing that you say victory and defeat aren’t important in fights, except when it comes to me.”

“That excludes you. I have to win every fight with you.”

Zigmund exhaled sharply. It was an ambiguous sound that might have been a laugh or a sigh.

His calm purple eyes bore into mine, carrying a pleasant warmth within them.

“I’m special to you, right?”

His offhand comment startled me. Had I taken ‘special’ too literally? While I pondered that, Zigmund put on the white mask.

I looked at him with astonishment as he wore the mask. Normally unreadable, the mask made him all the more enigmatic. With his unique noble presence, he resembled a gentleman attending a masquerade ball rather than a mercenary.

‘What a pain in the ass…’

I rolled my eyes. If that face were even slightly less perfect, I could despise him even more, but there he was, astonishingly beautiful, making my hatred falter.

Zigmund let out a light, airy laugh that tickled the back of my mind as he smirked slightly.

“As for me, I place great importance on winning and losing in fights, especially against you…”

Zigmund tossed the black mask he received from Karasho over to me. Lightly catching it, I stared at him quizzically, and his eyes seemed to curve gently.

“It’s commendable that you utilize what you’ve learned so diligently. Since you prefer black, I’ll let you have this one.”

That smile felt oddly sincere.

Lost in thought for a moment, I raked my fingers through my hair roughly to regain focus. Things were different now. Very different. Remembering the past wouldn’t do me any good.

‘Why am I still holding onto that mask…’

One reason I was so shaken during our first reunion was indeed because of that mask. I thought I’d have thrown it away long ago, yet I was astonished to see it well-maintained, obscuring his face, inciting a myriad of thoughts.

‘Well, I haven’t thrown it away either.’

I bit my lip. I was wearing the mask now, so I couldn’t speak either. Anyone would think I was in cahoots with Zigmund.

‘I need to handle this situation first.’

Organizing my thoughts about the mask, I kicked Merhen lightly with my foot.

“I’m taking this from you.”

I knew I was being quite shameless, but it couldn’t be helped. I didn’t want to completely free Merhen from his debt and this predicament.

Zigmund’s followers, wary of my sudden appearance, looked at me incredulously.

“What the hell is this brat saying…”

“Enough.”

As they approached me threateningly, it was Zigmund who stepped in front of me. His pure black-purple eyes glimmered ominously from within their sockets.

“This one… is my close rival. Don’t touch him.”

Close rival. A clean trash like kind Zigmund couldn’t possibly coexist. When I shot him a glare, he tilted his head languidly.

“The amount Lord Deckardo has lent me is considerable, and I have the right to demand it from him. Why should I hand him over to you?”

“Because I want him, and I have the power to take him.”

Zigmund scoffed softly, lifting his chin as he looked down at me. Just our gaze sent chills down my spine. He’d often shot me those looks even as a kid, but the weight of his grown-up presence was on another level.

“That won’t cut it. If you want to settle this with brute force, you better present something substantial.”

“Cough…!”

Zigmund’s gloved hand lightly grabbed Merhen by the back of his neck. As Merhen dangled helplessly in the air, gasping for breath, Zigmund’s eyes narrowed with a mischievous smile.

“I wonder what you’ll give me in return if I let Lord Deckardo go?”