17: Point of Collapse? (3)

"Who knows, perhaps relief is near," he said, anger overflowing from his eyes. When Rayn witnessed the interaction between his friend and the woman, he couldn't help but sigh with sadness. It's clear that the driver is a young woman judging by her youthful voice. But why was she wearing a cloak to hide her face? At an age when girls usually compete to showcase their appearance with makeup, why was this young woman afraid to show her face?

Thus, Rayn asked himself, 'What did Daudrian do to this girl to make her afraid to reveal her face?' This question stemmed more from astonishment and condemnation of Daudrian's cruelty rather than ignorance about the reason for the girl's concealment.

'If it weren't for my fear of Roudel drowning in darkness, I wouldn't have thought of a way to stop him. Instead, I'll help him kill this moving plague named Daudrian.'

As Roudel continued his approach towards the androgynous figure, who once again seemed to lose his courage, it was even more evident this time. In fact, the closer he got, the more shattered that feeble will became. When he was just a few steps away, Rayn finally decided to intervene.

"Stop, Roudel."

"What's the matter, Rayn?"

"I cannot allow you to harm this person in any way."

Roudel smiled sincerely at Rayn and reassured his friend. "Do not worry, my friend. Whatever threat this androgynous person posed to you, it will no longer be relevant once I'm done with him."

'Speak up, Daudrian. Save yourself, Daudrian.'

When Doudrian heard what transpired between the two friends in their short dialogue, he realized that there was a misunderstanding occurring here. Therefore, he wanted to speak up and clarify this misunderstanding. However, at this stage, with Roudel being so close to him to such a degree, his mouth wouldn't even listen to his thoughts.

The truth was, even if he explained the misunderstanding, Roudel wouldn't listen to someone like him. So, it was all futile.

Rayn frowned upon realizing that he had been used to poison Roudel's mind. 'Damn it, do you think you're clever? Well, I'll play your despicable game.'

Rayn's eyes sparked with anger as he also decided to use the same method to awaken Roudel. For as the saying goes, if you can't beat them, join them.

Although it wasn't an ideal way to solve this dilemma, Rayn felt pressured with these fast-paced events and didn't have the time to think of a more comprehensive solution. Things were about to worsen if he didn't make a decision quickly.

'But what of it? Even if the solution isn't perfect in the long run.' Rayn remained steadfast in using this method, even if some flaws and negative consequences appeared over time. He was prepared for that.

In fact, he even took a step further and instead of using a beloved person to change Roudel's thoughts for the worse, he would use two people to fix them.

"No, he didn't threaten me at all. On the contrary, it happened quite the opposite."

Roudel stood there, taken aback by his friend's unreasonable words, and asked, "What do you mean that the opposite happened?"

Rayn sighed sadly; he was forced to lie to his friend. Nonetheless, he had no choice at the moment. He wanted to buy some time with what he would say next, hoping to find a better solution to address what had come to pass.

"In truth, I found a cure for my aunt Lena."

"R-Really? What are you saying, Rayn?"

Roudel's response was filled with great joy upon hearing such news. His main concern had been to gather as much money as possible during this time to find a solution for his mother. Money was the first step toward solving his mother's dilemma. However, problems kept coming, thwarting his efforts. Despite the setbacks, Roudel didn't give up. With support from his friend Rayn and his sister, he continued forward, believing that his efforts wouldn't go in vain and that he would be rewarded in the end.

'With my comrades, I won't feel the length of the road or its hardships.' At that time, that's what Roudel believed.

But as the years passed and the initial plans failed, with no sign of relief, Roudel realized that even his friends, who stood by him, couldn't shield him from the pain of disappointment. His belief in finding relief dwindled with each passing day, month, and year, and it seemed like he was about to change this mindset today, which was the first step to changing his dismal situation. Killing the person in front of him was the first step in that direction.

'No matter the cost, I will bring about that change.' The end justifies the means. That was the new logic Roudel was about to adopt, and then, he saw relief coming from his dear friend Rayn's words.

"But first, you must not do anything to harm others."

"No problem," Roudel replied quickly, without hesitation.

'No, don't listen to him. He must be lying to us.'

'No, that's not possible. This comes from one of my closest friends, so naturally I'll believe him.'

"No, that's not possible. How is it that after all these years he didn't tell you about a solution, and now, when you're on the brink of killing this bastard, suddenly he finds a solution? Don't you find that strange?" The voice tried to highlight the inconsistencies in Ryan's words.

'Who cares when he found the solution? This is Rayn we're talking about, who has always amazed me with his unexpected solutions. Many times, I follow his words without understanding the reason behind them. Until now, this won't change.'

'Think about it for a moment. He must have been threatened by the deviant and told that if any harm came to him, Ryan would be blamed for it.'

'And finally, Rayn found a solution for my mother.'

'Do you hear what I'm saying?'

'And finally, my dear mother will rise from her bed.'

'Damn it, damn it, damn it to that damn person! All my work has gone in vain!'

The hidden voice cursed and cursed Rayn, but his words never reached their intended target.

Then, the darkness in Roudel's eyes began to recede until his eyes returned to normal. Likewise, the black veins started to disappear, retreating until they vanished back into his scalp.

When Rayn saw what was happening, he knew his plan had succeeded. But instead of rejoicing, he felt sadness for what he had done to his friend. He had used his love for his mother and his immense trust in him to deceive him into not killing the deviant. He knew that if Roudel learned the truth, things would become more complicated, and Rayn would lose that immense trust. Additionally, Roudel would fall into deep despair.

'I hope this day never comes, and that I can truly find this alleged solution.' Rayn wished silently. Wishing was the only thing Rayn could do at that moment.

Unfortunately, he found no other solution but to lie to him, or else there would be no turning back after the collapse of his beliefs and killing Dudrian. He had no choice but to buy more time, hoping to find a real solution for his aunt.

After the retreat of the black aura around Roudel, Dudrian was able to move. As soon as he regained control of his body, he ran quickly to escape from Roudel.

"Thank you, dear Rayn. I knew you wouldn't abandon me."

The pervert tried to hug Rayn, but the latter dodged him and spoke to him coldly.

"I didn't save you for free, and my reward is definitely not just words of gratitude from you or your hugs."

"No problem, dear Rayn. This young lord won't forget to reward the one who saved him, especially if he's handsome."

After saying this, Dudrian looked at Rayn flirtatiously, making Rayn feel disgusted. He really wanted to kill someone like this, but circumstances didn't allow it.

Rayn's words about saving Dudrian in order to receive a reward didn't sit well with Roudel. However, he realized that his friend had done it for a reason, and what he said was superficial and not the truth.

"...Anyway, I want this girl." Rayn pointed to the driver who was still crying.

"Who's this stupid slave!? Are you really asking for such a stupid woman as a reward?"

In reality, Rayn wanted to ask for more, like the money or some properties that Dudrian possessed, but he knew that despite what Dudrian said, he was only boasting in front of him. When it came to valuable things, Dudrian's mind started working.

Therefore, Rayn realized that asking for too much, according to Dudrian's estimations, would cause the latter to backtrack on his words. Even if he stick to his word, it would be worse, as he would see it as an opportunity to get closer to him. That's why Rayn assessed that he was the best option for her request. Additionally, Rayn felt pity for this girl and wanted to help her.

"No problem, she's yours. Anyway, she's an expired game; you could have asked me for a relatively new or less awful game... Besides, I'm about to get a new game, hohoho."

This statement angered both Roudel and Rayn, as they sighed at the plight of women who were slaves to him and the women who would become slaves to him.

'I'll never feel that this deal was a losing deal. Saving someone from humiliating torment instead of a lot of money. This girl may not be worth anything in the eyes of the pervert, but she remains human like me. Therefore, saving her is an achievement for me," Rayn thought as he looked at the girl who was now wiping her tears, surely shocked to know that she had finally managed to escape the clutches of this monster.

"Th-thank you, thank you for saving me," the girl said with a hoarse voice from crying.

Roudel smiled happily when he saw how Rayn went to check on the girl and saw her joy at hearing that she would get rid of all this torment, her tears of joy, and the news of finding a solution for her mother. That was enough for him to feel that the world was full of justice and that it was a bright world.

"I no longer need this thing," Rayn said as he looked at the gold bracelet between his hands, then threw it on the ground in front of the pervert, who couldn't complain to himself about this humiliating way of returning things.

'I'll remember that well, you monster.' Dudrian said silently, his eyes full of anger. Of course, he looked at him angrily after he was sure that Roudel wouldn't catch him while glaring at him.

"Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, please excuse me. I'm going to the Fayt Palace, even though he's not there yet, he said he'll come soon to give me his gift. Little Vati really loves to spoil me. Isn't it better for you to learn from him, dear Rayn?"