Chapter 212: Lonely People [unedited]
Carl didn’t remember his father, but he remembered his mother and aunt very well. Both were sweet people. He also knew that his mother was a dancer who danced gracefully like a swan and cared deeply for her sister. Therefore, when Aunt Kahlia unfortunately became pregnant with the emperor’s child, his mother was her most passionate supporter. The two women took Sigren and Carl, who were still young, running away from the pursuers. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
They were on the run for a very long time. During this period, Sigren and Carl, who were the same age, became very close. The two children laughed together, despite wearing old clothes and clutching their hungry bellies. Looking back, it was the most difficult but also the happiest time of their lives.
However, that happiness did not last. Eventually, Carl’s mother died at the hands of a pursuer, and Carl was separated from Sigren and his aunt. He had no intention of blaming his aunt; she was in a frantic state of running away, and even if she had tried to find him, it would have been nearly impossible. Finding an orphaned boy was like finding a needle in a desert.
Carl had to face the harsh reality of becoming an orphan on the streets overnight. His pretty face, resembling his mother’s, attracted danger. More than once, he faced disaster. Yet, even in those situations, Carl tried not to hate anyone, remembering his mother’s kind words:
[‘Always be considerate of people, Carl. Just like I love you like this.’]
However, one day, his effort to be kind was shattered when a burly man on the street tore Carl’s clothes. That day, Carl killed the man. It was his first murder. Surprisingly, his life became easier after that. Rumors spread that he had killed a man much larger than himself, and everyone avoided him.
One day, someone appeared in the back alleys and praised Carl’s talent for killing.
[‘Come with me, child. Throw away all your previous values. Don’t be concerned about the life of just one human being. You’ll be much more comfortable if you do.]
This advice was completely against what his mother had taught him. However, consumed by guilt over the murder, Carl followed the man as if possessed. He began calling him ‘Master’.
Carl later discovered that his teacher was a dangerous man, infamous for his viciousness in the back alleys, and wielded considerable power there. Carl couldn’t help but develop respect for him. Despite this, Carl didn’t think his teacher was a good guy, his teacher was objectively a bad person. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Carl learned all kinds of crimes from his teacher: assassination, handling information, manufacturing and selling drugs, blackmail, money laundering, and murder, including how to hide the body. As he learned these things, Carl became numb to everything. He no longer missed his aunt or Sigren. The innocent, vulnerable boy who had laughed with his cousin was long gone. However, one thing remained: his anger towards those who had killed his mother.
As Carl grew older, Sigren was the first to find him. Sigren had entrusted his life to the nobles in the North to avoid the central nobles.
Carl cautiously contacted Sigren, gradually learning about his life and discovering that Sigren was in love with a girl. Carl was surprised that Sigren could truly love someone. How could that guy love anyone? Carl couldn’t. There was a time when he could, but not now.
In fact, Carl no longer liked Sigren that much. He couldn’t shake the feeling that his mother and he were ‘trapped’ in this life because of Sigren. Perhaps Sigren knew how Carl felt, so he didn’t act as friendly as he had when they were young. Their relationship could never return to those days. However, despite everything, Sigren had one request for him.
“Stay away from Fiona.”
“….”
Upon hearing this request, Carl did the exact opposite. He wanted to see what kind of person she was. He convinced Sigren not to tell Fiona about their plan, explaining that it might draw her into a dangerous situation, and Sigren obediently complied. Meanwhile, Carl spread rumors about himself and Sigren behind the scenes.
Carl thought that Fiona would naturally break up with Sigren if he did this. He believed that the emotion called love wasn’t that powerful. However, she didn’t. Fiona continued to look at Sigren as if he were precious to her, and Sigren smiled at her the same way he did when he was young. It was a smile Carl himself could never recreate.
When Carl realized this, he became incredibly jealous of Sigren. He wished she would disappear. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
***
Check out my Patreon to read advanced chapters!
