MPBGS 38

Chapter : 38

Yulma froze in place at that moment. Someone who shouldn’t be here had appeared.

“Daisy unnie?”

“My goodness, are you hurt? I’m so glad you’re safe.”

Tear-streaked Daisy hugged Lanan and Yulma tightly. Behind her, Troy appeared. Just as Lanan had said, Troy really had come to save us.

Then, seeing the next person entering, Yulma drew in a sharp breath. What the hell… what kind of person looks like that?

Just from her clothes, she was clearly a noblewoman. Yet, despite appearing frail, she exuded an overwhelming presence. If all nobles were like her, it might be a little terrifying.

Seeing her come along, perhaps Daisy or Troy had called her?

“Director….”

The Director, pulled back from the past into the present by this sudden arrival of new faces, finally returned to reality.

The assistant who had come with her weak son was Daisy. The Director’s memory of Daisy was that of a lucky, well-behaved, and obedient child—perfect for selling. But Troy had always interfered, leaving that as Daisy’s final impression in the Director’s mind. She was the leftover child after selling the others.

Not a threat, so she had been left alone—but the Director never expected her to team up with Troy, someone she had such a bad history with.

“Troy, you really do interfere with me until the end, don’t you?”

Why does no one ever understand me?

Merai had sacrificed herself at the Director’s side, yet no one was by Merai’s side. Not even her son, nor the devil, moved as she wished.

Then, white robes fluttered.

The Director saw an angel standing behind Troy. Merai sighed, praised, trembled, and was overwhelmed with emotion.

The entire world seemed to turn white. It was a feeling reminiscent of seeing the painting in the temple—a presence so noble, brilliant, and authoritative.

The angel gave a faint smile. Merai felt it as a revelation. The angel had given a hint to resolve this situation.

Yes. It was about the beloved son in front of her.

Merai felt along the wall. Her hands touched something blunt, and she carefully held it, hiding it behind her back.

There were too many obstacles now. She had to wait for a brief moment when everyone’s attention shifted—like now.

“Lanan? Yulma?”

“Mary! I told you to keep your eyes closed!”

“I counted all the way to one hundred…”

Yulma’s only misjudgment was that Mary had counted the numbers correctly. After a few mistakes, Mary finally reached one hundred and opened her eyes.

As Mary hesitated, Yulma shouted furiously. Mary, feeling like she had committed a grave mistake, was intimidated.

While everyone’s attention was on Mary, the Director seized the opportunity and lunged at Troy. Sensing danger, Yulma quickly grabbed Mary and covered her eyes.

Thunk!

“Uh… Ma?”

“Haah… haah… hah, hahahaha!”

The Director laughed heartily. Her expression was full of joy, yet tears streamed down her cheeks, making it impossible for anyone to interpret it as a smile of happiness.

No one expected the Director would stab her own son. Even the Director herself had no intention of harming him, so no one could have guessed.

Troy staggered, leaning against the Director. Daisy tried to rush forward, but Yulma and Lanan held her back.

“Melek. I will offer my son as a sacrifice. Troy should be worth that much. Now you will grant my wish, right?”

The Director whispered to the demon, extending her tainted hand. Melek, barely breathing after being struck by Lanan’s blinded sword, licked his lips at the enticing scent. He had been starving for too long, and his wounds only intensified his hunger.

Rationality began to fade. Just as Melek was about to devour Troy, a clear voice pierced his mind.

“Are you hungry?”

Melek nodded, not even aware of who spoke. The Director dismissed it as a lie, but Melek truly had never had a proper meal since becoming a demon.

“I’ll feed you. So there’s no need to force yourself to eat right now.”

The firm, commanding tone, somehow gentle, made Melek obey.

“What are you doing, Melek!”

The Director’s wailing made Melek feel sorrow. Clearly, Merai had not escaped the basement from twenty years ago, and the same was true for Melek.

The Director diverted her attention elsewhere.

“You came to save me, didn’t you?”

The Director pleaded to Evangeline. Just as when she had appeared as the painting in the altar hall, had she not descended to give an answer? Evangeline answered nonchalantly.

“I originally planned to, but the situation changed.”

“Am I abandoned?”

“Yes. You didn’t meet the criteria. So stop now.”

The Director finally gave up after being abandoned by both the demon and the undoubtedly angelic being. Through Merai’s eyes, the scene of the basement came into view.

Her son bleeding from a wound inflicted by his mother, Daisy, Lanan, Yulma, and Mary cautiously watching, and other children blocking their eyes and ignoring Merai.

Merai broke into tears.

She felt it in her skin—she had ruined everything.

Seeing the Director lose her will, Lanan and Yulma quickly pulled Troy from Merai and supported him. Troy, remarkably, hadn’t lost consciousness.

“Thank you, Lanan… Yulma.”

“It’s fine. The patient, stay quiet.”

Yulma, torn by conflicting emotions, couldn’t even properly thank them and instead cursed. Daisy checked Troy’s injuries while listening to the argument between the two. His wounds were severe.

Daisy looked at Evangeline.

“Why… why didn’t you save Troy?”

Whether Evangeline or the demon Jelly, they should have been able to stop the Director. Then Troy wouldn’t have been hurt.

“That wasn’t part of our agreement.”

Evangeline answered Daisy seriously.

Daisy felt dizzy. That’s right. The one she had asked to save was the Director and the children.

She realized she shouldn’t blame Evangeline. Humans’ emotions couldn’t be understood, so she was simply trying to fulfill Daisy’s request to the best of her ability.

The initial insult to Troy, the downward strike—all of that had been Daisy’s doing, so she had no right to blame Evangeline for simply watching Troy get stabbed.

“Why? You want to save him?”

“Yes. I want to save him.”

Was there a way? Of course, resurrecting a corpse like Jelly had done was obviously excluded…

“Fortunately, I have holy water. Just one bottle, though.”

One bottle?

“Daisy, you choose. Who should I give the holy water to—Troy or that man?”

Evangeline counted with her index finger and pointed at Troy and Melek, whom Jelly was handling. Daisy hesitated, and Evangeline added,

“It’s a joke.”

Evangeline smiled like a picture.

Daisy felt nauseated. Had she not heard that last part, she would have definitely chosen someone.

Daisy hurried inside. Fortunately, the children seemed safe. Daisy took a boy and a girl and stepped back, avoiding the Director. The other children huddled together in a corner. Why were only these two out in danger?

The Director seemed to have noticed their approach and was giving a final desperate fight. Some were already injured.

Chains hung from his arms, his eyes covered—he must have imprisoned him to sell as a slave too.

“Melek?”

“Do you know him?”

“Yes, for now. But… something feels off.”

Moreover, Jelly seemed to know him. Was he someone she met when she was kidnapped by the traffickers? Or could he also be a beastman?

“A kindred?”

“Yes? Technically, yes.”

The answer seemed to be: a beastman who had also been kidnapped. This revealed, for all to see, that the Director was involved in Jelly and Daisy’s abduction as well.

“Troy, you really do interfere with me until the end, don’t you?”

As the saying goes, “the thief feels guilty.” The Director, while doing something bad, blamed Troy for it—a bit of gaslighting, really. Domestic abuse, even.

The Director, unwilling to admit his own faults, stabbed Troy while we were distracted. Using his own son as a hostage—what audacity.

And thinking it wasn’t enough to face Troy alone, he seemed to try recruiting Jelly’s friend. Whispering, but not clearly heard, Jelly summarized the conversation.

“He’s trying to lure him with food.”

What? Would he fall for that?

“He looks hungry.”

Seems like he will. Hungry? So that voice saying he was hungry was not the kids—it was this man, Melek.

There is no greater humiliation than being threatened with food. Jelly stopped him before he could be completely deceived.

“Are you hungry?”

The Director was truly shameless. Does he think he alone should eat? I have food too! I bought plenty of bread for the kids. Once in the carriage, there’s a whole stash.

“I’ll feed you. So there’s no need to force yourself to eat right now.”

“What are you doing, Melek!”

Thankfully, it seems Melek appropriately countered the Director’s gaslighting. He defied the Director, and the consequences fell on me.

“You came to save me, didn’t you?”

“I originally planned to, but the situation changed.”

Did he bugged us? How did he know they originally wanted to save him? Ah, spirits sometimes carry people’s words—so that must be how he heard it.

If Daisy had known the Director was truly despicable, she wouldn’t have asked for help. But the situation is different now, isn’t it?