Sister, I Hit You Because There Was a Ghost Behind You - Chapter 29
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 29. A Hero’s Homecoming Accompanied by a Deposit Notification
The spatial displacement scroll tore apart, and a blinding light engulfed us. The world spun dizzily, and my stomach churned violently. It was that horrible sensation of my internal organs shifting position.
“Ugh…”
As the light faded, a familiar landscape came into view. Ornate chandeliers and luxurious carpeting. The Emperor’s Bedchamber. I stumbled and grabbed Kairik’s arm, my legs nearly buckling beneath me.
“I’m never doing spatial displacement again. I feel like I’m going to throw up. I should’ve taken motion sickness medicine.”
Kairik steadied me firmly and chuckled softly.
“Still prone to motion sickness, I see. But we made it. Pull yourself together—we can’t have a hero vomiting, can we?”
The Emperor, who had been sitting on the bed, opened his eyes wide and stared at us. Shock was written all over his face at the sudden intrusion. The Imperial Guards flanking him tensed, raising their spears.
“Who—who are you! Assassins!”
But the Emperor raised his hand, stopping them.
“Hold! Lower your weapons. They are my guests.”
We dropped something onto the floor with a thud. It was Rasputin, unconscious and bound tightly in power-suppressing shackles. He looked pathetic, rolling across the ground like luggage.
“Your Majesty, your ordered ‘traitor’ has been delivered. His condition is a bit rough, but no returns accepted.”
I smoothed down my disheveled hair as I spoke. The Emperor descended from the bed and examined Rasputin’s face with trembling hands. Fury, despair, and deep regret flickered across his eyes.
“So you’ve finally caught him. The demon who deceived and manipulated me for twenty years. My only regret is that I couldn’t strike him down with my own hands.”
The Emperor looked up at the three of us. Kairik, covered in wounds and bleeding. Demian, his uniform torn to shreds. And me, caked in dirt and dust. To anyone’s eyes, we were the picture of those who had fought a desperate, grueling battle.
The Emperor spoke in a solemn voice.
“You’ve endured much. You have saved the Empire. This debt of gratitude I shall not forget until my dying breath.”
I pulled a calculator from my pocket and spoke respectfully.
“Gratitude alone is too heavy a burden to accept, Your Majesty. Words are less certain than actions, and actions are less certain than deposits. You haven’t forgotten what you promised, have you?”
The Emperor stared at me blankly for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahaha! Of course not. Count Eberhardt, you truly are thorough. If I had ten subordinates like you, the imperial treasury would never run dry.”
The Emperor immediately summoned the Chief Attendant.
“You there! Open the Imperial Treasury at once. Transfer to Count Eberhardt the outstanding balance of 53.5 billion gold, plus the reward of 100 billion gold for this mission, for a total of 153.5 billion gold—immediately! And bestow upon these two heroes the highest honors and lands! Show them the utmost respect of the Empire!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Moments later, the magical communication stone in my pocket chimed. A deposit notification from the Imperial Bank. It was a more beautiful vibration than any music.
「Deposit Complete: 153,500,000,000 Gold」
The moment I counted the zeros, my fatigue vanished like mist. Endorphins surged through my entire body, and my vision brightened. I pressed the communication stone to my lips and bowed deeply to the Emperor.
“Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty! My loyalty, my loyalty! I welcome any such commissions in the future!”
Kairik muttered beside me in disbelief.
“Your tone changed the moment you got paid. You looked half-dead just moments ago.”
“Of course. In a capitalist society, money is voice itself. And this is my retirement fund.”
Rasputin was dragged away by the Imperial Guards and locked in the Silence Chamber, the lowest level of the Underground Dungeon. From now on, he would spend eternity in darkness, stripped of both his magic and his voice, chewing on the bitter taste of his own sins.
The Emperor invited us to rest at the Imperial Palace, but I politely declined.
“No, thank you. Home is more comfortable. And…”
I glanced at the two men beside me. Blood still seeped from Kairik’s side, and Demian’s pale face was marked with dark bruises. They appeared fine on the surface, but both were at their limit.
“I need to treat the patients. If I leave them like this, they’ll collapse from blood loss.”
Back at the Eberhardt Mansion, we headed straight to my chamber. The servants gasped in horror at the sight of us covered in blood and tried to call for a physician, but I stopped them.
“Not necessary. I’ll do it myself. I don’t like other people’s hands on me.”
I gathered the first aid kit and potions, then sat beside the bed. The two men sat obediently on the bed, watching me. The room was filled only with the scent of disinfectant and their ragged breathing.
“Take off your clothes.”
At my words, Demian flinched in surprise, his face flushing crimson. The way his ears turned red made him look like an innocent boy.
“Pardon? Here? In your bedchamber?”
“I need to see the wounds to treat them. Quickly. I don’t have time for modesty.”
Kairik von Herzen, as if he’d been waiting for this moment, tore open his shirt buttons with practiced efficiency. They scattered across the floor with a series of soft clicks, revealing a muscular, battle-hardened torso. Sweat glistened across his bronzed skin, but along his ribs gaped a deep wound—the vicious claw marks of some savage beast.
“This must hurt terribly. It’s quite deep.”
I soaked a cloth in disinfectant and carefully cleaned the wound. Though it must have stung, Kairik remained perfectly still, his gaze fixed upon me. His burning eyes traced across my face.
“It doesn’t hurt at all. In fact, it feels good when you do it. Your touch is exhilarating.”
“Don’t exaggerate. This may need stitches. A scar would be a loss for you alone.”
I applied the medicine meticulously and wrapped the bandage with care. Each time my fingertips brushed his skin, I felt his muscles tense involuntarily. The reaction was oddly thrilling, and I found myself swallowing hard without thinking.
“All done. Your turn next.”
Demian hesitated before slowly removing his shirt.
His body was entirely different from Kairik’s.
Pale and smooth, yet sculpted with dense, lean muscle—a living statue. Beneath the title of Holy Knight Commander lay a distinctly masculine physique.
But his back and shoulders bore dark bruises from blunt force trauma.
“The Holy Knights Order Commander shouldn’t abuse his body like this. The Holy Temple would have a fit if they found out.”
I applied cooling potion to the bruised areas while scolding him. Demian spoke in a low voice.
“If it means protecting you, this body means nothing. Scars are merely badges of honor.”
“Don’t say such things. If you’re injured, it’s not my concern—it’s the Empire’s loss. You’re a national asset.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist to secure the bandage. The closeness was intimate. His heartbeat thundered against my ear—rapid, intense. His breathing grew ragged, his breath warm against my neck.
“…Violetta.”
Demian seized my wrist. His blue eyes wavered like turbulent waves.
“What am I to you? Merely a client you must protect? Or does my existence hold greater meaning?”
The atmosphere shifted. The treatment room had transformed into a romantic film set. Tension crackled through the air. Kairik von Herzen, standing nearby, furrowed his brow and interjected.
“Hey, Holy Knight. Don’t flirt in front of me. Your gaze is getting awfully sticky.”
Kairik von Herzen pulled me sharply toward him. I found myself cradled in his embrace, still clutching the bandage. His bare skin was warm against my cheek—burning hot.
“Violetta is mine. I’m considering having you pay your treatment fees with your body instead. The night is long, after all.”
Kairik von Herzen tilted my chin up, meeting my eyes. In his crimson gaze, I could see my own face flushed bright red.
“Wait, please! Patients, you can’t do this here! I’m not a doctor!”
I pushed both men away and rose from the bed. My heart felt ready to burst. These men were more dangerous than any monster we’d faced. Their eyes alone threatened to devour me whole.
“Th-the treatment is finished! Go to your own rooms! You need proper rest to heal! Now!”
I yanked the door open to escape. But neither man showed any intention of leaving.
Kairik von Herzen sprawled across the bed, propping his head on his arm.
“I’m in too much pain to move. My back feels like it might snap. I’ll have to sleep here tonight.”
Demian also feigned injury, leaning against the headboard. For him, such behavior was utterly unimaginable under normal circumstances.
“I too am experiencing severe dizziness. Movement seems impossible. I require nursing care. If left alone, I may collapse.”
“Seriously! You’re both Oscar-worthy actors.”
I pressed my palm to my forehead. The Empire’s strongest men had occupied my bed and were staging a siege. I couldn’t evict them, and I certainly couldn’t sleep with them.
In the end, I sighed and dragged over a chair.
“Fine. But only for tonight. I’ll keep watch from here, so don’t try anything funny. Make one wrong move and I’ll throw you both out.”
Both men smiled with satisfaction simultaneously. I settled into my chair, preparing for a night of work. Beyond the window, a full moon hung in the sky.
It was a peaceful night. At least, for us it was.
But we did not know. In the ruins of the Frozen Mountain Range, a small Black Shadow that had escaped was riding the wind toward the Capital. The shadow seeped into the body of a diseased rat in some dark Back Alley, its crimson eyes gleaming.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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