The Monster Lady and the Holy Knight - Chapter 75

I always think that this man’s eyes are like a snare. The more you try to escape, the deeper you’re entangled, ending up hurt.

“What are you sorry for?” Veronica asked.

Leon looked as if he’d been asked a hundred questions. His sharp jawline, which was already striking, became more pronounced as he tilted his head.

“For not saving you,” Leon answered briefly. Considering how much he seemed to struggle to find the right words, his answer was unexpectedly concise.

Veronica silently repeated his words to herself.

For not saving her.

“In case you haven’t realized, I’m still alive.”

“Yes, and thank God for that. I thought you were dead.”

Leon twisted his lips into a smile, but his voice sank into an abyss. His gloomy, damp gaze was unlike his usual composed self. Apologizing outright and in such a serious manner—it was unlike him.

Their gazes locked together like interlocking gears. Leon’s eyes were fixed on her as if he were afraid she would vanish at any moment, and then he tied the handkerchief to his sword’s hilt.

Even in its tattered state, he’s determined to keep it.

Her gaze fell on Apocalypse at that moment. She had traveled with him without giving the sword a second glance, but today, it looked like a flickering threat. No, more precisely, she thought she wanted to break it.

“I regretted it, too late. I realized far too late that there were things I needed to say.”

If she had been alone, she might have reached for the sword.

He continued in a low tone, “I’m sorry for not telling you in advance what happens to an assimilated one.”

“……”

“For dragging you here without explaining anything, hurting you on purpose, and causing you pain even though I knew how you felt—I’m sorry.”

Veronica stared at him in stunned silence, her mind clearing as if she’d been doused in cold water.

Forget what she said about him being out of character. In a way, this was exactly like him. A belated apology, yet brazenly seeking forgiveness. It was truly typical of Leon Berg. He always stirred her emotions shamelessly, every time she tried to bring order to them.

“Of course, I have no intention of leaving things like that anymore. There’s got to be a way if we search for it. We just need to find a way to break the assimilation.”

Leon spoke of something impossible without a hint of hesitation. No one had found a way in the past three years. Veronica clenched her fists tightly out of habit, digging her nails into her palms to the point of pain. She wanted them to draw blood.

That was when Leon’s gaze fell away. He placed his rough, knuckled hand over her pale, clenched one. Veronica flinched at the familiar warmth, feeling her pulse pounding at her fingertips.

She couldn’t help it. Her body was more honest than her mind, but it was also slower to adapt. It hadn’t yet understood that she had decided not to like him anymore. As she bit her lips, Leon stared at her with unreadable eyes. His intense presence remained unchanged.

“I’ve been thinking.”

Veronica was frustrated by her own turmoil.

“I really don’t understand.”

Ultimately, he was someone who would make the same choice when the end came. There was no need for sarcasm or rage.

“When I confessed my feelings, you said you wanted me dead. So why are you acting like this now?”

His handsome features hardened at the mention of the past. He was probably seeing the same memory she was. The moment her outstretched hand finally touched him, that sunset of salvation.

It had been miserable. A pitiful memory. Leon frowned as if sensing her thoughts. Though she was the one feeling the sorrow, he seemed to be the one in pain.

I no longer know what your true face is.

“Why don’t you just be honest about what you want? Do you have some new expectations of me?”

Veronica pulled her hand out from beneath the comforting warmth. He tried to catch her as she withdrew, but then he stopped, halting his actions completely.

Veronica leaned closer, meeting his eyes again. “Is this what you want?”

Their noses were almost touching. She held herself up by grasping his broad, hard shoulders, and his scent, brushing against her nose, made her feel sorrowful.

He had always enjoyed touching her, even though he had said he found her disgusting. His body had always responded to her without fail.

Veronica looked at his slowly moving Adam’s apple, confident that her assumption was correct. He was only upset because the object of his desire had disappeared from his side.

He remained silent for a long time. Just as she was about to say, ‘I knew you’d react like that,’ he finally spoke.

“No. I want your forgiveness.”

Veronica’s eyes widened. It almost sounded sincere. Unbelievable as it was, his eyes seemed to regret the relationship he had ruined with his own hands.

If there were no precedent, she might have believed him in her naivety.

“Because it’s easier to handle that way. After making you like me, there was no reason not to be a little kinder for a day.”

But she wouldn’t be deceived anymore.

“Liar.”

She no longer held any expectations for him.

“I don’t believe you.”

Veronica spoke clearly, staring into his darkening eyes.

“What? Did you think I’d forgive you just because you apologized? Did you think I’d be that easy?”

The eyes reflecting her own wavered. Leon remained silent, and Veronica stood up. Her mind was already in turmoil without him stirring things up.

The missing week of her life, the sudden appearance of the holy sword, her newfound combat skills—it was all too much.

As she took a step toward the door, Leon stood up and grabbed her arm. It wasn’t a tight grip, and she could’ve easily pulled away, but she suddenly froze as a memory flashed in her mind. The time he had lost control after taking the drug. At first, the kiss had been gentle, but after her dress had slipped down her chest, he had grown rough.

The grip on her wrist, the coaxing voice, and worst of all, her own body heating up under the pressure.

No more manipulation.

Trying to chase away the memory, she pulled her arm away harder than intended. The force of her rejection startled him, and he froze. Leon looked down at his hand for a moment before slowly lowering it. He looked somehow wounded.

“Don’t touch me at your own whim anymore.”

Wounded, really? Ridiculous.

“I’ll request a different knight, maybe Oscar, to supervise me. The landslide was unavoidable, but I don’t ever want to see you again.”

She hadn’t meant to reveal her agitation, but her voice trembled, and her plan to remain calm fell apart. She was stepping backward when he spoke.

“It’s difficult.”

It took a moment for Veronica to realize he was answering her question. She looked at him in surprise.

“You’ve never been easy for me. You’re so difficult that I don’t know how to do anything but be honest.”

For once, his usually blunt face held confusion. Only his unwavering gaze was clear.

Unfair. He always spoke so directly, unlike the other proud men his age. It was childishly mature, and Veronica didn’t know how to respond to such an apology. So she shook her head and snapped at him.

“That’s none of my business.”

She turned away, wanting desperately to flee from him. If she had pushed him away sooner, maybe she could have. But just as she took a step back, a window shattered, and something came crashing in. They both turned their eyes toward the creature rolling on the floor. It was a long-distance carrier bird.

“What…”

Her mumble was drowned out by the fierce flapping of its wings. The large hawk thrashed about as if fleeing from a predator. It must have flown in by mistake. While she stood dumbfounded, Leon, who had regained his composure, approached and took the letter from the bird’s leg.

Why hadn’t she just left? Was it because she was curious about the frantic bird’s message? Or was it because the sky had seemed ominous from the moment she’d opened her eyes again?

Instinct told her something. A coming storm, or something similar.

Veronica approached the broken window as if possessed. The square, now filled with refugees, was visible. The fountain where children used to laugh and play had become a makeshift shelter. Tents and blankets covered every inch of space, and dirty people sat eating whatever they could.

White doves that once pecked peacefully at breadcrumbs wandered among the people, begging for food.

“The capital of Tanbia, Lenice, has fallen. A request for reinforcements under Church Law Article 3, Clause 1.”

Leon read the letter aloud in a low voice. Tanbia had completely fallen to Bahamut? The last vision she had seen showed them fighting desperately. A thunderclap rumbled through her foggy thoughts.

It was then that the doves, previously indifferent to the shuffling feet of people, took off in a flurry. She initially thought it was because of the lightning, but Veronica soon realized the true reason.

Another hawk flew across the sky, heading toward the church. By law, news from all countries was first delivered to the church, so the refugees didn’t pay much attention. But in the next moment, even lifelong residents of Kart were left in stunned silence.

“Mom!!! Look! Another bird! There are so many!!!”

A child’s shout reached them on the upper floor. Their eyes naturally followed the small dark spots in the sky. There wasn’t just one. The dots multiplied in an instant, and over a dozen birds flew in from every direction.

Something was happening across the world.

It was as if God had decided which side to open His eyes to.