The Tyrant's Happy Ending - Chapter 8.11

“Check it out.”

It was a tone that seemed more appropriate for dealing with objects than with people.

The bed was completely dyed black, and Yernen’s head and face were covered in cold sweat as he lay on the bed. However, Harriet did not check Yernen’s condition. It was as if there was only one thing he had to confirm from Yernen.

It was such an utterly cruel act that it destroyed even the little bit of affection that remained between family members.
To him, Yernen had not been his family that night, Yernen’s fourteenth birthday. No, maybe even before that. The only person he considered his family was Yernen.

But Yernen thought that this might be better. Harriet’s words would be an excuse to selfishly hold on to and use whenever the guilt of killing his family weighed heavily on his heart.

The knights approached and tore off my clothes with menacing gestures. And soon after, a cold lump of iron dug into my body.
Yernen bit his trembling lips hard, straining his eyes to keep the tears from falling, and turned his face away, which was bright red.

Many things have been put up the assh0le so far. But the tools that the doctor had were the worst of all, as they made my lower body hurt so badly.

“Hmm.”

But Norenz, who had been poking around under Yernen to his heart’s content, just frowned and acted as if he was puzzled.

“That crazy kid.”

Yernen glared at him with eyes filled with anger.

While trapped inside, Yernen had seen countless looks on the faces of those who wanted to harass and humiliate him. And it was the same look on the old man’s face from the moment he first visited the cabin.

That’s why Yernen was sure that the crazy bastard would definitely say that he didn’t know and that he would try to find out again.

“Just try that.”

Yernen’s hands trembled with rage. It was such a terrible rage that if he were to thrust that lump of iron down again, he might slit the old councilman’s throat before Ilian did.

“Did it not go well?”

“That’s not it. It’s just… something feels off.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Compared to four days ago, I could see that some parts of the inner wall that were red had turned black and necrotic. Judging from the change, it’s not that the medicine didn’t work.

However, the appearance is a bit… different than I expected. Originally, it should have all necrotic. Heh heh, really. Since it was made and sent by Marquis Petra, it can’t be the medicine that’s wrong. What should I do about this…?”

Norenz trailed off, looking at Harriet’s expression. Then Harriet asked him what he was thinking about.

“I don’t know why you’re worrying about such a simple problem.”

“Yes…?”

“Can’t you just take the medicine one more time?”

“Ah…! That is one way.”

“Then write it again.”

“Yes!”

Norenz answered vigorously and started setting up the equipment again. And Yernen, who was watching the whole conversation, felt a cold sweat run down the back of his neck.

“What…?”

The past four days of agony flashed through Yernen’s mind. Times that were truly worse than rolling around in the depths of hell.
Yernen glared at Harriet with his eyes reddened and distorted.

“It’s like a dog!”

The knight who had been tying Yernen’s arms right next to him strangled Yernen’s neck with his thick hands.

Yernen kept clawing at the knight’s hand, trying to pry it off, but his efforts were in vain, not even causing a scratch. When his face turned bright red and he was dizzy from lack of oxygen, someone grabbed the knight’s hand and stopped him.

“Well, let’s stop here.”

Only then did the hands that had been squeezing my neck and binding my entire body disappear.

“Keuk…! Ugh, ugh.”

Yernen quickly bent down, clutching his neck, and took a sharp intake of oxygen.

“Ugh… Ugh… .”

Someone snickered faintly and traced Yernen’s back with a finger. Yernen slapped the hand away impulsively and went to the corner of the bed to hide his back.

“It’s been a while, Yernen.”

Looking at such a Yernen, the man smiled leisurely and brushed back his disheveled hair. Even though it had been eight years since he had seen him, he was easy to recognize because he had not changed at all, as if he had seen him yesterday.

“Ilian.”

“You still don’t call me hyung?”

But Yernen could feel it on his skin.

“To the likes of you?”

Illian’s eyes were completely different from the last time I saw them.

“Well, I don’t want to be called ‘hyung’ by a prostitute’s son either.”

As he said that, Ilian’s gaze swept over Yernen from above and touched the ring. Yernen saw a faint smile pass across Ilian’s face.

There was not a hint of concern for the well-being of his younger sibling in his gaze.

Yernen looked at Ilian’s face and asked impulsively.

“Since when…?”

“Since when?”

Squeak.

The old iron frame screamed as the large Illian sat down next to Yernen.

“Since when have you guys stopped thinking of me as family?”

“Ah.”

Sigh.

Ilian burst into laughter.

“Well? Since when did it start?”

“… … .”

“Actually, I thought it was a diamond….”

“…!”

Ilian’s hand reached out without hesitation and painfully squeezed Yernen’s center.

“When you realized it was just a common rock?”

“Ugh…!”

“It’s a gift I sent you. How was it?”

“You…!”

“Yernen, wouldn’t it be better for you and everyone else if we could just get this over with quickly? I think you’ve learned enough from this. To give up. Or… are you still hoping for something?”

“What…?”

“I said I could have Lyle’s baby.”

As he spoke, Ilian looked down at Yernen, his eyes filled with mockery.

“Haven’t you already reached a point where you could do that? Given your personality, there’s no way you could show him this… tattered, rag-like body.”

I’ve received this level of insult countless times. So I thought it was nothing to worry about. But my heart still ached somewhere. Like a snail. As if I really wanted it to happen.

“Well, you’re not the type of person to learn such things. Well, then I guess I’ll have to put in some effort after a long time.”
Ilian took off his thick outerwear, put on a thin shirt, and unbuttoned the buttons that were constricting his neck and wrists. Then he dragged Yernen’s resisting body over, forcibly laid her down, and grabbed her shoulder painfully.

“Ahh…!”

“Norenz, I’ve caught you, so do it quickly.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

A rumbling sound was heard from below. Yernen seemed to know what Norenz was preparing. The bastard was going to come downstairs again, terribly, and put the drug inside Yernen.

And Yernen had a gut feeling. If that drug were to enter his body again, it wouldn’t just be the death of a useless organ, as they said. This time, he would definitely lose his life. Now, it was time to make a real decision.

“… … .”

Yernen turned his head and released the strength in his body that had been building up to resist. Tears flowed ceaselessly from his red eyes. As if he had given up on everything.

“Ha, I guess you’ve given up now?”

Ilian looked at Yernen’s defeated expression with satisfaction, releasing his grip on his shoulder before turning to Norenz.

“When will it be…?”

But Yernen couldn’t hear the rest. Thump, thump. The relentless sound of his heartbeat pounded louder and louder in his ears.
I have to do it now. This is the moment.

His hand slipped under his pillow, fingers closing around the dagger. Every motion felt agonizingly slow, the urgency building within him.

Ilian.

His second oldest brother, frustrating beyond measure.
Ilian spent most of his days with his friends, barely stepping into the palace. He had no patience for study, showed little interest in affairs of state, and seemed to care only for hunting. The Emperor and Empress were oblivious, but Yernen knew about his brother’s other obsession: women. Ilian would sometimes visit Yernen, sharing stories he had no desire to hear.

Yernen’s gaze lingered on Ilian, tinged with a complicated pity. If he hadn’t been born into royalty, his brother would have earned a scandalous reputation in high society. And yet, despite it all… Yernen cared for him.

“Ilian… we were family. How did it come to this?”

“Cough…!”

Yernen’s face was slick with bright red bl00d, his body trembling uncontrollably. The sensation of the blade slicing into flesh clung to him, and the sight of bl00d pouring out like a fountain was seared into his memory.

Thud, thud.

A scream echoed in his ears, cutting through the pounding of his heart.

“Your Majesty!”

Clang.

A bl00d-stained dagger fell to the ground with a dull sound.

“Ugh…!”

The ground beneath him seemed to tilt, the world spinning forward.

I…

I killed Ilian.

Rough hands shoved Yernen to the ground, pinning him in place. A searing pain surged through his right arm, sharp enough to steal his breath.

“Aah!”

Feeling the excruciating pain of his arm being torn off, Yernen’s vision grew darker and darker. And through that dim vision, the scene of Tenes piercing Harriet’s heart slowly etched itself onto his retina before fading away. The operation, against all odds, had succeeded. Yernen was finally free to leave the castle.

I…

The thought echoed in his mind with chilling finality.

I killed my family.

Those words were the only ones that stayed, haunting him. Holding onto that heavy truth, Yernen felt his spirit sink into a vast, consuming darkness.