The Duke had hit his head hard when he’d fallen, and he groaned as he slowly began to push himself back up. But just as he was regaining his balance, another blow came his way. This time, it was from the girl.
Adeline struck him with all her might, she did not hold back in the slightest. So what if he gets hurt? Her powers would heal him anyway, using this logic she wanted to beat him up but Dimitri stopped her.
She pouted but didn’t go ahead with her plan to beat him up and heal him.
Once the Duke was finally knocked out and lay motionless on the floor, Adeline turned her attention to the man. He was still frozen, his eyes wide with shock as he tried to make sense of the abilities he had just witnessed.
The strength these two children displayed was not natural, especially not at their age.
He was wary of them, who knows what they came for?
"I will get straight to the point. You will have to provide proof to Everett... The child of the woman you killed that his father is the one behind the scenes." Adeline spoke nonchalantly.
It was not a suggestion or an order. It was something that was bound to happen in the future whether he agreed with her or not.
She was so sure that he would comply... No, if he didn’t, she would make sure he would comply.
The man could feel the weight of her words and saw the fire in her eyes.
He took a deep breath, feeling a strange sense of relief. This task—to tell the truth, and finally expose the Duke—felt like a small chance for redemption.
He didn’t argue, he’d wanted to do this for a long time. He had taken so many lives, and destroyed so many families. If helping this child find justice for his mother could bring even a sliver of peace to his tormented soul, then he would do it gladly.
These children didn’t seem like ruthless killers. They could have killed the Duke and him but they didn’t. Only magnanimous people would let a bastard like him stay alive. Perhaps they were angels of retribution sent to end his suffering and expose the Duke’s sins.
He scowled at the unconscious Duke before heading back into his small cabin. He started rummaging through the various boxes in his house.
His home was filled with various weapons he collected, no wonder the Duke lured him out to stab him. He shook his head, it wasn’t like he was any better. He kept keepsakes of every person he killed... More like souviniers.
All his actions had caught up to him, every day was a suffering for him. Dark thoughts and haunting memories never left him alone. They were his companions for several decades...
He was too much of a coward to surrender himself to the guards. He decided that after exposing the Duke he would turn himself in. There was nothing for him to live for.
He was in constant danger, the Duke wasn’t the only one who tried to kill him. He was the only one who got close enough.
From the box, he was able to retrieve a blood-stained fan... This belonged to Everett’s mother. Her name, Alice, was etched delicately along the side of the fan. With trembling hands, he handed it over to the children.
He remembered every person he killed, their screams, their pleas... Everything was etched into his mind. She was someone he remembered well... People usually hired him to kill their siblings, their mistresses, their business rivals...
He took this job thinking it was another usual job. But the woman surprised him, she was not caught off guard by his appearance. She knew at the bottom of her heart that she would be killed the moment the Duke sent her off with money.
She did not plead with him... She didn’t ask him to spare her life. Her eyes didn’t show fear, they only showed regret. She would be leaving behind a child with a monster of a father.
She laughed at him and asked, "How much did that b*stard pay you?"
The question was not surprising, many tried to outbid his employer in order to save their lives. He never gave in of course. When he stated the price she laughed mockingly.
"He paid you more than me. Seems like my value is higher than our child’s, I should feel flattered."
Her answer took him aback. He didn’t expect her to answer this way.
It was an encounter that he would never forget.
Dimitri stepped forward to take it. He couldn’t let his lady touch something stained with blood.
Adeline walked closer and said firmly, "Would you be willing to testify against the Duke?"
The man paused, feeling the weight of her question. Testify... To openly confess what he had done, to reveal the secrets that he’d buried and to expose his sins to the world.
He had been hiding in the shadows for so long, living a half-life filled with guilt and regret. But now, standing here in the presence of these children, he felt a strange compulsion to finally bring everything into the light.
"Yes," he said after a moment, his voice barely above a whisper. "I will testify. I owe it to the child she left behind. I’ve wronged too many people. Perhaps it’s time to make one thing right."
Adeline and Dimitri looked at each other before nodding. Dimitri could levitate and fly by himself and was able to take on Adeline, but taking on another person, much less an adult would be difficult.
Luckily there was a horse here, it belonged to the Duke. He decided to follow them back to wherever they wished to take him.
Adeline looked at the Duke one more time, he was on the ground, the cold air would probably cause him hypothermia but she didn’t care.
She glanced at the assassin and said in a joking manner, "If you want to hit him go ahead. I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything." She secretly wished he would do it. Dimitri wouldn’t let her do it... But he cant stop her from egging on the man!
The assassins looked at her and then glanced at the Duke lying pathetically on the ground. He considered her words for a moment before shaking his head, "He is unconscious, it wouldn’t feel right to do that. It wouldn’t be honourable."
Adeline had a filter usually... But this time the words left her mouth faster than she could think, "You’re an assassin who killed unarmed people, it’s too late to talk about honour."
"..." Dimitri stood in shock with his mouth gaping. His lady... Really speaks her mind.
The man coughed twice before whispering, "I suppose you are right." He wasn’t going to hit the Duke but she was right that he had no honour left.
He climbed onto the horse prepared to follow them. He would be facing the child... A victim of his crimes. He didn’t hope for forgiveness, he didn’t deserve that. He only hoped that he’d bring closure to the boy.