"M-mother... W-what is this? What is happening?!" Shirley was frantic. She couldn''t understand the scene she was witnessing. "Father, why are you just standing there? Help her!" She was so frantic she didn''t register Nichs was snickering at her.


    "Shirley, close your eyes!" Irene, who had enough of it, pulled Shirley to her chest, sessfully covering thetter''s vision. "Nichs, you sick bastard! What have you done to your own wife?!" In response, Nichs cackled madly.


    "I am just doing her a favor of making her what she really is."


    "What are you—"


    "She is a harlot, Irene. She betrayed our marriage for pleasure."


    Irene shut her mouth. She had suspected Catherine must have been up to something each time she had mentioned "Gatherings". However, she had never expected her suspicion would be proven true. Catherine didn''t look like the type of someone who would do things like that.


    That proved just how good Catherine yed her game.


    Nichs inched closer, and Irene stepped backward. The former frowned, and stared at Irene.


    "Why are you distancing yourself away from me? Along with my daughter no less?"


    "You are not sane, Nichs. Who knows what you might do to your own daughter?"


    "Huh, I am amazed by your words. Now that I realized it, you just called me by my name."


    "Are you expecting me to call you like how I used to call you? You are not my master anymore. You have lost the privilege!"


    Nichs red at Irene coldly. He didn''t like someone like Irene meddling in his n. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he eximed at Irene.


    "This is our family matter. Stay out of it, and you will be harmless."


    "Hah! Even more reason to not do so!"


    "You darn old hag!"


    Nichs lost his patience. He strode to Irene''s way, and tried to grab her. "Tried" being the keyword. That means, he didn''t manage to do that. Therefore, he was surprised.


    "Huh? You are pretty agile for your age." Nichs quirked his eyebrow, while looking at Irene. Irene, while carrying Shirley in her hands, had distanced herself away from Nichs.


    "How did you get there? One second you are in front of me, and the next second you are in front of the door." Nichs asked in puzzlement. "Well, you will never know what elders hide, unless you ask them." Nichs hummed at Irene''s answer.


    Nichs looked at Shirley who was quivering in Irene''s hug. Caressing his moustache, he decided to do what he had intended since the beginning. The moaning in the background was urging him to do it faster.


    "You know what, Shirley? For all this time, I have treated you to my very best as my daughter. I have just recently found your Mother betrayed me, ever since Basil was entrusted to me. So, that'' means, you are not really my daughter, after all."


    Shirley raised her head from Irene''s chest, and tried to look at Nichs. However, Irene stopped her. Irene was very sure she wouldn''t be able to handle the scene happening in the background.


    "What do you mean, Father? Mother would never do that!"


    "Yes, darling, I know. It is unbelievable, right? I reacted like that too, until I saw the evidence. I still have it with me, in case you are curious. However, it doesn''t matter anymore, does it?"


    "What do yo— Kyaa!"


    Shirley was cut in her speech as Irene moved away from the iing Nichs. This time, Nichsing at them fully intending to inflict them harm. Irene could see it inly in his eyes full of madness.


    "So, that''s the case, huh? You are a Knight, Irene?!"


    Nichs shouted in amusement, while Irene kept moving. She utilized her Movement Technique that she hadn''t used for quite a long time. Nichs, being a Mage, also utilized his Step Art.


    "[Fire Bullet]!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Nichs shot countless of fire bullets at Irene. He didn''t care he would burn the room. The room had been built different. It could withstand a weak spell like that. Still, he couldn''t get Irene. Therefore, Nichs clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    In the other hand, Irene was sweating. Her old body was starting to not be able to keep up. No matter how much she had trained her body in the past, it was all in the past. She wasn''t as fit as she used to.


    "Tsk! Hang on tight, sweetheart!" Irene warned Shirley who was carried in her arms, before uttering something that would shock Nichs, "Killing Technique: [Sparkle]!" Her soles lit up, before a st of Qi was directed at Nichs.


    Boom!


    "Gah! This ursed hag! What have you done?!"


    Nichs was momentarily blinded by the light. Luckily, he had managed to pull himself, before the st had happened. Thus, resulting only in momentary blindness. When he regained his vision once again, Irene was already close to the door.


    She was eager to get out of the room. However, Nichs merely smirked.


    Bam!


    "Huh?!"


    Irene, who had kicked the door with every power she had, was surprised. The door that should be fragile, didn''t break under her immense force. Her spine turned cold. She knew who was the culprit.


    "Hahaha! Did you think I wouldn''t make any precaution? I know this thing would happen when I formted my n!"


    "Nichs! What are you nning to do?!"


    "Well... who knows?" Nichs smirked, and clenched his fist. Mana gathered around him, and it was umting in his clenched fist. Then, he uttered his Spell, "[Burning Gauntlet]!" His fist was instantly coated in fire.


    Smirking coldly at Irene, he dashed at her.


    Whoosh!


    While carrying Shirley, Irene utilized her Movement Technique to her very best. She could only run. She couldn''t fight Nichs. She was outssed badly.


    Gritting her teeth, she ignored the pain her body was enduring. She needed to get Shirley out of here.


    Sadly, fate wasn''t in her favor. Nichs caught up to her, and reappeared before her. Her eyes widened, and Nichs smirked.


    "Surprise, old hag!" Nichs swung his fire coated fist at Irene.


    Bam!


    "Gahak!"


    Irene was thrown backward like a bullet. Blood spurted out of her mouth due to the internal injury she suffered. It hurt badly. However, she kept hugging Shirley tightly to protect her from the collision.


    When her bodynded on the ground, she couldn''t twitch even a muscle. The fatigue, and the pain she was enduring was unbearable. Shirley sat herself up, and looked down at the lying Irene.


    "Irene! No, no, no, no! Irene, please wake up!"


    Irene''s abdomen was scorched badly. The skin was peeled, and it was bleeding profusely. She constantly coughed from time to time, and it was easy to deduce her stomach was ruptured.


    "You endured well. I didn''t even know you were Knight."


    Shirley jumped in fright, before pulling Irene''s body close to her. Nichs merelyughed at the scene in amusement. At that moment, Irene held Shirley''s hand, and muttered softly.


    "You have to run, sweetheart. This man is not your father anymore."


    "No! I won''t leave without you!"


    Shirley was crying profusely, and Irene could only smile bitterly. Things wouldn''t end beautifully, and she was sure about it. Thus, she cried at her helplessness.


    "Who trained you, Irene?" Nichs asked, without any care to Irene''s bitter thought. Surprisingly, thetter answered him, "It was my Master. My one and only true Master." Instantly, Nichs'' eyes darkened.


    "So, it was the ursed Halton, huh?"


    His mind travelled back to the past.


    ***


    [Nichs'' Recount]


    I was shocked when I received the baby in my hand. Looking at the tall man in front of me, I asked with trembling voice.


    "Lord Rothermere, what is this?"


    "Nichs... Among all of my subordinates, you are the longest by my side. Therefore, I trust you the most. I will entrust my precious treasure to you. I hope you can keep him well."


    The shocked me couldn''t mutter anything, except, "Who is the baby?" Halton answered without missing a beat, "My son. My most precious treasure." His eyes were warm, and tenderness could be felt from the aura he was exuding.


    My eyes teared up. There was only one reason he entrusted his son to me. There must be something going to happen to him.


    Rustle.


    The bushes around us trembled, before six white hooded figures emerged. My body tensed. The aura those people were exuding was suffocating. However, like always, my lord, Halton Rothermere, was unfazed. He faced the people gantly.


    "Nichs!" He called me. "Yes?" I answered. "Keep my son safe." He smirked before charging at the six figures.


    I stood there dumbly, not knowing what to do, before I was awaken by the scene that would be forever etched to my brain. It was the scene where one of the figures'' hand pierced Halton''s heart. It happened when he was facing my way.


    It happened because he protected me.


    "Kuhuk!" He coughed blood, and it was sshed on my face, and clothes alike. "Damn, bastard...! What are you doing here? Go!" Even with the pain he must be enduring, he could still muster the power to smirk.


    I ran to the very best I could, leaving my lord, who had changed my fate for the better, behind. It was raining that night. The blood on my face was washed away. However, the bloodstain still remained on my clothes.


    I wished the rain could wash away the memory too. However, it couldn''t. I didn''t know whether I was crying or it was the rain. However, I was very sure everything was blurry. Looking down at the bundle in my hands, the treasure my lord had entrusted me, I didn''t know what to do.


    I hugged the baby closely. I was determined to keep the baby with me. That was, surely, until another shocking thing was revealed.


    "Halton Rothermere has betrayed humanity. He joined his hands with the people from ''Beyond''."


    "W-what do you mean, Great Pontiff?"


    ? "I mean it as what you have heard."


    I was shaken. People from ''Beyond'' is our way to call the people living in the area whose Obelisk isn''t conquered yet. It is said those people pledged their loyalty to the Obelisk Master for them to be able to stay there.


    The kind, righteous, and amiable Halton Rothermere, my lord, joined hands with them? I was simply shaken. I couldn''t believe what I heard, until the evidence was shown to me. That day, I discovered myself had been betrayed for the entire time. Since that day, I spite betrayal the most.


    I didn''t know how I should act from then on. Things escted quickly. The Viscount title was handed to me, and anything rted to Rothermere was exterminated. It was gone like it had never existed before.


    People also quickly forgot of Halton. However, I couldn''t just forget him. I have the thing that reminds me of him everytime. In other words, his son. My indignation toward Halton''s betrayal was constantly provoked everytime I saw the baby.


    I had even thought to kill the baby. However, I was reminded by my ownmon sense. He was just a baby. Babies are born bereft of any sin. They are born without any mistake. I couldn''t vent my anger on him.


    But still, my rage didn''t quell that easily. Thus, I distanced myself away from him. I was afraid the betrayal he reminded me of would make me eventually kill him.


    [End of Recount]


    I am awaken from my thought, and by the time I realized it, I am already ripping my daughter''s clothes off. I know she''s my daughter. She is born between me and my betrayer of a wife. But, I am already losing it.


    I can''t bear it any longer. The betrayal that is constantly happening to me makes me this way. I have been lied to in my whole life! Everyone is messing with me. Now, it is my time to mess with them!


    As I am close to tear the undergarments of my screaming daughter, the barrier I set on the room is broken.


    Bam!


    The door opened, and someone steps inside. The sheer aura he is exuding reminds me of that day. The person enters the room, and I can finally see him fully. He wears a luxurious white suit, and it is ruffled due to whatever reason it is.


    He looks my way, and I can finally see his face. He is someone I know. With as eyes as cold as the coldest abyss, he stares at me with a concentrated bloodlust.


    "Well, well, well. The son of a betrayer hase!"