Chapter 30 – Why did you do this?!

"Hmph! Hmph!" I tried to scream, but all that escaped my lips was a muffled cry.

My heart pounded as I took in my surroundings—a small, suffocating space. No… it wasn't just a room. I was inside a carriage. The darkness pressed in from all sides, with only the faintest traces of light slipping through the gaps between wooden planks. I struggled, but my hands were bound tightly with rope.

Then, a voice—frantic and desperate.

"Mashiro!"

With a loud crash, the carriage door burst open under the force of a single powerful stomp. Light flooded in, and there she stood, a familiar figure, a witch's hat atop her head, her presence radiating warmth against the cold darkness. She rushed toward me, wrapping her arms around me in a tight embrace.

Her hands gently pried the wooden doll from my mouth, the thing that had kept me from speaking. The moment it was gone, a wave of saliva dripped down my chin, my jaw aching from being forced shut for so long. I gasped for breath, my voice trembling as I finally spoke.

"Catherine…" My fingers grasped at her sleeve, needing to feel something real.

She didn't hesitate. With a flick of her wrist, the ropes binding my limbs fell away, severed in an instant. The second I was free, she pulled me to my feet, guiding me out of the carriage.

The scene outside hit me like a shock of cold air. The carriage had crashed, its wooden frame splintered, its wheels sunk into uneven dirt. A lone horse bolted into the distance, its panicked whinnies echoing through the dark.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my pulse hammering in my ears. The carriage… the horse… I knew them. They were the same ones from this morning, the same ones I had seen when I reached out to give Scheon the octopus skewers.

I stumbled slightly as Catherine steadied me, her grip firm yet reassuring. My wrists throbbed where the ropes had dug into my skin, but the pain was nothing compared to the confusion and fear still swirling in my mind.

The night air was crisp, carrying the lingering scent of burnt wood. My gaze darted toward the overturned carriage, the broken wheel still spinning idly in the dirt. The horse that had been pulling it was now nothing more than a silhouette in the distance, galloping away into the darkness.

Catherine stepped forward, her boots crunching against the dirt as she towered over him. Her usual teasing demeanor was gone, replaced by something much colder. "Tch. Figures." She nudged him lightly with her foot, as if testing whether he was actually unconscious or just playing dead.

A strained groan escaped his lips. So he was alive. But the way he barely stirred, his body limp and unresponsive, made my stomach twist with unease.

I swallowed hard, glancing up at Catherine. "What… what's going on?" My voice was hoarse, raw from the gag.

She clicked her tongue. "I should be asking you that." Then, softer, "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head, but the dizziness in my skull said otherwise.

Lisa and Elise came running toward us, their breaths heavy, their eyes widening in shock at the sight of the overturned carriage and Scheon lying motionless on the ground.

Catherine let out a weary sigh, then reached out to gently brush a few stray strands of hair from my face. "I was just about to head down to the restaurant when I noticed a butterfly frantically circling me," she murmured. "I asked both of them if they knew where you went, but…"

Lisa's lips quivered, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "I'm sorry… I didn't know…" she whispered, guilt tightening her voice.

Elise clenched her small fists, her gaze dropping to the wooden doll in my hands. "Miss Mashiro, I'm so sorry. I should have paid more attention…"

I held the doll closer, my grip tightening around it. Their words were heavy with guilt, but the truth was—I hadn't seen it coming either. None of us had.

'I followed the butterfly and I saw that guy stuffing you into a carriage. So I did what any good mentor would do—wrecked the damn thing."

Her words were casual, but there was a sharp edge to them.

I turned back to Scheon. His face was pale, a thin layer of sweat clinging to his skin. He looked so… fragile, lying there in the dirt. A far cry from the flustered young man who had shyly offered me dinner just hours ago. I took a step forward.

Catherine grabbed my wrist. "Mashiro."

I looked at her, unsure what she was trying to say. Was she warning me? Telling me to stay back? Or did she just not want me to get involved?

But something deep inside me needed to know the truth. I needed to hear it from him. I pulled free from Catherine's grip and knelt beside him, my fingers trembling as I reached out.

"Scheon…" My voice was barely above a whisper.

His eyes fluttered open—dazed, unfocused. Then, as his gaze settled on me, something flickered in his expression. Regret? Or was it something else entirely?

I held the doll close to my chest, swallowing the lump in my throat. I turned my gaze back to Scheon, my fingers tightening around the fabric of my dress. "Why did you do this?!" I didn't even know what I was asking. Why did he do it? Why did I trust him? Why was I so powerless?

Catherine's voice cut through the cold night air, sharp with anger.

"Scheon Mortimer von Auchsach am Rhein. You're one of the nobles who fled Thalradia after the truth about the slave trade was exposed. You thought hiding in this remote village, disguised as a mere bodyguard, would keep you safe. But the moment you saw Mashiro… you thought she'd fetch a good price, didn't you? That you could sell her and make a fortune to live off?"

Her words struck like thunder, shattering the fragile illusion of trust I had built. My stomach twisted. I felt sick.

Scheon sighed, finally opening his mouth—but not to deny it. Instead, a bitter smirk tugged at his lips. "So what if I did?"

His words weren't just an admission. They were drenched in something else—resentment? Amusement? As if he didn't even care about what he'd done. As if it didn't matter.

Catherine's grip on her staff tightened, her eyes burning with fury. "You bastard."

Scheon let out a dry chuckle, his scowl deepening. "Hah. A rich fox lady like you doesn't belong here. If you get caught up in things like this, it's your own damn fault."

Catherine sighed, but her expression didn't waver. Instead, she reached into her pouch, pulling out something small and cold. Without hesitation, she placed it in my hands.

A knife.

"Mashiro," she said, her voice steady, "if you want to, you can end it right now."

I stared down at the blade in my trembling hands, my mind blank. Scheon lay there, his scowl twisting into something unreadable. Defiance? Indifference? It was as if he had already accepted his fate.

I swallowed, my throat dry. "Kill him…?"

Catherine nodded. "You have every right. He tried to sell you like an object. If I hadn't found you in time…" Her voice trailed off, but the unspoken words lingered in the air. Who knows what would've happened?

Lisa and Elise stood frozen, their faces pale. Elise clutched the hem of Lisa's apron, her small hands trembling.

Scheon let out a dry laugh. "What? Hesitating? Thought you'd be more decisive than that, Mashiro." His golden eyes, once so gentle in the lamplight of the inn, now gleamed with mockery. "Or do you still think I was your friend?"

The word stabbed deeper than I expected.

Friend.

Had I really thought that? I bit my lip, my grip on the knife tightening. My hands trembled—not with fear, but with something heavier, something that churned deep in my stomach. I could do it. I could end this right now.

And yet…

"Why? Why aren't you… scared?" I asked quietly, my voice betraying the chaos inside me. "Why aren't you begging me to let you live? I don't understand."

I stared at the blade in my hand, unable to fully grasp what was happening. Just days ago, I was living an entirely different life—going to college, working a part-time job, and spending my free time pulling for Mashiro's banner in the gacha. I never imagined I'd be standing here, holding someone's life in my hands, and yet… I was.

Scheon's smirk didn't falter, despite the weight of my gaze, despite the weapon in my hand. He leaned back, eyes dull and lifeless. "Why? Because I've always known how this ends. So, why bother with fear? It won't change anything." His voice was cold, detached, as if the concept of life and death had long since lost its meaning to him.

I felt the trembling in my fingers as the knife hovered between us, its cold edge catching the dim light. The confusion in my chest only grew as I glanced at the weapon, then back at him.

"Why aren't you begging me to let you live?" I repeated, my voice quieter this time, almost pleading for an answer I didn't even fully understand myself.

Catherine's voice cut through the silence, sharp and unforgiving. "He thought this village was a stepping stone, a place to hide while he caused destruction. The moment he met you, he destroyed the Aegis Wardstone, expecting that the entire village would burn and he'd take you—you—and sell you as a slave. No remorse. No fear."

She took a step forward, her gaze never leaving Scheon. "And even if you don't kill him now, the villagers will. Once they know what he's done, there won't be a place left for him to hide."