Chapter 28: He Is Already Dead

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: He Is Already Dead

A figure stood quietly in the distance. The faint light outlined his tall, straight silhouette, making him look like a pitch-black grim reaper straight out of hell. He stepped closer and stopped in front of Victor.

The heavy rain plummeted from the sky, but the moment it touched the figure, it slid outward as if hitting an invisible barrier. Victor then noticed that despite standing in the pouring rain, not even the hem of the other man’s clothes was wet. In contrast, Victor himself was a sorry sight, drenched in a mixture of blood and rainwater, looking as pathetic as a drowned rat.

Looking at the young man before him, Caius said coldly, "Too weak."

Victor did not care about the assessment at all. "Did Lilia send you to save me?"

"No." Caius denied it without a second thought.

Victor smiled. Having been classmates for a while, he knew a bit about Caius’s personality. If it weren’t for Lilia, he would never care whether Victor lived or died. Even if he just happened to pass by, he would probably just watch him get killed from the sidelines. No. He might not even stop walking for something like that.

The wound on his abdomen was soaked with rainwater. As the adrenaline triggered by the life-or-death crisis faded, the piercing pain of his flesh constantly being torn apart became increasingly impossible to ignore. Gasping for air, Victor forced his voice to remain steady. He did not want to show any weakness in front of Caius.

"Help me thank her..."

"There’s no need," Caius said coldly. "From now on, she will never hear anything about you again."

Victor fell silent. His first reaction was that Caius was going to kill him, but he quickly dismissed the idea. If that were the case, he wouldn’t need to say so much to him.

After a moment of silence, Victor asked, "Do I need to leave Taronia, or Lien?"

Caius’s expression remained cold. "That is for you to consider. It has nothing to do with me."

Victor froze for a moment before realizing the truth. He was right. It wasn’t that Caius forbade him from staying. It was that it was no longer possible for him to survive in Taronia. After all, he had offended Griffin, who had already resorted to hiring assassins and was determined to take his life.

He had successfully evaded the pursuit today, but what about tomorrow? What about the future? For a commoner to fight against a noble’s malice was like throwing an egg against a rock—he had absolutely no chance of winning.

A touch of bitterness welled up in Victor’s heart.

Facing a completely dark future, he felt no apprehension or despair. At this very moment, only one matter occupied his entire mind.

"I want to see her one more time," Victor said. "I want to see her and say goodbye."

Both of them knew exactly who he was talking about.

In response to his request, Caius seemed to let out a scoff. Amidst the heavy sound of falling rain, the short, sharp laugh wasn’t obvious, yet it pierced slowly into Victor’s heart like a long, thin needle.

"Lilia only makes friends with useful people," Caius said. His tone was no longer flat and calm; instead, it carried a hint of showy delight. "She noticed you because of your talent. But you are too weak. If a few ordinary people can leave you in such a pathetic state, what right do you have to stay by her side?"

Looking at Victor’s dazed expression, a secret joy continuously welled up in Caius’s heart, bringing waves of thrilling, satisfying pleasure.

He knew they didn’t understand Lilia at all. Did they think she was an angel? A moon hanging high in the sky, shining equally on everyone? No. She was a demon in an angel’s skin. She was the shadow that the moonlight could never illuminate. In her heart, there was no such thing as affection or love. All she cared about was whether someone was useful. Whether it was Griffin or Victor, they both liked the seemingly flawless, gentle, and kind Lilia on the surface. Only he... only he could touch the truth beneath that facade.

"So..." Caius said softly. "Get lost. Don’t make things difficult for her."

He did not like Lilia caring about others, even if it was just feigned kindness. After speaking, Caius turned and left.

In the dark, rainy alley, only Victor and a few corpses that hadn’t been dealt with were left. The metallic stench of blood mixed with the damp scent of the rain constantly drilled into Victor’s nose, causing a dizzying wave of discomfort. Finally unable to hold on, he stumbled and collapsed into the rain.

The wound on his abdomen still throbbed with a dull pain, as if all his blood had drained away along with the rainwater. Leaning against the wall, Victor looked up at the pitch-black sky. There was no moon. Nor was there his sun.

Caius was right. He was too weak. How could someone like him be worthy of standing by Lilia’s side?

Earl Mansion.

Caius’s bedroom.

A window was suddenly opened from the outside. A hand tightly gripped the window frame, veins bulging on its back. With a sudden burst of strength, Caius agilely vaulted in through the window. His heels landed on the floor with a restrained, soft thud.

Caius closed the window, but the moment he turned around, the lights in the room suddenly flicked on. He narrowed his eyes. Lilia was sitting on his bed. Who knew how long she had been waiting for him.

The girl was wearing a light pink silk nightgown. The thin fabric clung to her body, outlining her curves. Her long black hair draped over her shoulders, forming a stark contrast with her fair skin—delicate, aloof, and breathtakingly beautiful. She looked like a fairy bathed in moonlight.

Caius stared at the large expanse of her exposed skin, his eyes darkening heavily.

He stepped closer. The cold, crisp aura unique to the young man rushed forward, so intense that it threatened to drown Lilia. Caius leaned down, propping his hands on either side of her, enveloping the girl in his cast shadow.

"It’s late. Why aren’t you asleep?" he whispered close to her ear, his voice carrying a low huskiness.

Lilia looked into his eyes. "Why did you go out?"

Going out late at night when it was pouring rain outside—no matter how one thought about it, it wasn’t normal.

"Didn’t you ask me to keep an eye on that commoner?" Caius raised a hand and twirled a strand of her hair between his fingers. "I received word that Griffin was planning to make a move on him."

"Hiring assassins?" Lilia realized immediately. "So, what happened? Where is Victor? Is he hurt?"

Listening to this barrage of questions, Caius’s eyes gradually grew dangerous. Malice surged in his heart. For a fleeting moment, he even regretted letting Victor leave.

"Caius." Seeing his silence, Lilia frowned. "Speak."

"I was too late." Caius lowered his eyes, looking like a puppy that had done something wrong. "The rain was too heavy. It took me a while to find that commoner.

"By the time I got there, there was blood everywhere, along with the corpses of Griffin’s subordinates.

"Victor killed them, but he was too weak and suffered very severe injuries.

"I tried, but I couldn’t save him."

Lilia’s eyes widened. "So..."

"So..." Caius said softly. "He is already dead."