The second bodyguard parted his lips and choked up as he said, "I've done many bad things in my life, and choosing to oppose you was the worst decision I've made. It's led to my death—not that it has anything to do with you, of course. It was all my own doing. I hope everyone will learn a lesson from this—keep your calm and rationality when making decisions like this, and you'll be able to stay alive for a few more years. I've lost that privilege because I've used up the chances Darius gave me." He turned to look at Darius, even if it was the last thing he wanted to do. He pleaded, "I hope you'll make it quick. I'm terrified of dying; in fact, I'm terrified of most things." He shut his eyes and waited for Darius to make his move. Then, he felt something cold against his neck. That was the last thing he knew. Before taking his final breath, the thought that flitted through his mind was that at least Darius had been merciful and made it quick.In truth, everyone's eyes were on Gareth.
Gareth gave Darius a cautious look. "If I were to tell you that I've tried and failed to think of something that I could use to broker a deal with you, would you be able to give me any suggestions?"Darius raised an eyebrow and smirked. "This is a surprise. Unfortunately, it's not something I'm interested in. Besides, I think your comrade's probably getting lonely waiting for you in hell. After all, you ended his life, yet you're still living and breathing. To think you two had the same goal in mind …" His tone was light and cheery.Gareth whipped his head up and gaped at Darius as he said tremulously, "You don't intend on letting me off the hook—you want me to die. How is that gonna benefit you? What will my death bring you?"Darius looked scornful. "You had nefarious intentions from the moment you approached me, yet you're asking me why I'm treating you like this. Don't you find that ridiculous?" He cocked his head and put his hands behind his back.Gareth's expression turned contem
"Well, I suppose this is where the fun and games end. Now, I'm going to treat you like I would an enemy." Darius' expression turned contemptuous as he sat down again, crossing one leg over the other, looking arrogant.Gareth took a deep breath as his blood boiled. He stalked toward Darius and growled, "If that's what you think, I'll show you how important a bodyguard is!"Edward frowned at this and stepped forward to shield Darius with his body. He put his hands behind his back as he scowled and snarled, "I may not have heard you mention the name of your master, but your comrade was forthcoming enough to tell us. If you're gonna try to harm Mr. Reid because your master told you to, I'll have you know that I don't have the best temper. I can't guarantee that you'll get off easy if you go ahead with this, and I can't guarantee that I won't take this out on your master later. When that happens, you won't be a satisfactory bodyguard—no one will be able to vouch for your loyalty toward you
"That means they'll be free to search for employment elsewhere. No one in the Reid family will ever have anything else to do with them." Darius put his hands behind his back and left without another look back.Once Darius was out of sight, Edward heard the bodyguards let out audible sighs. In an instant, it was all that could be heard inside and outside the room. He put his hands behind his back and turned to look at them with a raised eyebrow. His expression was mocking as he said, "I believe I've already made myself clear to you, yet you've disappointed me with your reactions. If that's the case, I don't think there's any need to stand on ceremony anymore. Let me reiterate that things aren't gonna be pretty if I find that you've lied in any way, so think twice before you answer. If it turns out that you've lied in any way, I'll have to apologize in advance for my actions. I don't think it's necessary for me to tell you what I have in store for you—you can probably imagine it yourse
He leaned against the desk, crossed one leg over the other, and looked at Edward. Edward shut the door behind him as he entered; he had a stack of papers in one hand. He looked calm, but Darius knew him better than that. Underneath that calm exterior was an agitated heart. Darius raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. "You don't seem to be doing too well, which is weird. I've known you for a while now, but this is my first time seeing you like this."Edward smiled bitterly and nodded. "You got me there, sir. The answers those bodyguards gave are almost identical; it's as if they'd already discussed this beforehand. One thing to note is that they've all mentioned Robert Reid's name. My guess is that he may have spoken to them one-on-one, but none of them have ever caught him with someone else."His gaze was resolute as he looked Darius in the eye. "That's why I think Robert must be in cahoots with them. At the very least, he must've agreed to work for a few of these guys."Darius put h
He could already guess why Edward was here, and it was likely Edward hadn't gotten any rest. Otherwise, he wouldn't be pacing outside and waiting for him to wake up. Darius lifted the sheets and got out of bed but didn't open the door for Edward. Instead, he went to the bathroom and washed up before drawing a bath and getting in. Then, he said, "Edward, you can come in now."Edward sighed in relief when he heard Darius finally call his name. He pushed the door open and entered the room, immediately sensing Darius was in the bathroom. This surprised him because Darius had never summoned him while taking a bath. So, he swept a gaze around the room to make sure Darius wasn't hiding somewhere, then headed toward the bathroom. He stopped at the door and said respectfully, "Sir, I've already looked into everything." He fell silent here.Darius said, "Judging from how you're acting right now, it seems that the results aren't satisfactory." He sighed and said, "If that's the case, it's best
"However, you've really let me down." Edward shook his head, looking upset. "After hearing your conversation earlier, I can't help thinking that I'd be making a huge mistake by letting any of you leave this place alive!" The bodyguards were stunned. They gaped at Edward in disbelief, not knowing how to react to this turn of events.Edward merely shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Now, now. I was just joking. There are cars waiting for you outside, so you can go ahead and leave. As Mr. Reid said earlier, wait for us to call you. If you're the right fit for the job, we'll let you know so you can come back here and take up your post. Of course, if any of you try to pull anything funny, you can wait for death to come knocking on your door. As for the remainder that is neither good nor bad, it's unfortunate that you won't be able to continue staying here to protect Mr. Reid's safety. I could arrange for you to be hired as security guards elsewhere, but you may feel insulted by this despite t
"That's a good sign that you've matured. I'd be happy if you could keep thinking like that," Teivel said.Darius smiled, not expecting him to praise him like that. For a split second, his eyes turned red because he was so moved, but it quickly faded. He said, "Well, let's not bother about that anymore." He breathed deeply to calm himself, then continued, "After your battle with your old nemesis, your soul's power has diminished a lot. It won't be able to sustain you for long, so you have to merge with your body as soon as possible."Teivel took note of his grim tone and smiled faintly. "That's not something you need to worry about. I know how long I can keep going like this."Darius shut his eyes and sighed, lapsing into silence. He focused his attention on his life force and started channeling it to the places he wanted it to go. When it started flowing, his brows unfurrowed, and he smiled faintly.In the book realm, Teivel sat on the couch and crossed one leg over the other, a smil