Chapter 74: Chapter 74 - Subduing (1)
As an assassin, she had long since honed her skills, and now, with her body seemingly back to its former strength and memories flooding her mind, she forgot the promise she had made to her sister—a vow to never take another life.
SWISH
In a frenzied moment, she lunged her claw at Damien, her hands aimed directly at his chest, intent on rending his flesh apart and extracting his heart from within.
'?!!'
"Don't even think about it," Damien warned, tightening his grip as she sat in his embrace. Visana was still recovering, not yet back to her former strength. Perched on his lap with her legs slightly apart, she found herself in a position that made it nearly impossible to break free from his hold.
He locked his hands firmly around her, pressing her breasts against his solid chest. Although fabric separated them, it was enough to keep her body restrained.
"Let me go!" Visana protested, trying to move her hands. In a burst of defiance, she attempted a head-butt, aiming for his face. But even at this close range, Damien managed to dodge her attack and retaliated with a head-butt of his own.
Bam!
"Urgh?!" Visana winced. The previous wound on her forehead—inflicted when she had struck it against the tiles—had barely begun to heal. Now, being met with Damien's forceful head-butt only aggravated her injury.
Though the healing potion she had taken worked to counteract the poisonous herbs she had ingested, it wasn't prioritizing her external wounds.
"Listen carefully, woman," Damien said, realizing that if he continued to indulge her stubbornness, it would only prolong the inevitable. He needed her to understand the seriousness of the situation. "This isn't a dramatic tale where your sacrifice could save your daughter. Remember this: if you die now, I will kill Emilia without hesitation."
"Y-you!" Visana seethed, her urge to kill this man bubbling to the surface as her glare locked onto him. She listened as he threatened her, claiming she wouldn't dare harm her daughter.
"Don't yell; just listen," Damien said, his voice steady and menacing. "You have two options: first, teach Emilia about business and continue sending me money, or second, face death at my hands, and I'll send your daughter to join you."
His killing intent radiated from him, clearly visible in his eyes, aimed at the woman who had attempted to attack him.
He had no intention of killing Emilia; her value was too great for him to simply discard.
But her mother's worth elevated significantly due to what she could offer in terms of assistance.
"I will never forgive you," Visana spat, her jaw clenched. She felt helplessly ensnared by him, the words escaping her lips in a near whisper. Deep down, she sensed he spoke the truth and could indeed harm her daughter.
"So tell me," Damien continued, his voice firm and low, lingering near her ear to strike fear into her heart, "will you follow my orders, or should I just kill you?" He knew full well that though she was strong enough to overpower him, his speed would allow him to evade her attacks, and he would strike hard if it came to that.
He merely needed to demonstrate how weak she was in comparison to him.
Breaking her spirit would be challenging, but he didn't need to do that; her vulnerability was already within his grasp.
".....leave me," Visana murmured through gritted teeth, a hint of resignation in her tone as she lowered her gaze. As he released her, she distanced herself, falling onto the floor, and slowly getting up to sit on the bed. "Send Emilia in."
Damien narrowed his eyes at her but turned towards the door, maintaining his guard.
He was acutely aware of her presence, knowing that he needed to give her a moment to gather her thoughts and understand that any attempt to threaten her would only lead to loss.
'He is dangerous,' she thought, seated on the bed, her eyes fixed on Damien's silhouette. She recognized the threat he posed, considering how he had deftly dodged her attack and his use of a potent healing potion on her.
All of this reinforced her suspicions about his abilities and resources—he could potentially kill her without breaking a sweat.
After all, if he had the means to heal her, it wouldn't be far-fetched to assume he could just as easily inflict harm.
The healing potion was not merely mending her wounds; it felt like something profound coursed through her veins, restoring her body to its peak state.
As she inspected her hands, she noticed the wrinkled skin, once marked by age, gradually returning to normal, as though the toxins were being expelled from her body.
Years of consuming small amounts of poisons had taken their toll, and while many methods could have healed her in this world, Damien's potion was something extraordinary, prompting her to deliberate more carefully on her next moves.
'I will keep an eye on him for now,' she resolved, feeling the pain ebb away, replaced by a soothing calm.
Each moment that passed seemed to heal not just her body but also her mind, clearing away the stress and anger that had clouded her thoughts.
She sat still, observing the remarkable changes unfolding within her.
Slowly, she focused on her breath, her eyes fixed on her skin, which was healing and becoming lustrous and soft once again.
The wrinkles that had once etched themselves into her flesh were disappearing as if by magic. She could clearly feel her body growing stronger from within, as though some miracle were taking place.
As she sat there, lost in this transformation, ten minutes had already slipped by. Her senses sharpened, and she could feel a swell of sadness rising within her, reaching its peak as she heard the sound of footsteps echoing from outside.
The movement was disturbingly familiar. It was Emilia.
"Mom!" Emilia burst into the room, the door swinging open. Her gaze immediately landed on the woman seated on the bed in a patient uniform, who looked back at her with a weary smile that spoke of defeat.
"I'm sorry, my daught—" Visana began, immediately feeling guilty for the harsh words she had spoken earlier. She wanted to apologize but felt as though her entire world had come to a standstill when she heard Emilia's next words.
"Who are you? Where's my mother? O_o "