The Damned Demon - Chapter 824

Seron knelt on the cold stone floor, his back straight despite the weight pressing down on his shoulders.

His face was pale, his hands trembling slightly as he clenched them into fists against his thighs. He had confessed his crime, laid bare his guilt, and now he awaited judgment.

The fact that he still couldn't find Silvan even after spending an entire week only made it worse. He wanted Silvan to take responsibility and take measures to atone for what he had done so that there might be a slight chance he could escape a death sentence.

Above him, Rowena rose from her seat with deliberate slowness, her crimson eyes locked onto him.

Seron blinked, his brows furrowing in confusion as he saw her turn away from him.

"Y-Your Majesty?" his voice cracked, unsure.

Rowena didn't answer immediately. Instead, she took a deep breath, her shoulders subtly rising and falling. Then, without turning back, she spoke.

"You should get up."

Seron felt his entire body tense at those words. His knees suddenly felt heavier, like iron weights had been attached to them.

"I am willing to accept any punishment," he said firmly. "You may end me here if you wish. Our ancestors won't forgive me, and their souls would be ashamed of the dishonor I have caused to our bloodline and our people. I deserve to be punished."

Rowena's cold eyes flickered briefly, a flicker of something unreadable in them before her voice sliced through the silence.

"Did you know your son was a traitor before the war?"

Seron's head jerked up, his mouth parting slightly in stunned silence before he shook his head.

"No. Like I said, I only knew when—"

"Then why do you say you deserve death when it's your son who deserves it?" Rowena's voice was sharp, cold—merciless.

Seron flinched, his throat tightening.

"Do you intend to protect him?" Rowena's words cut into him like a blade.

Seron swallowed hard.

"Do you intend to stand in the way when we find him?"

His fingers curled into his palms.

"Do you want to spare him from getting punished for betraying us and causing the death of so many of our people and the destruction of our home?"

With each question, her tone grew sharper, colder, until finally—

"If you want to say 'yes' to any one of these, then I will consider you a traitor. You may choose now."

Rowena always had some respect for Silvan. And yet to learn that he betrayed his own people and caused the destruction of their kingdom...their home...struck her deeper than she realized.

It wasn't even some random person. It was a respected figure from her own House. Someone who shared her last name.

Seron's entire body trembled. His mind was in turmoil. Silvan was his son, his blood, but...

His fists clenched even tighter, his nails biting into his skin. He had to choose.

His chin quivered before he finally said, his voice strained, "I-I won't stand in the way."

Seron knew that he couldn't protect his son from Rowena's wrath. If she wants to find him, she will do it. And if he tried to stop her, then his son would just suffer even more along with him.

He could only blame himself for not being the father Silvan needed. But it was too late for regrets.

A single tear slid down his cheek.

Rowena had never seen her uncle cry before. She could feel his anguish, his pain. But her own pain was greater.

The tens of thousands of lives lost because of Silvan's resentment, his selfishness. If anything, he should have only targeted her and not touched her people.

She would never forgive him.

She took a step back, her gaze unrelenting.

"Very well. Then you may continue to do your duty and help us find him, no matter how long it takes."

With that, Rowena turned and strode towards the door, her movements fluid and final.

Seron didn't move, his head bowed.

As Rowena stepped into the corridor, the door clicking shut behind her, she exhaled slowly and closed her eyes for a brief moment.

Her heart was heavy.

This war wasn't just about enemies on the battlefield. It was deeper than that.

It was centuries of sins, of hatred, of bloodstained legacies finally catching up.

"Is everything alright?"

Rowena's eyes opened as Isola's voice echoed through the corridor. She turned to see Isola approaching her, concern evident in her sapphire-blue eyes.

Her presence already made her relax a bit though her mind was still troubled.

Rowena slowly shook her head. "I am not sure."

—

Two elegant figures stood in one of the inner courtyards of Nightshade Castle, where the soft glow of the enchanted torches flickered against the dark stone walls.

Isola had a look of disbelief as she stared at Rowena.

"Silvan... betrayed us at such a crucial point?" she murmured, her voice tinged with shock, "I can't believe it... He always seemed decent compared to the other noble young men. He even helped Asher during his journey to the Draconis Kingdom. Ceti even trusted him."

Rowena's eyes darkened, "He was clever enough to hide his true intentions so that none of us would suspect him." Her hands curled into fists. "If only he hadn't betrayed us, our kingdom could still have been standing. We could have fought off the Draconians somehow or at least made them retreat temporarily. If only I knew..."

Isola reached out, gently placing a hand on Rowena's shoulder. "We couldn't have known. You shouldn't blame yourself."

Rowena shook her head, her voice low and heavy. "No, it's not just that. All of this happened because his mother was executed for bearing the child of a noble."

Isola's eyes widened slightly.

"I didn't know about this. He had been harboring revenge against the entire kingdom because he lost his mother in such an unjust way."

Isola exhaled sharply, shaking her head, "I know... It's a cruel law that shouldn't exist. It just never came into play for so long because everyone was afraid of it. But why did he have to punish the whole kingdom for it? His anger is misplaced. Only the one who used that law to pass such a judgment would be responsible for what happened to it," Isola blinked in realization, "Was it your..."

Rowena's expression darkened further.

"My father..." she began, her voice heavy with something unspoken.

She hesitated before continuing, "...He passed the judgment. But I don't understand why? Even if it was against the law, as the king, he did not need to punish her in such a severe way. She never did anything to deserve death. Seron said someone exposed her when she was willing to take the secret to her grave and not even claim to be the mother of a noble. I thought my father would have judged better. It's not like the maid could have done anything even if she wanted to."

Isola's lips pressed together.

She wanted to tell Rowena the truth about her father.

She wanted to tell her what kind of man he truly was.

But she knew... it had to come from Asher.

So instead, she spoke carefully.

"Maybe we can never really know the true nature of some people, even if they are family."

Rowena's brows furrowed slightly.

"I know you look up to your father," Isola continued, her voice steady. "But have you ever thought that he could be flawed?"

Rowena remained silent.

Isola pressed on.

"Kira and Silvan are the biggest factors that caused the downfall of our kingdom. Both are the products of hate and resentment created by your father."

Rowena's lips parted slightly, her breath hitching.

"If he hadn't destroyed the Eclipsion Kingdom, Kira wouldn't exist as she is now. I know you might not believe her claims but it doesn't make sense for Kira to lie when she had nothing to lose."

Rowena furrowed her brows as she still struggled to believe that her father had destroyed the Eclipsion Kingdom out of greed. And not because they were a threat.

"I am not justifying what they did, and they deserve to pay the price for what they have done, but we are reaping the consequences of what happened in the past."

Rowena's fingers trembled slightly before she curled them into a fist.

A deep, unsettling doubt began to take root in her heart.

Had her father really been the man she thought he was?

No...that couldn't be. She had always seen her father rule in a just manner and taught her everything she knew.

Then...which side of her father was the truth?

Isola watched the emotions war inside Rowena's eyes.

She didn't push further.

She would let time do the rest.

The seeds of doubt had already been planted.

—

Days passed in this godforsaken abyss—a week of endless agony, death, and rebirth.

Every single day, Skully stripped him of his bloodforce, breaking his body down to its very limits, shattering his bones, withering his flesh, and forcing him into a state of pure helplessness.

Every single time, the same torture repeated.

Die. Crawl back. Die again.

And yet, Skully had still not told him what he was supposed to do. There was no guidance, no hint, no revelation—only cold, calculated cruelty.

Was he really supposed to let himself die by the end of this month?

He hated the sight of this sadistic monster to the point he wished Skully would just drop dead instead of toying with him. But of course he can't.

He didn't even know if Skully was just using him as some sort of experiment or because he was bored.

He was just finding it harder to believe Skully was torturing him for his own good when he didn't even know what to do to escape this cycle. Not even a single word of guidance while Valeria continued to watch from the sidelines.

He couldn't help but envy her pet, Twilight, who was happily napping on her shoulder and eating like a king.

But through it all, Asher observed something else—Rebecca.

At first, he had ignored her presence. He assumed she was only here because she got herself trapped here with him.

But then, he started noticing things.

The way she snapped at Skully with a venomous tongue every time he collapsed.

The way she cursed under her breath when she saw his body twisted and broken.

The way she stayed close, tending to his wounds, even though she could have just thrown a mana potion at him and left him to suffer alone.

She would wipe the sweat and blood from his brow with firm yet careful hands, her touch strangely gentle despite her usual sharp tongue.

She wasn't just keeping him alive out of necessity.

There was something else.

And that made Asher's blood boil.

Why?

Why did she care?

Why did she look at him with guilt?

Why did she still stay?

Was this just a trick to lower his guard?

Another act?

He needed to know.

Another cycle of torture ended.

Another moment of weakness that he refused to show.

Asher felt his consciousness returning—his body was a wreck, his muscles screaming, his vision blurred.

And as expected, Rebecca was there.

He felt the cool pressure of a cloth against his forehead, wiping away blood and sweat.

She wasn't saying anything.

But when he opened his eyes, he saw her scowling at Skully, her hands tightly gripping the fabric of her dress, as if trying to suppress something.

It was infuriating.

Because it almost felt like she actually cared.

He didn't know if it was because of the ruthless torture he was forced to undergo or because his body just healed, but he was feeling a indescribable heat brimming within his body. And seeing her and her actions only aggravated it.

No. This won't do. He can't just keep wondering about her intentions and let himself get fooled again.

There was only one way to find out!