Anthony muttered with a hollow expression.

“Why, why…? How could this be?”

Kasha let out an inaudible sigh.

She felt pity for his immature inner self, stained with an inferiority complex. Having also become an adult while being thoroughly immature and making foolish choices, Kasha could understand him a little.

‘…But that doesn’t justify the things you’ve done.’

Kasha too had to endure cruel torture and even death due to such foolish choices. Of course, she was given a new chance thanks to the regression, but the price she had to pay until then was by no means light.

Thinking about how cruel a price Anthony would have to pay from now on, Kasha’s eyes darkened. In the meantime, Anthony’s monologue continued.

“Even when I killed the maid and her daughter at Lake Elor… I did it all for Eve. But still, I can never see Eve’s face again. This… This is unfair. Isn’t it?”

As if seeking obedience rather than agreement, Anthony brought his face close to her and growled. But Kasha was no longer afraid of him.

Anthony would have betrayed everyone in his desire to become as strong as Leon, no, much stronger, and grasped the hand of the Crown Prince.

But at some point, he must have realized it to the bone.

That he could not stand proud in front of anyone like this. That he had become completely alone before he knew it.

That what comes with the superhuman strength enabled by a height close to that of a giant, muscles swollen like rocks, and long, sharp nails like iron, is only the label of a ‘monster’.

Anthony laughed in an irritating voice. It was a madness reminiscent of the former Grand Duke Osilote.

“I hate that. Only Leon always gets all the good things…”

Anthony, muttering incoherently, suddenly glanced at Kasha. An unexpected thirst was glimpsed in those eyes, and for a moment, a chilling chill ran down Kasha’s spine.

“Kasha, you… Why didn’t you leave Leon even when I warned you so much?”

“……”

“Leon too. Why didn’t he suspect you even when he risked being caught and delivered that letter as the Crown Prince ordered? He’s never such a sloppy person. Why did he neither suspect nor abandon you?”

Kasha didn’t know what letter Anthony was talking about, but she guessed that Nigel must have sent a letter exposing her identity.

‘So Anthony didn’t just give such a warning to me.’

Suddenly, longing for Leon welled up in her heart. Barely suppressing it, Kasha opened her mouth.

“…Because that’s the kind of person Leon is. He doesn’t easily trust people, but once he trusts someone… he believes in them to the end and loves them faithfully.”

Hearing praise for Leon, Anthony twisted his facial muscles as if he wanted to mock her.

“Of course. Because brother had everything since birth.”

“Stop making excuses, Anthony.”

“What?”

Suddenly, at Kasha’s sharp rebuttal, Anthony immediately got angry.

“Yes. The world is unfair. But that doesn’t mean everyone becomes twisted like you… blaming others.”

“What? Twisted?”

Anthony approached Kasha as if anger was rushing to the top of his head, but as expected, he did not reach out to her. Seeing that, Kasha continued with an even more confident voice.

“You had a lot too, Anthony. As the second son of a grand ducal family, you would inherit at least one of the many titles. Although you were born with a weak body… it got much better with the efforts and dedication of those around you, and you have looks that anyone would envy, a good brain, and even a family that would do anything for you!”

“What do you know about me…”

“About you, of course I don’t know. No one in the world other than myself… can know about me as much as I do. You don’t know either. What kind of life I’ve lived. Or what kind of death I’ve experienced.”

“…What?”

“You don’t know about Leon either. How much he has suffered so far. Even though he was injured to the point of being pierced through because of you… how much he worries about you even now!”

“Shut up!”

“The way I see it, you don’t know much about yourself either. That’s why you made this foolish choice. Abandoning all those good things and chasing after this, the power of a demon!”

“Stop, stop it!”

Anthony roared, covering his ears. Suddenly, an eerie energy swirled out of him. But even in the face of that threatening energy like a blade, Kasha did not back down to the end.

“Even if you don’t want to hear it, listen. You have to face reality now. Otherwise, you will die soon!”

“I told you to shut up!”

As if he couldn’t stand it any longer, Anthony’s hand reached out roughly towards Kasha. His grip, which seemed to break her neck at any moment, trembled violently.

But even with a pale blue face, Kasha opened her mouth again. It was clearly painful… It was agonizing, but once she made up her mind, her voice flowed out as before.

“Crown Prince Nigel… ordered to track you down and kill you. As if… ordering a beast hunt.”

“No, no! No matter how much of a bastard Nigel is, he can’t kill me. Because I’m stronger than any of you!”

Blue veins popped out on Anthony’s grip as he strangled Kasha’s neck with all his might.

Sweat poured down like rain from the forehead of Anthony, who was putting all his effort, and even the blood vessels in his eyes expanded as if they would burst. On the contrary, Kasha’s face, which had turned pale from not being able to breathe, gradually returned to its original calm.

It was a truly strange confrontation. After groaning and struggling for a long time, Anthony finally slowly let go of his hand.

There were red handprints on Kasha’s white neck. But that was it. Despite being crushed with all his might using superhuman strength, her neck was too intact.

“Why? Why, on earth…”

Anthony looked at his own two hands and took a step back, finally plopping down. Watching him, Kasha slowly opened her mouth.

“As I thought. You… can’t hurt me.”

“Why on earth…?”

Anthony’s eyes were filled with fear and confusion. His hands were even trembling violently.

“Don’t worry. Your power hasn’t completely disappeared. It’s just that it doesn’t work on me.”

“What? Why…”

“I don’t know well either, but that’s probably-”

When Kasha was about to speak carefully, a familiar voice suddenly came from the greenhouse entrance.

“Anyway, the important thing is that you will never be able to harm her.”

“Leon?!”

At the sudden appearance, Kasha reflexively called out his name, delighted.

Beyond the mess of junk thrown around the greenhouse entrance, Leon was really standing there.

He was wearing a knight’s uniform and carrying a bag on one shoulder. As the sun was setting before she knew it, the orange twilight penetrating the opaque glass of the greenhouse deeply colored his silhouette.

“How on earth did you get here…”

Anthony growled. He looked at Kasha, who was about to run to Leon at any moment, and hurriedly looked around. Then he grabbed a piece of glass that had fallen on the floor and suddenly thrust it at Kasha.

“…! What are you doing, Anthony!”

“Anthony!”

“My power may not be able to harm you… but this will be different. Right?”

Threatening to stick the glass shard into Kasha’s neck at any moment, Anthony drove Kasha into a corner of the greenhouse.

In the meantime, Leon broke through the ruined greenhouse entrance and entered. Perhaps out of concern that Anthony might harm Kasha, he moved very carefully.

“Anthony. Calm down and let’s have a conversation first. Outside right now, there’s a big-”

But Anthony didn’t even bother to listen to Leon’s words and snorted.

“You came to find me again after all. You two are really persistent. Not giving me a chance like this… It’s even more annoying, you know?”

Anthony sarcastically brought the sharp end of the glass shard even closer to Kasha’s neck.

“Anthony, stop!”

“Don’t order me around, brother.”

“Don’t you dare touch a single hair on her head. If she really gets hurt, I will attack you seriously this time. And I will chase you until you die.”

At Leon’s slow but sincere warning, the corner of Anthony’s mouth rose to the sky.

“Oh, really? Will you really do that?”

Anthony threw away the glass shard and knocked Kasha down to the corner of the greenhouse, saying,

“Stay right there without moving a muscle. And watch carefully. How I defeat brother.”

With that, Anthony immediately took an attacking stance towards Leon.

Leon, who put down the bag on his shoulder, faced Anthony without changing his expression.

“Okay, come.”

“Ha, hahaha! What kind of confidence is that? Do you really think you can beat me, brother? Do you think my power won’t work on you either? Or,”

Anthony’s face twisted ugly.

“Are you still looking down on me, brother?”

The moment Anthony growled and angrily stamped his foot, Kasha’s eyes met Leon’s for a very brief moment. And she saw. What his gaze was pointing to.

Kasha immediately understood the meaning of that look and silently got up.

Meanwhile, the rampaging Anthony began to rush at Leon recklessly.

“Ahhhhh!”

Leon stayed still until he came charging right in front of him. Then at the last moment, he suddenly lowered his body and headbutted Anthony’s abdomen as he came flying.

“!!”

Anthony, whose balance was unexpectedly broken, bounced off Leon’s back, unable to stop due to the speed at which he was running. Then he went straight through the greenhouse wall.

Covered in glass shards, Anthony groaned in pain and couldn’t get up for a long time.

“Fighting isn’t just about strength, Anthony.”

At Leon’s quiet recitation, Anthony’s body squirmed again. His eyes burning with anger now glared at Leon with real murderous intent.