Through the Iron Bars
The male protagonist in the novel suffers brutal experiments at the hands of Duke Bennon. Then, in a moment of crisis near death, he goes berserk and succeeds in breaking the seal. After that night when he killed everyone in the castle, he, driven to madness, wanders the continent as a murderous demon. Until he meets the female protagonist.
Floria, who was in charge of him, was the first to be killed. Her body was torn to shreds, and the demon’s black flames burned her entire body. The most horrific part was that she remained conscious until the very end. The description was so painful that even I, reading the book, had to grimace.
“Floria, what are you doing?”
I was shuddering at the memory when a voice like a breeze from behind pulled me back to reality.
“Brother Arden.”
A smile formed on the lips of the one who called me. With green hair flowing down to his waist, emerald eyes, and the ethereal aura befitting someone of mixed elf blood—this was my second older brother, Arden Bennon.
“Your hands have stopped moving. Are you not feeling well?”
As he said, my hands that had been tending to the flowers had indeed stopped. Besides the poppies I was handling, various other flowers overflowed around us. I casually put a vial in my pocket and replied.
“No, I just had something on my mind.”
This was my private garden. As a perfumer, I needed to be close to flowers to work with various scents. Each flower held its own unique fragrance and abilities.
Every perfumer had flowers they were compatible with. I could handle more scents than most. This was also the painful result of my struggle to survive.
“You always try to endure everything.”
Concerned about my comment about having something on my mind, Arden took another step closer to me.
He placed his hand on a nearby pear blossom tree. Elves had the ability to hear the voices of trees. The tree would have told him what I had been doing and how long I had stayed here. Despite the feeling of being watched, I didn’t mind. Perhaps because his eyes were filled with worry. It seemed he had come looking for me deliberately today.
The garden was my private space. Those who entered without permission were severely punished, and since many flowers contained narcotic components or deadly poisons, everyone avoided approaching.
Arden was one of the very few people allowed to enter the garden. Being an elf, he wasn’t easily affected by plant poisons, and since I considered him family, I didn’t mind letting him into my domain.
“It’s really nothing. I think I’m just a bit on edge because a rare species arrived.”
Though I always acted cold, I softened my demeanor for Arden. He was someone who made me understand what having a real family might feel like. Something I hadn’t experienced even in reality outside the book.
In truth, there were more than ten mixed-blood siblings. Father had many children through women of different races. Among them, those who weren’t born with abilities or had defects didn’t survive.
Only four mixed-bloods were recognized as children. They were acknowledged as members of the Duke’s family and were publicly known as the biological children of the Duke and Duchess.
Arden and I were among those four survivors. Lady Floria Bennon and Lord Arden Bennon.
Outsiders didn’t know that the Bennon family included mixed-bloods. Other races were treated as less than human, and mixed-bloods were either killed at birth or, if they survived, treated worse than beasts. Therefore, neither the imperial family nor the Bennon family could let it be known that they had mixed blood with other races.
“…You mean the black leopard brought from the imperial palace.”
Arden’s expression darkened at my mention of the rare species. As in the original story, Arden had a kind and gentle nature. He suffered alone watching other races being experimented on and always felt tormented by the tasks assigned to him. And above all, he cared for me the most.
In the original work, Floria despised him for being weak, but I liked Arden’s nature. He was practically the only warmth to be found in the cold and ruthless Bennon family.
“Yes. I should probably go check on its condition soon. Father should be out by now.”
It was also my responsibility to keep the experimental subjects that Father brought in from dying. Moreover, this particular subject was a special rare species obtained through a deal with the Emperor, so I needed to pay extra attention to its care.
“Alright, go ahead. Don’t forget to be careful.”
Though his voice was calm, he couldn’t hide his bitter expression.
He had always been kind to Floria in the original work too. Even when she poured acid on him and mixed a poison lethal to elves in his food, putting him in a coma, Arden forgave and embraced it all.
My poor, gentle brother. But Arden too ends up being killed by the male protagonist who went mad. Separate from my own death, I didn’t want to see a good person die. I smiled, something I rarely showed, and said:
“Don’t worry. There won’t be any danger.”
No, actually, that’s a lie.
I am about to embark on a life-threatening gamble. It was a decision I made long ago. To twist the original story for my sake and for the sake of those who are kind.
“…Alright. If it’s you, you’ll do well.”
Arden seemed somewhat reassured by my smile.
I couldn’t tell him about my plan yet. I didn’t know if it would work. So I intended to test it.
“I’ll be going now. Feel free to stay in the garden longer.”
Arden liked the garden as a place to avoid Father. He seemed to barely catch his breath here, so it would be best to leave him be.
As I left the garden, I turned my thoughts to more important matters. The demon beast’s recovery ability is fast. Even right after being experimented on, there was a high possibility that he was already healing.
‘Still, the pain must be the same.’
Thinking about it made my mouth taste bitter. Moreover, his wariness would be at its peak. He also knew my face. He might not even listen to what I had to say, so I needed to prepare for various scenarios in advance.
‘…Don’t be nervous.’
Before I knew it, I had left the garden and entered the building. As I approached my destination, my heart began to race.
“This way… right?”
The place where he was imprisoned was at the heart of the domain, in an underground cave beneath the center of the castle. The interior was as complex as a maze. I paid close attention to avoid getting lost. After walking for about ten minutes, what appeared before my eyes was a massive rock.
On the stone door carved from rock, there was a round magic stone attached. If you placed your hand over it and identified yourself as a family member, the magic stone would open the way.
I took a deep breath and placed my hand on the stone door.
“Floria Bennon. In the name of one who inherits the blood of the Scholar.”
Creeeeak―!
With a heavy noise, stairs leading downward were revealed.
The blood of the Scholar? How ridiculous. I felt a severe mistranslation in the incantation as I entered. The cave’s characteristic damp and cold air clung stickily to my skin. Sharp stalactites and narrow paths constricted the breath of those who entered. Relying on the luminous stones embedded in the walls, I descended for quite some time.
[Grrrr…!]
Just as a fierce voice was heard, I was able to set foot underground. A massive cage seemed as if it would touch the high cave ceiling. Of course, the one imprisoned inside was the male protagonist in the form of a black leopard.
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