Chapter 322: Madness
“What’s wrong, Lord Red Crow?”
Even though her instincts told her to be afraid, Grey Dove forced herself to smile as she struggled to break free from Evelia’s grip on her collar.
Even if she was angry, that kind of emotion wasn’t something Lord Red Crow should have.
In Grey Dove’s mind, she had already taken away Red Crow’s right to have emotions. She saw her as a goddess who shouldn't have any desires. Not even basic human emotions like joy, anger, sadness, or love.
Cough cough... haha... Lord Red Crow, what are you doing? Are you angry? Why are you mad?
Maybe Evelia was holding back a little, because Grey Dove managed to break free after only a bit of struggling. She coughed uncomfortably, covering her throat and breathing in the cold air.
Evelia didn’t respond. She just stared coldly at Grey Dove. There was a sharp and dangerous look in her eyes.
“Ah… could it be… because of that Knight Captain?”
Grey Dove seemed to realize something. Her hand loosened from her collar a bit as she stared straight at the goddess who, in her mind, was no longer acting like a goddess.
She noticed that Evelia’s eyebrows twitched slightly when she mentioned the Knight Captain. It was a tiny reaction, but Grey Dove caught it. That small detail made some of her doubts start to clear up.
And as things became clearer, Grey Dove’s anger also grew.
—Just because of that Knight Captain?
That useless fool? Just because of him, her goddess would raise her hand against her?
No... no, that couldn’t be right.
Even if her goddess hurt her, that would be okay, but not like this.
How could her goddess, how could she get angry for someone else?
As the most pure and sacred being, she shouldn’t feel emotions like this. She shouldn’t feel anything at all!
“Just because... of that Knight Captain? Just because of that man named Armand? That worthless idiot?”
Grey Dove gritted her teeth, and her ugly expression, full of rage, was completely seen by Evelia.
Of course, Grey Dove knew how terrible she looked right now, how twisted her face was with anger. And that was exactly why she wanted to make sure her goddess never had to experience any feelings. She wanted her to stay perfect.
“Shut your mouth.”
Evelia was clearly getting impatient. After all, no one would stay calm while hearing someone insult the person they love.
“—It’s not supposed to be like this!”
Grey Dove looked at Evelia in frustration, eyes wide with disbelief. Evelia’s gloomy expression made her feel like her goddess was walking further and further away from the path she should have been on.
“This isn’t right… Lord Red Crow, something must be wrong with you, right?”
More than Evelia’s anger, what bothered Grey Dove most was why she was angry.
Who exactly was that Knight Captain to her? Why could he make Lord Red Crow get angry like this? Could it be that he's really that important to her?
“Lord Red Crow... my goddess, do you really care that much about the Knight Captain?”
Grey Dove asked as if she was making her final desperate attempt. Just moments ago, she had stepped back without thinking, but now, because she wanted to know the truth, she forced herself to gather her courage and tried to move closer to Evelia.
Even though her expression looked crazy, and her originally somewhat cute face now appeared twisted and fierce because of her distorted feelings, she still lowered her head like she was worshiping her god, and carefully walked toward Evelia.
“......”
Evelia stayed silent for a moment. She looked at Grey Dove’s questioning expression, thinking about how she should respond.
This question was something she needed to think about carefully before giving an answer.
Even though Evelia often looked absent-minded or blank, she wasn’t “stupid.” She just lacked common sense and emotions.
But when it came to tricky questions like this, Evelia still had her own understanding. She was an assassin, after all.
Grey Dove’s question was very important. It was like asking directly about the relationship between her and Armand.
There was a chance that Grey Dove already knew something, or at least suspected something, so Evelia had to come up with an answer that could make her let go of those doubts.
Because after all, Grey Dove still worked for the Second Prince. From the moment they met today, Grey Dove had never clearly said whether she came on her own, or if the Second Prince sent her. So Evelia had no way of knowing if what she said today might end up being heard by the Second Prince.
As someone who had worked under the Second Prince for a long time, Evelia knew very well that he had a way of pulling out useful information even from things that seemed completely unimportant.
So... she had to be careful.
“Yes, he’s important to me, because he’s my mission target.”
So, Evelia chose an answer that Grey Dove would be able to understand.
To deal with someone this unstable, you had to say something just as crazy.
“......Ah......”
That answer made Grey Dove freeze for a second.
She didn’t expect Evelia to say the important part was that Armand was her “mission target.” It made her feel like her earlier actions and angry questions had been kind of embarrassing.
What? So it was just because the knight commander was the target of her mission?
All of a sudden, Grey Dove even felt a little relieved.
So the person Evelia thought was “important” was only important because he was a mission target.
But... even so... she still called him her “important person.”
God… to be someone Evelia, the Red Crow, calls “important”… what kind of amazing honor must that be?
So jealous… I’m so jealous...
I’m so jealous of that useless knight commander. I want to be the one who’s important to my goddess too...!
To be stared at by her like that, even if it’s with killing intent, just let her see me, let her think of me!
“So that’s it... haha... hehe—That’s the Red Crow I admire. I was worried for no reason… I thought you might be influenced by silly feelings… or swayed by someone else. But now I see... it was just me overthinking. Someone like you would never have unnecessary emotions... That’s such a relief. My dear Red Crow...”
Just from that vague answer, Grey Dove once again became obsessed with the image of her idol in her mind.
She didn’t care what Evelia looked like, what mattered was that her goddess was still as cold and emotionless as before, like a perfect flower on a distant mountaintop, meant only to be admired from afar.
But... huff... if that’s the case...
“If the knight commander is your target, if he’s someone important to you...”
Grey Dove smiled again with that twisted expression. Her mad grin now made Evelia feel sick to her stomach.
If this mission is important to the Red Crow...
Then let me help her.
Let me help the Red Crow, then she’ll surely value me, praise me, look at me.
Let me help her, kill that man.
Then bring her home, back with me.