The Scum Emperor's Redemption System - Chapter 89

Chapter 89: To Survive (4)
Sixteen years later.

The quiet murmur of the brothel’s usual chaos was shattered by the thunder of boots. The door burst open, and armored guards stormed inside, their swords gleaming in the candlelight.

“Everyone out! On your knees, now!” one knight bellowed, his voice a sharp command that sliced through the air.

Women screamed, their laughter and music replaced by shrill cries of terror.

“Get out of my way!” a guard snarled, shoving a courtesan to the ground as she scrambled to flee.

“Please! Don’t hurt us!” another cried, clutching her chest as knights overturned furniture and tossed aside curtains in their search.

In the back room, Meloris halted. Her heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing as the sound of shouting and metal clashing grew louder.

She turned to Argider, who was sitting on the floor, wide-eyed with fear.

“Hide!” she hissed, grabbing him by the arm. She dragged him to the closet, her hands trembling as she opened the creaking door. “Stay quiet. Don’t come out until I tell you.”

“But—”

“No buts! Now!” She shoved him in and shut the door, plunging him into darkness.

Inside, Argider’s breathing quickened. The cramped space smelled of old wood and faint traces of perfume.

He pressed his knees to his chest, his small hands gripping his hair as his mind spun.

“What’s happening?” he whispered to himself. He heard women begging, the heavy stomps of boots, and the crash of broken glass.

Then came the sound of approaching footsteps. Slow, deliberate, and heavy. His heart raced. Mom?

The closet door flew open.

Instead of Meloris, a knight stood there, towering and clad in steel. His face was cold beneath his helmet.

“Got him,” the knight said.

“No! Let me go!” Argider screamed, thrashing as the knight grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the closet.

“Stop squirming, brat!” the knight barked, throwing Argider over his shoulder.

“Where’s my mom? What are you doing?!” Argider’s cries were drowned out by the chaos.

Meloris lunged forward, her face pale with terror. “No! Please, don’t hurt him! He’s just a child!”

The guards restrained her as she struggled, her screams piercing the air. “Argider! Argider!”

Argider was dragged outside, his vision blurred by tears. He saw Meloris being restrained, her desperate eyes locked onto his.

“Mom!”

A black hood was forced over his head, cutting off his sight. He felt rough hands bind his wrists before being thrown into a carriage like cargo.

The carriage moved forward, the wheels creaking as they sped away.

Blindfolded and bound, Argider could feel every bump on the road. The days blurred into one another, the air stale and suffocating beneath the hood.

“Where are you taking us?” he asked weakly, his voice muffled by the hood.

No one answered.

Only the rhythmic pounding of hooves and the creak of the carriage wheels accompanied him, leaving him to his thoughts and the growing dread of what awaited them.

The carriage ride ended abruptly, the echo of wheels fading into silence as Argider was dragged out by calloused hands. His feet stumbled over uneven cobblestones, the hood still covering his eyes, but the damp chill of the air sent a shiver through his spine. The scent of mold and decay assaulted his senses. A dungeon.

When the hood was yanked off, he squinted against the dim torchlight flickering along the walls. Bars surrounded him. They were crammed into a small cell, the stone walls damp and the floor strewn with hay and filth. The door slammed shut, and Argider flinched at the metallic echo.

The footsteps receded, leaving them in silence, but not for long.

“So I’ve found you again…” A voice oozed through the darkness, low and venomous. Argider froze as a shadow appeared outside the cell.

Nova.

The Emperor’s face loomed through the bars, cruel and unyielding, as his hand snaked into the cell and gripped Meloris’ face. His fingers dug into her skin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“You thought you could run from me?” Nova hissed, his voice as cold as the dungeon walls. “Did you think you could hide him from me?”

Meloris didn’t respond, her jaw trembling as she tried to look away, but Nova’s grip tightened.

“Take her,” he barked, and the knights obeyed without hesitation.

The cell door screeched open, and Meloris was ripped from Argider’s side.

“Mom!” Argider cried, throwing himself at the bars, but the knights pushed him back with the blunt end of a spear.

Meloris struggled, but it was futile. The knights dragged her away, her feet scraping against the floor. Her anguished screams echoed down the corridor until they faded into silence.

Hours passed or maybe days. Argider didn’t know. The darkness swallowed time. He huddled in the corner of the cell, shaking, his mind tormented by thoughts of what was happening to her.

When the guards returned, they tossed Meloris back into the cell like discarded trash. She crumpled to the floor, her body limp.

“Mom!” Argider rushed to her, his hands trembling as he gently turned her over.

Her face was a canvas of pain. One eye was swollen shut, her lips split and bleeding, and dark bruises bloomed across her cheeks and neck.

“Argider…” Her voice was barely a whisper, but she forced a smile, weak and trembling, as she pulled him into her arms.

She clung to him, her embrace shaky but desperate. “It’s okay… I’m here now.”

Tears streamed down Argider’s face as he buried himself in her arms. He could feel her trembling, her breaths shallow and uneven.

Meloris cradled Argider close, her fingers running shakily through his hair despite the searing pain in her bruised limbs. Her breath was labored, but her resolve was clear.

“We don’t have to run anymore,” she whispered, her voice fragile yet steady.

Argider lifted his head, his face streaked with tears and dirt. Confusion flickered in his wide eyes. “What do you mean?”

Meloris swallowed hard, forcing herself to sit upright despite the pain radiating through her body. “We have to stay here.”

“Here?” Argider repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. His gaze darted to the cold stone walls, the iron bars, and the shadows that seemed to swallow the dungeon whole. “Here in this place?”

“In the palace,” she clarified, her tone bittersweet. Her swollen lips trembled as she spoke, the truth weighing heavily on her.

“The palace? Why?”

Meloris forced a weak smile, though it barely masked her pain. She cupped his face, her thumb brushing against his cheek. “Because your father is the Emperor,” she said softly, each word carrying the weight of a secret long hidden.

He was… the Emperor’s son all along? Then, will he be finally happy?