Welcome to the Innocent World - Chapter 155

Chapter 155: Unmasking ll

The corridor was dimly lit, with only the faint hum of distant crowd that was flickering along the walls. Darius leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting casually on his knees, but the sharpness in his gaze was more serious compared to his composed demeanor.

“Do you work with the Shadow Mystics… or is it something else?” he asked, his voice cold and calculating.

I let the corner of my mouth curl into a faint smile, popping my gum before replying, “Let’s just say I stumbled upon her, and we both had the same objective.”

“Objective..Huh!?” He asked.

“Yeah, objective to know what the great Darius, he guardian of Seraphine Damascus is really upto.”

Darius scoffed, leaning back against the wall with a dry chuckle. “Pretty weird if you ask me.”

“Few things in this world are meant to be weird.” I said, my tone straight.

He studied me for a moment, as if trying to remove the layers of my words to find the truth beneath. I stayed silent, letting the weight of the moment settle.

Behind the corner of the wall, Seraphine stood, her breath shallow as she pressed her back against the cold stone. Her hands trembled, but she forced herself to remain still, ears straining to hear every word.

“Let’s cut to the chase, Darius,” I began, stepping closer, my voice lowering. “I know everything about you.”

Darius tilted his head, intrigued. “Oh? Do tell, Cutiepie. Enlighten me.”

“Where do I start?” I said, my tone mocking. “How you framed Seraphine’s father for crimes he didn’t commit, just because he figured out the dirty deeds you were pulling off behind the kingdom’s back?”

The faintest flicker of emotion crossed Darius’s face, but he quickly masked it.

Seraphine’s eyes widened in shock as the words reached her ears. Her breath hitched, and she felt the ground beneath her sway.

“N-No…” she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible. Memories of her father, his integrity and kindness, rushed through her mind. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as her knees gave way, and she sank to the cold floor, trembling.

I continued, relentless, my voice sharp.

“And let’s not forget your repeated attempts to kill Seraphine. Drugging contestants in the tournament to ensure they would finish the job? That was low, even for someone like you.”

Darius exhaled, an air of boredom feigned on his face. “Quite the storyteller you are,” he said, though his tone lacked conviction.

Behind the wall, Seraphine couldn’t stop the tears that streamed down her face. The betrayal cut deep—Darius, the man she trusted, who stood by her family for years, was the very person who planned their downfall. She covered her mouth with her hand, trying to cover the sobs that threatened to escape.

Darius stood abruptly, his height casting a shadow over the corridor as he looked me directly in the eye. His smirk returned, but this time it carried an edge of malice.

“So what now? You gonna go ahead and tell Seraphine everything?”

I sighed, the sound echoing in the quiet hallway as I increased my voice a little, making sure that Seraphine hears it.

“I don’t have to say anything,” I replied coolly. “She’s a smart girl. She’ll figure it out on her own.”

Darius’s smirk faltered for a brief second before he regained his composure. “Ohh…” he said, drawing the word out mockingly.

I crossed my arms, tilting my head slightly. “More importantly, what about you, Darius? Your plan to kill Seraphine failed, and teaming up with bandits to secure the document that would help you climb the ranks in the kingdom? Pathetic.”

At that, something snapped in Darius. He clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.

“You have no idea what it’s like,” he said, his voice low and bitter. “To work under someone for thirty years, always being the one in the shadows, never getting ahead because they don’t want you to.”

I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Excuses….”

Darius’s eyes narrowed, his face curling into a man who is pissed as fuck.

“Sure. A kid like you could only think that,” he retorted, his tone laced with venom.

We stood there, the silence between us heavy with unspoken threats. Behind the wall, Seraphine’s tears fell freely now. Her heart shattered as the weight of the truth crushed her. The man she had trusted, the one who had been a constant presence in her life, was the architect of every misfortune her family endured.

Her body trembled as she sat on the cold floor, holding herself tightly, trying to keep the pieces of her broken heart from scattering. She covered her mouth with her hands, muffling the sobs that escaped her lips. She didn’t want to believe it, but every word she heard only confirmed the horrible truth as I gave more proofs of him.

The ground beneath her felt as though it had disappeared entirely. She clung to the wall for support, her vision blurred with tears.

The tension in the dimly lit hallway was getting heavier as I stood a few feet away from Darius. His face was calm, but I could see the faint smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. It was infuriating.

“Braun couldn’t do the job, so you called those rogue Bandits for help?” I asked, my voice low but sharp. “You didn’t think that I won’t notice who all weirdos are sitting at the benches above?”

Darius scoffed, leaning back lazily against the wall. “You’ve been keeping a close watch, haven’t you?”

I narrowed my eyes, letting the weight of my words hang in the air.

“I must applaud you,” I said sarcastically. “Calling Bandits into the Queen’s presence and drugging a contestant to kill Seraphine?” My gaze bore into him. “You’re really something.”

His smirk widened, but he didn’t respond. His silence spoke volumes, and it only made the fire inside me burn hotter.

Inside, I was getting pissed. My fists clenched inside my pockets as I fought to keep my composure. The things this man had done, the lengths he had gone to—there were no limits to his depravity.

—Just then, the sound of the announcer’s booming voice echoed down the corridor, breaking the tense silence.

“Ladies and gentlemen! The moment you’ve been waiting for!”

The crowd erupted in cheers, their excitement reverberating through the walls.

The roar of the crowd spilled into the hall where we stood. The final match was about to begin, and it was clear that Darius had placed his bets on his “drugged warrior.” to take care of me who had already nuked his plan that night.

I smirked, turning my gaze away from him for a moment.

“Well, I guess I have a match to attend,” I said, my tone laced with amusement. “Your drugged warrior, huh? Let’s see how that works out for you.”

I stepped forward, brushing past him, but his voice stopped me in my tracks.

“All the best, Cutiepie,” he said, his tone dripping with mockery. “I hope you stay alive…”

It was a veiled threat, and I could feel his smirk without even turning to look at him.

I didn’t respond. I didn’t need to. Instead, I popped my bubble gum, the sharp crack cutting through the tension like a knife, and walked away, leaving him behind.

My mind was already on the arena ahead, where the crowd’s cheers grew louder with every step I took. Darius’s games weren’t over, but neither was mine. This was coming to its end.

As I walked away from the corridor, I could hear Darius’s footsteps fading in the opposite direction. No doubt he was heading to take his seat among the crowd, where he could sit smugly and watch his twisted schemes play out.

The hall, now became eerily silent. Left behind the walls was Seraphine. Alone.

She leaned against the cold stone wall, her body trembling as the weight of everything she had just overheard crushed down on her. Tears streamed down her face, glistening under the dim light.

Huhhh…Hufff..Huffff*

Her breaths came in uneven gasps as she tried to process the storm inside her. Then, as if unable to contain the pain any longer, she gritted her teeth and slammed the back of her head against the wall.

“Why?” she cried out, her voice breaking with despair. Her head hit the wall again, and then again, and again, each time with the question. “Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?”

Her sobs filled the empty hall. Her voice grew quieter as she whispered,

“Mom… Dad… help me.” Her words were a desperate plea. “What should I do?”

She slid down to the floor, her body giving way under the heaviness of her despair. Tears streaked her cheeks as she stared at the ground. Her hands fell limply to her sides. Her trembling gaze fell to her hand, the very one that had once held the faith and trust.

“How am I even supposed to live after this?” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Someone…please..save me…” The tears fell freely now, pooling on the cold stone floor beside her. Seraphine laid there, broken and lost, as the sounds of the roaring crowd from outside only deepened the silence within her heart.

The betrayal was unbearable. And in that moment, she finally mutters a name.

“Cutiepie…”