## Chapter 145 – The Reality of District 25, Zone 3 (1)
Entering Jane’s mansion as planned was the best course of action, but that option didn’t exist for Acer, who was already blinded by desire.
He wanted to find a shabby inn nearby right away, take a room, and savor Number 25’s body to his heart’s content. Number 25 could feel Acer’s grip on his wrist growing tighter.
The force, which felt like it could crush his wrist, hinted at an uncontrollable emotion.
It was a method chosen to divert the topic from Jane, but today, he wasn’t really in the mood.
Sex without mutual enjoyment, where one party obliges the other, was bound to create a rift between them someday. Besides, seeing Acer’s current state, he could tell.
He would undoubtedly engage in a burst of explosive sex without considering Number 25’s condition. Acer’s skills had improved significantly compared to before, thanks to his continued relationship with Number 25, but there were times when he couldn’t control his surging lust like a teenager.
Helplessly dragged along by Acer’s grip, on the verge of being taken, Number 25 began to think of his next move.
“W-wait a moment.”
Acer stopped walking at Number 25’s urgent cry and turned his head.
His eyes, looking at Number 25, were bloodshot, and he was breathing roughly like an angry bull.
Swallowing hard, Acer realized how ridiculous he looked and spoke to Number 25 in his usual gentle voice.
“Why? Is there a problem?”
It was a tone that sounded kind at first glance, but Number 25 knew the hidden intention within.
“Ah, it’s nothing much, but…”
Number 25’s voice grew smaller and smaller towards the end. He had called out to her urgently, but no particular idea came to mind.
If he didn’t say anything, Acer would start walking again, looking for a place to have sex. Like a fierce tiger prowling through the jungle in search of prey.
Number 25’s head throbbed at the things he had done.
Wait, a headache?
It wasn’t a method he particularly favored because it might worry Acer, but it was the only option now.
When Number 25 didn’t say anything, Acer started walking again, and Number 25 didn’t miss that moment.
Number 25 squeezed his eyes shut and pretended to follow Acer, then staggered and grabbed the tall streetlight with his hand.
Acer was startled and let go of Number 25’s wrist, wrapping his arm around his shoulder and asking urgently in a worried voice.
“What’s wrong!? Are you okay?”
Number 25 stroked his forehead with his palm, occasionally pressing his temples, and replied with difficulty.
“S-sorry. I haven’t been feeling well lately.”
It wasn’t a lie. It wasn’t this serious, but he hadn’t been sleeping properly while helping Jane with her work, so some fatigue remained in his body.
Seeing Number 25’s poor condition, Acer completely forgot the lust that had been dominating him and examined his body with a face that looked like he was about to cry.
“Then you should have said something earlier.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to worry you, Master.”
Number 25 said apologetically in an increasingly small voice.
Hearing those words, Acer’s expression twisted fiercely. He bit his lip and stared at Number 25’s body as if to pierce through it with his golden eyes.
The irresistible pressure from when they first met resurfaced, and for a moment, Number 25 thought he had done something wrong.
“You still don’t trust me?”
Acer spoke those words in a coldly subdued voice and ruffled Number 25’s hair rather roughly.
Number 25 smoothed his disheveled hair and said in a dejected voice.
“I-it’s not that, but…”
Before Number 25 could finish speaking, Acer bent one knee to meet Number 25’s gaze and hugged him.
“You’re the most important thing to me right now. I have no intention of forcing you.”
Acer was looking at him with such an upright gaze that he felt sorry for pretending.
His golden eyes showed no trace of the desire from before, only pure affection for Number 25. Number 25 couldn’t bear to look at her, so he lowered his head and only added that he was sorry.
“You don’t need to apologize. But from now on, I hope you’ll trust me and be honest about your feelings.”
In front of Acer, who possessed an immeasurable generosity, Number 25 felt small.
Acer didn’t stop there and turned his back to Number 25, saying.
“Let’s go to the castle for now, hop on.”
“Huh?”
“What if you collapse again on the way? Hurry up and get on.”
There were many eyes watching, so he was a little embarrassed, but Acer didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping his actions. Number 25 had no choice but to get on her back, and Acer immediately stood up and began walking towards Jane’s castle.
On Acer’s back, Number 25 could feel her breath and warmth up close, and everything she gave him calmed his mind.
Whenever a cool breeze blew and his hair scattered, the sweet scent made Number 25 unconsciously relax and completely entrust himself to her.
Still, he had no intention of being comfortable and using her like a carriage.
Number 25 occasionally spoke to her.
“Aren’t I heavy?”
At those words, Acer chuckled and bounced Number 25 once as if to show off her stamina.
“Look at your body. How could you be heavy? I could lift you with one hand.”
Acer smiled pleasantly and continued.
“And I’m not doing this for free. When you grow up more later, you’ll have to carry me around then.”
Acer beamed at Number 25’s willingness to promise.
“Really? You promised. You know I can be a real pain, right?”
As they talked and laughed together on their way back, a strange sound began to be heard from somewhere.
It sounded like the cry of a wounded beast, and also like the voice of a person on the verge of death.
It wasn’t an area he managed, but he couldn’t just ignore the sound of someone dying in front of his eyes.
That wasn’t the ideal of a king that Acer desired. He glanced over and saw that Number 25 seemed to have the same thought, nodding slightly.
Having obtained Number 25’s consent, Acer pricked up his ears and began walking towards the direction of the sound.
“What’s that sound?”
With each step, the sound grew louder. As the sound grew louder, the anxiety that had taken root in Number 25’s heart also grew larger.
Eventually, the two arrived at the back alley, presumed to be the source of the sound, swallowed hard, and cautiously stepped into the darkness of the back alley.
Before long, the two discovered a middle-aged woman.
She was holding a small carving knife in her hand, and a sculpture with a broken head was lying in front of her.
The woman, who had discovered Number 25 and Acer, reached out as if asking for help and began crawling towards them.
“I-it hurts.”
Crawling on the ground with a voice that sounded like it would break at any moment, she began to convulse as if an electric current was flowing through her body, then clutched her heart.
“W-what is this!”
Acer hurriedly took Number 25 off his back and immediately checked the woman’s condition.
The woman, who had been trembling, soon let her arms droop and lost consciousness.
Fortunately, she was still breathing, but it was clear that it was an emergency.
“Number 25, quickly go to Jane and…!”
Acer stopped speaking and stared at Number 25, who was standing still and looking at something, as if puzzled.
“What’s wrong?”
Number 25, who had finally come to his senses at Acer’s question, pointed forward with a trembling gesture.
What he saw coming out of the back alley was an even greater despair.
The streets, brightly lit by the sun, usually filled with the warmth of people, were now filled only with the stench of pain.
People screaming, people tearing up the works they had been creating, people walking around the streets making sounds full of anguish.
People who had been screaming for a long time began to collapse to the ground.
The tragedy that was happening was not limited to just one back alley.
If the plaza had changed to that extent, it meant that this was happening throughout District 3.
Moreover, all the people who had fallen on the streets were showing similar symptoms to the woman in the back alley.
One definite commonality was that they were all clutching their hearts.
Surely, until yesterday, everyone had been living with satisfied smiles on their faces, content with their respective works? Had an epidemic suddenly broken out? No, even if an epidemic suddenly broke out, it would be difficult for everyone to change like this in an instant.
Clearly, something unseen was intervening in this situation. Something so powerful and dark that Number 25 couldn’t even imagine.
District 3, which always seemed happy, had a secret hidden in a deep darkness that they couldn’t even fathom.
