## Chapter 23 – Charlotte. Regret #3
“Head Maid?”
Charlotte was known for constantly reminding the maids to never run in the hallways unless it was an emergency. Yet, here she was, breaking her own rule, sprinting down the corridor as if she’d seen a ghost, gasping for breath.
This meant something truly urgent had occurred, something that even made Charlotte run. The maid’s gaze naturally drifted towards the room Charlotte had emerged from.
That was the male slave’s room.
A head maid rushing out of a male slave’s room—normally, scandalous thoughts would come to mind first. But recalling Charlotte’s expression just now, that didn’t seem to be the case. Unable to suppress her curiosity, the maid cautiously made her way towards the room in question.
The closer she got, the more a coppery smell tickled her nose.
A scent commonly encountered in District 7. Anxiety began to bloom in the maid’s heart, overshadowing her curiosity. She carefully peeked inside, and her worst fears were confirmed.
Having witnessed the tragedy within the room, the maid immediately headed for Aselle’s office.
Normally, she would knock and wait for Aselle’s permission before entering, but this time, she barged in without a word. Aselle, surprised by the sudden intrusion, tilted her head in confusion.
The maid, still breathless from running, raised her voice in front of Aselle.
“M-My Lord…! The male slave…!”
The maid’s mention of Number 25’s name made Aselle realize something serious had happened. Her eyes widened like a rabbit’s, and her mind went blank.
Without being told, Aselle jumped up from her seat and followed the maid.
As soon as they descended to the second floor, the pungent smell of blood assaulted Aselle’s sensitive nose.
Aselle pushed past the maid and ran towards the source of the scent. The moment she realized the smell was coming from Number 25’s room, Aselle felt her heart plummet.
A crowd of maids had already gathered outside Number 25’s room, but they were all wringing their hands, unsure of what to do. It wasn’t as if they wanted to leave Number 25 in that state. However, if any of them possessed medical skills, they would be working as doctors in the town hospital, not as maids.
“Everyone, move!”
Aselle pushed through the crowd blocking the doorway and entered the room.
Aselle’s face turned ashen as she took in Number 25’s condition. To make matters worse, her rose-like red lips had turned purple.
One might wonder if a person’s face could truly turn that pale.
She gritted her teeth and shouted at the maids standing outside.
“Who did this!?”
Aselle’s commanding presence was like that of a mother tiger who had lost her cub, intimidating everyone into silence. Even if they weren’t cowed by Aselle’s aura, the culprit wasn’t among them to begin with.
Number 25 gradually regained consciousness upon hearing Aselle’s raised voice so close to his ear.
Seeing Number 25 open his eyes, Aselle tightly grasped his hand, gazing at him with a desperate expression.
Number 25, seeing Aselle’s face as if she were about to burst into tears, forced a smile, as if to reassure her.
“I’m alright…”
Seeing Number 25 say he was alright even in this situation made her blood boil.
Why couldn’t he just say he was in pain? Why did he have to hide his feelings even now?
Aselle spoke to Number 25 in a scolding tone.
“How can you say you’re alright! And don’t talk, just rest.”
His face and body were covered in blood, his horns were broken. The flame of his life seemed as if it would be extinguished by the slightest breeze.
It was a scene hard to bear. Especially when it was someone she cared for.
Seeing Aselle still frowning, Number 25 comforted her again.
“The horns will grow back in about five months… Please don’t worry too much…”
It wasn’t the broken horns that were the problem, but the pain Number 25 was experiencing. Aselle didn’t have horns herself, but she knew from acquaintances how excruciating it was when they broke.
She couldn’t leave Number 25 in this cold room any longer. Aselle lifted Number 25 into her arms and headed towards the small infirmary within the castle.
Number 25 repeatedly insisted he was fine and asked to be put down, but his words fell on deaf ears.
They arrived at the infirmary, built next to the maids’ quarters in the courtyard, and she immediately summoned the doctor.
A doctor skilled enough to reattach horns didn’t exist in District 7.
All they could do was simple disinfection and wrapping the wounds tightly with bandages to prevent infection. But that alone seemed to make Number 25 considerably more comfortable. As soon as the treatment was finished, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
Aselle abandoned her work and stayed by Number 25’s side for a long time.
She wiped away his sweat when he perspired and gently stroked his forehead when he grimaced in pain.
Once Number 25’s condition had stabilized to some extent, Aselle began to blame herself.
How could something like this happen while she was distracted for just a moment? She bit her lip hard. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. She had vowed to never lose anyone again when she ascended to the throne of the Demon Lord, yet someone precious to her was already in this state. She couldn’t bear it without self-reproach.
Whether it was thanks to her heartfelt care or simply the dragon’s natural regenerative abilities, Number 25 opened his eyes after only half a day.
Aselle was surprised by the faster-than-expected recovery, but her joy surpassed that, and she couldn’t help but embrace Number 25.
Number 25 was slightly pained by Aselle’s arms squeezing him so tightly and the obstruction of his breathing by her large breasts, but he allowed Aselle to have her way for a while.
Through the warmth of Number 25 in her arms, Aselle could finally feel that he was still alive. Still not letting go of Number 25, Aselle whispered a question in his ear.
“Why did this happen?”
“I was distracted for a moment and bumped into the wall… I’m sorry for causing a commotion…”
It was well known that horns weren’t so easily broken by simply bumping into a wall. The way they were shattered could only have been caused by someone deliberately breaking them.
This child was even covering up his pain with a lie for the sake of the person who had harmed him.
She didn’t know who had done it, but if they were ever caught, she wouldn’t let them die easily. Aselle made that vow, then pulled away from Number 25 and examined his condition again.
Although he had received treatment, blood occasionally seeped through the bandages.
He might be pretending to be fine on the outside, but the unbearable pain that started from his horns was likely spreading throughout his body even now. To the point where it might be better to die.
Aselle gently stroked Number 25’s gaunt cheeks and asked in a tearful voice.
“Did it hurt a lot?”
Number 25 shook his head instead of answering. Even in this situation, he was lying to reassure her. Aselle found his behavior endearing.
Aselle carefully stroked Number 25’s head, avoiding the injured horns. Number 25 closed his eyes and felt her touch.
“But I was happy that you came, My Lord. When I lost consciousness, I heard your voice… I think I was able to return from the darkness thanks to that.”
Aselle slightly raised the corners of her lips and said.
“I’ll let you hear my voice anytime, so call my name whenever you want.”
After finishing her words, she called the doctor, worried, and asked about his condition again. The doctor in white coat pushed up his glasses and scanned Number 25 up and down before opening his mouth.
“Well… the dragon race itself is naturally strong, so I don’t think you need to worry too much. If he sleeps here just for today, he can go back to his daily life, don’t you think?”
Only after hearing those words could she completely relax. Aselle kissed Number 25’s cheek, waved her hand, and left the room.
“I’ll go for now. Rest well until then.”
After Aselle left, the twilight visible through the half-lowered blinds signaled the end of the day.
●
Charlotte was huddled in a corner of the unlit room, tearing at her hair.
Guilt felt like heavy iron chains binding Charlotte’s body and throwing her into the sea.
Charlotte was slowly sinking into the deep sea, never to escape on her own again.
‘What have I done?’
She only wanted attention, affection, and ultimately, him. She herself didn’t know that she would cause such a result, blinded by jealousy.
The sight of him writhing in pain, his screams, still vividly flashed before her eyes.
In the end, Number 25’s face covered in blood, smiling like a doll. Every time she recalled that, Charlotte’s heart was torn apart by sharp blades and pierced by daggers. But even that pain was nothing compared to the pain Number 25 had experienced.
This is the end.
She could never return to her original relationship with Number 25.
It wasn’t just Number 25. This news would soon reach Aselle’s ears, and even Aselle, whom she had spent so many years with, would undoubtedly be disappointed in Charlotte.
A woman who wielded violence without hesitation, regardless of gender or age, was the worst kind of woman anyone could imagine. The unpleasant sensation she still felt vividly in her hands overlapped with her own past, when she lived day by day in a pile of garbage, wielding violence, even before District 7 was named.
She thought she had finally discarded that side of herself by coming here, but it seemed that the nature she was born with couldn’t be erased so easily.
Was that all? Just when she thought she had finally found the light in her life, she had crushed even that small light with her own hands.
Number 25 would no longer look at her with affectionate eyes or give her a loving smile.
Just a doll, a slave who only did what she was told. That was all their relationship would be.
That wasn’t the kind of relationship she had been working towards…
Charlotte slowly died in the regret and guilt that weighed down on her shoulders, spending the dawn in despair.
