NRAL | Chapter 79

~Chapter 79~

The Most Wanted Apology

Milo Hunt was quite a well-known young man in the entertainment district of Cardiff, particularly around Salisbury Street.

He lost his parents in his teenage years and soon ended up roaming the streets, hanging out with the wrong crowd. Alcohol and gambling became his way to ease the loneliness. Through a friend’s introduction, he began working at a gambling den and slowly made a name for himself. By the time he reached adulthood, he was already recognized as part of Salisbury.

Maybe it was his natural charm, good looks, or the quick wit he picked up from his surroundings—but Milo had friends everywhere in Salisbury: in bars, gambling dens, brothels, and even private investigator offices.

Unlike his other friends, however, Milo never crossed fully into the world of crime. That was thanks to one person constantly pulling him back and teaching him right from wrong—his one remaining family.

Milo had an older sister: Maya Hunt. She was the complete opposite of him. She looked plain, had an ordinary personality, made average friends, and worked a modest job.

Maya worked at a shabby sandwich shop in Salisbury. The sandwiches were no more than a piece of thin ham between two slices of bread, yet the place was always busy.

Whenever she had a spare moment, she would go find Milo to nag him: “Don’t hang out with bad people,” “Get a proper job,” “If you get caught by some strange nobleman, that’s the end for you.” That was her daily routine.

Milo always found her nagging annoying, yet every night, he still visited her shop to have a late meal. He’d say, “I’ll take care of my own life, so stop nagging,” and walk her home before returning to work. That was his everyday life.

And then, in an instant, that daily life shattered.

Maya died. Despite her constant warnings about nobles, she herself was arrested and executed for “insulting” one.

When Milo received her body, he asked how it had happened. How could his sister—who was so afraid of nobles—have insulted one?

The officer ignored him.

He eventually heard the truth from a nearby shop owner.

“A noble picked a fight because the sandwich didn’t taste good. Maya kept apologizing, but he got more irritated and accused her of insulting him. That’s how they took her away.”

That’s all it took to destroy a precious life—something so trivial.

Milo cried tears of blood and swore to get revenge. But months passed, and he still couldn’t do anything.

Damian Astria.

He was the noble who killed Milo’s sister. He was also one of the highest-ranking nobles in the empire. Meanwhile, Milo had nothing. He was just a commoner. Even revenge, it seemed, was a luxury only the powerful could afford.

But they say fortune comes to those who wait.

One day, that moment finally arrived for Milo.

“If you want revenge, follow me.”

The person who suddenly appeared at his home and said this clearly carried the aura of a noble. Most of their face was covered with a hood, but Milo could tell right away.

The confident tone, the silky hair, the fine clothes and shoes, the proud posture—these were things only someone with wealth could have.

Without hesitation, Milo followed the person. He knew it might be dangerous. He could be used and thrown away. But he didn’t care.

If it were a noble, they might be able to do what he couldn’t. He didn’t mind being a tool.

…But when he learned who that noble was, everything changed.

“Let me introduce myself. My name is Eleanor.”

Eleanor Astria. A name he could never forget.

She was the sister of the man who ruined his life.

The moment he realized that, all the anger and grief he had bottled up for months exploded.

“Arghhhh!!”

Milo lost control and charged at her.

He wanted to do the same to her. Make her suffer so her brother would feel the same despair he did. That was the only thought in his head.

But he was no match. Without proper training, he was quickly subdued by Ernst.

“Kill her…! I’m going to kill her!”

Trapped in the large knight’s grip, Milo thrashed and screamed.

He couldn’t stand to see her. Unlike his sister, she looked like a goddess—beautiful, untouched, flawless. That only tore his heart more.

“…Killing me won’t help your revenge. If anything, it’ll only make Damian happy.”

Eleanor slowly walked toward him.

“Don’t be so wary. I want the same thing as you.”

Of course, Eleanor’s words didn’t reach Milo in his rage. As she tried to think of a way to calm him down, she suddenly gasped and grabbed her dress. It wasn’t directly related to Damian, but she hoped it might ease his hostility a bit.

“……!”

Just as she thought, when she suddenly lifted her skirt to reveal her bare legs, Milo’s yelling stopped.

His eyes widened in shock at the unexpected scars, and he stared at Eleanor. It looked like he was finally ready to listen.

“I’ve been dreaming of revenge for a long time,” she said. “Damian is one of the targets. And to take him down, I need your help. Will you help me?”

Damian’s sister… wanted revenge on him?

Milo couldn’t understand it. But as he looked at Eleanor’s face, he saw something familiar. It was the same expression he often saw in the mirror—a deep, helpless grief.

After a pause, Milo slowly asked,

“…I wish for the death of Damian Astria. Is that what you truly want as well?”

If this was just another fake excuse for revenge meant to manipulate him, then Milo was prepared to attack her again right here and now.

“A little different,” she replied.

“Ha! Just as I thought… A weak excuse for revenge isn’t worth anything! I refuse! I’m sick of being used by nobles like you!”

As Milo spat out those harsh words, the knight Ernst tightened his grip on his arm.

Eleanor noticed this and gently shook her head to signal him to let go.

“No, that’s not what I meant. In fact, I completely agree with you—half-hearted revenge is worse than none.”

She took a few steps closer to Milo.

By the time she stopped, she was so close that he thought he could probably bite her face if he wanted to. But her tone remained calm and composed—noble, even—as she continued.

“I don’t mean I don’t want Damian to die. I just want something worse than death for him.”

“…What?”

“I want him to suffer so badly that he begs for death. I don’t want to just kill him—I want him crawling like a beast, desperate, unable to even decide whether he lives or dies, begging me to end it. That’s why I brought you here.”

It wasn’t a misunderstanding.

That beautiful face was filled with raw, burning hatred—hatred that mirrored Milo’s own, and long-standing bitterness toward her own helplessness.

“Let me ask again. Will you take revenge with me?”

Ernst had already released him. He was free now. He was close enough to try attacking again, and this time, maybe he could succeed.

But instead of lunging at her, Milo just stared.

Her face didn’t resemble Maya’s at all, and yet, strangely, he kept seeing his sister in her. The image of Maya—lifeless, trapped, and alone in a prison cell—overlapped again and again with Eleanor’s.

“…Yes. I’ll join you.”

So he didn’t hesitate anymore and nodded.

“Good. Milo, your first job is to lure both Damian Astria and Ronny Griffith into the same gambling den. Pick one on the outside of town.”

“Nobles usually don’t go to those places… and lately, Damian hasn’t even been around Salisbury.”

“That’s because he’s been under house arrest. But now that it’s over, he’ll go back to his usual habits soon enough. Use your connections and smooth talk to lure him to the outskirts of Cardiff. I’ll provide all the money and items you need. Can you do it?”

“…Yes. I’ll make it happen.”

“Good. After that, get them into a fight. That shouldn’t be hard. I want as many people as possible to witness it—enough that the social circles are buzzing with gossip.”

Milo nodded again.

As she said, making men fight in a gambling den or bar was easy—especially men with tempers like theirs. They didn’t even need a push to cause trouble.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

Eleanor clapped lightly, as if she had nearly forgotten something.

“When you choose the gambling den, make sure it either has a dog fighting ring or is near one.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Dog fighting? He didn’t understand why a noble lady would care about such a crude pastime, but Milo didn’t ask.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to grasp her full plan anyway, so he figured he’d just follow instructions as best as he could.

“Alright, that’s all for now. We’ll adjust the plan depending on how things go. From now on, contact me through Sir Ernst. If you need anything, tell him.”

With that, Eleanor stood up.

She had told her family she was going out to buy jewelry, so she had to hurry back. Tobias would cover for her, of course, but it would be safer if she actually stopped by the shop to avoid suspicion.

“Miss.”

Just as she was about to leave, Milo suddenly called out.

“Did you know what your brother did to my sister?”

Though he had agreed to help her, his voice still held a hint of hostility.

No matter what Eleanor had suffered at Damian’s hands, the fact that they were siblings made it hard for Milo to fully trust her.

“…No, I didn’t. If I didn’t need you for this plan, I probably still wouldn’t care. I would’ve thought it had nothing to do with me.”

She didn’t apologize. She didn’t make excuses.

Milo let out a bitter laugh. He hadn’t expected such honesty.

It was better than a fake apology—but it still stung.

“But I’ll make you a promise.”

“What is it?”

“I will bring Damian before you. And I’ll give you the chance to take revenge with your own hands.”

That is my apology to you—as his sister.

She added in a whisper.

And hearing that, for the first time since Maya’s death, Milo smiled.

Because that was the apology he had wanted the most.