PLML 17

CHAPTER 17

Jackson couldn’t hide his regret. He couldn’t get the image of the pink-haired woman, who’d been thrown to the monsters as feed, out of his mind.

“She was a rude wench, but she did have a pretty face…”

Hair as soft as rose petals. Eyes that sparkled like finely cut gems. A voice, a little sharp yet strangely enchanting. Her face, firmly etched in his memory, made Jackson click his tongue. He hadn’t expected her to escape while he was off guard.

That boldness had appealed to him, too. Obedience was nice, but those round eyes glaring back and talking back so boldly—it had its own charm.

He really should have disobeyed orders and hidden her away.

Leaving his regret behind, Jackson headed to the boss’s room to report.

“Why is the door open?”

The boss’s door was always shut. As someone who dealt in both drugs and slave trafficking, the boss hated having his space intruded upon without knocking. Jackson remembered a subordinate who’d once entered just because the door was slightly ajar—he’d ended up dead. Cautiously, Jackson knocked on the open door.

He waited next to it for a reply.

None came.

“What the…?”

“I’m coming in.”

Jackson hesitantly peeked in through the doorway.

There was a strange metallic scent in the air—blood.

A man inside turned his head. His eyes, nearly indistinguishable from the whites around them, glinted as he dropped what he was holding. The mangled mess that rolled on the floor resembled a torn-up doll. Unrecognizable as human, it had once been Jackson’s boss.

“U-Urgh!”

Jackson screamed and fell back, instinctively crawling along the floor.

His body had gone limp with fear, but his will to survive pushed him forward.

The man’s sword came down—piercing Jackson’s leg. As Jackson was about to scream in agony, the man leaned in close.

Cold, emotionless white eyes stared down at him. The man, drenched in someone else’s blood, opened his mouth slowly.

“Where is Jaina?”

The chilling voice triggered a primal scream from Jackson’s soul. He had to run. He must escape. But he couldn’t.

The mad light in those eyes made it clear—delay and you die.

Jaina.

Not the name of an item—definitely a person.

Judging by the man’s clothing and demeanor, he was unmistakably a noble.

If a noble came looking for someone…

Jackson remembered the unusually bold and charming woman. The one who had insisted she had to go back because her husband was waiting.

“He’s her husband.”

Jackson tried to speak. To tell him she was here. To beg for his life in exchange for her location.

But he never got the chance.

The man’s sword drove straight through Jackson’s heart.

Only as his life ended did Jackson realize—the man had never intended to listen to the answer in the first place.

Jaina.

Theoris stepped over the corpses without a second thought. His mind was consumed by a single name—Jaina.

He had finished inspecting the territory earlier than usual that day.

Though he’d told her he’d be back before dinner, he couldn’t concentrate. The thought of Jaina eating alone gnawed at him.

He’d bought a dessert she liked from town. He still hated showing his face in public, but imagining her joy made him smile.

Jaina loved food. Holding the dessert basket, Theoris wondered what expression she’d make. Surprise? Delight? He didn’t care—either would be wonderful.

But when he returned, Jaina wasn’t there.

“The lady went to town with Ellie,” Homel informed him. She’d apparently looked worried—concerned for him.

Just thinking that she’d worried over him while he was merely inspecting the territory made his lips twitch upward.

At the same time, unease crept in. Nothing specific had happened, but the fact that she wasn’t in his sight… that she had left the estate… unsettled him deeply.

“I promised not to be controlling.”

He had vowed not to suffocate her. To always be someone worthy of her love. To respect her freedom. Because she had asked him to.

“She’ll be back soon.”

Theoris tried to reassure himself. Tried to believe everything would be fine. Right up until Ellie returned—face pale as death.

She’d overheard a woman in the slums: a pink-haired noblewoman had been kidnapped by a slave trafficking group.

A pink-haired noblewoman—it could only be Jaina.

He had nearly killed them all.

Homel, for letting Jaina go alone. Ellie, for taking her into town.

But he held back the blinding rage with a shred of reason.

It was him. He was the one who gave her that freedom. And she had gone out only because she’d been worried about him.

“It’s my fault.”

Theoris stormed their hideout.

To everyone he encountered, he asked the same question—Jaina’s whereabouts.

None answered.

And so he killed them all.

He demolished warehouses. Slaughtered monsters. He lost his mind when he saw the white bone fragments inside a monster’s lair—thinking Jaina might already be dead, devoured.

He broke. He rampaged. He wanted to obliterate the whole place. But the slim hope that she might still be alive held him back.

He believed she was alive. Jaina was far too beautiful, too enchanting, to be thrown to the monsters so easily.

He prayed. Even to a god he had never believed in.

“Go, Poppy! Body slam!”

“Grr-WOARR!”

Poppy let out a mighty bark and launched himself at a wall—another wall crumbled to rubble.

“You’re amazing, Poppy!”

Even Lily, who had once feared Poppy, was now cheering him on.

Jaina watched the destruction fondly, praising Poppy. She never thought she could see a monster as a big dog, but Poppy’s loyalty was… kind of cute.

“Why not? People raise all sorts of weird things these days. So what if it’s a monster? I already have Cotton Candy. Judging by looks is bad anyway.”

She and Lily passed through another broken wall. They’d smashed through at least seven now, yet still hadn’t reached the building’s exit.

“Wouldn’t it be faster to just ride him?”

Jaina hesitated—it was absurd—but still eyed Poppy’s size. It looked like both she and Lily could fit on his back.

“Poppy, lie down.”

Poppy lay down obediently. Jaina climbed on his back, a bit wary. But Poppy just wagged his tail, seemingly pleased.

“You too.”

Lily hesitated. She was still uneasy about riding a monster. But after Jaina urged her again, she took her hand and climbed up.

“…It’s not so bad?”

Lily petted Poppy’s fur. Jaina stroked his neck—it wasn’t as soft as Cotton Candy’s, but softer than human hair.

They held onto his fur tightly.

“Go, Poppy! Full speed ahead!”

“Woof!”

Poppy let out a thunderous bark and raised his paws—then charged toward another wall.

Every time Poppy rammed a wall, it shattered like cookie crumbs. Dust clouded the air. The speed was far beyond anything a horse could manage.

As the scenery blurred past, Jaina suddenly saw a familiar face.

“Oh, Theo!”

She waved cheerfully at Theoris. She forgot to tell Poppy to stop.

“Poppy, stop! Halt!”

Poppy finally came to a halt after zooming past Theoris.

“His face looked a little off just now…”

His eyes had glinted with something wild. It was too fast to read clearly, but… the vibe wasn’t the usual Theoris she knew.

Just in case, she told Poppy and Lily to wait, then ran back to where she had seen him.

As he ran toward her from afar, she felt relief. His pupils were dilated with panic, and his expression was urgent—but it was still the Theoris she knew.

“How did you know I was—”

“Jaina!”

Before she could finish, Theoris pulled her into a tight embrace. His shoulders trembled.

“I missed you.”

There was a faint hint of tears in his voice. Jaina patted his back gently. He held her for a long time, face buried in her shoulder.

“Were you very worried?”

Theoris nodded silently.

“Gosh… he’s just nodding, but why’s it so cute?”

His slightly reddened eyes looked like they might spill over any second. Those clear eyes that never looked away from her made Jaina’s heart pound.

“It’s not like I’m into guys who cry or anything… but damn, he’s good-looking even when emotional.”

She gently brushed his messy hair back. Theoris closed his eyes and lowered himself so she could fix it easily. The gesture reminded her of Cotton Candy when he pushed his head in for pets, and she chuckled.

“I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Aw, was my husband scared?”

“Yes. I was scared.”

She had meant it half-jokingly to tease him, but Theoris replied seriously.

“I’m sorry. For making you worry.”

“Jaina, I respect your freedom. But please—don’t put yourself in danger again.”

“I promise.”

With that reply, the unease in his expression melted away.

“Sis!”

“Woof!”

Lily and Poppy came running from a distance.

Theoris’s gaze chilled when he saw Poppy. His hand moved toward his sword.

Startled, Jaina quickly grabbed his arm.