As I kicked open the mansion doors—
I froze.
Reinam.
The reason I survived the Dark Forest.
The reason I kept moving forward when hunger, monsters, and loneliness should have killed me.
Whenever I closed my eyes—
I could still remember her.
Black eyes.
Brown hair.
The small mole beneath her left cheek.
The person I thought had waited for me.
But the scene before me shattered that illusion.
She was sitting in another man's lap.
Laughing softly.
Feeding him grapes with her own hands.
For a moment—
I refused to believe it.
Even as tears blurred my vision—
a part of me still hoped.
Maybe she was pretending.
Maybe she was trapped.
Maybe—
The man beside her slowly pushed her away and stood up.
Only then did I properly look at him.
Young.
Well dressed.
Sword at his waist.
Arrogance dripping from every movement.
He rested the sword over his shoulder and smirked.
"You filthy mongrel."
"How dare trash like you enter a house of Pathaneon?"
The name meant nothing to me.
it clearly carried weight.
He pointed his sword toward me.
"I'll torture you personally for daring to step inside this estate."
The words reached my ears—
but my eyes remained fixed on Reinam.
Look at me…
Please…
Just once.
But she didn't.
Her focus stayed on him.
The noble kept shouting—
threats.
Insults.
Promises of suffering.
I heard none of it.
Then—
I shouted.
"Aaah!"
The room fell silent.
Finally—
Reinam looked at me.
Our eyes met.
For one second—
hope returned.
Then she immediately turned back toward him again.
My chest tightened painfully.
No…
There has to be a reason—
The noble rushed toward me.
Wind aura burst around his body.
Fast.
A direct stab aimed at my head.
I planted my left foot firmly into the ground.
Earth aura surged through my body.
At the last moment—
I swung horizontally.
Clang!
His sword rose upward from the impact.
The force pushed him back two steps.
I didn't move at all.
His expression changed slightly.
Then he rushed again.
This time—
feints.
Multiple false stabs.
Changing angles rapidly to confuse me.
But my eyes calmly tracked the original attack.
I ignored the fake movements—
and struck directly toward the real blade.
Clang!
His expression twisted.
The impact alone nearly broke his wrist.
Without realizing it, Beast Breathing had already taken over my body during the fight
My body strength—
my muscle density—
my raw force—
all far beyond normal.
The noble realized it too late.
He stepped back again.
Then attacked a third time.
A stab—
hidden behind a slash aimed at my throat.
I simply leaned backward.
The blade barely missed my neck.
But his momentum continued forward.
And in that opening—
I swung once.
Clean.
Sharp.
His hand separated instantly.
Blood exploded into the air.
The severed arm hit the floor alongside the sword.
The noble collapsed screaming.
Then—
Reinam ran toward me.
For one desperate moment—
I opened my arms.
Thinking she was finally coming back.
Instead—
she shoved me aside.
And grabbed him.
Tearing cloth to stop the bleeding.
Tears streamed down her face as she shouted at me.
"If you wanted revenge, then challenge the first son or the second son!"
"Why him?!"
"Why attack him?!"
She held the bleeding noble tightly.
Protecting him.
Not me.
Something inside me went hollow.
Like dozens of knives pierced through my chest at once.
Then pain exploded in my stomach.
The noble—
even while screaming—
had stabbed me with a hidden dagger using his remaining hand.
I barely reacted.
My eyes stayed fixed on Reinam.
Guards surrounded me moments later.
Spears pointed from every direction.
Then—
heavy footsteps echoed through the hall.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
A man entered slowly.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
A sword resting calmly at his waist.
His presence alone felt like a mountain pressing down on the room.
Everyone lowered their heads.
Even the guards stiffened.
I could feel it immediately.
Danger.
Real danger.
A single tear slipped down my face.
And darkness swallowed me.
When I opened my eyes again—
I found myself lying in a large unfamiliar room.
Soft bed.
High ceiling.
Bandages wrapped around my stomach.
A voice came from nearby.
"You attacked my house while I was gone for less than an hour."
"What gave you that courage?"
I turned slowly.
The man sat there calmly.
One hand resting on his knee.
Watching me with sharp eyes.
Behind him stood two younger men with similar features.
For some reason—
everything spilled out of me.
The orphanage.
The bullying.
Reinam.
The Dark Forest.
Everything.
I didn't even understand why I kept talking.
Maybe—
I was simply too tired to keep carrying it alone.
Tears continued falling silently as I spoke.