Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 79

EP.79 Hero/Demon King Part 1

Jeong-hyeon couldn’t help but laugh at Karina’s assertion that she was not to blame for her circumstances. If she had expressed remorse and sought forgiveness, he would have felt disgust rather than pleasure.

‘It’s truly a relief that Karina remains as insufferable as ever.’

He turned his back, pretending to ponder for a moment, allowing the laughter to subside before slowly turning back to face her.

“Really? What’s so unfair?”

He asked, his tone almost compassionate, as if he were a counselor genuinely interested in her grievances. Karina, sensing the opening, eagerly launched into her tale of woe.

“It’s all because of my filthy bloodline and Princess Charlotte!”

At her outburst, Charlotte shot Jeong-hyeon a look of disbelief, but he merely gestured for her to remain calm, turning his attention back to Karina.

“… That’s not entirely incorrect. The two reasons you mentioned are significant factors in how you’ve turned out.”

Karina looked puzzled for a moment, but then relief washed over her as if Jeong-hyeon had finally understood her plight.

‘Does she really believe that?’

Jeong-hyeon was merely playing along, but it seemed she genuinely thought he was on her side.

‘Honestly, that doesn’t even make sense.’

He couldn’t believe she would be so naive, particularly after everything he’d done to her. It was absurd to think that she would interpret his acknowledgment of her words as an alliance.

‘If she truly believes that, then it can only mean one thing.’

Jeong-hyeon realized that Karina was not in a normal state of mind. Taking this into consideration, he decided to adjust his plans for the torture he had been carrying out.

He gestured for Charlotte and Lucia to step outside, his tone turning serious.

“Charlotte and Lucia, please wait outside for a moment.”

Lucia seemed to catch on quickly and hurriedly led Charlotte out, who left looking utterly bewildered, glancing back at Jeong-hyeon as she was pulled away.

With the bathroom now quiet, Jeong-hyeon turned back to Karina, an unsettling calm in his demeanor.

“Now we can have a real conversation.”

He examined the blood-stained tub and the brutally wounded Karina, wiping away some of the blood from her cheek before speaking again.

“Now, could you repeat what you said earlier?”

As he wiped the blood away, it only seemed to spread further across her face, making it impossible for her to hide her suffering. Karina shivered as she spoke.

“Right… It’s all my mother’s fault for being of common blood, and Princess Charlotte’s for pushing me to this point! If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have had to wrong you!”

Karina repeatedly insisted that she was not at fault, trying to convey her innocence with each utterance. Jeong-hyeon struggled to suppress his laughter, all while subtly hinting that he was on her side, putting on an act of caring concern.

‘Of course, any rational person wouldn’t believe her.’

The torture he had inflicted on her had clearly warped her ability to think logically.

‘But for some inexplicable reason, she seems unusually fond of me.’

To his surprise, Karina appeared to trust him more than he had anticipated.

‘Though it doesn’t seem like she completely believes me.’

Her confusion stemmed from the disarray caused by her inability to comprehend her situation, an outcome that could only happen under such duress.

He recognized that he needed to draw this out longer to fully brainwash her.

‘So, let’s take some extra time.’

Deciding to extend their interaction, he informed Karina that he would be stepping out for a moment and turned off all the lights in the bathroom before leaving.

***

Once outside, he found Charlotte waiting, her expression full of dissatisfaction. Clearly, she wanted an explanation for the current situation. Jeong-hyeon addressed her directly.

“I plan to seduce Karina into believing that I’m on her side.”

Charlotte’s face turned to one of disbelief.

“That’s impossible.”

It was a reasonable reaction. Normally, he would have thought the same, but after witnessing the abnormal fixation that both Lea and Karina had developed towards him, his perspective had shifted.

‘However, explaining that will be complicated.’

He knew he needed to reassure her by mentioning some safety precautions. Shaking the contract he had received from Miria, he said,

“Of course, I’ll make her sign a contract as a safety measure, so even if things go south, it won’t be a major issue. So don’t worry too much.”

Charlotte sighed as she glanced at the contract in his hand.

“… If you can indeed get her to sign it, that wouldn’t be a bad idea. Assuming she’s in a state to do so.”

The contracts here are different from those on Earth. Because there is an immediate penalty if you break the contract. Therefore, even nobles and royals would go to great lengths to uphold their contracts once they signed them.

‘Because of this nature, those of higher status are often reluctant to sign contracts…’

However, if they did sign, it would demonstrate a commitment to fulfill their obligations by any means necessary.

In that sense, it was one of the safest guarantees.

After reassuring Charlotte with this explanation, he called over Miria, Lucia, and Charlotte to share his plans moving forward.

***

The plan was straightforward. For the next few days, while Charlotte ensured that no investigation was conducted into Karina’s disappearance, the three of them would take turns brainwashing her.

‘After brainwashing her,’

His goal was to get her to sign the contract and then release her. The primary task was to create the illusion that he had sided with her.

He asked Miria and Lucia, along with Charlotte, to assist with the torturing and then made his way to Karina at set intervals, performing acts of kindness to implant the thought that perhaps he truly was on her side.

This routine continued for several days.

To be honest, he had expected the task to be quite challenging, but surprisingly, everything went smoothly, making him question if it should really be this easy.

‘Is it really this simple?’

He found himself bewildered by the ease with which it was progressing, especially considering he was working with someone in a vulnerable state.

Nevertheless, unsure whether this was all part of Karina’s act or not, he persisted in his efforts to make her feel dependent on him.

***

As the days passed, Jeong-hyeon began to sense that Karina had genuinely submitted to him.

“Just having you here makes it alright.”

She said, her tone betraying a sense of comfort derived from his mere presence. He couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

‘What a fool.’

After all, he was the one who had lured her here, tortured her, and intended to kill her. How could she forget all that after just a few days of kindness?

Puzzled, he spoke to Karina.

“Don’t worry, Karina. Just hold on a little longer; I’ll save you.”

“Right…”

Watching her lean against him, he felt it was time to move to the next stage of his plan. He set the contract that Miria had prepared nearby and leaned in to whisper.

“So, I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor?”

She echoed, curiosity piqued.

“Yeah, it’s not a big deal. To escape, I need a means to deceive those guys, and for that, we need to draft a contract.”

A hint of doubt flickered across her face at the mention of the contract, but it quickly faded as her desire to rely on him took over. She nodded slowly.

“Well… if that’s the case, I guess I have no choice.”

“Exactly. There’s no other way, so…”

He leaned in closer, making his intentions clear.

“Can you sign this contract and give me your life and all decision-making power?”

At his words, Karina hesitated, her gaze fixed on him. He capitalized on her uncertainty, instilling a sense of anxiety.

“If you don’t sign this, I won’t be able to help you in the future… So make sure to choose wisely; this is your last chance.”

Her hands trembled as she responded,

“All I need is you… Please don’t abandon me.”

It was illogical.

No matter how distorted her mental state was, completely succumbing in such a short time without hypnosis was impossible.

And yet, here they were.

‘Something else must be at play.’

He recalled how Lea and the others had once harbored a deep hatred for him, and now, for some unknown reason, they seemed to hold a fondness towards him.

‘But what exactly could it be?’

The reason eluded him, but he shook off the thought.

What mattered now wasn’t the reason, but how to take advantage of it.

Determined, he decided to proceed with the next step. The moment he saw Karina prepare to sign the contract, he couldn’t help but smile inwardly.

“Oh, before I forget, I have a question. Why did you set up that magic circle at the academy?”

At his inquiry, Karina stared at him blankly before delivering a shocking revelation.

“That was a trap set for the hero, in case they ever turned into a demon king.”

Jeong-hyeon halted his laughter, his expression turning blank as he processed her words.