Betrayed, I Met The Demon Lord

Chapter 108 – Gnandelose Sonne

"So, it has to be fast. We don't want her to scream," Michael said, frowning at his own words as he addressed Anne.

'What am I even saying?' he thought, his gaze dropping to the ground as if

And then, it burned.

"Sifuruah, Malovus, Elizabeth Veil re Michael Evenbrown," Michael murmured as the seal seared into her skin.

"HMM…!!!" Lizzy groaned, her muffled cries trembling against Anne's palm. Her eyes clenched shut, her body trembling under the unyielding grip that pinned her in place.

The pain of the seal surged through her, like a spreading fire in a forest; all the way from her abdomen, where she was branded. As the brand seared her flesh, Anne gently leaned her head against Lizzy's nape.

'..!!' Lizzy's eyes snapped open, her breath hitching as she felt it—the dampness of tears trailing down her neck.

Anne was crying.

'No... No way... You... He did that to you too…?' Lizzy's thoughts spiraled, disbelief and horror overtaking the physical pain.

The moment hung heavy, and then it passed. Michael pulled the brand away.

The mark faded almost instantly, vanishing into invisibility as though it had never been there.

Without hesitation, Michael spoke, his tone cold and precise. "You are not to scream for help. You are not to tell anyone what just happened or that you are a slave. You are not to blame me or raise suspicion in the eyes of anyone. You are to act as if this didn't happen."

He hesitated for only a moment before adding, "And… you are to push away everyone who tries to hit on you. You are also to push away Van Hellix." He said finally.

"Holy shit," Bernard muttered, staring at the extra mark appearing on the back of his palm.

"That crazy limp actually did it. Elizabeth Veil and Anne are both slaves now. Color me shocked... though not that shocked," he added with a chuckle. "I knew exactly which buttons to press."

"Bernard," one of his friends asked as they walked, "what you told him that day—about you two being the same—was that true?"

"Dumbass, of course not. I'd kill myself if I were anything like that slug," Bernard scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain.

"He's just one of those easy-to-control types. I learned it from my dad: people who think they're naive and pure are the easiest to push around. Whatever happened to his mommy and sister? That's been my best weapon in a while."

He smirked, his tone turning smug. "Say a few words of praise, and he's all over you. Did you see him back then? He actually believed I was the same kid I used to be. He really thinks I'm doing this for him. Not once did it occur to him to ask why—or what I stand to gain. That's the beauty of selfish fools like him. They make everything so... easy."

"What if he gets caught?" one of his friends asked.

"So what?" Bernard shrugged. "Did you not hear me? He's practically on my side. He'll claim he found it somewhere else. He'll never rat me out—I'm just the guy who 'wanted to help'. I even suggested to take the seal away from him, so I'm definitely in the clear... or at least that's what thinks."

A sly grin spread across Bernard's face. "Man, I can't wait to see his reaction when those two walk away from him and come to my side. He won't even be able to admit what he did to anyone because of the hole he's dug himself into. And even if he does..."

Bernard stopped, glancing over his shoulder with a smirk. "My dad's a duke. Who's going to believe him? At worst, only he and that drunkard father of his will be thrown to prison, or hanged."

Turning back, he clenched his fist, his voice low and venomous. "Next up is Mel. I will brand you," he growled.

"And I'll find out who that armored fucker was," he muttered, his gaze sharp as he looked ahead.

--- ---

"We found it, Mika," Rika whispered, her voice barely audible over the cavern's echoing silence.

"Yes," Mika replied, her tone steady, her gaze fixed below.

The two master assassins crouched in the shadows of a deep cavern. From its depths, a blinding glow illuminated the jagged walls, revealing the silhouette of a grand, imposing castle.

"This is where..." Rika began, her eyes narrowing.

"... Salem Dyke's other slaves..." Mika continued, her voice cold as steel.

"... Are held," Rika finished, the weight of the words settling between them.

Mika glanced at Rika, a flicker of determination passing between them.

"Let's..." Mika started.

"... Free them," Rika concluded, their voices resolute as they melted back into the shadows, ready to strike.

Deep within the castle, two guards stood at their post, their voices low but agitated.

"Tsk... How the hell did all the slaves snap out of the brand?" one guard muttered, frustration etched in his voice.

"I don't know. And we haven't heard a word from Lord Salem for days now," the other replied, casting a wary glance down the dim corridor. "You think he's dead?"

"Shit..." the first guard hissed back.

Behind them, in a dimly lit cell, a mother held her daughter close, their quiet murmurs lost in the gloom.

"Mom. Do you think Michael hates us...?" the girl whimpered, her tears soaking into her mother's shirt.

"Sweetie," her mother said softly, brushing back her daughter's hair to meet her tearful gaze.

"Your brother is strong. Trust in him, and trust in your father."

"I... I miss them so much..." the girl cried, clutching tightly to her mother's arms.

"Don't worry," her mother whispered, her voice trembling with a fragile hope.

Her words hung in the quiet, both a promise and a prayer, as they clung to each other in the dark.