Chapter 65 65 – Her Choice
I ran to the room where the voice came from and found Ayre already standing there, looking at Lexi, who was kneeling next to her mother.
The doctor's mother was no longer in bed but was face down on the floor with one arm outstretched. From her position, which was a bit far from the bed, I assumed she had just crawled.
This means that she had regained consciousness. Even so, Lexi kept shedding tears and shaking that woman's body.
"Maybe all the commotion that was going on activated something in my mother's brain." Lexi stopped moving her mother's body but was still sobbing. "Maybe she was too worried about me and wanted to help me…. However, her body isn't strong anymore."
I went to the doctor, then said. "I'm sorry. Those government people wouldn't come here if I didn't do anything. It all happened because I've made moves in various places."
She shook her head. "That's the purpose of your existence, my lord…. And I already knew my mother was beyond help. I just didn't dare to end her suffering."
I knelt beside the woman, patting her on the shoulder. "I know you're still sad, but we must get out of here. Soon, they will surely come again."
The doctor wiped her tears, looked at me, and answered. "Very well, Lord Vorn."
This woman is amazing. She didn't sob for too long. Maybe it's because she's had a hard life for a long time. Besides taking care of her mother, she also treated the criminals to earn money. Dealing with such people is not easy. Her mentality has become strong.
***
The four of us had moved to the city of Beckingsale, staying at a small inn there. Night had fallen, and I knocked on the door of Lexi's room.
"Doc, are you asleep?" I asked in a low voice.
A fleeting sob could be heard from the room. "Aah, just a moment, Lord Vorn."
Feeling that this was not the right time, I said again. "Well, sorry if I bothered you. I'll take my leave then."
"No, no." She choked a little. "I just need a moment." 𝘧𝑟𝘦𝒆w𝚎𝙗nov𝘦𝗹.𝐜o𝓶
"Sure." I sighed. "Take your time."
It took a few minutes for the woman to finally open the door. "Sorry for the long wait. Please come in."
"It's fine." I put on a faint smile, looking at her puffy eyes.
The saddest thing is she couldn't properly bury her mother. We took Lexi's mother's body to a cemetery, then paid the workers to bury her. 𝗳r𝗲𝙚w𝐞𝚋𝘯𝚘ѵ𝗲l.𝑐om
No ceremony, no final respect. Lexi didn't even have time to see her mother's body in the grave.
"You'll be able to visit her later, Doc." I entered the room. "We have to wait until everything is safe."
Lexi closed the door without answering me. pan(da-n0vel.c)om
"I know you're still in mourning." I feel bad discussing this with Lexi, but I feel like I have to. "But, you have to decide where to go, Doc. I'm in preparation for war, so I have to go to base tomorrow."
She still didn't answer and sat on the edge of the couch instead.
"My offer is still valid." I continued. "Stay at our base…. Ah, you don't have to go straight to work. You can do it when you feel good. No one will bother you."
That woman just closed her eyes. Her mouth still didn't utter any words.
Maybe I should use words with more impact. "And by being with me, you can get your revenge..."
"I don't blame anyone." She cut me off. "Whether it's the government or you, lord. It's my fault for studying demonology without permission. That's what made all this happen."
I'm having trouble responding to her. I could have given her some money and let her live alone. However, I'm not here for social work.
Whatever happens, I can't let her go. She will be instrumental in my campaign for world domination.
"You are a strange version of Lord Vorn." Lexi fiddled with her dress. "Only three versions of Vorn have been recorded in history. The first is from the 1000 years ago, which many people know from the holy book of the prophet Lyra. The second is from 1500 years ago, and the third is from 2500 years ago. But, manuscripts on these two versions are so few, and their validity is questionable."
"Ah, it's said that I will be reincarnated every 500 years or 1000 years after being defeated, right?" I responded to her.
Well, of course, I'm different from the Vorn that Lexi mentioned. I am a foreign entity that came from another world and took over the identity of a demon lord.
I'm also sure my predecessor's name wasn't Vorn. That's the name I just made up, after all.
"You are too kind as a Vorn." She raised her head to look at me. "If it was consistent with the story in the manuscript, you should have kidnapped me and forced me to work for you. You wouldn't have taken the long way to recruit me."
I took a deep breath. This is a conversation that is quite familiar to my ears. I've discussed it with Jude, the Silkdale city religious leader.
"I really have no memory of those versions of me." I continued. "I just wanted to say. History is made by the victors. It just so happened that I lost in the past."
Lexi narrowed her eyes. "So, you're saying that you're actually not bad?"
I shrugged. "I didn't say that. I still kill and do some questionable things. But one thing is for sure, I want to make the world a better place, to give people like you a chance to learn whatever you like, as long as it doesn't harm anyone else."
The doctor lowered her head and fell silent again.
"You can still doubt me. Like you said, trusting demons is stupid." I extended my hand to her. "But you can observe me from the actions I'm about to take. And the best way to do that is to join me. You can judge me however you like."
Minutes passed in silence. Lexi still hasn't reached my hand.