The Devil Who Breaks My Neck

Miguel took the small hand over Herace’s eyes, whose gaze was split into several branches like a broken mirror. Herace’s squishy eyes cooled down in his hands, which had not a handful of warmth.

“Then what do you want other than revenge? Tell me what do you want?”

Miguel blinked, wondering if Herace might move at his temptation. A desperate voice mixed with tears came out with a hint of hope.

“I don’t want anything else. There’s only one thing I want. If you can… Can you give me back Erzen? Can you bring my son back into my arms?”

“No.”

Miguel crushed Herace’s hopes at once. The blue eyes were crushed by another despair into a hazy light.

‘It’ kicked its tongue at the face of the discouraged Herace. To be honest…… He could do it. But he himself did not want to save Erzen, nor did he want to waste his energy on it. Even so, if ‘It’ did something wrong, she’ll disappear…….

“Erzen is gone. You’ll never see him again. But…….”

“…….”

“……I can show you Erzen.”

The amber eyes began to glow cleverly. But Herace shook her head. She didn’t want to see Erzen. What’s the use of that sort of thing? All she wanted was a perfectly alive, breathing Erzen with her.

“I don’t need that…….”

It was when Herace, who judged any further conversation to be meaningless, was about to turn her body sideways and close her eyes. A longing voice penetrated sharply into her back.

“Mom.”

The warmth behind her back and the sound of his breath were familiar. Herace’s body stiffened as her eyes shook.

“Mom, I missed you.”

“……No.”

“Mom, didn’t you miss Erzen?”

“No. You, you are not Erzen. Not my son!”

Herace closed her ears tightly with her closed eyes. Then something like a snake glided up her back, and then a small hand lay over her hand.

“Yes, I am not Erzen. But…….”

The breath of heat tickled the side of her head. At the same time, starting with her neck, all of Herace’s skin rose with goosebumps.

‘It’s eyes softened feeling the woman under his hand trembling. The snake’s long, gross tongue crawled through its red lips, through which Erzen’s voice leaked.

“Erzen likes her Mom the best. All I need is my mom.”

“…….”

“So don’t go, Mom. Don’t leave Erzen alone, Mom.”

It was different from the voice that rang in the corner of the room or in the head. It was clear and closer. Herace couldn’t resist and raised herself.

There was really Erzen in the bed. Black hair of the same color as her, blue eyes……, His gentle round eyes, soft cheeks. Herace hugged the child’s little body.

“Erzen.”

“……I can give you a purpose to life in this way.”

“Erzen, my baby. My son.”

“If you want me to, I can live like this forever. You will see me grow up as well.”

Any mother who has lost her child, who can overcome this temptation? Herace stroked and rubbed the child’s face. The warmth of the living child was so clear.

However, while crying and calling Erzen’s name, Herace did not nod. Even at the moment she caressed the child, she knew it clearly. Erzen in her arms was a fake.

“Don’t you like it? Why don’t you think about it a little?”

‘It’ noticed the discomfort that occupied one side of Herace’s mind. The woman who looked more delicate than anyone else had a stronger mentality than expected. Unlike anyone else.

‘Unlike some idiot who gets tempted with just a few words…….’

‘It’ remembered a foolish man who pushed such a bright woman all the way to madness, and laughed. ‘It’ still spoke in a sad voice to Herace, imitating the figure of Erzen.

“I am alone, just like you. That’s why I’m lonely…… It’s so cold.”

“Erzen, Erzen…….”

“You lost your son and I lost my mother. So it would be nice if we could comfort each other…….”

Herace, wet-faced, relaxed her arms and looked down at the child. The child’s small hand touched Herace’s blank eyes. The hands weren’t as cold as they were a while ago. It was soft and moderately warm. The child raised both hands to cover Herace’s eyes.

“It’s not difficult. Just close your eyes. Then you’ll have the child who craves for his mother, who looks just like Erzen. What do you think?”

“What do you want? What do you want from me…….”

Instead of knocking out the child’s hand, Herace asked in a crying voice. It could have been frustrating to feel her eyes covered, but she didn’t want to get out of the dream that created a cozy somewhere.

“There is one price I want from you, Herace.”

The voice changed under the dim view. Before she knew it, ‘It’ took off Erzen’s mask and whispered in a sweet voice.

“Live. Just Live.”

Herace’s body hardened by the word she heard somewhere. She thought she could hear the voice of a familiar man overlapping, but when she opened her eyes, she saw Ezekiel between the small fingers.

“What the…”

Surprised, Herace moved back and blinked. But as soon as her back touched the bedhead, Ezekiel turned into Miguel before turning to Erzen. Then it became Ezekiel again.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me either. But right now, mother…… No, Herace, I want to be next to you.”

Herace shook her head violently at the ever-changing appearance. From a boy to a man, it hugged her thin waist and buried her face in her arms. Before she knew it, it was Miguel who was in her arms.

“So will you stand by me?”

Miguel’s fingers, grasped behind her waist, seemed to be tightly intertwined as his body quickly grew. A grown man was smiling at her.

“Let go of me! Let go of me!”

“Mom….”

Herace struggled as if he had been captured by a terrible monster, but stopped when she saw Erzen’s face.

The son rubbed his face into her arms. Herace burst into tears and eventually collapsed with the child in her arms. ‘It’ patted her with its small hand with the sound of a giggle.

The darkness slowly disappeared behind the shaking back. Before she knew it, the moon set faintly and the sun announced the dawn. However, the foggy blue dawn was somewhat empty and sad.

“Lullaby, lullaby, my baby…….”

In the room where the confusion was intertwined, only the sound of a woman’s lullaby remained. That thing that buried her face in Herace’s lap, or Erzen, closed his eyes with a comfortable face.

Herace closed her eyes comfortably as she saw her son. In the darkness where no one could see an inch ahead, a candle rose and warmed up their cold and frozen bodies.

***

“…Did you find it?”

James bowed deeply and bit his lips. The owner’s voice full of rebuke could have been unfair, but he could not find a clue to his job to have such feelings.

“I’m sorry, Sir. I’m looking for it, but…….”

Ezekiel did not even look properly at James, who bent his head down. A pair of gloomy eyes were just staring at the desk.

He took something out of his pocket by the time James’ neck was stiff. A small object was thrown across from the desk to James.

“Find it as soon as possible. If you can’t find it, get someone who can find it.”

James picked up the object carefully. The snowflake-shaped ornaments were shining, but they were broken in half. When he touched it, the shape which looked like platinum, a cold coolness that could not be compared to platinum was felt for a moment, but soon disappeared.

‘But why is it like this…… It was definitely fine when I saw it the other day.’

It was when James questioned why the shape was broken. Ezekiel gestured to him to leave. James wondered for a very short time whether he should ask, but soon he realized that it had nothing to do with his work and bowed his head before leaving.

“Edgar.”

“Yes.”

Edgar, who was called after James left, frowned indisputably at Ezekiel’s blank face. The expression on his owner’s face, which he had never seen before, was awkward.

“……I need to find someone.”

The lord’s following words were no different than his face. Edgar’s fist was clenched by the voice that seemed to soon collapse and disperse. He bowed his head to Ezekiel’s words, but looked carefully at his master.

“Please speak.”

“Chris… … Herace’s older brother. And her maid.”

“…you mean Madam’s biological brother and Lady Sherbet?”

“Yes. James will know roughly where they are. Go ask and find them. And bring them to the castle. As soon as possible.”

Edgar’s face hardened slightly at the name he had heard after a long time. He thought about something for a moment and asked his master in a calm voice.

“Are you going to threaten Madam with these two people?”

“What?”

Ezekiel looked up at Edgar in surprise. The distorted face was full of anger and embarrassment. But Edgar, who uttered punishable words that it would not be strange if his neck fell, asked back silently with calm eyes. Didn’t you do that all this time?

Ezekiel’s eyes were filled with anguish at the quiet but cold question of his aide. He wasn’t wrong. He has intimidated his wife in that way time and time again. Therefore, it would not be strange for such a question to be thrown at him.

“You don’t have to bring them to the castle as long as you want to tie Madam up. It’s enough if you…….”

“No way!”

Ezekiel couldn’t resist and jumped up. The sound of banging on the desk rang quite loudly in the room. Ezekiel glared at Edgar and said grudgingly.

“It’s not like that! What do you mean threatening…….”

“…….”

“I’m just… …a little worried about Herace…… If only she were a little more comfortable…… I want her to settle down.”

“…….”

“I can’t leave her as she is. If she really does something to harm her…….”

“…….”

“Herace cares about the two. At least she won’t think of leaving the world behind them.”

Edgar stared at the rambling Ezekiel. Before he knew it, the man in the chair buried his face in his hands and resigned. Water droplets reflected from the light between the fingers sparkled.