Chapter 231 They don’t need to be buried!
Aria and Lila stared at their mother for a few seconds, seemingly trying to determine whether they could truly trust her promise.
Finally, they slowly nodded while Ivy turned toward Mrs. Smith.
Tears were also rolling down the older woman’s cheeks as she held little Hope securely in her arms.
"Please take them inside," Ivy said softly.
Mrs. Smith nodded immediately.
"Come on, children," she whispered gently and this time, Aria and Lila finally obeyed. They reluctantly released Ivy and followed Mrs. Smith into the villa, not looking back as Mrs Smith made sure of it.
Ivy remained where she stood, watching them until they were completely out of sight and only then did she finally wipe the tears from her cheeks.
Her expression slowly changed as the warmth and tenderness she had shown her children disappeared, replaced by a cold and determined look.
Ivy turned around while her gaze immediately landed on Darren, Mr. Smith, and the rest of the survivors who were gathered around her.
"It’s okay, everyone," Ivy began as she reassured them, her voice calm but firm. "No matter what Antelope’s group plans to do, they will never be able to get to us."
"I know Antelope will not give up easily," she continued. "That’s exactly why I purposely didn’t kill him today.Someone like Antelope doesn’t deserve the mercy of a simple death," she said coldly. "He needs to understand the consequences of every decision he has made. He needs to live long enough to realize that his actions have consequences."
Her gaze shifted toward the direction Antelope had escaped.
"He attacked my people. He threatened my children. He brought his men into my territory and thought he could do whatever he wanted without consequences."
Ivy’s voice became colder with every word.
"No." She shook her head slowly. "Antelope deserves to suffer for his mistakes. I want him to live with the fear of knowing that I am coming for him. I want him to understand that running away today doesn’t mean he has escaped from me. He can run as far as he wants. He can hide wherever he wants. He can gather as many people as he wants but eventually, I’ll find him and when I do, Antelope will wish that I had simply killed him today."
“We really all thought we were going to die today, Captain,” one of the survivors said emotionally, his voice filled with gratitude. “Thank goodness you’re our captain. You’ve already done everything in your power to keep us safe. We’ll forever be grateful to you, Captain Ivy!”
“Yes, Captain Ivy!”
“We’ll never forget what you’ve done for us!”
“You saved all of us!”
The survivors chorused in unison.
Then, to Ivy’s complete surprise, they all suddenly dropped to their knees.
Thud!
One after another, the survivors bowed deeply, performing a traditional kowtow as they pressed their foreheads against the ground.
Ivy’s eyes immediately widened in shock.
She hadn’t expected such a reaction from them. Seeing all the survivors kneeling before her sent waves of discomfort and surprise through her.
“Oh, no! Please, everyone, get up!” Ivy immediately urged, her voice filled with seriousness as she stepped forward. “There’s really no need for you to do this. Get up, all of you. You’ve all gone through a lot today but I’m glad you all remained strong.”
However, the survivors remained on their knees for another few seconds, their heads still bowed respectfully.
Ivy sighed helplessly.
“Please,” she repeated, her voice becoming gentler. “You don’t have to kneel before me like this.”
Only then did the survivors slowly raise their heads and begin getting back onto their feet.
“It’s my duty to protect you all,” Ivy explained seriously. “You are survivors living within my villa, and as your captain, it’s my responsibility to make sure that you are safe. I don’t need you to kneel before me or thank me for doing what I’m supposed to do.”
Her gaze swept across the survivors.
“As long as you remain under my protection and follow the rules of Hope Villa, I’ll do everything within my power to ensure that no one can harm you.”
The survivors stared at Ivy with even more admiration as it’s obvious she genuinely considered their safety her responsibility.
Ivy then turned her attention toward Darren, who had been standing nearby in silence.
“Darren,” she called.
Darren immediately turned toward her.
“Yes?”
“Kindly take some men with you and remove the bodies of those dead soldiers from Antelope’s base. I don’t want them lying around outside Hope Villa.”
Darren’s gaze immediately shifted toward the direction of the dead soldiers.
“Understood,” he replied with a nod.
Ivy remained silent for a moment before continuing.
“They don’t need to be buried.”
Darren raised an eyebrow slightly while Ivy’s expression remained cold and serious.
“Even though some of them may have been fathers to children and husbands to women who are probably waiting for them to return, they still made their choices,” she said firmly. “They chose to become members of Antelope’s base. They chose to follow a man who was willing to attack innocent survivors and threaten my children.”
She paused, her eyes narrowing.
“They came here knowing exactly what they were doing.”
Darren swallowed hard. He understood the anger behind Ivy’s words but then, he still wanted to know exactly what she intended to do with the bodies.
“So, what do you want us to do with them, then?” Darren asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ivy didn’t hesitate. "Take them into the forest and leave them there. Let nature take its course. If they decay there, then so be it. If wild animals find them, that’s also their fate.”
Her voice was completely devoid of sympathy.
“Take Antelope’s severed arm as well and leave it with the rest of them. Antelope’s base is now another enemy of mine,” Ivy continued, her expression hardening. “He didn’t come after my life alone. He attacked the survivors under my protection. He threatened the people living in my villa. And, most importantly, he put my children in danger.”