Chapter 47: End of Sapphire’s World
Just as he was about to speak, perhaps to reiterate his demands further, his head tilted slightly. His expression, usually so calm and non-chalant, now held a subtle shift, a flicker of awareness.
"I sense someone coming to the courtyard," Herald murmured, his voice low, his gaze sweeping towards the manor’s main entrance. There was no urgency in his tone, just a calm statement of fact.
My mind scrambled. Someone coming. Now? After the chaos in the courtyard? It could only be one thing. The commotion from Herald’s brutal display, the utter devastation of the guards, the death of Lord Sapphire himself – it would have been impossible to contain. And who would be the first to rush out, driven by fear and concern? Lady Sapphire. And Luminous.
A cold dread gripped me. I had just witnessed, the brutal execution of their husband and father. If they found me here, unharmed, standing amidst the carnage, they would undoubtedly suspect me. This was how these fantasy novels always worked. The commoner, suddenly empowered, conveniently found at the scene of a noble’s demise. The accusations would be swift, brutal, and utterly damning. My carefully constructed identity as the adopted son would shatter. would be trialed by the entire Sapphire household, and likely the wider nobility.
My gaze darted wildly around the courtyard, searching for a solution, a plan, anything to save my skin. My eyes landed on the fallen guards, their bodies scattered like discarded dolls. Their weapons lay strewn across the ground. A dagger. A small sharp dagger, still clutched in the lifeless hand of one of the guards who had been crushed by Herald’s gravity ability.
I knew what I had to do. It was desperate. It was insane. But it was my only chance.
I took a shaky step forward and bent down to reach for the dagger, my movements stiff, and snatched the dagger from the dead guard’s hand. The cold steel felt strangely heavy, its hilt slick with the guard’s blood.
"What are you doing?" Herald’s voice was low, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
"Trying to save my skin," I replied, my voice a strained whisper, my eyes fixed on the dagger, then on my own arm. This is going to hurt. A lot, I thought.
I took a deep breath, trying to steel myself. I raised the dagger, my hand trembling, and without another moment of hesitation, plunged it deep into my left elbow.