Last Born Of The Desdemona

Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Lord Seraph

Chapter 85 – Lord Seraph

Cassius didn’t know how the situation had come to this point. All he had done was try to use his game knowledge to coerce the High Priestess into his side, while proposing things she couldn’t refuse.

Or so he thought.

But he was wrong. Deeply wrong. Because just like how Isolde had been completely caught off guard, trying to kill him while basing her plan on a reputation that wasn’t who he truly was...

He was now in the same situation.

Because only now did he realise how little he actually knew about Helene. Everything the game had shown about her was nothing but surface-level knowledge.

Cassius was aware of that, to some degree. He knew real humans were more complicated and complex than what the game had allowed itself to show, and he had even prepared himself for it.

But it seemed that even with his preparation...

’I underestimated how complex a human being can be.’ He thought at last, looking at Helene, her face now brighter for some reason, staring intensely at him.

’Here is a woman who is terribly self-aware. She knows everything about herself, even her darkest thoughts, and knows how disgusting and wretched she is in her obsession with the pleasures of the flesh. She knows it so well, yet still finds herself unwilling to do anything to change.’

Helene had come to accept depravity as a part of herself. A part of her identity. She didn’t want a helping hand, she only wanted someone to witness her while she drowned in her own darkness without judging.

This was completely different from Esmeray, who was who she was because of a Curse. It was also different from his own brother, who only saw sex as a means to obtain what he wanted, rarely as something he enjoyed with those he loved.

Helene, on the other hand, was a whole new category. One Cassius hadn’t known existed, for it was inconceivable to him that someone would wish to destroy themselves willingly and without hesitation.

The Last Born of the Desdemona was shaken, his perception opening into something deeper, something he would have wished to never truly witness. But the choice wasn’t given to him, and thus, in that dark, small room, Cassius began to see another harrowing layer of human nature.

The kind that found meaning, joy and wicked contentment in its own self-destruction.

”My angel.” Helene whispered again, ”Are you shaken?”

”I am, Helene.” Cassius admitted, ”And I don’t know what to do with you. You seem to see me as something I am not, and you’re trying to lean on me only to destroy yourself further. In all honesty, Helene...”

He smiled forcefully.

”...I do not want or need someone like you.”

Helene shook.

”Now, hear me out.” He pressed on, ”It’s not because I loathe you...”

”My angel, I know you don’t!”

”...but simply because I can’t trust someone like you with my affairs. Affairs that are dear to me, for my own survival and the survival of those I love depend heavily on them. So you will forgive me, Helene. But I can’t—!”

”You will not regret it.” Helene said earnestly, slipping her hands from his face before taking his right hand into hers, ”I have conducted myself perfectly all these years with no one knowing who I truly am. I know how to hide my true self, my angel. Only you know. Only in front of you do I feel my true self willing to step out of the darkness and into the light. Your light. Cassius, believe me, you are my angel.”

”That’s what you want to believe to fool yourself?”

”Then let me fool myself.” Helene replied stubbornly, ”But I know with certainty that you were sent to me for a purpose. My lord, Vorn, has seen his loyal Priestess in a pitiful state and sent me someone who won’t judge me. Yes! It’s the truth!”

[Here we go.] Ananke said, shaking her head, [The dreadful habit of mankind to try to find meaning in everything...even in those moments where there is no meaning. But you, or rather we, are made this way, aren’t we? We need to convince ourselves that what we are doing, what we are living through, has a meaning. A meaning we might not grasp, but one that exists. And it’s that knowledge of meaning that gives us the ability to go through the difficulties of life. Because after all...]

’...if my suffering has any meaning, then it’s probably worth it, right?’

[Exactly, Cassius.] Ananke smiled, [And this woman is only looking for a meaning, for something to hold onto while she lets go of herself. You are that something.]

’Good or bad, dear Queen?’

[It entirely depends on what you want to do.] Ananke said, [Do you want to be her meaning? Or do you want to be the path through which she finds her own?]

’The difference between the two is quite thin.’

[Yet the effect on this young wretched woman will be completely, profoundly different in each case.]

’I admit, Queen above, I am completely lost about what to do.’

[You will never be lost as long as I am here, Cassius. Do what you wish, knowing I am here.]

Cassius sighed and shook his head lightly, focusing back on Helene.

”I initially came here to make a fair deal with you.” He said, ”But it seems you want nothing of it. Instead, you want me to be your angel of salvation.”

”Yes.”

”What would that entail for me?” He asked, ”What would that position demand from me?”

”Just witness me.” Helene said immediately, ”Just look at me without hidden loathing or disgust. Listen to my confessions every time I need to. And I will help you in all your plans, unconditionally.”

”Helene, don’t you need help?”

”I need help.” She smiled strangely, ”But I don’t want it. However, to ease your mind, my angel, I will swear an Oath to Mother System that will instantly kill me whenever I try to do, say or act in any way that would hurt you in the slightest.”

Cassius fell silent for a moment, looking deeply at her, and finding in all her darkness a pair of sincere eyes that told him nothing but the truth.

”Fine.” He relented, passing a hand over his face tiredly, ”You have chosen the devil as your angel of salvation. I don’t know what’s going on in your head, but there is no going back.”

He narrowed his eyes. ”Swear the Oath.”

Helene smiled, and at that moment Cassius witnessed a small part of her darkness melting away. ”Yes, my angel.”

”You better stop calling me that. I don’t want my sweet wife to break my bones.”

”But!” Helene became flustered immediately, eyes shaking, ”But you are my angel!”

”Call me something else, I say.”

Helene was panicking, eyes darting around frantically, her breath going shallow. ”But...but...!”

Cassius sighed with a growing headache. ”Just change the damn word. The meaning, to you, doesn’t need to change.”

Her face brightened. Then, instantly, she blurted out, ”Lord Seraph!”

”My fated angel!”

At that, before Cassius even had the time to react to this strange label.

DING!

[NEW ACHIEVEMENT! New Title!]

...

Meanwhile, while Cassius was going through a rather unexpected event, Océane and Sarah had been enjoying the Capital with his bank card without much ceremony.

They had been to the greatest shopping mall in Vorn, their maid dresses swapped for something casual yet beautiful, exposing their unique beauty to the world around them.

Sarah had been naturally shy at the beginning, even afraid that all of this was a lie and a scheme knotted together to trap her. However, few could resist the temptation of buying whatever you wanted without the fear of spending too much.

And considering how life had been for Sarah, that day was an opportunity to forget everything and simply enjoy.

And enjoy she did.

They had shopped at Halow’s Store, one of the costlier and more famous stores, buying clothes and accessories.

They went next to every other shop, looking and buying whatever interested them, not even willing to think about whether the money would be enough.

They had ridiculous faith in Cassius’s wealth.

Afterwards they went to eat, and played in arcades and gaming rooms where Sarah found herself rapidly developing a love for those runic gaming consoles.

She didn’t even want to leave, but eventually Océane convinced her to see other things.

They had continued like this until they were tired, until they thought Cassius must have finished his task.

Yet before going back, the two maids sat on a steel bench inside a wide park, watching kids playing and parents monitoring them.

The sun was slowly setting, making the sky look like a sea of flame gently burning, a gentle cooling breeze fluttering their hair and clothes, making it a sight to behold. Making them, a sight to behold.

Sarah lifted her head overhead, watching the scene intensely for a couple of minutes before opening her lips, her voice filled with unnamed emotions.

”Now can you tell me?” She said, prompting Océane to spare her a look.

”Tell you what?” She echoed.

”What else?” Sarah lowered her head, staring at her, face tense, ”What do you, or rather Mr. Desdemona, want from me?”

—End of Chapter 85—