She hardly dared to breathe, taking only tiny, shallow sips of air. If Hikaru had seen her, he would have undoubtedly praised her, calling her absolutely adorable!
"Mr. Soldier… you're going to be okay…"
Rebecca was waiting for the signal Cyrus had agreed upon: should she run or return? There were specific terms for both.
Unfortunately, Hikaru was far too fast. Cyrus was still reeling in shock when he was struck by electricity, losing all control of his body.
"I found you, Rebecca!"
Hikaru stomped his foot on the ground, and a door, created by the power of his Door-Door Fruit, swung open. He slipped through it with ease.
At the same moment, light from the outside world flooded into the underground tunnel. Rebecca's eyes widened. She followed the light, muttering blankly, "How… how did you get down here…?"
"Don't worry about those details, Rebecca. Don't be afraid; I won't hurt you now." Hikaru's words remained serious. He waved a hand, motioning for Rebecca to come closer.
Rebecca grew even more terrified at this, but the space was small and narrow, with no escape route behind her. She was trapped.
"Who are you? Where's Mr. Soldier?"
"Me? To be precise, I am your benefactor, the one who avenged your mother's murder. As for the toy soldier up there, he wasn't being very cooperative, so I had to let him sleep for a while."
"Benefactor? Avenge my mother's murder? Do you know my mother?" When Rebecca heard the news about Scarlett, she momentarily forgot about Mr. Soldier.
Hikaru nodded. He and Violet were quite familiar with each other, and all they needed was a bit more time to truly get to know each other. By extension, he also knew Scarlett.
"Your mother is Scarlett. Eight years ago, she was killed by Diamante of the Donquixote Family. You must know these old events better than I do. And just now, I killed Diamante for you."
"Really… really?"
Rebecca couldn't believe it. She had been learning swordsmanship from the soldier for many years, all for revenge. Now, someone was telling her that her revenge had finally been achieved?
"Of course it's true. If you don't believe me, I can show you photos and even take you to Diamante's body."
Looking at the sincerity in Hikaru's eyes, Rebecca believed him.
After all, he had arrived suddenly and walked straight to her, and the soldier couldn't stop him. With such extraordinary strength, there was no need for him to deceive her.
She had nothing now, so what could he possibly gain by deceiving her?
Poor Rebecca, since childhood, she'd had little chance to venture outside and see the world. She rarely saw people of her own sex and didn't realize how stunningly beautiful her face and figure truly were.
"I believe you, but… you came here to find me; it shouldn't just be to tell me this news."
Although Rebecca was filled with joy at having her great revenge, she didn't lose her composure. Instead, she rationally guessed Hikaru's true purpose.
"This isn't the place to talk. Come here, Rebecca. I'll take you upstairs."
Rebecca nodded. If the other party wanted to harm her, she had no power to resist… Power! Every moment of her situation reminded her of the importance of strength.
She walked towards Hikaru with a determined look in her eyes. He gently put his arm around her waist, and in a flash, they were in her room.
Hikaru brought Rebecca to her crib, but Rebecca didn't sit down as he instructed. Instead, she walked over to Cyrus, pulled the toy body that was embedded in the ground, and with heartache, placed him on a chair beside her.
Hikaru nodded. As a self-centered person, he liked kind-hearted and grateful individuals the most.
It would be ideal if everyone in the world were like this; then his rule would be incredibly stable.
After settling Cyrus, Rebecca walked lightly back to Hikaru, sat on her small bed, and muttered softly, "Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."
She didn't blame Hikaru for being harsh with the soldier. She only secretly chastised herself, wishing she were stronger.
"It's okay. I can still wait this little while," Hikaru replied with a smile. Then, he took out a photo snail from his storage and projected Diamante's tragic death into the air.
"This is…" Rebecca couldn't believe it.
"Yes, that's Diamante, the one who killed your mother, Scarlett. I also killed or injured many members of the Donquixote Family he belonged to."
Looking at the scene, Rebecca finally couldn't hold it back. She covered her mouth, trying desperately to suppress her sobs.
But… the redness of her eyes and the large tears welling within them were beyond her control. The tears streamed down her face.
My daughter doesn't shed tears easily, only because she hasn't felt true sadness yet.
Hikaru knew that Rebecca would eventually confront the reality of her revenge and cry tears of joy. How could he miss such an opportunity for emotional connection and progress? He immediately approached Rebecca and held her in his arms.
Rebecca didn't resist Hikaru's actions. Instead, she looked up at him with gratitude and then threw herself into his embrace.
Seeing this, Hikaru said softly:
"Cry, cry! From now on, I will always be by your side, protecting you and loving you on behalf of your mother, giving you the endless love of family."
The love of a husband can also be considered the love of family, there's nothing wrong with that…
When Rebecca heard Hikaru's words—that he wouldn't treat outsiders as strangers—her crying stopped for a moment, as if she were stunned.
The next moment, she seemed to understand something and let go of the hand that had been covering her mouth. She clutched Hikaru's clothes with her small hands and began to cry loudly.
At this moment, Rebecca had too many emotions to release. The hatred accumulated in her heart had been driving her forward.
Having lost her target of revenge, she now needed companionship even more to help her navigate the confusion after losing her purpose.
The crying continued, gradually becoming quieter and quieter, for a very long time… until Rebecca was utterly exhausted and fell into a deep sleep.
Looking at the trembling eyelashes at the corners of Rebecca's eyes, Hikaru knew he couldn't leave yet. He needed to stay with the lovely and pitiful Rebecca.
Hopefully, his next few days with Rebecca would give him the opportunity to breathe into her the vibrant life that would make her truly glow.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was night.
Hikaru and Rebecca hugged each other tightly, snuggled up on her small bed. The first person to wake up was neither Rebecca nor Cyrus, but rather Mansherry, who had been unconscious in Hikaru's arms for a long time.
"Where… is this place…?" Mansherry felt only endless darkness around her. Her tiny body was still bound, and she felt perpetually weak.
Character Note:
Rebecca: She has beautiful long pink hair. She is Violet's niece and also a princess of a fallen country. She is extremely grateful to Hikaru for avenging her mother's death. At Hikaru's initiative, this kindness will be transformed into the reward of her own love.