Chapter 182: Family Conflict and the Nightmare King
Chapter 182: Family Conflict and the Nightmare King
"Don't... don't hit me anymore..."
After a hellish mixed-gender 'rescue' that left him bruised and swollen, the freckled prince, who had passed out and regained consciousness, could no longer endure it. He curled up into a ball, hugging his head, and whimpered in protest, "I... I'm still a prince, you know. The Purge Bureau and the Royal Family have an agreement to ensure our safety..."
"Prince Joshua, you're being unreasonable."
After shaking his slightly sore wrists, Leon, who had thoroughly enjoyed the beating, marveled at the other's unyielding values. Despite the severe beating, he still clung to his royal identity. With a sincere expression, he made up an excuse, "We're ensuring your safety right now. After we've been rescuing you for so long, don't you feel better? Don't you feel that strange sensation of being controlled and influenced anymore?"
"..."
That feeling was never there in the first place! I just wanted to know what that dream was about!
Even though he wanted to tear these damn Purgers limb from limb, the freckled prince, having experienced his first beating in life, was genuinely scared. He nodded repeatedly, pouting, "No more, really, I don't feel anything at all. I've never felt this good before!"
Joshua's values were extremely skewed, but he wasn't inherently intellectually challenged. He understood the hidden meaning behind Leon's words.
Feeling better meant he wouldn't get beaten anymore. As for not having that feeling, it was equivalent to still being under control, and he needed to be 'saved' more harshly until he felt better!
Alright, I'm relieved too.
Seeing that the stubborn hedgehog had finally softened, Leon, who had been rescuing him for so long, was genuinely tired. He turned to the tall and beautiful woman beside him and politely asked, "Emma, do you need to hit him a few more times?"
"No more, I've calmed down."
Emma flashed Leon a brilliant smile and then reminded him, "Leon, remember to heal his injuries before you leave. Otherwise, it'll be hard to explain to the investigators from the Bureau."
"Okay."
After nodding in agreement, Leon took out the Plague Blood Belt and, amidst the freckled prince's struggles and screams, forcibly pried open his arms that were hugging his head. He wrapped the dirty bandage around his head a couple of times.
As the healthy essence extracted from the fat chicken in the kitchen was infused into him, the freckled prince's swollen face, which resembled a pig's head, quickly returned to normal within a few seconds, revealing his original appearance.
Finally... is it over?
Upon realizing that the pain on his face had suddenly subsided, the freckled prince quickly reached up to touch his face. When he discovered that the swelling had subsided, he almost burst into tears from the relief.
Last night's dream of national destruction and family ruin was indeed tragic, but it had occurred in a dream, and the emotional impact wasn't as profound. The intense pain and regret, like tearing out one's heart and flesh, gradually faded after waking up.
However, this beating was genuinely painful! In all his years, he had never experienced such a severe beating, not even from his father, the king, who had only slapped him once... Ah!
"Tsk, what are you doing?"
Seeing the freckled prince being slapped to the ground again, his eyes wide with bewilderment as he covered his face, Leon frowned and said with dissatisfaction, "I healed your injuries a bit too much, and accidentally healed yesterday's slap as well. There were two reasons for the beatings, and they should be treated separately. So, I'll have to slap you again if it's not done right!"
"Alright, alright, let's stop here.
"As Emma watched the spotted prince, Lyon, trembling and closing his eyes in anticipation of another slap, she shook her head and pulled him out of the room by his arm, preventing him from receiving another blow.
'Senior Emma, why are you pulling me?' Lyon asked, confused.
'To keep you out of trouble, of course!' Emma replied with a hint of exasperation.
Seeing Lyon's apparent reluctance to stop, she sighed, 'No wonder the Director specifically instructed me to keep an eye on you. You really are...'
'Lyon, even if we found a decent excuse, this will definitely attract the attention of the Central Bureau's investigators. He's already admitted that he's fine, so you should stop. If you continue, there will be trouble.'
'Don't worry, I have my reasons for taking action,' Lyon assured her with a smile, then explained, 'Although I don't have the memory of it, didn't his sister agree to my marriage proposal? In that case, I'm technically her brother-in-law.
A minor argument between a brother-in-law and a brother-in-law, a couple of light slaps, and no use of anomalies to harm anyone. This should be considered a family dispute. Surely the Central Bureau's investigators won't get involved in something like this?'
'You're really something else,' Emma said, a little taken aback by Lyon's audacity. 'You're quite the character!'
'I'm not that great. You're the truly capable one, Senior,' Lyon said sincerely, thinking of Emma's remarkably stable emotions and her calm and rational handling of unexpected situations. 'I just have a more flexible mindset. But when it comes to handling matters, there's still a lot I can learn from you... By the way, Senior, your soul was jumping violently earlier. Did you discover something?'
'Stop with the "Senior" already. It makes me sound old. I'm not that much older than you. From now on, just call me Emma,' she corrected Lyon's form of address, feeling rather pleased. 'And yes, I did make some discoveries. Have you heard of the Nightmare King?'
'The Nightmare King?'
'The Nightmare King, also known as the Master of Nightmares, controls the nightmare power within the dream realm. He is one of the true deities worshipped by the Cult of Nightmare.
Because his true form only exists in the dreams of sentient beings and never interferes with reality, even the Central Bureau is at a loss when dealing with him. He's a troublesome fellow.'
After briefly explaining the situation with the Nightmare King, Emma continued, deep in thought, 'Our kingdom's royal ancestors fought against the Nightmare King and forcibly drove him away on several occasions, incurring his curses.
As they aged, each direct descendant of the royal family would frequently fall into nightmares, reliving the most regretful moments of their lives in their dreams. The older they got, and the more regrets they had, the more realistic and painful these dreams became. The current king's illness is a result of being tormented by such nightmares.
So, if I'm not mistaken, Prince Joshua last night likely experienced an incredibly painful nightmare, which is why he suddenly lost his sanity and acted so crazed. He's desperate to know what that dream was about.
That's why I didn't hold a grudge against him at first. After experiencing such a terrifying dream, it's normal for his emotions to be unstable. Joshua has his own difficulties.'
(End of Chapter)
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