Appetency

TWELVE

"Are you alright? What happened?"

Orion grabbed Laurent by his shoulders, checking him all over. He sees the tears in his clothes and the scratches on the male's face. Even his hands held some cuts.

Laurent rolled his eyes. "Nothing happened."

"Are you sure?"

Laurent had taken care of that demonic beast rather quickly. Hardly anyone else was around, so he didn't have to worry about his surroundings. The system was there with him as well, glitching out of nowhere so it couldn't stay for too long. Eventually, it disappeared within a few minutes, barely able to hold on anymore. It left him by itself, having to deal with another monster.

Not that its host minded.

He was different from the original villain who was weak-willed and scared against demonic beasts. With the weapon it gave Laurent, he didn't hesitate to use it and killed the monster quickly.

Laurent couldn't deny that there had been some initial fear. But this was a game. One where the system needed him to survive, and having it appear out of nowhere to defend him made Laurent all the more confident to kill the monster off.

It might be good practice as well for when he kills the love interests.

Laurent eyes Orion silently, noticing how he barely had any scratches on him. Laurent struggled instead.

Orion and the BOSS villains will be hard to get rid of. It's disturbing to think about.

"Young master, we'll have to return quickly. It would be dangerous to stay."

"That's why we have someone like you to deal with it."

Laurent jabs a finger at his chest, glaring up at the male lead.

"Do you understand the lengths I went through for my brother to give me control over this territory? So, what if there's demonic beasts running around? Just get rid of them all! I can't be bothered with this mess! I have other matters to attend to."

"I worry for your safety."

Laurent scowls at him. He's already backhanded the man for being mouthy, yet here he is, trying to do it again. If it was before, Orion would've stood his ground with furious eyes. He wouldn't have accepted it so easily, but he'd bite his tongue and look at Laurent like he was the spawn of the devil.

But now, all Laurent gets is a look of concern and anxiousness. He reaches out to tug on Laurent's hands gently, trying to lead him back to the carriage as the townspeople ran away.

"Please allow me to escort you back home."

"Get your filthy hands off me, you disgusting peasant."

"... If you could stay in the carriage where I know you'll be safe, I will deal with all the beasts."

Ah, so there really was a sore spot.

His upbringing.

Laurent already had a feeling about it since Orion never had a good childhood after being ostracized and mocked because of his common origins, and it seems like that's still the case.

It makes Laurent quirk his lips up into a smirk.

"What? Don't tell me you're still hung up about that blood of yours."

Orion freezes. Laurent stifles a laugh.

"After all this time, you're still so sensitive about that dirty blood running in your veins. You should thank me though. If it weren't for me picking your half-dead body up from those streets where the rest of your vermin kind run, you would've perished long ago."