𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐋𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐍 ↷ scaramouche x reader

CHAPTER THIRTEEN . 解決への希望

"And who's your leader? Surely you pathetic lot couldn't have arranged this poisoning and infiltration by yourself." Dottore sneered incredulously, his blood red eyes slanting in disbelief at the words of the conspirators. "I suggest you tell me the truth. I'm not against turning you into one of my toys."

"Did you get anything?" Scaramouche turned to the blue-haired Harbinger, folding his arms across his chest.

Dottore shook his head in response. "They are insisting that they've been outsourced by an unknown party. The man there," Dottore's attention flickered to the man who your fiancé had just silenced. "He was the one who was contacted by the unknown party to the source the poison. He then instructed the servant here to poison your fiancé's glass."

"What's his occupation?" Scaramouche scowled, glaring at the defeated man who slumped against his chained chair in self-loathing over his course of action.

"Pharmaceuticals. He's the heir to the Oaris Medicinal Corporation from Sumeru.."

He could easily obtain the poison with his position. You grimaced, feeling your throat dry at the thought.

Scaramouche was quiet for a moment, pondering in thought before he dismissed Dottore, convincing the mad doctor to leave the rest of the questioning to him. Dottore nodded, silently agreeing to leave before his eyes fell upon you.

"You ought to leave as well." Dottore suggested, lingering by the staircase back up to the palace.

You raised an eyebrow at him. "Why is that?" You glanced at Scaramouche, looking for his reaction but he offered you nothing but stoicism— his expression briefed moments of ire but remained stone-cold. "Scaramouche?"

"Leave. I don't want you to see this." Scaramouche urged you to leave as well, leaving you confused as to what exactly he did not 'want you to see'. His words kept you in the dark, leaving you in a state of confusion.

In the back of your mind, a nagging opinion voiced desires to stay and see exactly what your fiancé was warning you against but there was another part of you that was compelled to leave. The forlorn atmosphere present in the air made your head hazy, clouded with the thick scent of fear and blood.

"It's best if you don't watch." You looked up, seeing his eyes soften just slightly in an attempt to sway you to leave. "My work isn't pleasant to watch."

You breathed shallowly, inhaling the acrid odor in the air. "What... are you going to do?" Your question came out too naively, it made you sound too callow in these infernal circumstances.

Scaramouche pursed his lips together, collecting his thoughts before turning his back to you. "Do you really wish to know?"

His hesitation plagued you with panic. It was evident that Scaramouche didn't want to expose you to whatever his work entailed. Even you were a bit hesitant, the atmosphere and smell didn't ease your nerves.

You breathed heavily, taking in the musky stench of the dungeon. It left a heavy taste on your tongue. "As your fiancé, I believe it's only right for me to know what is going on."

Scaramouche looked wary but said nothing, motioning for you to follow him over to the suspect. The heir who led the operation to kill you lifted his gaze to see you and Scaramouche slowly approached his cell with apprehension.

"L-Lord Scaramouche!" He sputtered, eyes wide as he tried to reason his way out of his predicament. The chains confining him to the chair rattled loudly. "Please! You have to understand! I was merely a pawn in this operation!"

"You tried to kill my fiancé." Scaramouche hissed angrily, silencing him. "Cowering in fear now? Where did all your arrogance from earlier go? Pathetic."