Please Kill Me - Chapter 40
Leonid grimaced, wiping the sweat beading on his forehead.
He caught sight of Vasily, who had belatedly realized the situation and rushed off to fetch a doctor. Only then did Leonid’s tension dissipate.
It was proof of how seriously his body had treated this encounter as a real battle.
Who else but Yekaterina Offenbach would make such a duel? Every moment with a sword in Offenbach’s hand meant killing.
Throughout their duel, Leonid was dominated by one recurring thought.
‘If you lose, you die.’
Whether Yekaterina intended it or not, her sword aimed solely for Leonid’s life.
A strike towards the heart in the midst of a duel was indeed beyond ordinary. Yet, perhaps for Offenbach, it was routine.
Because of this, Leonid was also swept up in her intensity. He found himself doing things he wouldn’t normally consider, like aiming for Yekaterina’s neck in a sparring match.
After all, to beat an opponent intent on killing, one must be prepared to do the same.
‘If things had gone slightly wrong, neither of us might have walked away unscathed.’
It dawned on both Yekaterina and Leonid. This was a match Leonid had won.
However, even if he struck Yekaterina’s neck, changing the trajectory of her descending blade would have been challenging. In a real battle, it’s likely Yekaterina would have died, and Leonid would have sustained comparable severe injuries.
Thus, sacrificing his shoulder to conclude this duel was a far better deal.
Leonid wanted a duel, not Yekaterina’s death.
To be honest, he regretted it.
‘I thought a mere duel wouldn’t lead to injuries from a sword.’
Underestimating not Yekaterina but Offenbach was his mistake. Because of that, he nearly caused harm to Yekaterina if he only made the slightest mistake.
If that was the case, it would have forced him to fulfill Yekaterina’s request to kill her. Especially after realizing he could inflict damage even with his primary hand injured. She would have relentlessly pursued him, urging him to kill her.
It would be troubling and complicated his plans. It’s best to prevent troubles before they arise.
Leonid was truly relieved to conclude the duel with just a wound on his shoulder.
“Anyway… as long as you’re not hurt, it’s fine. Better me than you.”
Leonid said, starting to walk towards where Vasily had gone.
Yekaterina blinked at his back, her mind filled with question marks.
‘Why?’
She often found herself puzzled by the reasons behind Leonid’s words. While she had seen instances in Offenbach where someone would willingly take pain on behalf of a family member or a close friend, Yekaterina and Leonid were practically strangers.
They had met just a day ago.
‘Could it really be because he likes me?’
Musing silently, Yekaterina picked up her dagger, strapped it to her thigh, and followed Leonid. She then spoke up.
“I’ve heard there are those who enjoy pain.”
“That’s not it.”
“Some say minor pain doesn’t bring them any sensation.”
“I said no.”
“So, in Offenbach, they pick out such individuals to train them to withstand torture but-“
Yekaterina’s words were abruptly cut off.
Leonid had grimaced and turned around swiftly.
As if playing a game where movement stops upon eye contact, Yekaterina halted immediately. Her lips sealed as Leonid turned. However, his dark eyes were clearly questioning.
‘Did you undergo such training too?’
“…I told you, it’s not like that.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Being able to convey your thoughts without speaking, quite a talent there.”
“Thanks. I did learn ventriloquism.”
“That’s not what I meant- Ugh!”
Leonid, who had been turning back to respond, suddenly collapsed. The wound on his shoulder had split open. Yekaterina rushed to support him.
“The cut is pretty deep. A bit more, and it could have been serious.”
“Yes, thanks to someone.”
“Don’t blame yourself too much for your mistakes.”
“…?”
“Although I still don’t quite understand, from my experience, self-blame doesn’t really help. I hope you make more reasonable judgments next time.”
Leonid closed his mouth. Knowing full well how this conversation would unfold based on experience, what was he expecting? Learning not to engage in futile dialogue with someone you can’t communicate with is a lesson even a five-year-old could teach him.
Yes, there’s always something to learn from a child.
But even after relearning how to hold a pen from a three-year-old, it seemed unlikely that communication with Yekaterina would improve.
Regardless, Yekaterina continued.
“I won the bet. You have to use me as your bedroom guard.”
No response came.
“So we’ll be sleeping together starting tonight?”
“…Honestly, didn’t I win?”
“It’s good to gracefully accept the outcome.”
“But I won that duel.”
Instead of responding, Yekaterina poked Leonid’s shoulder with her index finger, where two cuts from the duel were.
“Ugh!”
