Please Kill Me - Chapter 80
– “Anyway, you’ll be heading to the subjugation headquarters soon, so why not let her stay nearby a little longer? I’ll do everything I can to prevent any leaks.”
– “But there’s no guarantee that Yekaterina staying here will bring your mother back to her senses—”
– “Lenny, we don’t have much time left, do we?”
Yuri’s words cut off whatever argument Leonid was about to make.
The lack of time could mean several ways.
First, it could mean there wasn’t much time left until the hunting event.
Second, it could mean that Larisa didn’t have much time left to live.
– “Even if others don’t understand, you shouldn’t be the one to stop me. You know how I feel. You know that the only ones I have left are Mother and you.”
– “…Yeah, I know. But still—”
– “Please, I beg you, Leonid. For the sake of my mother, please…”
Yuri’s voice trembled. Considering that he usually maintained a cheerful and relaxed demeanor, this was quite an unusual sight.
The problem was that what Yuri was asking for was, ironically, something that could backfire on him.
If word got out that Yekaterina was here, Yuri would have to abandon his plan to use her as a pawn.
This might not seem like a huge issue right away, but the battle for the throne was a matter of life and death. If Yuri were to lose, he would find his head mounted on the city walls. The second prince, Ruslan Pavel, had no intention of letting Yuri live.
Therefore, Yuri needed to use every possible advantage to survive.
The real issue was that Yuri’s desire to win had nothing to do with his own survival or the throne.
The victory in the battle for the throne—the Arlan War—was merely a means to an end.
Yuri’s true objective lay elsewhere, and Leonid understood this better than anyone.
So, under different circumstances, Leonid might have agreed to Yuri’s request, with a warning to be cautious.
But the person at stake here was none other than Yekaterina.
She was unpredictable, and even if he could predict her moves, it wouldn’t stop her. If she was anything like the Yekaterina he had come to know, she would undoubtedly cause trouble without hesitation.
Leonid was certain of this.
In the end, after much deliberation, he turned the question to Yekaterina.
– “…Yekaterina. What do you think?”
– “I should follow your decision. I am in your care, after all.”
The question was deflected back at him. Leonid’s expression showed he felt the sting of the question, but it didn’t last long. The choice between Larisa’s uncertain sanity and his friend’s life wasn’t difficult.
– “Yekaterina Offenbach will return to the mansion at dawn.”
Yuri looked as though he wanted to grab Leonid by the collar, but fortunately or unfortunately, he didn’t act on it. Larisa had started to have another episode just then, and Yuri had to leave hastily.
So currently,
Leonid and Yekaterina were left alone in the room.
Now, Yekaterina understood why Leonid had been sitting silently by her side. While she was lost in her own thoughts, he had been grappling with his own concerns.
He was worried if he had made the right decision by refusing Yuri’s request and whether Yekaterina might decide to stay in the palace against his wishes.
Sensing his thoughts, Yekaterina spoke softly.
“I know I’ve lost your trust, but I truly intend to follow your lead this time.”
“You think I should believe that, after you broke my trust just a day ago?”
“I don’t lie.”
Leonid’s eyes narrowed.
“Right. To be fair, you never explicitly agreed to follow my lead before. I’ll make sure to get clear answers from now on.”
Yekaterina’s gaze shifted sideways, but she didn’t respond. Leonid let out a dry laugh. It was clear she tended to go silent whenever the situation didn’t favor her.
Yekaterina had never tried to hide anything, so it felt a bit delayed for Leonid to notice now. But what could he do? When conversing with Yekaterina, one could easily get swept up in her way of speaking.
Perhaps that’s why Leonid always felt the most confident when Yekaterina tried to evade.
“Yekaterina, look at me. You need to answer. You said you don’t lie.”
“I don’t lie.”
“Then why aren’t you answering?”
“Because I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”
This was practically an admission that she’d continue to deceive him when it suited her.
It was then that Leonid realized he had been missing something crucial. Though it was a new realization, he had missed it because he never understood what it meant when Yekaterina didn’t answer.
– “Don’t ever leave without my permission again. Don’t try to die without my permission.“
When he had warned her like this in the forest, Yekaterina hadn’t agreed.
He hadn’t realized it at the time, being too distracted. But Yekaterina had deflected instead of agreeing, saying she hadn’t left to die.
In fact, she always did this. She was so skilled at deflecting that it was rarely noticed.
‘Come to think of it, she did it just now too.’
When Yuri had made his request and Leonid had asked for her opinion:
– “…Yekaterina. What do you think?”
– “I should follow your decision. I am in your care, after all.”
