Chapter 230: I Killed Her!

Chapter 230: I, Killed Her!

"My child, you have suffered."

Kathy smiled at the old woman: "Mother, my injuries are nearly healed, it is nothing, the God of Order will bless me."

Richard also offered comfort: "Yes, Grandma, Mother is fine now, she just needs to rest quietly for a few days."

Old Master Deron also came forward to coax his wife: "What are you still worrying blindly for, look at you, crying like this."

The old woman held a very high status in the household, and the moment she wept, everyone around began comforting her.

Only Karen stood where he was, for he sensed that the old woman’s tears were not shed for her daughter-in-law who had been injured in the recent mission; rather, it was upon seeing him that her emotions had suddenly spiraled out of control, and to mask it, she had proactively taken her daughter-in-law's hand, pretending to weep over her injuries.

Had she,

recognized him?

Karen had originally possessed great confidence in his hidden identity, but it could not withstand being constantly slapped in the face.

Therefore, in this regard, he had now become very sensitive.

The other members of the Guman family would not notice such details, but Karen would, and Richard himself possessed the ability to sense bloodline resonance, so it was hard to say these traits were not inherited.

The old woman finally ceased her weeping, deliberately turning her head to look at Karen as she dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief, saying:

"This must be Mr. Karen?"

"It is I, hello, Madam."

"Good, good, good."

The old woman gently pushed away the family members beside her and proactively walked toward Karen: "I am old, my eyesight is failing, let me step closer to take a look."

Karen’s hand was taken by the old woman; her hand was very warm.

"A very handsome lad, truly good-looking."

"Haha, Grandma, I told you so, Karen is very handsome, do you know, even that Princess of Dark Moon Island who came to York City a while back took a fancy to him."

"Not only is the skin handsome, but the temperament is also fine, steady, and then look at you, what do you look like."

"I never intended to compare myself to him in the first place, I can't compete."

Richard was somewhat careless by nature; he would not get angry just because he was outshone by someone else’s child.

"What do you mean you can't compete? Why can't you compare? How great a gap can there be between you two, it is nothing more than us spoiling you too much."

"Oh, Grandma, you have far too much confidence in your grandson."

"Heh heh."

The old woman patted the back of Karen’s hand and asked:

"Are you married yet?"

Lucy immediately spoke up: "Mother, Mr. Karen is already engaged."

"Oh? Already engaged? Which family's girl?"

"A girl from an ordinary family."

"Whether she is ordinary or not does not matter, is the person pretty?"

"She is pretty."

"Mm, and her character? Is she gentle, does she understand the bigger picture?"

"Very gentle, and she understands the bigger picture well."

"Good, that is good, that is good."

The old woman continued to gently pat the back of Karen’s hand, asking further: "Is life at present quite to your liking?"

"It is to my liking, Madam, both in work and in life, I am very happy."

"Do not lie to me, if anything is not to your liking, I will have you... I will have Deron arrange it for you, after all, you saved Kathy and Eisen, you are the benefactor of our Guman family."

"Mr. Deron has already spoken to me about it previously, thank you, Madam."

"Do not call me Madam, you are the same age as Richard, and you are colleagues, you can be like him and call me Grandma."

As she spoke, a look of anticipation surfaced in the old woman’s eyes.

"Grandma."

"Aye, aye!" The old woman burst into a smile, turning her head to look at Old Master Deron as if showing off, "I have gained another grandson today, he calls me Grandma, from now on, none of you are allowed to bully him, Richard, did you hear me."

Richard said aggrievedly: "Grandma, you think far too highly of me, where would I ever have the ability to bully him."

At this moment, the old woman took a step back, signifying the end of the greetings and that dinner was ready to begin, yet she still asked one more question: "Mr. Karen, what of your parents' side?"

"When I was very young, my parents passed away."

"Oh."

The old woman sighed and nodded, then, as if realizing something, she said: "My apologies."

"It is fine."

No one found anything amiss in the old woman’s words and deeds; toward the benefactor who had saved her son and daughter-in-law, no matter how kind and gentle she appeared, it was only proper.

Furthermore, because the others all held ecclesiastical identities that were higher than Karen's, there were many words that only the old woman could voice.

Everyone took their seats and began the meal; it was a system of separate servings, where one used public bowls and public chopsticks to spoon food onto their own plates.

Karen discovered that the old woman’s culinary skills were excellent; some dishes were authentic Wien cuisine, but she had altered the cooking method, retaining the flavor while also taking the texture into account.

Especially the mushroom soup stewed by the old woman, the taste was exceptionally delicious, and Karen drank two bowls in succession.

During this time, Mr. Eisen was called out from his room by Richard on the old woman's orders.

This uncle of his sat down first, then stood up, placed a bit of every dish onto his own plate, ladled a bowl of soup, sat back down, ate all the food on his plate in sequence, and finally used a spoon to rapidly guide the soup into his mouth, finishing his eating and drinking before wiping his mouth:

"I have finished eating, take your time."

He stood up, left the table, and fled the dining table like a refugee.

"Alas." The old woman sighed, evidently everyone had long grown accustomed to this, yet she still looked toward Richard, "Didn't your mother say last time to have you arrange a psychiatrist?"

"Uh..."

Richard did not know how to answer, because this matter was something Karen had agreed to, and he had also said he would bring the psychiatrist home together today, but Richard had noticed Karen came alone, assuming Karen had failed to invite one or had forgotten, so he had deliberately refrained from mentioning it again.

Karen set down his utensils, looked at the old woman, and opened his mouth: "Madam..."

"Call me Grandma."

"Grandma, I have studied psychology, I can converse with Mr. Eisen in a little while."

Richard said in astonishment: "So, the psychiatrist you mentioned who was personally acknowledged by the Captain is yourself?"

"Mm, yes."

"Truly unbelievable, just what else do you know?"

"Richard, you ought to learn well from your Karen."

"Mm, alright, Grandma, I will strive to make myself as excellent as my Karen, Hahaha."

Richard caught the slip in his grandmother's words, turning it into a lighthearted jest.

Karen, meanwhile, stood up and said, "I am finished with my meal; I shall go and speak with Mr. Eisen now."

Lucy immediately interjected, "Where is the sense in making a guest work the very first time he visits?"

"But this is not my first time here, so please enjoy the rest of your meal." Before leaving the table, Karen looked toward the elderly lady. "Grandmother, the soup was delicious."

"Heh heh."

Hearing this, the elderly lady beamed with joy.

Once Karen had departed from the dining room, the elderly lady spoke to Old Man Delon, "You must arrange something for Karen's sake."

Old Man Delon popped a piece of mushroom into his mouth, chewing as he replied, "He is a young man of independent mind, unlike Richard, and does not require outsiders to fret overmuch on his account."

"What do you know, you mushroom!"

"..." Delon fell silent.

The elderly lady then looked toward Kathy, seemingly about to speak, but then remembered that her daughter-in-law currently worked in the city of Sampur and that her network of connections lay there as well; thus, she bypassed her daughter-in-law and looked toward her own daughter, Lucy:

"Lucy, is there anything you can arrange to help Karen from your end?"

Lucy let out a slightly amused chuckle, "Mother, Karen is a member of the Whip of Order. What could I possibly arrange? Only Father might possess some influence in that regard."

Kathy spoke up, "Even if we set aside the debt of gratitude for saving a life, purely from the standpoint of his age and personal ability, Karen is a man well worth sponsoring."

Upon hearing this, Lucy nodded in agreement.

Dark opened his mouth to say, "How about transferring Karen to my tribunal? I can treat him well and lead him properly."

After those words were spoken, no one else at the dinner table offered a response.

Dark lowered his head, silently sipping his soup.

After a brief silence, the elderly lady said to Richard, "Bring Karen over to play whenever you are free in the future. Since he likes the soup I brew, I shall brew it for him often."

"Grandmother, you are treating Karen so well that I am bound to grow jealous."

"As well you should, as well you should. A child without parents, having managed to come this far—just imagine how much hardship he must have endured. Every single one of you..." The elderly lady's gaze swept over everyone present. "You are all far more fortunate than he."

Old Man Delon spoke up, "It does not seem that way to me. Karen's steady character does not carry the look of something born from repression."

As he spoke, Old Man Delon cast another glance at his son-in-law.

Mr. Dark shrank his shoulders slightly; what he dreaded most during these family dinners was this intermittent scrutiny from his father-in-law, particularly when his father-in-law was drawing an example. It was truly a difficult position for him.

The elderly lady glanced at Old Man Delon and snorted, "Anyone else might have the right to say such a thing, but you certainly do not."

"My point is simply that the lad is quite excellent," Old Man Delon quickly defended himself.

"Indeed, Karen took great care of me during our mission as well," Richard chimed in immediately. "And I feel that he does not look down on me for my family background or status."

Lucy looked at Kathy, her lips parting as if about to speak, yet she held her tongue.

Kathy looked at the elderly lady, then at Richard, and finally, her gaze lingered for a moment upon the seat where her husband had previously been sitting. She lowered her head slightly and remained silent.

The elderly lady did not notice the silent exchange of glances across the table, continuing to speak to herself:

"What a wonderful child. I truly like him."

...

Karen did not go straight to Mr. Eisen's room; instead, he went first to the washroom to wash his hands, facing the mirror and studying his own reflection.

As the person in question, he could sense that the elderly lady treated him differently, though he possessed no concrete evidence.

However, whether the elderly lady had truly "seen" something or if it was merely his own misunderstanding, Karen had no intention of explaining himself.

The very existence of the Immoralis family was a taboo within the Church of Order; there was no need to disrupt the life of the Guman family for his own sake.

To be fair, the atmosphere within the Guman household was quite pleasant; though it could not match the natural and simple warmth of the Immoralis family, for a lineage of adjudicators to maintain a domestic atmosphere like this was no small feat.

Considering their status, if the Guman family truly desired it, they could easily command a luxurious lifestyle akin to that of the Allen Manor.

Shaking the water from his hands, Karen stepped out of the washroom and arrived before the door of the first-floor study where Mr. Eisen was "hiding."

"Knock, knock..."

The door was opened by Mr. Eisen.

"Mr. Eisen, may I come in to have a chat with you?"

"Very well."

Mr. Eisen stepped aside, gesturing for Karen to enter.

Once Karen had stepped into the study, Mr. Eisen said, "Sit."

Then, he took the guest's seat, leaving the main chair behind the desk for Karen.

Karen did not decline either, seating himself directly in the master chair.

"The mistress knows I have studied psychology, so she arranged for me to come and speak with you."

"Am I sick?"

"Yes, indeed, you are sick."

Mr. Eisen's hands gripped the armrests of his chair, his toes beginning to turn incessantly left and right.

"Is my illness severe?"

"Very severe."

"But I do not wish to be cured."

"You might give it a try, and I hope you can grant me a bit more patience, if only for the sake of my having saved your wife's life."

"Whew..."

Hearing those words, Mr. Eisen suddenly let out a long breath of relief, and his entire being unexpectedly grew calm.

Karen nodded; in truth, the root of social anxiety for many people stemmed from a sense of bewilderment regarding their surroundings—the glances, expressions, and voices of those around them would blur their self-awareness.

For instance, if one were to stand in a crowded tram station, their palms would break into a cold sweat and their chest would panic, leaving them utterly helpless; yet, if one were handed tools and told to squat down to repair an apparatus amidst that same bustling platform, the issue would vanish.

They preferred the most straightforward mode of interaction.

"Mr. Eisen, do you have any heartfelt words or secrets you wish to share with me?"

"I..." The muscles in Mr. Eisen's face began to stiffen.

"If not, I shall begin to hypnotize you. You will need to dismantle all your mental defenses so that I may guide your consciousness."

"Whew... very well."

Mr. Eisen leaned back slightly against his chair and closed his eyes.

Karen stood up, walked over to stand before Mr. Eisen, and said, "Please enter a state of meditation, and then treat my voice as the voice of your own inner mind. Do not harbor any resistance."

"Understood."

The expression on Mr. Eisen's face instantly became relaxed and serene.

Karen felt that this maternal uncle of his was probably the most cooperative patient he had ever encountered; there was no superfluous talk, he did exactly as he was told, and the speed with which he entered meditation was remarkably swift.

"Please lower your head; you will see a path appearing beneath your feet..."

"Now, please turn around..."

"Please take a step forward, back along the path from whence you came, and walk..."

"..."

Next, Karen began to guide Mr. Eisen to retrace his past, because Karen surmised that Mr. Eisen must have experienced some specific event that led to his current state, as he certainly couldn't have been like this before;

otherwise, one could not explain Richard's birth.

This was originally meant to be a very protracted process; from a purely professional perspective, the success rate of hypnosis was never high to begin with, and the probability of achieving results was equally low, depending partly on the doctor, but also on the level of the patient's cooperation.

Mr. Eisen was absolutely a "patient" of the highest caliber, his cooperation remarkably fluid, responding swiftly to every question and answer between Karen and himself, as his "sights" and "sounds" advanced perfectly along the precise route Karen had mapped out for him.

It was a pity that the field of psychology had no use for preserving "cadaveric mentors," otherwise Mr. Eisen would absolutely be the dream subject that every psychology student yearned to work on.

...

"Now, please reach out and push open the rusted, blood-stained door before you, please do not hesitate..."

"I pushed the door open."

"Tell me, behind the door, what do you see..."

"I see my elder sister."

Karen's gaze narrowed slightly, yet he maintained his measured pace, asking, "Please look closer, look at her clothing, look at what she holds in her hands..."

"I see she is in great torment."

"I see her lying on the ground, wailing."

"I see her weeping."

"I see her body rotting away."

"I see her eyes bleeding."

"I see her crawling toward me."

"I see her begging me."

"She says."

"Brother, please, I beg of you, I beg of you."

"I beg of you... kill me!"

Was it a bond of blood?

Karen frowned in contemplation.

Did the old lady believe in the Church of Order? Or perhaps, the old lady herself was an adherent of a family faith system?

If Richard could sense the bloodline within his own body, could Mr. Eisen also sense the bloodline connection to his sister—who was Karen's own mother?

This kind of connection ought to have been stronger if inherited in the previous generation, and if the siblings had been close since childhood, it might have deepened such a bond.

For now, Karen could only piece together these analyses.

Was it his "mother's" death that Uncle Eisen had sensed, a sensation that thereafter remained entangled in his heart, becoming a living nightmare that continuously expanded until it finally transformed him into what he was today?

Calculating by the timeline, at the point when his "mother" and "father" were infected and subsequently killed by Dis's own hands, "he" himself was already a young boy, and Richard should have already been born in Wien.

Since then, Uncle Eisen had been relentlessly affected by the backlash of this bloodline power; chronologically, the theory held together.

Watching the tears streaming down Uncle Eisen's face, Karen felt a pang of pity in his heart.

Thus, while the power of a bloodline could grant an individual a more formidable foundation, it simultaneously brought its own inherent side effects, the clearest example likely being the bloodthirsty demons.

Karen found himself in a bit of a dilemma, because this was no longer a problem that could be resolved purely from a psychological standpoint; it involved bloodlines.

He could probably only attempt to alleviate it for him, but as to how much he could soothe, he had no certainty.

Regardless, this session of treatment should come to an end.

"Very well, now please step back, retreat behind the door, and then close this rusted door before you..."

Mr. Eisen did not speak.

"Have you retreated..."

Mr. Eisen still did not speak.

"Have you stepped back or not..."

"I have stepped back."

"Good, is the door closed..."

"The door is closed."

"Good, now please turn around, we are walking back..."

"I want to stand here a little longer."

"Separated by this door, you can neither see nor hear..."

"Just now, I granted my sister's request."

"Hmm?"

Uncle Eisen opened his eyes at that exact moment, staring intently at Karen, his gaze completely filled with terrifying bloodshot veins as he spat out word by word:

"I killed her!"

———

More tonight, asking for monthly tickets!