Chapter 89: Why do you always do this?
"I-It's not right, Vergil!" Viviane exclaimed, panting, trying to keep up with the man. Her small feet ran in desperation as she looked at his broad shoulders. He seemed like a moving mountain, and each step he took made the ground vibrate slightly, leaving her behind.
'He's ignoring me!' she roared internally, frustration growing inside her as her short legs struggled to catch up. The size difference irritated her. With a determination that was almost comical, she forced her muscles to run faster, but all she could see was Vergil's back moving further away.
"Seriously, Young Master, you can't just pick someone off the street and raise them!" She continued, her high-pitched voice trying to bridge the distance between them, but Vergil didn't seem to move at all. "You're too young to be a father!" Her words echoed like a cry in a vacuum, and his indifference only fueled the frustration bubbling inside her.
After fifteen minutes of this endless and uneven race, Viviane was already feeling like a lost child in a park, when finally, a thought hit her.
"She's a corrupted witch! Don't give shelter to such a being!!" With this outburst, she slammed into his back and nearly fell backward, an unexpected jolt making her rub her reddened forehead.
"Ouch... ouch, that hurts! It's like I hit a wall!" She murmured, massaging the area where her head had collided with Vergil's robust body.
He didn't move, just stood there, holding the hand of the little girl beside him. Despite her apparent weakness, her determination was admirable; she was truly set on keeping up with him. This made Viviane wonder about the strength of that girl, who seemed so lost but now walked alongside a man whose presence was almost oppressive.
"Viviane." Vergil called without turning. The way he said her name made her stomach tighten.
"One more comment about what I should or shouldn't do, and I'll find a way to kill you." The threat wasn't a joke; his voice was grave, carrying a weight that made her stop immediately.
"I understand your concerns, I understand everything you're trying to say, and I don't care enough about it." He continued, and Viviane couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine. He turned slowly, looking at her with a disdain that made her heart race.
"If you want to leave and stop serving me, go. You're free. And take your sword with you." He remained firm in his stance, a fierce determination in his eyes.
"I don't want someone who would abandon a child following me." The phrase struck like a blow, and Viviane felt the truth in his words. The idea of leaving a child unprotected made her hesitate, but the frustration still burned.
"Vergil, you don't understand what you're doing! She could be a problem, someone who could bring enormous trouble!" She insisted, her eyes fixing on the delicate figure beside him, so vulnerable, yet at the same time so determined.
"Trouble?" He repeated, his voice almost disdainful. "And the problems I face? Do I seem calm? I was knocked out without even seeing what happened by some random bastard just because, and now I'm here, wasting my time arguing with you while Ada is God-knows-where. I'm trying to ignore it because Sapphire said everything's fine, but I'm not fine, I'm about to explode and cut this entire city into cubes until I find the bastard who dared say my wife wasn't mine."
Viviane was about to retort, but the words failed to come out; the pressure she felt was double, no, five times greater than any time Vergil had ever raised his aura near her. His fury was palpable, and somehow, she understood that his anger came from a place of protection. "You can't just ignore the risks, Vergil!" she protested.
"I'm not ignoring anything. If that's how you see it, you're blind." He replied, his gaze now sharp, like a blade, cutting through any resistance she had.
"And what's right then? Raising a corrupted witch who turned into a demon witch? Do you really believe this will be safe? You could be putting yourself in danger, as well as the little girl!" The indignation in her voice was clear, and Vergil kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"If she's a demon witch, then it's good that I'm the one raising her. I'll help her become something more. A strong woman to be recognized, not a shadow to be disregarded." Vergil's statement was resolute, and Viviane knew there was no more room for argument. He had made his decision.
"I can't believe you're doing this..." Viviane muttered, still in shock.
But there was no time to argue further. They were approaching Sapphire's mansion, the old residence Vergil had been forced to visit after the spiritual training that hadn't entirely helped him.
The imposing building loomed ahead, its stone walls covered in vines, giving off an air of both mystery and protection.
As they entered, the atmosphere shifted. The mansion, once just a structure, now seemed to pulse with life. The scent of old wood and the soft sound of running water in the background created a welcoming atmosphere, and for a moment, Viviane felt less uneasy.
Katharina and Roxanne, Vergil's wives, were in the living room, talking in a tone that grew sharper when they noticed his arrival.
Katharina, with her flowing red hair and sharp gaze, was the first to spot Vergil. She quickly stood up, her emerald eyes glowing.
"Vergil! Where have you been? I'm going to kill you!" She greeted him in her usual brash manner, storming toward him, but her gaze soon fixed on the little girl beside him. "And who's this?"
"She doesn't have a name yet, or at least, I don't know her name," Vergil replied, his voice now carrying a hint of softness but not without a certain pride. "She… needs help right now."
Roxanne, with her blonde hair and a curious expression, also approached. "Help? You brought a child here, Vergil? You can't just..."
"She's a witch!" Viviane interrupted, her eyes blazing with a mix of concern and indignation, thinking the two women might influence Vergil's decision.
"Huh? She's a demon, look at her aura," Katharina said, pointing at the little girl.
"Yes, she's a demon. Her demonic energy production is actually quite large," Roxanne added, examining the girl closely.
The little girl beside Vergil remained quiet but visibly frightened by the attention. She clung to his hand tightly, as if he were her only anchor in a strange and dangerous world. Viviane, however, was still restless, her emotions swinging between anger and anxiety.
"She's a witch. It doesn't matter how much demonic energy she has, we can't trust her!" Viviane insisted, her voice rising.
"Hmm," Katharina said thoughtfully as she looked at the girl. "Vergil, do you trust her?" She asked, clearly assessing the situation with more experience than the others.
"Trust her? I wouldn't say that. Does she pose a risk? Absolutely not," he replied firmly.
"I see. Then everything's fine," Katharina said with a shrug.
"Wait! What do you mean everything's fine?!" Viviane asked, frantic.
"Do you think you can change his decision? Just accept it and wait for my mother to return," Katharina said coolly.
While these strange adults talked in a rather unsettling manner, the Sweet Fairy, Roxanne, decided to act.
Roxanne approached the girl and crouched down to her level, trying to appear friendly. "Hey there, little one. What's your name? If you tell me, I'll give you a demon lollipop." Her voice was as sweet as the red lollipop in her hand, but there was a note of caution underneath.
The girl looked at Roxanne with suspicion, her large eyes wide with fear, but she remained silent.
Vergil gently squeezed the little girl's hand, offering her a small sense of security. "She still hasn't said anything… and she won't," he remarked with a faint, sad smile.
"What do you mean?" Roxanne, still trying to communicate with the girl, asked in confusion. Vergil knelt down to the girl's level and gently stroked her head.
"She's mute, Roxanne... She can't speak," he said, his smile tinged with sadness.
Roxanne took a deep breath and, with her usual sweet demeanor, smiled once again, offering the lollipop to the girl, but this time with less expectation and more warmth. "That's okay, sweetheart. You don't need to speak to earn a treat." She placed the lollipop gently in the girl's small hand.
The girl stared at the lollipop for a moment, then glanced up at Roxanne before shyly turning her face toward Vergil. He smiled back at her, nodding as if to reassure her that everything was fine.
"You don't need to worry here," Vergil said softly, his eyes gentle as he stroked her head once more. "I'll take care of you. We all will."
Suddenly, the sound of a crimson magic circle rippling through the room disrupted the calm, vibrating the furniture with enough force to make them tremble slightly. Vergil sighed, recognizing the impending spectacle before it even fully unfolded. The booming, uncontrollable laughter echoed like thunder, heralding Sapphire's chaotic arrival.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA JUST AS I PREDICTED! HAHAHAHAHA!" Sapphire burst into the room with wild energy, her robes flowing behind her as the red glow of the magic circle faded. Her long black hair swayed as she surveyed the scene with a smug air, as if she had already anticipated the chaos she was about to cause.
Roxanne and Katharina exchanged glances, both partly used to their mother's dramatic entrances but still unable to help sighing. Viviane, on the other hand, instinctively took a step back, as if Sapphire's presence brought something even more unpredictable than she had expected.
"Sapphire..." Vergil muttered, rubbing his temple as if he could already feel the impending headache. "Why do you always do this?"