Chapter 220 (1): Who Am I? Where Am I? What Happened?

January seventeenth.

Manor Street 13, Western District, Londan.

Wayne pulled over and got out of the car, opening the door with a key and heading to the basement of the mansion. It had been three days since the attack on the Lando Estate. During that time, he had not seen any member of the Lando family.

Veronica had been avoiding him. The Dragonblood was easily embarrassed, and remembering the kiss they shared, she felt both shy and frustrated, refusing to see the scumbag’s punchable mug.

Wayne understood. The awkward first kiss was always memorable. He had experienced it many times, so he knew that Veronica’s reaction was natural; she would be fine in two days.

Silvia hadn’t been avoiding him, but was simply too busy with the daily administrative tasks of the church and the preparations for the Holy Maiden selection. The auditors the headquarters sent would arrive in Londan soon, and she had been trying to find out who they were through her connections.

Auston had been pretending to be busy every day. Wayne knew what the old man was doing—he was pressuring Wayne!

It was a common negotiation tactic, akin to putting a frog in a pot of simmering water. The side with the advantage often employed the trick for more benefit.

Three days later, Wayne received an invitation from Megan. Auston had asked him to a meeting at number thirteen Manor Street, specifically the air raid shelter in the mansion’s basement. Wayne had lived in this mansion for a period of time.

Back then, he had been wanted by a bigshot for seducing his daughter, forced to skip town and lay low. That led to his chance meeting with Silvia on the train, after which she took him in as a student. Once he returned to Londan, Silvia had arranged for him to stay in this mansion temporarily.

It was during his stay here that Do introduced him to Julia, and he drew Shadow Nightmare and made his debut as the Death Knight in Londan.

It was clear why Auston had asked to meet Wayne here.

Wayne was ready to reveal his secret. To be honest, Auston had already shown him consideration by not spreading the news that he was the Death Knight. Perhaps it was because the heir’s scandals would reflect badly on the family, or perhaps... the Old Two-Face wanted to monopolize the secret to manipulate the Death Knight like the demon alliance had done.

Unfortunately, Wayne couldn’t do anything to Auston since he was Silvia’s husband and Veronica’s father; both women were important to Wayne.

ε=(´ο`)))

Life is hard for a pretty boy.

Wayne could already imagine how difficult his life would be going forward. Windsor had a tradition of working a useful tool until it was broken, and Auston came from an old noble family, following the traditional Windsorian way.

The lamps on the wall were on. Wayne checked his watch. There was still half an hour until their meeting time. Usually, Auston would’ve been too proud to arrive early, but he was already here!

“Damn scumbag, eager much?”

Wayne cursed, dragging his feet to the other end of the shelter and going through the gate to the sewers.

The sewers! The Old Two-Face couldn’t have made it more obvious!

Wayne could no longer hold onto his wishful thinking. He believed that someone as smart as Auston had to have come to the conclusion when he wrote ‘Death Knight’ on the slip of paper. Wayne deeply regretted making the kick that night. If he had just stuck to the Death Knight’s quiet and reserved image, not even someone with Auston’s intelligence would’ve noticed anything.

He’s giving me his daughter. It’s fine to tell him.

Wayne walked along the spacious flood control tunnel, quickly seeing two figures ahead: Auston was playing with his silver coin, while Megan was holding a flashlight. In the dim environment, the light hit Auston’s face from a forty-five-degree upturned angle, leaving half of his face in the dark. His expression looked solemn and grave.

Against the backdrop of a flood control tunnel, he looked like a demon lord standing in the dark, making Wayne feel helpless.

He had to admit that Auston had outsmarted him.

“Here you are.”

“Here I am.”

“You don’t have to come.”

“I have to come.”

They fell into awkward silence.

Auston stared at Wayne with mixed feelings. He still couldn’t figure out how he had exposed himself and for how long. He had hidden his secret well from his family and never shown that side of himself to Wayne, yet Wayne still made the right guess.

Perhaps he had found out the truth for a long time and had only kept quiet for the family.

It wasn’t until the mysterious man attacked the Lando Estate, and Auston’s clumsy performance put his wife and daughter in danger, that Wayne decided enough was enough, writing ‘Darkness Knight’ on the note.

Auston didn’t want to admit it, but he had to accept that Wayne had outsmarted him.

In the past, Wayne had pretended to be in the dark for the family, but after tonight, he would surely use the secret to exert control over the Lando family. He could already imagine how their future interactions would go:

Muhaha, Auston, you don’t want Master and Veronica to know that you’re the Darkness Knight, do you?

Yes, I messed around with other women. So what? If you tell Veroncia, I’ll expose you as the Darkness Knight.

Austy, Veronica found out that I had other women. Help me convince her that I’m doing it for the family, reluctantly.

Who do you think you are? Remember that I am the head of the family!

Over the past three days, Auston had been imagining the possible scenarios and seething, grinding his teeth together so hard that he almost broke his molars. But there was nothing he could do about Wayne. Wayne was his wife’s student and the man his daughter had fallen for, as well as the heir of his own choice.

It wasn’t a big problem, though. While he was the Darkness Knight, Wayne would become one, too. Then they would have the same secret, and he no longer had to worry about being exposed or having Wayne walk all over him and humiliate him.

It would be a long process, though, during which he would have to endure the frustration!

You’ve got good eyes, Silvia, Veronica!

Auston had to force himself to look on the bright side: his heir was smart, even more cunning than he was. The Lando family would have a bright future. Auston’s personal grievances didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

The two men remained silent, keeping their feelings in check because they had to when the other had leverage against them. Their eyes grew fiercer as they glared at each other.

In the silent tunnel, even the faintest noise was clearly audible, so they could hear each other grinding their teeth.

Why should I bow down to someone like him? Can’t I just kill him?

x2

Master/Silvia, Veronica, you’ll forgive me, right?

x2

What, no? Fine.

x2

ε=(´ο`))) x2

Life was difficult for scumbags.

“Speak, Auston,” Wayne hissed. “I know what you’re thinking. I’ll tell you my answer now: no way.”

He knew his resistance was futile. Auston couldn’t be more black-hearted, but he still had to make his case.

“If you know what I’m thinking, you should know that you’re not getting what you want!” Auston’s jaw was clenched. If not for his wife and daughter, he would’ve done everything he could to put Wayne in a barrel of cement and sink him in a river.

“Honestly, if not for Master and Veronica, someone like you...” Wayne trailed off, turning to Megan and speaking furiously. “I feel bad for them. You don’t deserve them, nor do you deserve Megan.”

Megan remained silent. It wasn’t so bad. She had never been forced to do anything. There were just times when she had to control her feelings. The one thing that did push her near the limit was the additional scumbag joining the family. It got on her nerves to see the mirror image of her scumbag master.

Wayne’s words hit Auston where it hurt. His wife and daughter were his biggest weaknesses, and with them being Wayne’s leverage, Auston had no choice but to fall in line.

They both sighed. Their future was like the damp, dark sewers with no light. There was no hope.

“Remember, I came here today for Master and Veronica,” Wayne emphasized. “I don’t want to break the family.”

“I know, and I’ll say the same to you,” Auston said. “I’m not afraid of you, but of them getting their hearts broken.”

“Bah, speaking as if you’re doing the right thing!” x2

They spat at the same time.

At the end of the day, you’re just trying to control me through my secret. Why bother pretending that it’s for the family?

x2

“Auston, is Megan not going to leave?”

“No, she knows everything.”

“Bastard, you shouldn’t have told her...”

Auston’s warning left Wayne feeling pressured. He couldn’t stop himself from turning around and slamming the wall, reaching into the void at the same time.

He wasn’t completely helpless. He would turn into the Death Knight and force Auston to reveal his secret in exchange. Perhaps Auston’s secret was nothing compared to him being the Death Knight, but at least he would feel better.

Auston had had enough. Every word out of Wayne’s mouth pierced him in the heart. It sounded like Wayne was flaunting his superior intelligence. Putting the silver coin in Megan’s hand, Auston stopped suppressing the power surging in his body, preparing to face Wayne as the Darkness Knight.

He believed that he wasn’t completely helpless. He would transform and force Wayne to reveal his secret in exchange. Perhaps Wayne’s secret was nothing compared to him being the Darkness Knight, but at least he would feel better, and it would serve as a warning to Wayne that it wouldn’t be so easy to control him.

Death energy spread as Wayne drew Shadow Nightmare. Its glinting blade reflected his pale skull. As the grey swirls dissipated, his full figure was revealed, his torso and limbs covered in a pitch-black armor. A tattered cape draped over his shoulders, and his knightly sword was adorned with a ruby on its pommel, glinting with crimson light.

Darkness boiled. Auston unsheathed Twilight Despair. Surging darkness overflowed from Auston’s eyes, gradually covering his entire body. Then black swirls dissipated, revealing a full set of armor and a black cape. Under the black metal mask that covered his face, a pair of crimson eyes slowly opened.

The Death Knight!

The Darkness Knight!