To the Man Destined to Kill Me - Chapter 24

“Kyaaaaaaa!”

The terrible scream almost made Noah’s heart stop.

Noah moved the ground so that the wizard couldn’t move. The paved road caved in and shaped into a hand.

After trapping the wizard so he couldn’t move, Noah checked on Scarlett. She was crouched down, trembling and gasping for breath.

“Scarlett!”

When Noah grabbed Scarlett’s shoulder, she flinched and struggled.

“Aaaah!”

“Scarlett. Scarlett! Are you okay? Where does it hurt?”

On the outside, there seemed to be no problem. But Scarlett’s face was paler than he had ever seen — like a dead body. She barely managed to speak.

“It… it hurts… my arm, my arm… it feels like it’s burning.”

Her trembling voice was full of pain.

But Noah had never properly learned magic. The only magic he knew was how to destroy things. He bit his lip hard.

“It hurts so much.”

Unable to endure the pain, Scarlett’s tears fell. Then, her body collapsed weakly.

Flames sparked in Noah’s eyes. In the spreading purple light was a hellish prison brought down to earth.

Soon, the screams of Archer Davidson and the curse wizard he had hired echoed nearby.

Just like when Scarlett had been kidnapped, Scott was the first to hear about it. He quickly controlled the media and took care of the situation.

Archer Davidson and the curse wizard were imprisoned for special assault. When the police arrived, the two were suffering extreme hallucinations, with their limbs twisted in ways that weren’t humanly possible.

“The curse has been lifted, but the mental shock will likely be severe. The wizard used too much force, so she must have felt extreme pain.”

The curse Scarlett had suffered made her feel like she was burning alive by manipulating her pain.

“Those bastards. I’ll kill them.”

Aaron ground his teeth.

John personally visited the police for this incident, while Susan only showed up briefly because of Isaac and left quickly. Scott had left to handle the situation with John.

Thanks to Aaron speaking up for Noah, who had helped Scarlett, Noah was able to stay in the hospital room and watch over her.

“Hey. You’re Noah Ashford, right?”

Aaron looked at Noah with sharp, shining eyes. In just a few days, Aaron’s rough appearance made him look almost like a mafia boss.

He examined Noah like a lion eyeing its prey.

“Yes. I’m currently living under the name Theo Grisham.”

“I heard you’re a wizard. Thanks to you, Carly didn’t go into shock.”

“…I’m only sorry that I couldn’t do more.”

Noah hated himself for not being able to lift the curse right away because of his lack of training. A heavy self-blame grew inside him.

“Whatever happened between you and your mother, I’m thankful for what you did this time. If you want something, say it. I’ll make it happen.”

When Noah looked at him suspiciously, unable to lower his guard, Aaron chuckled and continued.

“I still grind my teeth when I think about Scarlett’s kidnapping last time because of you, but this and that are different matters. I’m her brother. You saved my sister’s life, so you deserve a proper reward. Trust me.”

“…”

“What do you want? Money? Studying abroad? A new identity?”

“No, no. It’s fine. I just… If someday I know clearly what I want, could I ask you then?”

“You’re smart. Fine. Do as you wish.”

Aaron, pressing his tired eyes with his fingers, looked very much like Scarlett.

Noah realized it when he met her siblings: Scarlett had truly been raised by them.

From the way she moved her mouth, to the way she used her hands, even her tone of voice — everything about her carried traces of her siblings.

“And I apologize for what Susan did.”

According to Scarlett, Aaron was the most hot-tempered and rough among her family. But when he wasn’t angry, he was quite rational, even if a bit ungentlemanly.

“She should apologize herself.”

When Susan visited Scarlett’s hospital room, she slapped Noah and hurled insults at him — calling him a whore’s son, dirty blood, and cursed.

Aaron raised an eyebrow, amused, at how Noah stood tall and said everything he wanted to without shrinking back.

“If she had that much sense, she wouldn’t have done it. And she believes she was right, so she wouldn’t apologize anyway. But this matter has nothing to do with those insults, so I’m apologizing for it. Though, honestly, I still think you deserve to hear those insults.”

Should Noah be grateful for that apology?

No. He wasn’t.

Noah still had his pride. He was a beast waiting for the right time to show his claws.

A beast hides in the bushes, lowering itself for the hunt. But this wasn’t a hunt. It was just a power struggle between beasts.

“I’ll have to decline. An apology not given by the person themselves means nothing.”

Aaron chuckled at Noah’s answer. His sharp gaze, full of interest, felt like a ferocious beast trying to suppress its instincts.

But Noah didn’t shrink back. He stood tall and kept a calm face.

At that moment, a small knock sounded, and the door quietly opened. Through the crack, a very tired-looking Scott appeared.

When he saw Noah, Scott’s face twisted terribly. He bit his lip and pretended not to see Noah, heading straight to check on Scarlett.

“What did the healing wizard say?”

“The curse is lifted. But she needs a long rest. Those damned bastards — if it were up to me, I would have thrown them to the beasts by dawn. The law really is a hassle.”

The reason Scarlett’s family stopped Aaron and let John and Scott handle it was because of Aaron’s brutal nature.

Aaron had the ability — and the courage — to erase those criminals without anyone knowing.

“They’ll be thrown into the lowest level of the worst prison on earth. Don’t worry.”

Scott gently brushed Scarlett’s pale cheek. His eyes were full of sorrow, as if looking at the most pitiful thing in the world, and full of fear of losing his sister.

Scott asked Aaron,

“When do you think she’ll wake up?”

“We have to wait. I’m worried her heart might have been damaged by this.”

“I heard in Natalia they’re researching magic to replace a patient’s heart with someone else’s.”

Scott didn’t even glance at Noah. But Noah instinctively understood what he meant.

“We can just replace it with an Ashford’s heart.”

“Scott.”

Aaron lightly warned him. Though Aaron wasn’t friendly toward Noah either, he wasn’t so irrational as to say something that crazy.

He was logical when not ruled by anger.

“I don’t care whose son Noah Ashford is. If his existence put Scarlett in danger, he must pay the price.”

“Scott White.”

“She was kidnapped because of Noah Ashford! You were furious too, Aaron! The only reason that bastard is still alive is because Scarlett wants to forgive, not take revenge! That’s for Scarlett’s sake! But what’s the point if she ends up in danger again?”

Scott’s face, once like a brave warrior, turned red with worry.

Seeing the tears clinging to Scott’s eyes, Noah thought he could cry too.

Scarlett had ended up like this because he hadn’t properly watched Archer Davidson. Because he was born with a weak heart…

Noah felt sorry for everything. For her pale cheeks, her hysterical temper, and her thorny words. At this moment, the guilt stabbed his heart like thorns.

“Lower your voice.”

Aaron gave a low warning. He was breathing deeply to calm his emotions.

The tension was thick enough to burst, but Noah had no thought of leaving. Scarlett was here.

“And this whole thing happened because Scarlett insulted Archie—or Archer’s—girlfriend. We have to judge things properly.”

“Shut up, you idiot Ronnie. You don’t know anything.”

At Scott’s angry words, Aaron’s eyebrows twitched. He growled.

“What do you mean I don’t know? I got a full report about the facts of the case.”

“That guy is nothing but trash to be used and thrown away. You, who know nothing—”

Scott’s words were cut off by a sudden metallic voice.

“Quiet, Scott.”

Scarlett’s hoarse voice broke the silence of the hospital room.

Scarlett, who had opened her hazy eyes, was staring at them. Scott, who had been about to throw a punch at Aaron, quickly knelt down in front of her and met her gaze.

“Carly. Oh God, thank you. Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

“I’m scared. I feel like it will hurt again.”

“It’s all over now. Don’t worry about anything. You did well.”

His large hand gently brushed Scarlett’s hair. Aaron, whose face was rough with patchy stubble, approached, but before he could say anything, Scarlett let out a dry laugh, close to a scoff.

“You guys look just like the mafia.”

“You’re pretty calm for someone who just woke up.”

“What happened to the guy who attacked me?”

“As expected of a White! Always hungry for revenge.”

At Aaron’s words, Scott’s hand, which had been stroking the back of Scarlett’s hand, paused briefly. Then Scott gently explained.

“John is handling the legal charges, and Susan is at home because of Isaac. You’ll be able to see them tomorrow.”

“And Noah?”

Scott frowned, and Aaron turned back to look at Noah with an annoyed expression.

They stared at Noah like they believed they could uncover the whole truth about the curse just by glaring hard enough.

“Now that she’s awake, get out of the hospital,” Scott said coldly.

Scarlett raised her voice.

“Noah. Come here.”

“Scarlett, what are you doing?”

“I said, come here.”

“Stop it!”

“Before I leave Iodes, he belongs to me! You all promised you wouldn’t interfere or argue with me.”

“But this is a different matter.”

“Remember that Noah saved me. Twice! Doesn’t that count for anything? Before he’s anyone’s son, he’s the one who saved my life. Isn’t my life more important than my father’s sins?”

“Calm down. Don’t get worked up.”

Scott tried to calm her down, but Scarlett glared fiercely at him.

Noah appeared from behind Scott. Scarlett shouted sharply.

“Why are you only coming now! At least here, inside this room, you deserve to be treated properly. Don’t act like a fool. And Scott, Aaron, you two seem to forget sometimes, but he’s our half-brother. We share blood. You should know that attacking him is the same as attacking yourselves.”

At Scarlett’s words, Aaron’s face twisted, and he stormed out of the room, slamming the door.

Aaron had always been evasive when it came to the Ashford mother and son. Scarlett had expected that reaction, so she wasn’t bothered.

In fact, Scarlett had already woken up back when Scott’s voice got loud after Aaron warned him to lower it. Scarlett knew exactly what she was saying. Scott spoke gloomily.

“I’m starting to understand you less and less.”

“One day you’ll understand everything.”

Scott left, chasing after Aaron. Scarlett looked up at Noah, who stood next to her. His face was darker than she had ever seen before.

She thought it was because he was scared of her brothers. But the truth was different.

What Noah feared was Scarlett herself. The affection she gave him, the guilt that followed it—it was all too painful.

“Noah. Don’t forget. I’m your sister.”

Noah felt like crying.
He didn’t want to be Scarlett’s brother.

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