Chapter 290 – Shadows of the Past
In the end, even MacDuff, who was known for his explosive temper in memory, managed to get the upper hand when reason prevailed. His berserk aura instantly subsided.
“Master, I don’t know what trick that brat used to deceive you, but you must know that he’s just a despicable petty thief who could steal from you at any moment!” MacDuff attempted to sow discord between Sebastian and Jayad.
“I think you might misunderstand. Miss Parul and I are simply in an employer-employee relationship. If you intend to harm my client, then I may have to stop you,” Sebastian said. He of course knew that Jayad had been a petty thief before, and had even seen him stealing when they first met. But what did that have to do with him? Sebastian was confident he wouldn’t be stolen from. Besides, it was the little girl Parul who was paying him now. What they did in the past was unimportant; they were partners now. As a detective, he sometimes worked as a bodyguard, protecting important individuals from criminals. When he raised his cane and looked down from horseback, he truly had the air of one.
MacDuff looked at Jayad, sitting behind Sebastian, in disbelief. He hadn’t seen him for just over a month, yet Jayad had undergone a sea change. His once thin and pale face had become rosy and round, his slender body had become sturdy, and he even seemed to have grown taller. He was wearing a leather adventurer’s outfit. Such a drastic change in just over a month, while MacDuff remained a thug, only fueled his rage. However, Sebastian’s mention of a client dispelled his doubts.
“Then please, step aside. This is a family matter between me and that ungrateful little whelp, and outsiders have no business here!” MacDuff lunged forward again.
“Thwack!” Sebastian struck MacDuff with his cane. Despite MacDuff’s burly appearance and fierce demeanor, Sebastian, who looked like a thin, civilized gentleman, sent him flying with a single blow.
“Owww!” MacDuff howled. He had fought and stabbed people before, and the scars on his body were from those times. Yet, even with his experience, he couldn’t withstand such a thin stick, which stung him fiercely.
“You bastard! You ungrateful little brat! If you have the guts, come down here! I taught you so much, raised you, and you betray me like this! If you have the guts, hide behind outsiders your whole life, but I won’t let you go!” MacDuff shouted, daring not to approach.
The commotion here attracted many onlookers. Sebastian felt he had gotten himself into trouble. He had only intended to investigate outside the city, but he hadn’t expected to be entangled by such a low-level thug within the city walls.
“By the way, what exactly is your relationship with him?” Sebastian asked Jayad, taking a moment, although he had already deduced some things from their conversation.
“There is no relationship anymore,” Jayad said, trembling but firm. He felt that the past month had been more meaningful than the previous dozen years. Having seen the light, he would never want to return to hell.
“Wow, that uncle looks so fierce. Who is he?” Claire took the opportunity to whisper to me, still confused about the situation.
“MacDuff, a very cruel thug. He used to abuse me and Older Brother Jayad every day and abandoned me when I was seriously ill, leaving me to die. It was then that Older Brother Jayad took me and escaped,” I replied.
Actually, my fear of MacDuff was far less than Jayad’s. I didn’t have direct experience of being beaten or verbally abused by him. These memories of mistreatment came from Parul’s inherited memories, so I didn’t fully grasp them. Moreover, the spirit I learned in my previous life was that where there is oppression, there is resistance. He was the type to bully the weak; the softer the child, the more he oppressed them, unlike Jayad, who had always lived under his terrifying shadow.
He claimed to have raised Jayad and taught him how to survive, but in reality, he taught them to steal and beg, making them risk being beaten to death or starved to death just to support himself. Jayad had been living like a human being for only a month since leaving him, while MacDuff seemed to be having a harder time than before. It was clear who was supporting whom.
“Older Brother Jayad, he can’t beat you anymore. Be brave, stand up, and defeat him. Don’t let him control your life anymore,” I encouraged him. Only by defeating him with his own hands could Jayad escape his shadow. After being refined by my potions, trained by Lorna, and with the blessings of my dual profession, Jayad could absolutely crush a thug leader like MacDuff. His fear stemmed from past memories; he needed to push down this wall himself.
Jayad seemed moved by my words but hesitated. After all, MacDuff hadn’t mistreated him much in the past. He was just cruel to his siblings and took all their belongings, making Jayad resent him and want to escape.
However, upon hearing my words, MacDuff glared at me fiercely. “You, you wretched little bitch! You’re not dead yet? It was you who seduced Jayad and made him leave me, wasn’t it? I’m going to beat you to death today and throw your corpse into a sewer!”
MacDuff didn’t even remember my name. He walked towards me, his face filled with viciousness. With Sebastian blocking him, he dared not do anything to Jayad, but he certainly wouldn’t be intimidated by the little girl Claire. I had no doubt that if I didn’t resist, MacDuff would beat me to death alive. Claire also seemed scared, pulling on the reins and calling for their Landstrider to run.
But not resisting was impossible. I wasn’t like Jayad; I didn’t have such deep-seated fear of MacDuff. If Jayad didn’t dare to act, I wouldn’t mind doing it for him. After all, if the person is dead, their lingering shadow wouldn’t matter, would it? I had already made the hand gesture and begun chanting the spell. If MacDuff came any closer, I guaranteed he’d die a horrible death.
At that moment, a furious shout came from the side: “You stop right there!”
“Older Brother Jayad?” I looked over and saw Jayad dismount his horse and face MacDuff directly. Even MacDuff stopped, surprised that Jayad would step out from Sebastian’s protection on his own.
“Anything, you come at me! You are not allowed to hurt Parul!” Jayad’s hair stood on end with rage.
“Ahaha, her name is Parul, I remember now. That’s right, you two were abandoned infants I picked up together. I remember, hehe, hahaha.” MacDuff grinned sinisterly and turned to Jayad.
“What? Not hiding behind someone anymore? Or do you want to protect your little sister? Are you willingly coming out to get beaten again? You’ve always been like this since you were little, always protecting that little bitch.”
“No, this time I’m here to cut ties with you, MacDuff. I have no relationship with you anymore. Don’t pester us again, otherwise, we’ll settle this with fists!” Jayad said firmly.
