From the force and speed of that kick Kaelxi planted on him, Kaelxi was without a doubt a professional.

Witt thought, if the killer hadn’t lied to him about this, then the rest was probably true too.

Still, Witt wanted Kaelxi to admit it herself.

This time, Witt tickled for a full ten minutes before stopping.

Kaelxi went from threats and cursing to softening, apologizing, then begging and babbling by the end.

“Hee-hee~” Kaelxi still wore a silly grin.

Her face had smiled itself numb.

Tears welled from helpless eyes, ran into her mouth, then mixed with drool and slid along the corner of her lips.

Kaelxi’s mind was already fuzzy.

“Ready to tell me properly now?”

“Hee-hee... hee-hee-hee.” Kaelxi kept drooling and grinning dumbly, not answering Witt.

Her body twitched from time to time.

She looked like her thinking had shut down, completely broken.

Witt’s face changed.

He quickly let go of her little foot with his right hand.

He undid the bindings on her wrists and tried to help her up.

Witt felt a twinge of pity. He thought he’d gone a bit too far.

As he put an arm around her shoulders to lift her, Kaelxi’s eyes suddenly cleared.

She hadn’t broken at all. She’d been acting.

She really couldn’t take it. Being tickled on the soles was torture.

No matter how she begged, Witt wouldn’t let go, and she didn’t know how long the next round would last.

Witt wasn’t like this before! Where did that gentle, silly Witt go?

No, he’s still silly. Otherwise he wouldn’t fall for my acting.

He’s just not gentle anymore.

If this kept up, Kaelxi felt she’d be tormented to death.

Better beat Witt first, then figure out the next step.

Kaelxi swung a hard punch at Witt’s nose, throwing in all she had, though the laughing had drained her.

Kaelxi thought, Stinky Witt, this punch won’t knock you out?

She’d only seen Witt beat up patrolmen, those ordinary folk.

She’d never seen him brawl up close with real enemies.

In Kaelxi’s eyes, Witt was just a mage who could use powerful magic.

Mages’ bodies are frail.

If Witt took this punch, he’d be crippled if not dead... right?

“Eh?” Kaelxi felt her fist hit a wall—so hard, and it didn’t even budge.

Drip.

A drop of Witt’s nosebleed dotted the clean white sheet.

Kaelxi pulled her fist away and met Witt’s eyes, furious and brimming with pain.

That look, Witt only ever showed to enemies.

Now he was pinning Kaelxi with that look.

“Not good!” She reacted in an instant.

She spun for the window, planning to jump and run.

Running barefoot over cobbles would hurt, but if Witt caught her now, worse than pain would happen.

Most terrifying of all, earlier he’d let her rest a little for begging.

Next, he wouldn’t heed her cries at all.

As long as she reached the window. As long as she reached that spot!

Two steps, and she could get away.

Joy surged, with a hint of doubt.

Witt wasn’t chasing?

She flicked a glance back. Witt wasn’t behind her.

Then he must be...

The next second, her head smashed into Witt’s solid chest.

The rebound sent her down on her butt.

Hiss—

Kaelxi rubbed her thigh, aching from the fall, as a shadow fell over her.

She looked up to find Witt gazing down, unreadable.

“Witt, let me go, please. I really know I was wrong.”

Kaelxi kneeled, hands pressed together at her chest, and surrendered.

This time she truly didn’t plan to resist.

She couldn’t beat him, and she couldn’t run.

Pinning hopes on luck would only add pain.

“Speak.” Witt let out a single word, face blank.

“That money... I pretended to be a gate guard and secretly charged entry fees...”

“And, yeah, some I stole from out-of-towners...”

“I just wanted to stash some cash. It wasn’t the mine owner forcing me...”

“So when I said I gave it all to John, that was to fool you...”

“I hid the money on my own.”

Kaelxi stammered, terrified of Witt’s unreadable blankness.

Witt nodded. His right hand kept stroking her head.

“Very good.”

“Besides that, anything else you’re hiding?”

Kaelxi hated being petted like a dog.

But under Witt’s oppressive aura, she could only swallow it.

She pasted on a smile. “Nothing else. I really get it now. I won’t lie or steal again.”

In her heart she snarled, Bastard who deserves a thousand cuts. I’m yielding. Happy now?

Luckily, he seems unaware of other things.

If I get through this, he should leave me.

That might even be a good...

“Ah!” While she drifted off, Witt grabbed her hair and slowly lifted, forcing her to stand.

Pain brought tears to her eyes.

She sobbed, “Uu-uu... I really told you everything... Witt.”

“No.”

“You’re lying.”

“If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll crush your bones inch by inch.”

“I’ll slice off your flesh piece by piece with a little knife, and make you eat it all.”

Witt showed a cruel smile.

“Then I’ll break your limbs, sell you to a brothel, and let you spend your delightful later years buried in men.”

“I hear Elves are long-lived. Your happy life should last a very long time.”

His smile turned more manic, more twisted. His eyes bulged, staring straight at Kaelxi.

“Or I’ll enjoy you now, as compensation for your lies.”

“I really want to taste an Elf. Hahahahaha!”

Witt spoke against his conscience. He had no plan to do it for real.

He’d been angry, but still rational.

He said it to scare timid Kaelxi into talking fast.

Kaelxi was terrified. Witt looked ready to eat her alive.

She felt that even if she confessed now, she’d still end up dead.

Looks like there’s no escaping today. My isekai journey ends here.

She gathered courage from nowhere and screamed at him, “Do it! Screw me to death, you filthy pervert!”

“I knew you wanted this, you lust-blind creep!”

“Disgusting foot fetish! Pretend-saint hypocrite!”

“A fight-only egomaniac! A little brat starved of love!”

“A scumbag who confesses within half a day! A self-moved loser simp!”

As she cursed, Witt’s face grew darker and darker. In the end he stepped closer, holding a small blade condensed from mana.

Her borrowed courage vanished.

“Don’t come! I won’t say it! Witt!”

“Didn’t you want to marry me? Didn’t you treat me like family? I’m willing, I’m willing!”

“Don’t come any closer—aaah!”

“Ah!!”

In Kaelxi’s terrified gaze, Witt’s blade fell.

Blood surged.

Her scream echoed through the room.