There’s Something Special About Her Chapter 1

Thud.

The first thing I felt as I watched the tip of the dagger sink exactly where I intended was, oddly enough, relief.

Ah… I’ve finally finished my revenge.

“Haah.”

A long, weary sigh escaped my lips.

People say revenge feels empty.

Perhaps whoever said that and I are simply different kinds of people.

Like finally finishing an assignment I’d put off for years.

Like a criminal finally paying for their sins.

My heart became so light it felt as though wings had suddenly grown from it.

“Ghk…”

The sound that finally pulled me from my quiet thoughts was the ugly groan of a wretched man collapsing onto the floor, dying.

I’d driven the dagger precisely beneath his ribs, splitting his heart and artery in one strike.

He didn’t have much time left.

One would think he’d spend those precious final moments repenting for all the sins he’d committed—though even then, whether heaven’s gates would open for him was doubtful.

Instead…

It seemed he’d decided to waste his last breath as well.

The wrinkled face of the man who had once ruled like a king twisted toward me.

“H-Helena… Why… you…?!”

The Wickers Count House.

The massive criminal syndicate that dominated the northern region of the Eastern Continent’s Kingdom of Krolin.

The man before me was Benedict Wickers, the family’s patriarch and boss who had manipulated the kingdom at his whim.

But now, lying in a pool of his own blood, none of that prestige remained.

He was nothing more than a lump of flesh about to tumble into hell beneath the feet of me—Helena, commander of Wickers’ assassins and intelligence division.

“Benedict Wickers.”

Speaking his name, I slowly lowered myself onto one knee.

Then I pulled the necklace hidden beneath my clothes into view and gently rubbed the blue gemstone.

Whoosh…

A low sound like a passing breeze echoed as the artifact’s illusion magic began fading.

My dark crimson hair turned black.

My ordinary brown eyes became the color of crimson rubies.

The pale features that resembled Benedict Wickers’ dead daughter gradually transformed into the image of my mother in her youth.

Horror spread across Benedict’s helpless face.

“Y-You… you’re a M-Morton…?”

Even after all these years, he recognized me immediately.

It was probably because of the Morton family’s distinctive jet-black hair and blood-red eyes I’d inherited from my father.

“Recognize me now?”

“You… all died… H-how…?”

“No. I survived that day.”

“And I crawled all the way here to finish my revenge.”

“Thanks to you, Benedict Wickers.”

Thank you.

I whispered into his ear.

“I abandoned my family name, but I deliberately kept using my real first name—Helena.”

“And even then… you never once realized who I was.”

For all the power he held in his hands, Benedict Wickers was laughably foolish.

A complacent incompetent who never dreamed the blade of revenge was slowly descending upon him.

“Kh… Ggh…”

Blood bubbled from the corners of Benedict’s mouth.

His blood loss had finally reached its limit.

“This is revenge…”

“For thirteen years ago.”

“For using the Morton family… and murdering them.”

My father had trusted this man.

Benedict Wickers.

Because of that foolish decision…

Not only my father…

But my mother…

And my little brother Lucas…

All of them had been brutally slaughtered.

Right before my eyes as I hid inside Father’s secret workshop beneath the floor.

“Run! You have to live!”

“Mom! Dad!”

“Go! Take this and run! Hurry, Helena!”

Thirteen long years had passed since I was ten years old.

The screams that had haunted me every single night…

Were finally fading away…

Along with the dying breaths of Benedict Wickers.

“Cough…!”

Just die already.

Looking down at the pathetic man still desperately clinging to life, I muttered,

“Go to hell.”

“…Ghk.”

With those words…

The light vanished completely from Benedict Wickers’ eyes.

I silently watched his body for a moment.

Then I stood.

“Now it’s my turn to die.”

Not literally, of course.

But if I wanted to leave Wickers safely…

I needed to fake my death.

I had no intention of spending the rest of my life hunted as the traitor who murdered the boss.

Wickers was infamous for never letting betrayers escape.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small round object.

It was another artifact like my necklace.

A mana bomb.

Inject just a little mana into it, and after a set amount of time…

It exploded.

“Let’s hope the prototype doesn’t turn out to be a dud.”

It was an invention from some unknown workshop that had never officially released it.

I’d gone through considerable trouble to obtain it on the black market.

I nudged what had once been Benedict Wickers with my foot before turning away.

“Now I just need to plant this on my way out…”

But before I could take even two steps…

I froze.

Standing in the doorway of the office was a tall man with red hair and gray eyes.

Hair much like the one I’d worn while living as Helena of Wickers.

“…Edward.”

Edward Wickers.

Benedict Wickers’ son.

His heir.

The man I’d used as part of my revenge.

“Why are you here…?”

He wasn’t supposed to be here.

He was meant to spend several days away inspecting one of Wickers’ outside businesses.

I’d arranged it myself.

So why…

“Helena.”

Edward’s cold, emotionless gray eyes slowly swept over my body.

“That blood…”

I bit down hard.

No one understood better than I did what it looked like—

To see your closest friend drenched head to toe in your father’s blood.

“Come here.”

Instead of rushing to kill me as I’d expected…

Edward simply reached out his hand.

Just as he always had.

Completely certain that if he called…

I would come.

But those days were over.

I didn’t move.

Instead, behind my back, I shifted the mana bomb into my left hand.

“If you won’t come…”

“I’ll come to you.”

Step.

Step.

As though he’d finally run out of patience, Edward strode rapidly toward me.

I drew the sword at my waist.

Without taking his eyes off me, he drew his own without hesitation.

Whoosh!

Edward’s massive blade came crashing down.

I didn’t dodge.

Clang!

Steel collided against steel with a violent screech, sparks flying everywhere.

“Helena.”

Grrrk—!

As our blades scraped against each other with a nauseating metallic grind, Edward ordered,

“Lower your sword.”

“Would you?”

I snorted and shoved him back with all my strength.

Even after seeing this scene…

His arrogance made him instinctively yield to me.

It was almost laughable.

His icy gray eyes narrowed at the corner of my mouth.

Just as I’d expected.

Taking advantage of that brief opening, I rolled the mana bomb behind me.

For only the briefest instant…

Edward’s eyes followed it.

That was all I needed.

Whoosh!

I thrust forward with the sword he’d once given me.

“Looks like you’ve got time to let your guard down.”

“Helena, you…!”

Grinding his teeth, Edward swung his own sword and knocked my attack aside.

The instant his stance faltered…

I glanced toward the office entrance.

Good.

The other members hadn’t arrived yet.

Then—

Edward’s hand suddenly reached for my shoulder.

“Not happening.”

I tried retreating and stabbing for another vital spot.

Too late.

His sword had already pinned mine down with overwhelming force.

“Just do as you’re told.”

Edward growled.

Looks like there’s no other choice.

Instead of retreating…

I stepped into his embrace.

A quick flick of my wrist.

The dagger hidden inside my sleeve slid naturally into my hand.

Thrust!

The blade buried itself deep into Edward’s side.

Not fatal.

But enough to cause severe bleeding and agonizing pain.

For an ordinary person…

The shock alone would have been enough to make them lose consciousness.

Just as I let go of the dagger to retreat—

Smack.

Edward grabbed my wrist.

“Don’t go.”

His grip was monstrous.

My entire arm went numb.

“If you leave now…”

“Wickers will hunt you.”

“You know exactly what that means.”

“I know.”

Even my own voice sounded as rough as his breathing.

“But I can’t die here.”

Die branded a traitor…

Or spend my life running.

There wasn’t even a choice.

I twisted the dagger once more and drove it deeper into his abdomen.

“Ghk!”

As Edward staggered for a split second…

I shoved him away with all my strength and sprinted for the door.

A burning pain suddenly exploded across my shoulder.

“Tch… stubborn bastard.”

Even while wounded…

Edward had still swung his sword at me.

But I couldn’t stop running.

As I raced toward the office exit, I glanced back.

Through strands of my black hair drifting through the air—cut away along with my shoulder—

Edward knelt on one knee.

His gray eyes glowed darkly as he stared straight at me.

“Go ahead.”

“Run.”

His voice echoed after me.

“I’ll find you, Helena.”

“You’ll return to Wickers in the end.”

“And when that day comes—”

BOOM!!

The mana bomb exploded.

Using the blast to propel myself forward, I rolled out of the office.

“What was that?!”

“The boss’s office!”

Shouts rang through the mansion as Wickers’ members rushed toward the explosion.

Naturally…

The estate’s defenses would now be spread thin.

I disappeared into the darkness…

Heading for the escape route I had spent years preparing.