115 Miss Yor's Freedom and Dignity
On the other hand, Hikigaya, who was standing by, felt a pang of sympathy.
He was a kind-hearted person and realized that this wasn't the way to do things.
Even if the Thorn Princess did reveal the information, what then?
Looking at her determined expression, if they didn't kill her, Hikigaya would face a situation where she would not rest until she had her revenge.
Although she was currently wearing a blindfold, and he had intentionally made his voice hoarse, as long as they followed the lead of "Hikigaya", it was only a matter of time before his identity was exposed.
Now, it seemed that getting rid of this female killer was the best outcome.
However...
Killing someone?
Don't be ridiculous, Hikigaya absolutely refused to let his hands be stained with blood, even indirectly.
He respected life and feared death.
He was even willing to save Shimotsukiuri Ouri, who had always been against him.
How could he possibly take someone's life?
Family was Hikigaya's last line of defense, his last sanctuary, which allowed him to have a conscience and a moral anchor, preventing him from losing control and going down a path of destruction.
The Thorn Princess couldn't be spared, but Hikigaya was unwilling to take her life.
'If the hard way doesn't work, then let's try the soft way.'
'Attack her heart.'
Hikigaya took a deep breath and walked forward, gently grasping Honebami Miroslava's shoulder.
Under her surprised gaze, he shook his head: "Enough, Honebami-san, let's stop here."
"Is there an antidote for this chronic aphrodisiac poison?"
Honebami raised an eyebrow, straightened up, and looked at Hikigaya again.
In Momobami Kirari's orders, there was also a clause:
[Observe Hikigaya's behavior pattern and character]
In other words, the master wanted to see how Hikigaya would react when faced with unlimited power.
This order made Honebami somewhat surprised. This was the first time Momobami Kirari had taken such an interest in someone, even though he was an outsider.
The Hundred Devouring family didn't prohibit external marriages, on the contrary, they accepted young talents from outside every year, either through marriage or adoption, to ensure the family's prosperity.
However, as the head of the Momobami family, to guarantee the strength of their bloodline, they had to marry into the aristocracy.
But... according to Honebami's investigation, Hikigaya's family was an ordinary commoner family, and Hikigaya's appearance was only average. With such conditions, even if he were to be adopted, it seemed somewhat unqualified.
'What is Momobami thinking? Does she need to go to such lengths just to play with him?'
Despite being full of questions, Honebami still chose to follow her orders.
"You don't care about the information anymore?" Honebami didn't directly answer Hikigaya's question, instead asking: "The master has instructed that you can do anything to her."
"Afterwards, I'll take care of the aftermath, you can do whatever you want to her without worrying about the risks."
Honebami said expressionlessly: "Whether you give her a strong aphrodisiac, making her lose her mind and sink into lust, or keep her locked up in this mansion as your plaything for a long time."
"Or if you want to satisfy your desires and then kill her, the police won't investigate anything that happens here."
"Sex and violence, don't you want to release them?"
"I know," Hikigaya replied calmly, without showing any signs of excitement.
Don't look at Hikigaya's behavior in Hyakkaou Academy, where he seemed like a lecher who only pursued lust, but that was all based on mutual consent.
The Ougatou sisters wanted to get benefits from him, and the price was becoming Hikigaya's private pets.
It was a mutual agreement, and no one was to blame.
But the current situation, where he would use violence to fulfill his desires, was something Hikigaya despised.
If he did that, he would be no different from a scumbag.
People have things they will and won't do, and once their bottom line is crossed, they will fall endlessly. Hikigaya acknowledged that he wasn't a saint, wasn't a perfect person, and couldn't resist the pleasure brought by unlimited power.
So, he would never touch that bottom line.
"So you..." Honebami frowned, this was the situation she least wanted to see, and the one she disliked the most.
People like this, Honebami had always defined them as: hypocrites.
"Don't get me wrong, Honebami-san, I'm not planning to let her off scot-free," Hikigaya said, looking around the room. "Do you have any special poison here? Something that can only be cured here?"
"Yes."
Honebami calmly nodded, waiting for Hikigaya's next words.
In the Hundred Devouring family, the Inbami family was in charge of the medical department. The Inbami family produced poison, and the Yobami family produced antidotes, corresponding to each other. The poison they created couldn't be cured by modern medicine.
Hikigaya walked past Honebami and stood in front of the Thorn Princess.
"Listen, I don't know if you're conscious right now."
"But this is your last chance."
"You intended to harm my family, that's a fact. I understand that doing so might force you to reveal information, but it will become troublesome afterwards. I don't want to kill you, but you will not rest until you've had your revenge on me."
"I'm bothered by this, but I'm also a person who lacks a sense of security, so I need you to take an absolute, incurable poison. Follow me as my bodyguard for a month."
"After a month, I'll give you back your freedom, but you'll need to come to me periodically to receive the antidote, or give me your address and I'll send it to you."
"Whether you believe it or not, this is my greatest tolerance and courage."
"If you're not willing, I'll have to leave you to the mercy of the lady who was interrogating you earlier."
"You choose."
Although there was no conclusive result yet.
Hikigaya had already assumed in his heart that Mibuomi Aoi was the mastermind behind the scenes. A month's time was enough for him to take care of him.
Leaving the killer lady by his side was the only solution Hikigaya could think of.
If he didn't want to kill her, he had to keep her life firmly in his control. Hikigaya wasn't arrogant enough to think that he could subdue a female killer through "talk therapy" alone.
From her performance when facing Honebami's interrogation, Hikigaya sensed the existence of something called "honor". In his understanding, someone like this wouldn't be a scumbag, they would cherish their life, body, and reputation, and would never have the idea of going down together with him.
The only variable was the degree to which she valued her freedom.
You choose...
It was as if Yor, who had already fallen into endless darkness, saw a glimmer of light piercing through the darkness.
A majestic male voice echoed in her mind.
"Losing freedom in exchange for dignity, huh..."