Lewd System: Every Scream and Moan is EXP Chapter 314 : Even Monsters Need Someone Waiting At Home

Delphine was in a state of sheer panic. Her grip tightened on the dagger as she pressed it closer to Tempris’s throat. "Don't move! Stay where you are, or I'll move my hand!"

Jax began to approach. His footsteps were measured, unhurried. "If the sound of my approaching steps is the only thing motivating you to finally take action..."

He observed Tempris flinch at the sharp edge of his voice. Consequently, he softened his tone to little more than a whisper. "...then as your professor, it is my profound duty to ensure my student's success. Proceed, Delphine. Cut."

Delphine gritted her teeth, frustration mounting. Her knuckles were impossibly white around the hilt, yet the blade remained stubbornly still. Her heart seemed to be in open rebellion against her mind.

Instead of directing her frustration at the child, she redirected it outwards. She lunged at Jax.

Anticipating her charge, Jax kicked a plush carpet into the trajectory of her next step. This wasn't due to concern for the incoming assault, but rather to prevent the sharp click of her heels on the wooden floor from disturbing Tempris's slumber.

Delphine's foot landed on the shifting carpet, and her equilibrium was instantly lost. She pitched forward, moments from impacting the floorboards face-first.

However, Jax caught her. One arm encircled her frame, absorbing the momentum against his chest. The impact was negligible, as her soft form did all the necessary cushioning against him, absorbing the shock with ease.

He kept her feet suspended entirely off the ground. Simultaneously, his other hand swiftly retrieved the dagger that had slipped from her grasp during her fall, placing it gently upon the bed.

Delphine was far from appreciative of this intervention and was poised to unleash a torrent of every curse she had been hoarding.

Yet, before a single syllable could escape, Jax's free hand clamped over her lips. His face hovered mere millimeters from hers as he uttered in a low whisper, "Sshh. Can't you see the child is sleeping?"

He lowered her to her feet and proposed, "If you wish to direct your anger at me, perhaps we could take this outside?"

He turned and moved towards Tempris, who stirred in her sleep. Her small body rolling slightly in their direction. Her eyes flickered open just a sliver.

Delphine noticed. His back was completely exposed. The most critical error a warrior could make. And the dagger lay within arm's reach on the bed.

Yet, her heart resisted once more. She couldn't pinpoint what was broken within her tonight, but something refused to align with the mission's objective.

Then, she observed Jax settle beside Tempris and pat her head softly. The girl's tiny fingers instinctively sought his hand, grasping it. In her sleep, she murmured, "Thank you for staying, Mister... and for making me feel safe... after all the running and hiding..."

A genuine smile graced Jax's features. He leaned down and planted a kiss on the girl's forehead.

This final image was precisely what Delphine found unbearable. The notion of a man known for his love of slaughter, a man who had ended countless lives for his own pleasure – first the soldiers of this era, then those from her duchy – now sitting beside a sleeping child with a tenderness that seemed utterly authentic.

Tempris settled deeper into her slumber, her grip on his fingers loosening. Jax stood up and proceeded towards the exit. Without turning, he declared, "I am free now. Why don't we settle this definitively?"

After a period, Delphine emerged from the room to find Jax leaning against the railing outside, gazing at the moon. He spoke without looking at her.

"I am aware of your disdain for me, Delphine. And you have every justification for it. Considering what transpired with your mother. You likely believe I operate under some grand, chaotic scheme."

He shook his head slightly.

"I do not. The reality is far less complex. My ego is extraordinarily fragile. The moment someone directs venom at me, my patience evaporates. And when it snaps, it ceases to consider consequences. It disregards whose blood is spilled. It simply obliterates whoever was foolish enough to be positioned before me at that instant."

He turned his head just enough for her to discern the profile of his face.

"But observe yourself. Despite all the poison you have hurled at me. Despite everything you have done and uttered. You still draw breath."

His voice held a quality devoid of mockery. "And do you comprehend the reason? Because I understand you, Delphine. I do not perceive you as an adversary. You are simply a daughter aiming to shield her mother or avenge her humiliation. It matters not how malevolent she is or how many transgressions stain her name."

He returned his gaze to the moon. "If I were in your position, I would undoubtedly act in precisely the same manner."

His fist tightened on the railing. "But the crucial difference between us lies here. Should anyone dare threaten the peace of my family, I would not stand by and tremble as you did tonight. I wouldn't concern myself with who was right or wrong. I would have mercilessly carved a path through anyone who endangered them. And I would stand triumphant amidst the graves I created, so long as my family was secure."

Delphine felt a sense of bewilderment. Each word that left his lips struck her more deeply than anticipated, devoid of any pretense or deceit.

A faint smile touched Jax’s usually stern expression as he gazed at the moon, his eyes reflecting faces not present. "Family. Yes, I do have one. A small, cherished world that serves as the sole restraint on the beast within my chest."

His voice softened in a manner Delphine had never before witnessed.

"They are the reason my blade remains sheathed in these times. This is a stark contrast to the person I was destined to be in this world. They are the ones who introduced me to two entirely foreign sensations: Warmth. And fear."

He let out a slow breath.

"Having them is all the motivation I require. It is the sole element that renders this endless cycle of violence entirely worthwhile."

A moment of silence passed between them. Jax then spoke again, his voice softer still.

"Your words earlier tonight, Delphine, they truly struck a chord. When you looked at me and declared I had no one awaiting me."

He released a breath that carried more significance than any sword he had ever wielded.

"Had you uttered those precise words to me mere months ago, I would have received them as the ultimate commendation. But now, those very words felt like the most dreadful nightmare imaginable."

-x-X-x-

[A/N: Our gratitude extends to Ordici_T, Outsxder, Jeremy_Ritchie_0200, spawn1996, Jut_Beanz, tony_adams_4787 , Archer_Witbeck, Casey_Jones_4303, bluetiger76, Allen_Mulholland, Leo_Muhammad, and tony_adams_4787 for their golden tickets

(づ*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)づ♡]