14. Two Gingerbread Men and a Fox

Hearing Gomut's words, Edward tightened his back. He glanced toward Stuart, who was staring back at Gomut without a single hint of emotion. Everyone filed into a straight horizontal line. From left to right, the lineup stood as: Quin, Kai, May, Edward, Violet, Soya, and Stuart. Having changed out of his old, burnt garment, Edward now stood comfortably in a fresh, clean gown.

Standing directly in front of them was Gen, the short guard in his tight black shirt and shorts. Beside him stood Gomut, draped in his long robes, his lean 1.7-meter frame still radiating an aura of absolute authority. His dark hair with its distinct white strands, his high nose bridge, and his broad face were set in a terrifying stillness. Finally, Dan stood on the flank, wearing his white shirt and tight jeans.

“So, Mr. Edward and Mrs. Violet. Do you wish to repent for your actions?” Gomut asked, his flat voice taking on a distinctly dramatic flair toward the end of the question.

Edward wasn't exactly holding his breath for any words of encouragement, but Violet subtly nudged him with her elbow, signaling for him to speak up. Fortunately, none of the guards noticed her quick movement.

Why is it always me? Edward grumbled internally. Aren’t you afraid you’ll lose your voice permanently if you don’t use it once in a while?

He swallowed hard and replied in a low tone. “Yes…”

“What? I can’t hear you!” Gomut barked, instantly dropping his theatrical tone and shouting in pure anger.

The sudden roar took Edward completely aback, instantly reminding him of his early days in the military. His superior officers used to shout at him exactly like that just for answering their questions. Forcing his face to remain entirely expressionless, Edward swallowed his saliva, firmly grabbed Violet's hand, and quickly dropped to his knees.

With his head bowed toward the stone floor, he yelled in a ringing voice that echoed clearly through the storage room. “Sorry, sir! Thank you for showing us your kindness, sir! We will repent, sir! By all means, if you allow us, sir!”

The entire room was momentarily stunned by Edward's sudden choice of words and theatrical submission. Even Violet, Gomut, and Stuart stared down at him in disbelief.

Gomut cleared his throat, clenching his fist and bringing it up to his mouth. “Ahem! Ahem! …Good. Now, stand up.”

This time, it was Edward’s turn to be a little stunned as he and Violet rose to their feet. He wondered in confusion, Wait, it was really that easy?

Seeing them both standing, the emotionless mask on Gomut’s face twisted into a cruel grin. “Now, since you have brutally killed two of my men, I shall grant you a punishment so beautifull, that it will be an honour for you to take it.”

Edward's face distorted with annoyance, he winced ... You could have just told us that, while we were already down on the ground.

Gomut continued, “But I am a kind man. Though both of you will surely die, it won’t be just yet.”

Hearing this, Gen snapped his head toward Gomut, utter disbelief covering his voice. “But sir! They killed Gunther and Ma! We cannot just leave them like this!”

Gomut merely smiled, looking at Violet and Edward. “Look at their hands, Gen. They look rather close, don't they?”

Edward, who had only held Violet's hand to pull her down into a bow with him, released his grip instantly upon hearing the comment.

“Haha… no point trying to cover it up now. The cat is already out of the bag,” Gomut laughed, extending his open palm toward Dan.

Dan, whose face was still heavily covered in bruises from his prior encounter with Violet, understood the silent command immediately. He stepped forward and placed his own revolver directly into Gomut's empty hand.

“Now, since I am so incredibly kind, I am going to give you both a choice,” Gomut said, purposely falling completely silent. He looked back and forth between the two, a hint of sadistic excitement on his face that utterly sacrifice ed his previous calm demeanour. “Aren’t you even going to ask what the choice is?”

Knowing Violet wouldn't break her silence, Edward played along. “What choice, sir?”

Gomut’s grin widened. “Have either of you ever heard the story of the two gingerbread men and the fox?”

Edward shot a quick look at Violet. She subtly shook her head in disagreement. Edward turned back to the robed man, his voice laced with genuine confusion. “No, sir.”

Gomut let out a dark giggle. “Oh, you are going to love this. The choice for the two of you is simple: on the count of three, you must both simultaneously shout either 'spare' or 'sacrifice ' to determine each other's fate. If either one of you delays or hesitates for even a second, both of you will be executed on the spot.”

Edward blinked in confusion. Wait... aren’t you going to actually tell us the story? I was honestly looking forward to it.

Despite his internal bewilderment, Edward pushed for clarity. “Sir, what happens depending on the words we choose?”

Maintaining his joyous, twisted expression, Gomut replied happily, “Oh, I was waiting for you to ask me that! Now, pay close attention.

If Mr. Edward says ‘spare’ and Ms. Violet says ‘sacrifice ,’ then Edward will be shot three times.

If Mr. Edward says ‘sacrifice ’ and Ms. Violet also says ‘sacrifice ,’ then both of you will be shot two times each.

And finally, if both of you choose to ‘spare’ each other, you will both be shot exactly one time each.”

Edward’s mind raced as he calculated the cruel logic. What? If we both choose spare, we still get shot once? Those look like standard firearms; if a person gets shot in a place like this without proper medical care, it will definitely lead to a slow, agonizing death. This game is deliberately designed to force us to sacrifice each other.

If we both sacrifice , we both take two bullets. Oh... so this is an absolute test of trust. He is a truly nasty piece of work, but I trust Violet. She’s smart; she will understand the math behind this.

Relying on this logic, Edward turned his head to look at Violet, his eyes filled with absolute confidence that she would make the correct strategic choice.

Seeing the two of them locking eyes, Gomut smiled. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, sparked it to life, and took a long drag. Looking at them through the rising smoke, he murmured, “You may discuss your strategy until my cigarette burns down to the filter.”

With that, he took another deep puff and sat down on a wooden chair that Gen had quickly arranged for him. Relaxing his brow, he inhaled the smoke deeply and let the nicotine do its job.

Seeing Gomut sit back, Edward turned fully to Violet, opening his mouth to initiate their coordination. But Violet cut him off before he could utter a single syllable.

“I will spare you,” she said softly.

Edward's shoulders relaxed a fraction, and his mouth remained slightly open. “I was thinking of doing the exact same thing.”

Edward began to turn his head back toward the smoking warlord, but he stopped when he heard Violet speak again in a remarkably soft, tender voice.

“You are the first person who ever took my side,” she murmured.

Shocked by the sudden vulnerability in her tone, Edward raised his eyebrows. Before he could say a word in response, she continued.

“You are the first person who ever made me feel completely safe by your side. I have never been treated that way by anyone before meeting you. Because of you, I realize that there is so much more to this life. If we manage to get out of this place alive... I want to be together with you.”

A massive, toothy grin spread across Edward’s face. He blushed violently, his smile so radiantly warm that a hard stone would feel soft in comparison. He had never expected a confession like this to happen here, and it would be a complete lie to say he didn't feel the exact same way about her. But it was just so incredibly sudden. His instincts screamed at him to pull her into a tight hug and tell her that his heart belonged to her too.

Then, Gomut's sharp voice shattered the moment, cutting through the heavy air of the cellar.

“Your time is officially up, lovebirds. Get ready. On the count of three, you have to speak those magical words.”