The Useless Prince Is A Gangster
Chapter 75. Captive

Chapter 75: 75. Captive

Content Warning: Graphic depictions of violence and torture.

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In the dim glow of candlelight, young Leonhardt sits in a chair beside his mother’s grand four-poster bed, its velvet curtains drawn back to reveal her frail form.

His crimson eyes filled with unshed tears. Teenage Liana stood in the back, her hands clasped tightly, her face filled with worry.

The room smelled of lavender and medicine, the Duchess, her once-vibrant beauty now a ghostly, managed a radiant smile as she reached out, her trembling fingers brushing away the tears streaming down his cheeks. "Leo," she whispered, her voice soft yet carrying the strength of a mother’s love. "Why are you crying?"

Leonhardt’s lips quivered, his voice breaking as he clutched her hand. "They say... they say you’re going to die, Mother." His tears fell faster. "I heard servants talking, Father’s cold silence... even Stepmother said it."

The Duchess’s eyes flickered with something fierce. She gestured weakly, and Liana hurried forward, gently helping her sit up on the bed. "Come here, my child," the Duchess said, her arms open despite the strain it cost her.

Leonhardt scrambled onto the bed, curling into her embrace, his sobs muffled against her shoulder. She held him tightly, as if love alone could anchor her to this world. "Who dares say I’ll die?" she murmured, her tone laced with a playfulness. "I heard those whispers too. But they don’t know me, Leo. They don’t know us."

He pulled back, his tear-streaked face searching hers. "I can’t lose you, Mother. You’re... you’re the only one who loves me. The only one who sees me."

"Lose me? Never." She tucked a lock of his red hair behind his ear, her touch tender. "I’ll always be with you, Leo—telling you stories, guiding you, even when you can’t see me." Her voice grew softer, conspiratorial. "You believe me?"

He sniffed. "Really?"

"Really," she said. "Now, shall I tell you a story to prove it?"

"What story?"

"The story of a Hero," she said, her eyes gleaming. "A guiding star, destined to burn bright against the darkest night. A star... just like you."

Present

The prison corridor stretched endlessly before Leo, a tunnel of shadow carved from cold stone. Serion led the way. The air was filled with the stench of mildew and blood. Empty cells lined the walls, their iron bars rusted.

At the corridor’s end, Serion stopped before the final cell. Leo looked through the bars, his crimson eyes narrowing at the sight.

A woman sat tied to a chair, her body a canvas of brutality. Blood soaked her torn clothes, seeping from a number of cuts and gashes that crisscrossed her skin. Her eyes were blindfolded with a filthy rag, and her head hung low, though her chest rose and fell with defiant breaths.

The scene was gruesome, enough to make a normal person faint. Leo, however, stood unfazed, his expression cold. He knew Serion’s reputation as the kingdom’s most ruthless interrogator; this was his handiwork, a masterpiece of cruelty.

Leo’s voice cut through the silence. "She didn’t spill anything after this level of interrogation?"

Serion turned. "Scared, kid?"

Leo’s lips curled into a smirk. "Scared? Nah. I’m excited. Even your methods couldn’t break her. That’s impressive."

The prison guard unlocked the cell with a heavy clank. Serion and Leo stepped inside, the professors remaining outside.

Serion gestured toward the woman. "I’ve tried every technique in my arsenal," he said, his voice low. "In all my years, no one’s held out this long. She’s... unnatural."

The woman chuckled. "You think your puny techniques can break me, old man?" she taunted, her voice dripping with mockery despite her mangled state.

Leo studies her. "She’s prepared for everything," he said, his tone almost admiring. "Body and mind."

The woman’s head tilted slightly, catching his voice. She laughed again. "What’s this? You brought a kid to interrogate me now? How adorable."

Leo sighed, stepping closer. "Hello, pretty lady," he said, his voice deceptively polite. "My name’s Leonhardt. Or, if you prefer... one of your potential Ruler’s Prophecy."

Her breath hitched, her body stiffening as if struck. "Ruler’s Prophecy?" she whispered, her voice trembling for the first time.

Leo leaned in, his grin sharp as a blade. "So, lady, let’s make a deal. Tell me who you are. Why are you targeting me? Answer kindly, and I’ll ask the big guy here to stop your torture. Simple, right?"

The woman’s lips twitched, and then she erupted into laughter—loud, manic, as if Leo had told the greatest joke in the world. "Kid," she gasped, "you think asking politely will make me spill? You really are a child."

Leo’s expression didn’t change. Without a word, he turned to the rusted table nearby filled with cruel instruments. He grabbed a thin, serrated knife. In a single, fluid motion, he stepped forward and drove the knife into her knee, the blade sinking deep into flesh and grinding against bone.

The woman’s scream tore through the cell, raw and guttural, her body convulsing against the restraints. The professors outside flinched a little, Isolde’s hand flying to her mouth. Even Serion’s eyes widened slightly, though he said nothing.

But the woman’s scream faded into a low, eerie chuckle. She gritted her teeth, her blindfolded face twisting into a smile that was equal parts pain and defiance. "Is... that... all?"

Serion crossed his arms. "Told you, kid. We’ve tried everything—blades, fire, even mana-draining curses. She hasn’t spilled a single piece of information."

"That’s because she’s been conditioned," Leo said, his voice low, almost to himself. "Her body, her mind... she’s been trained for this moment, adapted to endure anything." He set the knife down and reached his pocket to take some box out, a set of thin needles. He held one up, its surface shimmering with a subtle electric glow as he channeled a small amount of lightning mana. "But pain isn’t just physical. It’s about precision."

He stepped closer, his voice low, almost conversational. "You’ve built a wall around your mind, haven’t you? Let’s see how it holds up."

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