IELNDMH - Chapter 145 < To My Child's Side >






The view from the high tower was still the same.

There was not a single person or even a wild animal to be seen around.

Because it was always a shady place, there was only a handful of bright and warm light, and the air that hovered around was infinitely cool and dreary.

Lobelia looked down the tower through the small window.

In her previous life, this was the exact spot where many mixed-blood demons had shot fiery arrows, hoping to kill her.

They continued to shower curses on her.

They also did not forget the criticism that she was the worst Twin Grand Duchess in history.

Faces desperate to kill her.

As he was quietly thinking about that face, Lobelia's lips burst into laughter again.

'What is so good about that body that was trying so hard to kill me now?'

She doesn't understand, but it doesn't matter.

Anyway, she will soon return to her original body, and that innocent soul will burn to death here, framed as a wicked woman in Lobelia's body.

Like Rebecca in her past life.

At that time, she will inflict painful punishment on the monsters who shot her with their fiery arrows.

If Cedric were imprinted on her body, she would eventually have no choice but to comply with the absurd demand to exterminate all of those monsters.

'I remember all your faces.'

Even as she let out her kicking laugh, Lobelia occasionally pulled out her hair as if she could feel her headache.

“Lady, everything is ready. Now come here.”

She turned around when she heard the old woman's voice.

Inside the tower, the altar for the ceremony was already perfectly prepared.

A book written about her changing life, a coin thrown by an innocent soul in the other world, and her original body.

Rebecca, lying on the altar, was still unconscious.

She was lying limp with her hands tied behind her.

Lobelia looked at the sight with satisfaction, but then she quickly looked away.

Numerous puppets were seen standing, almost filling the narrow space.

The skinny, tall bodies crowded together so tightly that they creaked helplessly.

'Those monsters really make me feel bad whenever I see them.'

But there aren't many days left until she has to see that.

Lobelia smiled in satisfaction as she looked at Rebecca lying on the floor, still unconscious, with her hands bound.

“Lady, now that we are ready, let’s begin the ceremony.”

The old woman came closer to Lobelia and said.

Lobelia nodded her head, and the old woman soon stood in the center of a six-pointed star drawn on the floor.

Rebecca was already lying on the left side of the six-pointed star, and Lobelia slowly lay down on the right side.

Next to her was Rebecca's book, which had been her bait when summoning her, and next to Lobelia's was the coin she had thrown into the fountain, the object of her sinless soul.

Soon, the old woman standing in the middle of the two women began muttering an incantation that was difficult to understand.

As the ritual progressed, the voice reciting the incantation became increasingly fierce.

Her eyes gradually began to turn white, and her body trembled violently as if she had been struck by lightning.

She danced as if she were possessed by an evil spirit and chanted her spells as if she were singing.

Then the old woman’s head suddenly turned towards the sky.

And she slowly recited her last spell.

The time has finally arrived for the two women's bodies to change.

When she finally finished reciting the last word of the spell, the old woman slowly opened her closed eyes and looked down at Lobelia.

Her dark eyes returned to their usual state and soon her soft voice came out.

“Lady, the ceremony is complete. Now all that’s left is to wait for your body to change.”

Lobelia, who was lying down, looked up at the old woman with a furrowed brow.

It took time to exchange souls, even after completing the ritual.

At first, she thought it was a good idea to summon that innocent soul.

Because it would buy her time until she could return to the Twins' castle and argue with Cedric.

But now...

“Is there really no way to change my body faster? I need to change my body quickly before Cedric arrives here.”

Lobelia got up from her seat, biting her lip nervously.

She knew that if Rebecca disappeared, Cedric would immediately search for her whereabouts.

So she kidnapped Rebecca as quietly as possible.

He wouldn't notice right away that she was gone, so she wanted to buy herself some time, even if only for a moment.

The old woman slowly approached Lobelia, who could not hide her anxiety and opened her mouth.

“This woman, while she was away from the empire, she left all her people, and no one was seen guarding her mansion. So he probably doesn’t even know that this woman is gone yet.”

“..”

"Do not worry. The Lady will have returned to your original body by the time His Highness the Grand Duke appears.”

Said the old woman, looking down at Rebecca, who was still unconscious on the floor.

“Then, just as we planned, that soul will die by the hands of His Highness, falsely accused in Lobelia’s body.”

The old woman, who was smiling slightly, held Lobelia's hand and continued speaking in a softer voice.

“Lady, you will remember our promise, right? You must not forget your promise to give me Lillian’s heart, that precious item.”

Lobelia stared blankly at the old woman, who continued to urge her in an earnest manner.

'Seeing you being so earnest, I guess my body really changed before Cedric came.'

Assuming everything goes according to plan, the only person left to regret it is the old woman.

Lobelia slightly curled one corner of her lip and lightly shook the old woman's hand away.

“Hmm, well.”

At those words, the old woman opened her eyes and looked up at Lobelia.

"Lady..?”

But Lobelia just smiled her grin.

After tapping her lips with her index finger and looking worried for a moment, she turned to look at the old woman again.

“What if Cedric gets killed by Vincent after I give you that item? Then what happens to me?”

"But...!”

“I put in a lot of effort to get here, but if I give it to you and lose Cedric, it would be of no use.”

The old woman, who was staring blankly at Lobelia, who spoke with an indifferent expression, soon burst into laughter.

Lobelia looked at her with disgust in her eyes and continued her words as she looked around the interior of the tower.

“You don’t know how much pain I felt while reliving my life again and again. It is true that you helped, but I was the one who suffered all that pain myself.”

“...”

“So don’t feel too unfair. If it’s money, I’ll ask my husband and give you plenty.”

“...Ha, Lady.”

The old woman continued to laugh and say, ‘Lady, Lady...' 
She muttered slowly.

“Is it possible that this old man helped Lady materially and spiritually without any preparation?”

“...What does that mean?”

“It seems to be true that you have grown up beautifully. You’re so naive, tsk.”

At that moment, Lobelia grabbed the collar of the old woman who was mocking her and distorted her face fiercely.

“You damn old woman! I ask what kind of nonsense you are talking about!”

But the old woman just giggled while being held by the collar.

It was at that moment when Lobelia, who was looking down at her, saw a deep look of embarrassment and anger on her face.

Kwaang-!

The door opened with a harsh sound.

The eyes of the two women who were facing each other while holding each other's collars were focused on one place.

At the same time, their eyes opened wide as if torn apart.

“Uh, how already...”

The old woman blinked in disbelief and checked the other person again.

Cedric Twins. It was definitely him.

There were many mixed-blood demon knights by his side.

As he scanned the inside with fierce eyes, a cool voice soon came out from his lips.

“Did you finish the ceremony successfully?”

A series of grim mockery followed.

Lobelia, who was trembling like an aspen at the murderous look in the man's eyes, quickly grabbed the old woman's shoulders.

"What happened! I was supposed to switch bodies before Cedric came, but how did this happen?”

Even as she looked at Lobelia gritting her teeth and arguing, the old woman just had a bewildered expression on her face.

“Hey, this can’t be happening. Obviously, there was no one in that mansion...”

“It probably wasn’t there.”

At the sudden sound of a woman's voice, the eyes of the old woman and Lobelia slowly turned to the floor.

Then she saw the body of Rebecca, who had been lying with her back turned all along.

Eventually, the body slowly stood up, clearly revealing its murderous red eyes.

“No, it probably didn’t look like it. Just like you guys were waiting for me to show up... I also waited for you to come visit me.”

Lobelia couldn't hide her embarrassment when she saw her like that.

“You waited for me? Why?"

“For some reason. I needed this ritual as much as you. To sever the connection between my body and your soul. And...”

The red eyes facing Lobelia became as harsh as midwinter frost.

“To kill you.”

***

At that moment, the old woman’s expression suddenly changed, as if she had come to her senses.

Then she hurriedly ordered the puppets to attack.

At the same time, the Puppet and Twins knights began to fight against each other without any consideration of who would go first.

Cedric also cut down numerous puppets one after another with his sword.

'There will be some time before the ritual ends and your body changes. Then I will come and buy you time, and you can destroy the object she offered in her ritual. Especially if the object is a book... Let's get rid of the ending that they changed arbitrarily.'

As planned, I took advantage of the chaotic atmosphere and quickly reached for ‘that book’.

And that was when my hand reached the end of the book.

“Don’t touch it!”

Lobelia ran towards me and pushed my body.

The two bodies were tossed around and tangled together.

Lobelia finally climbed on top of me and put strong pressure on my shoulders.

And she was already tinged with madness as she glared at me with long eyes.

“If I can’t change my body, I have no choice but to kill you and remove Cedric’s imprint.”

“Ugh...!”

“And I just have to somehow get Cedric’s imprint, keke..."

Her eyes flashed with a look on her face that I couldn't tell if she was smiling or crying, and she immediately started strangling me.

Even though I was in pain, I continued to reach for the book next to me.

The distance between the book's edges can barely reach my fingertips.

I gritted my teeth and repeated with a red face due to shortness of breath.

That book must be destroyed.

Only then can I return to my family and... I can go back to my child.



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