Bloodshot blue eyes stared straight at me.
I immediately understood what that meant.
The dog, who had already betrayed its owner once, was seeking compensation from its new master.
“Then I forgive you.”
Rhodnes’ urgent hand grabbed my arm. But I didn’t take my eyes off Noevian.
A whirlpool formed in his deep blue eyes. But that was only for a moment. I saw the eyes that had been filled with agony flash with a new light of hope.
Noevian’s gaze, which had sunken deeply, went straight to the dagger I had thrown. The long, slightly emaciated hand slowly turned to the dagger.
“Uncle, uncle...”
The Crown Prince, frozen in fear, called out to Noevian while scratching the floor, and when Noevian didn’t hear an answer, he crawled to the entrance with all his might.
“Someone, someone, save me... Push the picture frame. Push the portrait of my mother, you idiots!”
The Crown Prince shouted in a frenzy at the still hesitating sound at the entrance.
A thud could be heard from far above. Voices agitated by the deep darkness came down the wall.
Noevian picked up the dagger.
“Come on, come down! Ugh... Damn it! Damn it! Uncle! Uncle, uncle!!”
Rhodnes’s hand that was holding onto my arm began to exert more strength. I lifted my free arm and wrapped it around the back of his hand.
Noevian, who suddenly got up, quickly walked towards Bardenaldo. Bardenaldo, who was barely able to get up by leaning on the wall at the entrance of the stairs, was turned around by him.
Thud.
The dog, who had already betrayed its owner once, was seeking compensation from its new master.
“Then I forgive you.”
Rhodnes’ urgent hand grabbed my arm. But I didn’t take my eyes off Noevian.
A whirlpool formed in his deep blue eyes. But that was only for a moment. I saw the eyes that had been filled with agony flash with a new light of hope.
Noevian’s gaze, which had sunken deeply, went straight to the dagger I had thrown. The long, slightly emaciated hand slowly turned to the dagger.
“Uncle, uncle...”
The Crown Prince, frozen in fear, called out to Noevian while scratching the floor, and when Noevian didn’t hear an answer, he crawled to the entrance with all his might.
“Someone, someone, save me... Push the picture frame. Push the portrait of my mother, you idiots!”
The Crown Prince shouted in a frenzy at the still hesitating sound at the entrance.
A thud could be heard from far above. Voices agitated by the deep darkness came down the wall.
Noevian picked up the dagger.
“Come on, come down! Ugh... Damn it! Damn it! Uncle! Uncle, uncle!!”
Rhodnes’s hand that was holding onto my arm began to exert more strength. I lifted my free arm and wrapped it around the back of his hand.
Noevian, who suddenly got up, quickly walked towards Bardenaldo. Bardenaldo, who was barely able to get up by leaning on the wall at the entrance of the stairs, was turned around by him.
Thud.
Noevian, whose expression was unreadable, finally stabbed the dagger into his lord’s heart.
The Crown Prince, with his face filled with fear, hugged Noevian’s body tightly and fell down.
At the same time, Rhodnes also fell to his knees.
The hot hand that was holding my arm slid down and grabbed my hand tightly.
With the hand that wasn’t holding me, Rhodnes covered his face and moaned softly.
No matter how much he was betrayed and saw the truth, it would take time to blow away all the memories he had with Bardenaldo.
Just like I did in the past when I cut Noevian Trovica out of my heart.
I eventually stroked Rhodnes’ head, which was buried in my face, with both hands as if comforting him.
Then I immediately tore off one of the gorgeous tapestries hanging on the wall and covered the fallen Blie.
The tapestry was so big that covering the body of a small woman was no problem.
Noevian’s gaze, which had turned away from the fallen Crown Prince, followed me intently.
The eyes of a dog that wanted compensation.
I smiled, but at the same time, my eyes distorted.
“Noah.”
At the word Noah that flowed from my mouth, a faint light bloomed at the end of Noevian’s dark gaze.
“I forgive you.”
“Adrienne...”
“But that doesn’t mean I’ll go back to you?”
His mouth twitched, unable to speak.
The days when I wanted to be Noevian’s hell were already in the past for me.
I didn’t even want to be his hell anymore. I just didn’t want to be anything to each other.
Becoming Noevian’s hell would be better than the fallen Blie.
I covered Blie’s body with the tapestry more carefully and straightened up.
Noevian just stood there, staring blankly at me. I saw the back of his hand, stained with Bardenaldo’s blood, trembling.
His face was quite miserable as he realized that neither love nor affection... nor even anger or contempt was permeating my eyes.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!!”
I heard gasps.
The doctor that Rhodnes had called, as well as the knights and their companions who had dragged Noevian out of the small forest earlier, rushed in.
Those who entered the secret room gaped at the gruesome sight.
Some were so shocked that they collapsed on the floor.
I took advantage of the confusion and hugged Rhodnes, who had gotten up. Rhodnes looked down at me, flinching.
“Ugh, Your Highness, Crown Prince! Your Highness!!”
“Your Highness! Your Highness!!”
The doctor frantically examined the Crown Prince, wondering if he was still breathing.
“Quickly, quickly, Your Highness, get out!!”
I buried my face in Rhodnes’s arms and stared at the Crown Prince as he was carried out of the basement in the knight’s arms.
The few remaining knights looked at Noevian and Rhodnes with bewildered eyes.
While still in Rhodnes’ arms, I pointed to Noevian Trovica, who had quietly stabbed the Crown Prince.
“The Grand Duke, His Highness...!”
The Crown Prince, with his face filled with fear, hugged Noevian’s body tightly and fell down.
At the same time, Rhodnes also fell to his knees.
The hot hand that was holding my arm slid down and grabbed my hand tightly.
With the hand that wasn’t holding me, Rhodnes covered his face and moaned softly.
No matter how much he was betrayed and saw the truth, it would take time to blow away all the memories he had with Bardenaldo.
Just like I did in the past when I cut Noevian Trovica out of my heart.
I eventually stroked Rhodnes’ head, which was buried in my face, with both hands as if comforting him.
Then I immediately tore off one of the gorgeous tapestries hanging on the wall and covered the fallen Blie.
The tapestry was so big that covering the body of a small woman was no problem.
Noevian’s gaze, which had turned away from the fallen Crown Prince, followed me intently.
The eyes of a dog that wanted compensation.
I smiled, but at the same time, my eyes distorted.
“Noah.”
At the word Noah that flowed from my mouth, a faint light bloomed at the end of Noevian’s dark gaze.
“I forgive you.”
“Adrienne...”
“But that doesn’t mean I’ll go back to you?”
His mouth twitched, unable to speak.
The days when I wanted to be Noevian’s hell were already in the past for me.
I didn’t even want to be his hell anymore. I just didn’t want to be anything to each other.
Becoming Noevian’s hell would be better than the fallen Blie.
I covered Blie’s body with the tapestry more carefully and straightened up.
Noevian just stood there, staring blankly at me. I saw the back of his hand, stained with Bardenaldo’s blood, trembling.
His face was quite miserable as he realized that neither love nor affection... nor even anger or contempt was permeating my eyes.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!!”
I heard gasps.
The doctor that Rhodnes had called, as well as the knights and their companions who had dragged Noevian out of the small forest earlier, rushed in.
Those who entered the secret room gaped at the gruesome sight.
Some were so shocked that they collapsed on the floor.
I took advantage of the confusion and hugged Rhodnes, who had gotten up. Rhodnes looked down at me, flinching.
“Ugh, Your Highness, Crown Prince! Your Highness!!”
“Your Highness! Your Highness!!”
The doctor frantically examined the Crown Prince, wondering if he was still breathing.
“Quickly, quickly, Your Highness, get out!!”
I buried my face in Rhodnes’s arms and stared at the Crown Prince as he was carried out of the basement in the knight’s arms.
The few remaining knights looked at Noevian and Rhodnes with bewildered eyes.
While still in Rhodnes’ arms, I pointed to Noevian Trovica, who had quietly stabbed the Crown Prince.
“The Grand Duke, His Highness...!”
There was no need for further explanation.
They were not there to ask who stabbed the Crown Prince. He just wanted to confirm it with me.
The despairing face of Rhodnes who saw his brother suffer right before his eyes.
The disheveled appearance of Noevian Trovica, who still had a grudge. And the bloodstain clearly left on his hand and the appearance of the Crown Prince who had collapsed in front of him was enough to deduce.
'Noevian Trovica, who had been kicked out of the position of the leader of the Empress crown Prince's faction, tried to assassinate Crown Prince Bardenaldo out of resentment.'
It was an extremely simple conclusion.
"Call the 2nd Knights."
"Your Highness, Your Highness, what is this?"
"Noevian Trovica has assassinated the Crown Prince."
As soon as Rhodnes confirmed it, the two knights who had initially let go of Noevian caught him with their teeth clenched. Noevian's eyes stayed on me as he was dragged away with both arms captured.
The rest of them, who were trembling as they looked at the corpses on display, disappeared to call the 2nd Knights who would be in charge of the investigation here.
They were exhausted by the dazzling secret room and the feast of the numerous corpses displayed in it, so they ran up to the surface.
Naturally, they had no time to pay attention to the tapestry-covered Blie and the strangely empty glass coffin. Only then did Blie’s blood, the Crown Prince’s blood, and the strangely damp and humid smell clearly enter their noses.
Only Rhodnes and I were left underground.
When I tried to pull away for a moment while still being held, Rhodnes hugged me tighter.
We stayed like that for a long time.
No one could say anything to each other, but we listened to each other’s breathing.
Rhodnes no longer cried, but occasionally his body trembled as if he was sobbing.
“I should have finished it.”
Rhodnes’ low voice cut through the thick silence. His voice sounded like his heart was completely torn, so I just hugged his waist tighter.
Even in confusion, Rhodnes pulled me in and hugged me tightly several times as if confirming my existence after I came back to life.
“Roan. When you need help, you get it.”
“...”
“Even if you were me, you wouldn’t have left Bardenaldo’s end to me.”
Was the Crown Prince dead?
Strangely, I didn’t think it mattered whether Bardenaldo was dead or not.
‘It’s over.’
Just the thought that this tiresome fight seemed to have ended filled me with satisfaction.
Maybe it was thanks to Rhodnes by my side.
I stabbed Crown Prince Bardenaldo in the heart with Noevian Trovica’s hand. That would be a decent revenge.
Of course, it would take time to find out how Crown Prince Bardenaldo tried to kill me and take my body, but in any case, the result was there.
I quietly escaped from Rhodnes, who still didn’t want to let go of me, and approached Blie.
I carefully removed the tapestry and examined Blie’s pale face.
“!”
Just in case, I put my finger under her nose and she was clearly breathing, though faintly.
I shook Blie’s body urgently.
Despite her faint breathing, her face did not frown even slightly.
Like a breathing doll. If I hadn’t focused, I would have thought she was dead, as she was only breathing faintly.
Rhodnes, who had approached me without a trace and examined her as well, looked at me with surprised eyes.
I unconsciously fumbled with the pendant.
Then I opened the pendant absentmindedly and looked at it for a while before shaking it carefully.
There was a slight rattling sound as if there were stones inside.
I opened the gap on the lid that I hadn’t even thought of opening and there was a green stone that sparkled like a pebble.
“...Is it a mana stone?”
Rhodnes, who had come up behind me, immediately recognized the stone’s identity. It was also the exact same color as the stone that supported my glass coffin.
I looked around.
The other coffins were decorated with flowers like the gorgeous flowers that decorated this room, but my coffin was different.
It was exactly the same as the flowers I had seen on the first day of the funeral.
Since he couldn’t open the coffin, Bardenaldo couldn’t decorate it with flowers that he liked. But the flowers in my coffin were fresh as if they had just been picked.
“This mana stone seems to have stopped time in my body, just like this flower here.”
I touched the flower buds that were still fresh even after 100 days, and I put the stone in the pendant.
“Maybe...”
I looked down at Blie and swallowed a dry breath.
“I looked dead, but maybe that’s how I was.”
“!”
“Who knows the truth? I have no memory after the feeling of my breath stopping, and if the coffin was only opened by my hand with this necklace, no one else would have been able to confirm my death after I first confirmed it.”
“But how could that be...”
“Dead people come back to life, so maybe you can make a living person look dead if you put your mind to it.”
Even though I had almost figured out the truth about revenge, I was thirsty for another truth.
I felt very, very strange.
As if I had taken away that woman’s vitality, I could breathe much easier and my body felt stronger than before.
Blie, if I’m not actually dead...?
“Roan. Help me... please.”
In a flash of thought, I asked Rhodnes to pick up that woman and place her in the coffin.
No matter how much I wiped, the blood that kept gushing out from her side stopped as soon as Blie went into the glass coffin. The more I moved my body, the more I realized that I wasn’t a soul that would come back to life for a moment and then disappear.
It was a conviction, almost instinctive, that I wasn’t completely dead to begin with.
Looking at Blie, whose blood had stopped, I thought for a moment.
As if possessed, I opened the closet in the corner, and there were beautiful clothes for Bardenaldo's doll play.
I changed Blie into a dress that was the most similar color to the one I was wearing now.
Beautiful dresses for the dead were not uncomfortable dresses to wear while alive, but comfortable.
Rhodnes seemed about to ask questions with a bewildered face, but he helped me without saying a word.
Blie was completely placed in the glass coffin where I had been lying until just now.
Coincidentally, it had been nearly two weeks since I had recovered and woken up.
The roots of Blie's hair were shining gold enough to be noticed only when I looked closely.
I brought the beautiful flowers in the vase, broke the flower buds, and scattered them over it.
"Call the 2nd Knights."
"Your Highness, Your Highness, what is this?"
"Noevian Trovica has assassinated the Crown Prince."
As soon as Rhodnes confirmed it, the two knights who had initially let go of Noevian caught him with their teeth clenched. Noevian's eyes stayed on me as he was dragged away with both arms captured.
The rest of them, who were trembling as they looked at the corpses on display, disappeared to call the 2nd Knights who would be in charge of the investigation here.
They were exhausted by the dazzling secret room and the feast of the numerous corpses displayed in it, so they ran up to the surface.
Naturally, they had no time to pay attention to the tapestry-covered Blie and the strangely empty glass coffin. Only then did Blie’s blood, the Crown Prince’s blood, and the strangely damp and humid smell clearly enter their noses.
Only Rhodnes and I were left underground.
When I tried to pull away for a moment while still being held, Rhodnes hugged me tighter.
We stayed like that for a long time.
No one could say anything to each other, but we listened to each other’s breathing.
Rhodnes no longer cried, but occasionally his body trembled as if he was sobbing.
“I should have finished it.”
Rhodnes’ low voice cut through the thick silence. His voice sounded like his heart was completely torn, so I just hugged his waist tighter.
Even in confusion, Rhodnes pulled me in and hugged me tightly several times as if confirming my existence after I came back to life.
“Roan. When you need help, you get it.”
“...”
“Even if you were me, you wouldn’t have left Bardenaldo’s end to me.”
Was the Crown Prince dead?
Strangely, I didn’t think it mattered whether Bardenaldo was dead or not.
‘It’s over.’
Just the thought that this tiresome fight seemed to have ended filled me with satisfaction.
Maybe it was thanks to Rhodnes by my side.
I stabbed Crown Prince Bardenaldo in the heart with Noevian Trovica’s hand. That would be a decent revenge.
Of course, it would take time to find out how Crown Prince Bardenaldo tried to kill me and take my body, but in any case, the result was there.
I quietly escaped from Rhodnes, who still didn’t want to let go of me, and approached Blie.
I carefully removed the tapestry and examined Blie’s pale face.
“!”
Just in case, I put my finger under her nose and she was clearly breathing, though faintly.
I shook Blie’s body urgently.
Despite her faint breathing, her face did not frown even slightly.
Like a breathing doll. If I hadn’t focused, I would have thought she was dead, as she was only breathing faintly.
Rhodnes, who had approached me without a trace and examined her as well, looked at me with surprised eyes.
I unconsciously fumbled with the pendant.
Then I opened the pendant absentmindedly and looked at it for a while before shaking it carefully.
There was a slight rattling sound as if there were stones inside.
I opened the gap on the lid that I hadn’t even thought of opening and there was a green stone that sparkled like a pebble.
“...Is it a mana stone?”
Rhodnes, who had come up behind me, immediately recognized the stone’s identity. It was also the exact same color as the stone that supported my glass coffin.
I looked around.
The other coffins were decorated with flowers like the gorgeous flowers that decorated this room, but my coffin was different.
It was exactly the same as the flowers I had seen on the first day of the funeral.
Since he couldn’t open the coffin, Bardenaldo couldn’t decorate it with flowers that he liked. But the flowers in my coffin were fresh as if they had just been picked.
“This mana stone seems to have stopped time in my body, just like this flower here.”
I touched the flower buds that were still fresh even after 100 days, and I put the stone in the pendant.
“Maybe...”
I looked down at Blie and swallowed a dry breath.
“I looked dead, but maybe that’s how I was.”
“!”
“Who knows the truth? I have no memory after the feeling of my breath stopping, and if the coffin was only opened by my hand with this necklace, no one else would have been able to confirm my death after I first confirmed it.”
“But how could that be...”
“Dead people come back to life, so maybe you can make a living person look dead if you put your mind to it.”
Even though I had almost figured out the truth about revenge, I was thirsty for another truth.
I felt very, very strange.
As if I had taken away that woman’s vitality, I could breathe much easier and my body felt stronger than before.
Blie, if I’m not actually dead...?
“Roan. Help me... please.”
In a flash of thought, I asked Rhodnes to pick up that woman and place her in the coffin.
No matter how much I wiped, the blood that kept gushing out from her side stopped as soon as Blie went into the glass coffin. The more I moved my body, the more I realized that I wasn’t a soul that would come back to life for a moment and then disappear.
It was a conviction, almost instinctive, that I wasn’t completely dead to begin with.
Looking at Blie, whose blood had stopped, I thought for a moment.
As if possessed, I opened the closet in the corner, and there were beautiful clothes for Bardenaldo's doll play.
I changed Blie into a dress that was the most similar color to the one I was wearing now.
Beautiful dresses for the dead were not uncomfortable dresses to wear while alive, but comfortable.
Rhodnes seemed about to ask questions with a bewildered face, but he helped me without saying a word.
Blie was completely placed in the glass coffin where I had been lying until just now.
Coincidentally, it had been nearly two weeks since I had recovered and woken up.
The roots of Blie's hair were shining gold enough to be noticed only when I looked closely.
I brought the beautiful flowers in the vase, broke the flower buds, and scattered them over it.
"...Adrienne?"
Rhodnes called me, vaguely sensing what I was going to do.
I fell into a rising, inexplicable elation.
When I grabbed the vase, went to the fountain, filled it with water, and sprinkled it on Blie’s hair, the elation reached its peak.
“Adrienne, what on earth...?”
Rhodnes called me, vaguely sensing what I was going to do.
I fell into a rising, inexplicable elation.
When I grabbed the vase, went to the fountain, filled it with water, and sprinkled it on Blie’s hair, the elation reached its peak.
“Adrienne, what on earth...?”
Blie’s hair instantly turned golden, just like I had seen it before. Like magic.
Rhodnes looked down at the scene, speechless.
‘If this isn’t reincarnation or possession... if our souls just switched. If I wasn’t actually dead but alive, it must be because of you.’
There was no evidence, but I couldn’t help but be certain. Blie had done something.
I looked down at Blie and placed my hand on her cheek.
The lukewarm temperature of my hand, which had returned to its original state, warmed her cheek.
‘Is this the truth you wanted me to confirm?’
After looking at her for a while, I quietly closed the glass case. The dome-shaped glass lid was tightly closed as if it would never open again.
If the mana stone underneath had stopped time in her body as I had guessed...
“...I’ll wake you up.”
She had woken me up from my ignorance and brought me here, so now it was her turn to open her eyes.
And it was her turn to tell me the remaining truth, or whatever it was.
However, Blie did not answer my whisper in the glass chamber, which was that she would wake me up.
“So, this time, you will be Adrienne.”
I have been living like you for the past few months.
That’s how.
Blie Acacia became Adrienne Piretta.
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