Episode 28. Am I Dying Now?
Kelita took a bite of the chocolate cookie on the table.
Crunch.
At the sound of the cookie shattering, Rosie, standing a short distance away from her, rounded her shoulders and lowered her head.
Kelita glanced at Rosie and spoke in a calm tone.
“I’m so disappointed, Rosie. I clearly told you to tell her about the tea time with that woman; I didn’t want everyone who shouldn’t have been there to show up.”
“I’m sorry, Princess.”
Kelita chewed the cookie, her eyes downcast.
“Still, the cookies were delicious.”
Rosie fidgeted, watching Kelita’s expression.
“Why... No. It’s enough now.”
If Rosie hadn’t flicked her lips, the situation wouldn’t have escalated to this point.
The blonde woman could have just been the one to take the blame.
Kelita felt her heart sink again as she recalled the moment Lacrahan took the blonde woman's cup.
"If I had been just a little more courageous, His Royal Highness Lacrahan would have been in danger."
This morning, Kelita had tried to add medicine to the blonde woman's tea, but her hands were shaking and she ultimately failed.
"I've been thinking about it, and I think this is a much better idea. Don't be so upset, Rosie."
"Yes, Princess."
Crunch, crunch.
Kelita picked up another cookie, the one she'd been wary of gaining weight.
Cookies.
She heard thunder and lightning crashing outside, and she dusted the cookie crumbs off her hands and picked up her teacup.
Pushing the chair aside, she stood and walked toward the window.
In the darkened landscape, she saw the castle residents running wildly.
"There's no word to come, and it's raining."
"Is it raining?"
"Yeah, look here. Everyone's running around like dogs."
A smile spread across Kelita's lips as she sipped her tea.
"How is it, Rosie? That woman is dead, right?"
"J-Jeez, dead?"
Kelita blinked at Rosie with an innocent expression.
"No. I misspoke."
Her face was cold as she turned her head toward the window.
Judging by the silence, no one had noticed.
"Well, maybe she's not dead."
Honestly, Kelita didn't know whether the potion was killing or driving people mad.
She didn't have time to think about it.
The Emperor wouldn't leave her alone if she returned to the palace in this condition anyway, so it was better to do something here.
"I'm glad I met the old man."
Kelita drank the tea in her hand.
If she hadn't met the old man in the forest, she would have been crying alone like a fool, resenting this situation.
"I liked it first. Everyone else knows nothing."
The day Lacrahan returned to the empire after the war between the three continents ended, Kelita had first seen him.
His eyes were wounded, as if soaked in sorrow, and his pale skin was a rarity in Periat.
Rumor had it he was a devil.
The sight of him running through the battlefield, covered in crimson blood, was nothing short of demonic.
But seeing him in person, he was as lonely and beautiful as a wounded beast.
That was the beginning of unrequited love.
"She's the one who tried to get in the way and take it. I did nothing wrong."
Kelita muttered as she looked out the window, suddenly turned by the commotion of the crowd.
Lacrahan's castle was structured around a large central plaza, surrounded by four large castles and smaller ones, and the plaza was in utter disarray.
"...Huh?"
At the corner of the plaza, a woman stood silently gazing at the sky.
With wavy blond hair and clear eyes.
It was that woman.
The woman who drugged Kelita's cookies.
"Why are you okay?"
As Kelita muttered, a torrential downpour began.
“...”
Kelita reached out and quickly wiped the moisture off the window, then placed her eyes there.
“Am I going to die now?”
The first thing Bercheria saw when she opened her eyes was the pattern on the floor.
How did she pass out?
Ah. Tatiana gave me cookies, and I passed out right after eating them.
"My body... is... strange."
An unknown power surged within her.
Her entire body was seething, making it difficult to remain still.
The heat contained within was so intense that she felt as if she would burn if she didn't somehow release it.
A terrible urge, one she had never felt before, was shaking her.
"Lac, Lacrahan."
Bercheria searched for the only person who could save her.
Perhaps her power had begun to run wild.
If that were true, it wouldn't be strange if she died immediately.
That's why she had to find Lacrahan.
Her instincts knew that she could only survive by staying by his side.
Suddenly, Bercheria opened the door and stepped outside.
Her eyes were unfocused, and each step felt as difficult as walking through a swamp.
"How did..."
Her hair puffed out, enveloping her small body.
A piercing light emanated from her usually calm golden eyes.
"Lac. Lacrahan."
Bercheria muttered, unable to steady her staggering body.
Every time her shoulder bumped against the walls of the hallway, a bone-shattering pain surged through her.
The tattoo wrapped around her left foot writhed like a snake.
Bercheria simply walked down the hallway and outside.
A bang.
As she stepped outside, clouds darkened above Bercheria, who was standing at the castle entrance.
“Haa.”
She stood there, looking up at the sky.
“Look over there!”
People stared in amazement at the clouds gathering above her head.
Some even came out from inside the castle to witness this spectacle.
“My goodness. What is that?”
“Isn’t that the woman who saved the children from the warehouse?”
Blonde hair swayed in the air, and a flash of thunder erupted above.
The people who had been staring blankly at her were startled by the sudden downpour of lightning and ran in all directions.
“Whoa!”
“What the heck!”
As lightning struck from the clear sky, everyone except the knights guarding the castle fled.
Those inside the castle also rushed out, and in an instant, the square became a mess.
Kwaku!
The sky seemed angry.
The screams of people startled by fear could be heard here and there.
“Haa.”
Bercheria gasped, unable to move.
The power coursing through her body felt like it would explode at any moment, making it impossible to take a single step. She felt like throwing herself into frigid water.
She wondered if swallowing a fireball would be like this.
“If only it rained more. No. Something stronger than that. This rain isn’t enough.”
Bercheria tilted her head to look straight at the sky, and a torrential downpour struck.
Swish!
It was so powerful, it felt like a hole had been ripped through her.
Bercheria closed her eyes and accepted the rain pouring down on her.
The raindrops fell so hard that her skin hurt, but it only made her feel more tingly.
The heat boiling inside her didn’t subside; it only grew stronger.
Thump.
Thump.
The pouring rain seemed to pause in midair for a moment, then clumped together into a solid mass.
Then, in an instant, it slammed into the ground, transforming into a torrent of hail.
“Ugh!”
Kelita took a bite of the chocolate cookie on the table.
Crunch.
At the sound of the cookie shattering, Rosie, standing a short distance away from her, rounded her shoulders and lowered her head.
Kelita glanced at Rosie and spoke in a calm tone.
“I’m so disappointed, Rosie. I clearly told you to tell her about the tea time with that woman; I didn’t want everyone who shouldn’t have been there to show up.”
“I’m sorry, Princess.”
Kelita chewed the cookie, her eyes downcast.
“Still, the cookies were delicious.”
Rosie fidgeted, watching Kelita’s expression.
“Why... No. It’s enough now.”
If Rosie hadn’t flicked her lips, the situation wouldn’t have escalated to this point.
The blonde woman could have just been the one to take the blame.
Kelita felt her heart sink again as she recalled the moment Lacrahan took the blonde woman's cup.
"If I had been just a little more courageous, His Royal Highness Lacrahan would have been in danger."
This morning, Kelita had tried to add medicine to the blonde woman's tea, but her hands were shaking and she ultimately failed.
"I've been thinking about it, and I think this is a much better idea. Don't be so upset, Rosie."
"Yes, Princess."
Crunch, crunch.
Kelita picked up another cookie, the one she'd been wary of gaining weight.
Cookies.
She heard thunder and lightning crashing outside, and she dusted the cookie crumbs off her hands and picked up her teacup.
Pushing the chair aside, she stood and walked toward the window.
In the darkened landscape, she saw the castle residents running wildly.
"There's no word to come, and it's raining."
"Is it raining?"
"Yeah, look here. Everyone's running around like dogs."
A smile spread across Kelita's lips as she sipped her tea.
"How is it, Rosie? That woman is dead, right?"
"J-Jeez, dead?"
Kelita blinked at Rosie with an innocent expression.
"No. I misspoke."
Her face was cold as she turned her head toward the window.
Judging by the silence, no one had noticed.
"Well, maybe she's not dead."
Honestly, Kelita didn't know whether the potion was killing or driving people mad.
She didn't have time to think about it.
The Emperor wouldn't leave her alone if she returned to the palace in this condition anyway, so it was better to do something here.
"I'm glad I met the old man."
Kelita drank the tea in her hand.
If she hadn't met the old man in the forest, she would have been crying alone like a fool, resenting this situation.
"I liked it first. Everyone else knows nothing."
The day Lacrahan returned to the empire after the war between the three continents ended, Kelita had first seen him.
His eyes were wounded, as if soaked in sorrow, and his pale skin was a rarity in Periat.
Rumor had it he was a devil.
The sight of him running through the battlefield, covered in crimson blood, was nothing short of demonic.
But seeing him in person, he was as lonely and beautiful as a wounded beast.
That was the beginning of unrequited love.
"She's the one who tried to get in the way and take it. I did nothing wrong."
Kelita muttered as she looked out the window, suddenly turned by the commotion of the crowd.
Lacrahan's castle was structured around a large central plaza, surrounded by four large castles and smaller ones, and the plaza was in utter disarray.
"...Huh?"
At the corner of the plaza, a woman stood silently gazing at the sky.
With wavy blond hair and clear eyes.
It was that woman.
The woman who drugged Kelita's cookies.
"Why are you okay?"
As Kelita muttered, a torrential downpour began.
“...”
Kelita reached out and quickly wiped the moisture off the window, then placed her eyes there.
“Am I going to die now?”
***
The first thing Bercheria saw when she opened her eyes was the pattern on the floor.
How did she pass out?
Ah. Tatiana gave me cookies, and I passed out right after eating them.
"My body... is... strange."
An unknown power surged within her.
Her entire body was seething, making it difficult to remain still.
The heat contained within was so intense that she felt as if she would burn if she didn't somehow release it.
A terrible urge, one she had never felt before, was shaking her.
"Lac, Lacrahan."
Bercheria searched for the only person who could save her.
Perhaps her power had begun to run wild.
If that were true, it wouldn't be strange if she died immediately.
That's why she had to find Lacrahan.
Her instincts knew that she could only survive by staying by his side.
Suddenly, Bercheria opened the door and stepped outside.
Her eyes were unfocused, and each step felt as difficult as walking through a swamp.
"How did..."
Her hair puffed out, enveloping her small body.
A piercing light emanated from her usually calm golden eyes.
"Lac. Lacrahan."
Bercheria muttered, unable to steady her staggering body.
Every time her shoulder bumped against the walls of the hallway, a bone-shattering pain surged through her.
The tattoo wrapped around her left foot writhed like a snake.
Bercheria simply walked down the hallway and outside.
A bang.
As she stepped outside, clouds darkened above Bercheria, who was standing at the castle entrance.
“Haa.”
She stood there, looking up at the sky.
“Look over there!”
People stared in amazement at the clouds gathering above her head.
Some even came out from inside the castle to witness this spectacle.
“My goodness. What is that?”
“Isn’t that the woman who saved the children from the warehouse?”
Blonde hair swayed in the air, and a flash of thunder erupted above.
The people who had been staring blankly at her were startled by the sudden downpour of lightning and ran in all directions.
“Whoa!”
“What the heck!”
As lightning struck from the clear sky, everyone except the knights guarding the castle fled.
Those inside the castle also rushed out, and in an instant, the square became a mess.
Kwaku!
The sky seemed angry.
The screams of people startled by fear could be heard here and there.
“Haa.”
Bercheria gasped, unable to move.
The power coursing through her body felt like it would explode at any moment, making it impossible to take a single step. She felt like throwing herself into frigid water.
She wondered if swallowing a fireball would be like this.
“If only it rained more. No. Something stronger than that. This rain isn’t enough.”
Bercheria tilted her head to look straight at the sky, and a torrential downpour struck.
Swish!
It was so powerful, it felt like a hole had been ripped through her.
Bercheria closed her eyes and accepted the rain pouring down on her.
The raindrops fell so hard that her skin hurt, but it only made her feel more tingly.
The heat boiling inside her didn’t subside; it only grew stronger.
Thump.
Thump.
The pouring rain seemed to pause in midair for a moment, then clumped together into a solid mass.
Then, in an instant, it slammed into the ground, transforming into a torrent of hail.
“Ugh!”
Hailstones the size of a baby’s fist shattered the castle walls.
The horses ran wild, and the shelters and channels built to catch the rain crumbled like toys.
“Get out of here! Hurry up! Go to the barn!”
“Oh my, this is a disaster. What a bolt from the blue!”
Someone ran and fell, struck on the head by a hailstone.
The scene here was hellish.
Everyone was running, dodging, shouting, desperately trying to protect what was theirs.
A large hailstone slammed into a horse’s back, and a startled horse snapped its leash and bolted out of the stable.
“Huh? Get out of here!”
Screams rang out as the horse rampaged, attacking people indiscriminately.
“Get him!”
The hail made it impossible to see, and the horse was extremely excited, making it difficult to catch him.
Several of the knights rushed forward, but were repeatedly defeated.
Another man suffered a broken rib.
“Go and bring His Highness the Grand Duke!”
“Back off!”
As soon as one of the knights shouted, Lacrahan’s heavy voice was heard from behind.
“The Grand Duke says to stand back! Everyone, get back!”
Wyatt pushed away the people surrounding the horse.
Then, one of the knights muttered in a dazed voice.
“Knight Commander! Look over there.”
Wyatt turned his head and looked at where Bercheria had just stood.
“The body...”
Her body was gradually rising into the air.
“Grand Duke!”
Wyatt urgently called to Lacrahan, but he had already approached the horse, snatched the reins, and mounted it.
“Whoa, whoa!”
The moment the horseshoe touched the ground.
“Hey!”
Lacrahan kicked the rampaging horse’s thigh hard.
The horse that had been threatening the people in the middle of the square flew away.
Lacrahan rode his horse in a wide circle around the square.
While calming his agitated horse, he spotted Bercheria standing at the entrance to the western castle.
In an instant, the air around him stilled, and all sound flew from his ears.
He couldn't hear the chattering of people, the pouring hail, or the chaos of the square.
Only her golden hair, swaying in the wind, was visible.
This wasn't Bercheria as usual.
She couldn't control the strong wind and was being swept away by it.
"Wyatt!"
As Wyatt charged ahead, Lacrahan leaped from his horse.
Wyatt, having come running at incredible speed, snatched the reins and mounted.
The two had calmed startled horses this way several times during the war.
Wyatt tightened the reins and tapped the horse's neck, and the beast snorted, breathing heavily.
"Bercheria."
Lacrahan walked straight toward her.
For a moment, he let his guard down.
Even though he knew her powers could explode at any moment, he mistakenly believed that meeting at the library at night to research materials was the only way to make an effort.
Knowing that the woman could go wrong at any moment.
'She could be consumed by the power and lose herself.'
Half of the divine essence that would stop her current rampage was engraved on his body.
'Or she could go mad.'
If she didn't find the divine essence in its entirety, every moment of her life would be precarious.
If not, she wouldn't be able to escape the crossroads of life and death.
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, his heart sank.
"Bercheria."
Lacrahan reached out and grabbed her waist, which was being swept away by the wind, pulling her toward him.
He cupped her chilled cheek and kissed her parted lips deeply.
"Come to your senses. Bercheria."
The horses ran wild, and the shelters and channels built to catch the rain crumbled like toys.
“Get out of here! Hurry up! Go to the barn!”
“Oh my, this is a disaster. What a bolt from the blue!”
Someone ran and fell, struck on the head by a hailstone.
The scene here was hellish.
Everyone was running, dodging, shouting, desperately trying to protect what was theirs.
A large hailstone slammed into a horse’s back, and a startled horse snapped its leash and bolted out of the stable.
“Huh? Get out of here!”
Screams rang out as the horse rampaged, attacking people indiscriminately.
“Get him!”
The hail made it impossible to see, and the horse was extremely excited, making it difficult to catch him.
Several of the knights rushed forward, but were repeatedly defeated.
Another man suffered a broken rib.
“Go and bring His Highness the Grand Duke!”
“Back off!”
As soon as one of the knights shouted, Lacrahan’s heavy voice was heard from behind.
“The Grand Duke says to stand back! Everyone, get back!”
Wyatt pushed away the people surrounding the horse.
Then, one of the knights muttered in a dazed voice.
“Knight Commander! Look over there.”
Wyatt turned his head and looked at where Bercheria had just stood.
“The body...”
Her body was gradually rising into the air.
“Grand Duke!”
Wyatt urgently called to Lacrahan, but he had already approached the horse, snatched the reins, and mounted it.
“Whoa, whoa!”
The moment the horseshoe touched the ground.
“Hey!”
Lacrahan kicked the rampaging horse’s thigh hard.
The horse that had been threatening the people in the middle of the square flew away.
Lacrahan rode his horse in a wide circle around the square.
While calming his agitated horse, he spotted Bercheria standing at the entrance to the western castle.
In an instant, the air around him stilled, and all sound flew from his ears.
He couldn't hear the chattering of people, the pouring hail, or the chaos of the square.
Only her golden hair, swaying in the wind, was visible.
This wasn't Bercheria as usual.
She couldn't control the strong wind and was being swept away by it.
"Wyatt!"
As Wyatt charged ahead, Lacrahan leaped from his horse.
Wyatt, having come running at incredible speed, snatched the reins and mounted.
The two had calmed startled horses this way several times during the war.
Wyatt tightened the reins and tapped the horse's neck, and the beast snorted, breathing heavily.
"Bercheria."
Lacrahan walked straight toward her.
For a moment, he let his guard down.
Even though he knew her powers could explode at any moment, he mistakenly believed that meeting at the library at night to research materials was the only way to make an effort.
Knowing that the woman could go wrong at any moment.
'She could be consumed by the power and lose herself.'
Half of the divine essence that would stop her current rampage was engraved on his body.
'Or she could go mad.'
If she didn't find the divine essence in its entirety, every moment of her life would be precarious.
If not, she wouldn't be able to escape the crossroads of life and death.
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, his heart sank.
"Bercheria."
Lacrahan reached out and grabbed her waist, which was being swept away by the wind, pulling her toward him.
He cupped her chilled cheek and kissed her parted lips deeply.
"Come to your senses. Bercheria."
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