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Chapter 50
“How long do you intend to cling to Lilith?”
Reshel had discarded his usual fake mask without hesitation.
“This is a relationship that brings you no benefit. Lilith doesn’t even like you, Brother.”
When he pressed him in an accusing tone, Calix’s face showed clear irritation.
“I don’t feel anything for her.”
“Exactly. Which is why I’m telling you—don’t get close to her.”
With a crack, shards of black glass gleaming ominously appeared around them.
It was a sign of his fury—proof that this wasn’t some joke.
“Brother.”
His voice was dripping with malice. Golden eyes, filled with hostility, flashed dangerously.
“Whose mercy do you think it is that you’re still alive?”
It was a warning, emphasizing that Calix was only alive because of him.
Reshel glared at the silent Calix, who couldn’t deny it, then turned his back. With his subordinates in tow, he strode into the palace as though he had no further business.
Once Reshel was gone, Calix ran a nervous hand through his hair.
“Does he expect me to grovel on my belly like in the old days?”
Conversations with Reshel were always like this, but lately, his provocations had grown more extreme.
‘Is he restless because Lilith hasn’t been coming to the palace?’
No, it didn’t feel like it was just that.
Perhaps Reshel had already noticed that his relationship with Lilith had softened a little.
“There’s no way he wouldn’t notice.”
That thought felt inevitable.
Reshel had never stopped keeping watch, not for a single moment. There was no way he could’ve missed such an obvious change.
‘He’s getting impatient…’
It didn’t make sense. After all, the one she loved should be Reshel.
Otherwise, why else would Lilith have suddenly abandoned him long ago and gone to Reshel’s side?
Calix could still remember that day vividly—
The day Oz’s Garden collapsed and Reshel stepped into the outside world, with Lilith holding his hand.
Those ruby-colored eyes that had looked at him with disdain—he would never forget them.
“Maybe calling it abandonment isn’t even right.”
After all, friendships could grow close quickly and drift apart just as fast.
“……”
Suddenly, Calix recalled the words he had spoken to the priest Saint.
“Perhaps I wasn’t one to talk.”
He was the fool who hadn’t kept her close, who hadn’t cherished her.
He was not someone who even had the right to interfere in the affairs of a priest who knew more than he did.
Half a year had passed, and still the murderer had not been caught. Ponz had effectively become a sealed-off zone.
Not only pilgrims but even the ordinary priests had stopped coming, leaving only wild grass to grow thick around the altar.
But there was one who tended Ponz: a priest draped in a gloomy, ashen aura.
In the small garden he cultivated, life thrived in vivid green. A breeze rustled through tall sunflowers, and above, the early autumn sky was high and clear.
From afar, a white dove fluttered in and landed on the garden wall.
“Lord Flood.”
The dove spoke in human words. Though shocking to most, Flood didn’t even flinch—he was used to it.
“There have been many arrests this time, so we’re short on manpower. These are all the priests we could gather…”
Flood’s lips curled into a calm smile.
“No need to worry. I’ve already prepared new pawns.”
“You mean Tain Broke? He doesn’t seem very reliable…”
“Whether he’s reliable now doesn’t matter. Once his mind is turned inside out, they all become the same.”
Flood sat down on a white iron chair by the wall. His pure white robes spread wide across the moss blooming beneath.
“But it seems you failed last time.”
He was referring to the incident at the ball.
The voice flowing from the dove hesitated, clearly troubled.
The plan had been perfect, the circumstances ideal. Yet Nox’s wrath had been thwarted, and even Calix hadn’t fallen into their trap.
“That… I’m not sure exactly what went wrong…”
The words of excuse never finished.
The dove’s beak foamed, bubbles frothing over, before it fell off the wall, lifeless.
Its master never even had the chance to scream. Death had been too swift for pain.
“I know. You weren’t to blame.”
Flood murmured over the corpse. Failures must all be disposed of.
“It’s certain she’s interfering with us…”
Again, events that were supposed to happen had been prevented.
And at the center of each disruption, she was always there.
They had tried awakening her mind several times, yet the results never changed.
Thus, Flood was convinced something had gone wrong with her.
His dull, cloudy eyes gazed into the empty air. The situation was tangled, but he wasn’t worried.
He had already led the world to its destined conclusion once before. This time, it would be no different.
The path forward was set; adjusting for a wayward variable was nothing difficult.
“I suppose I’ll have to meet her.”
It was only a matter of waiting for the right time.
I began my preliminary survey based on the information Ellie had given me.
Even though the areas were close to the Empire, they were still outside its borders. I estimated it would take about two months.
But to my surprise, the scouting didn’t even take a week. Because…
‘Once, the carriage wheel fell off. Another time, a landslide blocked the road.’
And that wasn’t all.
One place had its only bridge collapse. Another village was completely closed due to monsters. Another time, the horses pulling my carriage bolted.
On and on, for all sorts of reasons, I simply couldn’t make it into another kingdom.
‘I can’t get out of here!’
For a coincidence, it was far too excessive. It felt as if someone was deliberately trapping me inside the Empire.
The failure of Plan B loomed before my eyes. Should I once again distance myself from the main characters? But I had already come too far for that.
‘What do I do now…’
No matter how much I wracked my brain, I couldn’t find a solution.
“Young Lady.”
“Mm.”
Ellie had called my name ten times, but I stayed face-down on my pillow, refusing to get up.
Plan B had collapsed, the weather outside was muggy, my body felt sluggish… I was in no mood to move.
Though I’d been awake for over two hours, today I just wanted to laze about.
“Young Lady, you really must get up!”
“Okay.”
My free mouth spouted a lie.
‘Sorry, Ellie. No matter how much you call, I have no intention of getting up today!’
Ellie let out a loud sigh, obviously for me to hear. Then, as if making up her mind, she cleared her throat.
“There’s a letter from the Primrose family.”
“Why didn’t you say that sooner?!”
Shivers shot down my spine, and I bolted upright.
I snatched the letter from Ellie’s hand. She looked put out, as though unfairly treated.
‘Lake?’
The signature on the envelope confirmed it.
‘Is it about his vacation ending?’
What was supposed to be a one-week break had been extended.
Because of that, I’d ended up skipping a whole month of temple duties and hadn’t seen him in so long that my body itched with restlessness.
Overjoyed, I tore the letter open. Perhaps my foul mood all morning had just been my imagination.
From the very first line, his warm and gentle greetings made me grin from ear to ear as I read.
But when I reached the final line, I froze like stone.
“Young Lady, your face has gone pale…”
With trembling hands, I folded the letter back into its envelope.
The unbelievable words echoed in my mind. My body collapsed forward, sprawled out.
“Ellie, could you bring me something sweet?”
“Y-yes!”
As soon as I managed to ask, I let out a blocked breath.
“Olivia… is sick?”
At first glance, it sounded trivial. But to me, who knew the original story, it was impossible.
Olivia’s Estella was a healing ability. She never got sick. Not even a common cold!
“What on earth is happening?”
My head spun in chaos.
Had her powers changed, just as the original story itself had begun to twist?
If so, what about the events to come? All of them were supposed to be resolved with Olivia’s Estella. What do I do?!
“I’m back!”
Ellie hurried in from the kitchen, presenting a plate piled high with chocolates.
“Thank you.”
I stuffed chocolate into my mouth for comfort and went over the letter’s contents again.
…It explained that Lake had extended his vacation for a second time because of this, and that Olivia wanted to see me—if possible, I should visit her while she was ill.
