🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter : 52
‘She had attended the banquet to turn public opinion around, only to be driven into a corner.’
She tried to pressure Frea by putting Verde and Karin at the forefront, but failed. She also failed to win Helena over to her side.
Even Raiden rejected her to the very end, and now the only thing she could rely on was that mysterious power she possessed.
If she couldn’t set everything right here, there would be no future left for Astella. So no matter what, she had to pin the blame on Frea.
As fast as possible, before she lost control of that power.
She tried hard to hide it, but Frea, who had been watching Astella closely all this time, could tell. The tension and impatience visible on her increasingly stiff expression. This was the perfect chance to shake Astella and dig in.
“…Before that, there’s something I want to ask.”
“…What is it?”
“Why did you think your lie wouldn’t be exposed? What were you thinking when you sent me to the Betelheim Ducal House in your place?”
“Is there any reason for you to know that now, Sister?”
With a scoff, Astella stepped out of Raiden’s arms and approached Frea. Then she lightly tapped Frea’s cheek with her index finger.
“You’ll be moving exactly as I say soon enough anyway.”
“Astella.”
“You’re that curious? Then think with that clever head of yours. Why do you think the rumors spread so quickly? People believed everything I said was true just from hearing it. Why do you think that was?”
Slowly, Astella’s eyes curved into a crescent. Frea’s sharp gaze met hers.
“You trusted your power. From the very beginning, you used it to tamper with people’s memories.”
“……”
“No—‘control’ would be the right word.”
It had always been strange how the people who spoke with Astella were so eager to take her side and showed her such strong favor.
If she had been manipulating people with a hidden ability, it explained why no one doubted her. With no one to stop her, the rumors about Raiden must have spread that much faster.
If she could make lies be believed as truth, then even her reckless behavior made sense.
“That’s exactly why I hate you, Sister Frea.”
Astella pulled her finger away from Frea’s cheek and frowned.
“You’re too sharp. Needlessly so.”
“…Is that power of yours really the blessing of the Vinok Ducal House?”
“Doesn’t it look like it?”
The black aura surrounding Astella flickered and grew thicker. As she curled her lips into a smile, the energy gathered at her fingertips and shot toward Frea.
“Ugh!”
A sweet scent suddenly filled the air and stung her nose. Her stomach churned and her vision spun.
‘My head hurts. I can’t… breathe.’
She barely managed to stay upright by forcing strength into her trembling legs, but she was at her limit. Strength slowly drained from her body, and the sensation of being unable to think at all felt disturbingly unfamiliar.
“There’s no need for you to know exactly what my power is. It’s too late for that now.”
“As… tella….”
“Sister Frea. Stop being so stubborn and relax. It’s just one sentence, you know? Just say that you were the one who lied.”
“……”
“Say that you stole Duke Betelheim from me.”
Astella grabbed both of her arms and commanded her relentlessly. With barely open eyes, Frea looked at the black aura spreading around them.
‘Not yet. I can’t lose consciousness here.’
It was faint, but weaker than before. Proof that Astella’s power was fading. She just needed to buy a little more time.
“Stop… it.”
Gathering what little strength she had left, Frea grabbed Astella’s arm.
“Doing this… won’t make… your lies… disappear.”
“Shut up! Say it! Say it now!”
“Ugh, kh—!”
In her agitation, Astella finally brought her hand to Frea’s throat. Her eyes widened as she tightened her grip.
The pressure closed in, making it harder and harder to breathe. Frea’s face rapidly turned pale.
‘No…!’
She couldn’t end like this. She hadn’t endured being treated like a fool all this time just to die such a meaningless death!
Frea bit down hard on her lip, using the pain to force herself awake.
At that moment, the gemstone of the necklace around her neck flashed brightly.
“W-What is this? Ngh, my eyes…!”
Astella flinched at the blinding light. A powerful blue glow wrapped around Frea, and pushed back by the unknown force, Astella released her grip from Frea’s throat.
“Hah—! Haah… huff….”
Staggering, Frea collapsed to the floor and gulped in air. As she slowly calmed down, she took in the strange scene before her.
“…What is this?”
A transparent yet vivid blue barrier. Something like a protective field—what could it be?
She had never seen anything like it before, but she could feel an intense, ominous energy.
‘Magic? No… that’s not it.’
It was unfamiliar, yet somehow familiar. Not mana, but another kind of power. When was it? She felt like she had experienced this sensation before.
Carefully, Frea reached out and touched the glowing gemstone on her necklace. The gem, blinking as if alive, reacted to her and shone even more brightly.
At the same time, the moving light flowed from her hand into her body.
“Ah….”
Once again, blue light rippled and enveloped her. Her chilled skin warmed, and breathing became easier.
“……!”
That was when it happened. While resting within the comforting energy, Frea sensed a change.
“The black aura…”
It was disappearing.
The blue light spreading from Frea advanced throughout the banquet hall. As it met the black aura filling the space, the darkness slowly vanished.
“H-How?! Why is it disappearing?!”
Astella desperately tried to use her power again, but it was useless. The black aura forming in her hands vanished the instant it touched the blue light.
“Th-This can’t be…”
The black aura that had filled the hall gradually disappeared, and one by one, focus returned to the people’s eyes. Astella’s face twisted in dismay.
“Huh? What just happened…?”
“Ugh, my head…”
“I feel strangely dazed…”
More and more people regained their senses. Seeing the banquet hall grow noisy again, Frea let out a sigh of relief.
“Frea! What happened? Are you all right?”
“…Raiden.”
Unable to stand, Frea saw Raiden approach her. Thankfully, he seemed to have returned to normal as well.
“Miss Valce, why are you sitting on the floor?”
Helena, who asked with a puzzled expression, also seemed unharmed. Behind her, Jayros, Verde, and Karin still looked somewhat bewildered.
“It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
Supported by Raiden as she stood up, Frea spoke. Her face was calm, but Helena noticed the difference from before and frowned.
“That can’t be true. Your complexion is poor, and you don’t look like you have any strength.”
“Frea, lean on me. If you’re tired, shall we go to the lounge?”
“I really am fine. It’s not that serious, so don’t worry.”
At the worried voices of Helena and Raiden, one gaze after another turned toward Frea. Her condition was clearly different from moments ago.
“Oh my, why does Miss Valce look like that all of a sudden?”
“She was fine just a moment ago…”
Just looking at her pale face made it obvious, and Raiden didn’t like how stubborn she was being.
As Helena quietly examined Frea, she noticed Astella standing opposite them.
‘…Was Miss Vinok standing there originally?’
She was sure Astella had been farther away, behind Verde, until just moments ago. When had she come forward?
An odd sense of discomfort arose as Helena stared at Astella for a moment, and she realized something was off about her.
“What’s wrong with Miss Vinok?”
“……”
“Miss? Are you listening to me?”
“……Y-Yes?”
Astella, who had been anxiously scanning the crowd, answered belatedly when called. Noticing her strange reaction, Helena narrowed her eyes.
“What’s got you so startled? You don’t look well either. Are you all right?”
“Ah, I’m…”
Astella struggled to meet her gaze. She kept darting her eyes around nervously, repeatedly glancing toward Helena’s back.
Behind her stood Frea. Narrowing her eyes, Helena thought,
‘Miss Valce collapsed on the floor, Miss Vinok’s position suddenly changed, and her strange behavior… Could it be…?’
Catching the flash of insight, Helena spoke up without missing the moment.
