WHPR 27

Chapter : 27

Jenaida, having found a place where she could escape, mustered her remaining strength and headed toward a cave.

Though it exuded a somewhat eerie atmosphere, it was perfect for a traveler who needed a brief rest.

“I won’t go too deep.”

She settled herself as close to the cave entrance as possible. The floor was hard and damp, but it was a reasonably comfortable shelter.

“Thank goodness.”

Luck is on my side.

Despite escaping from Ellen’s grasp, surviving a fall from a great height, and even finding a place to rest, it felt like a miracle. All at once, fortune had come rushing, and she was overwhelmed with joy.

At the same time, her body, which had been on the verge of freezing to death, began to thaw, and a wave of drowsiness swept over her.

“I shouldn’t sleep… if I sleep…”

When she had been a paladin, her comrades would frantically wake her if she tried to sleep while severely injured, warning that she would die otherwise.

But now, there was no companion around to wake her.

“But I’m so sleepy.”

Just a very short nap. If it’s just for a moment, it should be fine…

“Raaah!”

Kaiden easily slashed through the roaring monster before him.

Even as he killed the beast, Jenaida remained on his mind. He tried to stop thinking about her, but he couldn’t. Memories tend to surface the more one tries to suppress them.

After the battle, Jenaida hadn’t come to meet him. He had considered approaching her when she came out, but she used her injuries as an excuse to avoid seeing him, so he never got a glimpse of her face.

“I wanted to find her weak spot somehow.”

He thought that if he pressed, he could find out, even if she ended up resenting him. If she truly loved him, no one would wish death upon their beloved.

But that had been a wrong assumption.

At that moment, the monster’s blood splashed unpleasantly across his face. He roughly wiped it away with the back of his hand and charged at the next monster.

In the west of Niveus lay a snowy mountain, the habitat of monsters, making the area prone to frequent monster attacks. Most villagers grew up learning to wield weapons and fight monsters from a young age.

A few monsters descending into the village could usually be handled by the villagers themselves. Monsters rarely strayed far from their habitats.

In other words, they had little experience dealing with large groups of monsters.

“Your Highness, it’s terrible!”

When Kaiden cleaved a goblin in two, his aide, Morris, ran over, pale with shock.

Seeing him so ashen, an ominous premonition flashed through Kaiden’s mind.

“Could something have happened at the castle?”

But the castle was the safest place in Niveus. For monsters to invade, they would have to get past the knights stationed in the snowy mountain. Even if they somehow reached the castle, there were not only knights but also highly skilled servants inside.

Yet despite these objective facts, Kaiden’s unease didn’t subside.

“What happened?”

“Your Highness… the lady of the castle…”

Within the castle, there was only one person that Morris could refer to as “my lady”: Jenaida.

Kaiden rolled the words around in his mouth, unable to speak.

“The lady has been kidnapped by an unknown assailant!”

The words barely left Morris’s mouth before trailing off.

Kaiden stared at him in disbelief.

“Is that true?”

“Yes, we just received a letter from Laura. She says the lady has been kidnapped and requests your support. The kidnapper headed east.”*

East? East…

That was where the Witch’s Forest lay.

Even if the kidnapper’s destination was unknown, if Jenaida ended up falling into the Witch’s Forest along the way, she wouldn’t be able to treat her injuries.

Kaiden surveyed the area. Fortunately—or unfortunately—the monsters descending from the snowy mountain were gradually decreasing in number.

“Morris.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I leave all command here in your hands.”

“Eh?”

“I’m heading east.”

“W-wait! Just a moment, Your Highness!”

Morris called out frantically, but Kaiden had already mounted his horse and ridden off.

“…Hm.”

‘Huh?’

“Jenaida, are you still asleep?”

‘What’s that sound?’

Jenaida woke to someone calling her name. The voice came from behind her.

‘Who knows my name?’

What were the odds of meeting someone here who knew her name?

‘Is this a hallucination?’

There could hardly be anything intact in the Witch’s Forest, also known as the Forest of Death. Her mind was in chaos; she couldn’t even recall basic memories.

‘I need to get out of here immediately.’

But her body didn’t obey her mind. Her legs, which should have gotten her up, refused, and the mysterious voice continued to gnaw at her nerves.

“Jenaida! You haven’t changed.”

“……”

“You’re still selfish.”

After her reincarnation, Jenaida had been living a selfless life, thinking of others more than anyone. She snapped, spinning around in anger—but saw no one.

She tried to crawl away, but the voice mocked her again.

“After killing so many people, you still want to be angry at being called selfish?”

It was the first time she had been criticized by a third party rather than the victims. Hearing harsh words from someone besides Kaiden or the people of the grand castle made her blood boil.

“What do you know!”

Since reincarnation, she had lived for others. Other people had no right to criticize her.

“Who are you to judge me? Who are you to speak without living my life?”

Though it was just a voice, the dam of her bottled-up emotions broke. She vented her grievances for a long while, until exhaustion took over, leaving her collapsed on the floor in tears.

She might not deserve to cry, but here, it was fine. Liam the priest, the people of the grand castle, Kaiden—no one was here.

No one.

Here, she could express any emotion, and no one would know.

Jenaida wanted to cry out loud but couldn’t. She had forgotten how.

As she floundered in her despair, a familiar voice reached her ears.

“I know everything, Jenaida.”

Startled, she looked up.

“You know everything.”

This time, she saw not only a voice but also a human figure: Liam the priest, who had died long ago.

“…Priest? Is it really you?”

Seeing him clearly, Jenaida crawled miserably and clutched his leg.

“Priest, priest… this isn’t a dream, is it?”

If it were a dream or an illusion, she wouldn’t be able to touch him.

Yes, this was real.

Jenaida wanted to cling to Liam like a spoiled child, but he too had been a victim because of her. So she knelt, shedding tears, unable to speak of everything she had endured—but glad to see his face after so long.

“It’s all my fault. So… could you stay with me just for a moment?”

“……”

“I’m just happy to see you after so long.”

Tears streamed down her face, but she smiled faintly.

Liam lowered himself to meet her gaze, smiling kindly. She was certain: this was truly Liam the priest.

He silently embraced her, warmth radiating from him. He patted her for a long while.

Jenaida wished this moment would last forever. Though her body was weary, her heart felt more at peace than ever. No worries, no guilt for others—nothing came to mind while looking at Liam.

But it was fleeting.

Liam suddenly stood up, leaving her behind, and walked ahead.

Jenaida, startled, forced herself up to follow him.

Pain surged all at once. She gasped and sank back down.

“Priest! Don’t go! Please!”

She couldn’t let him go yet. There were still so many things she wanted to say.

Using her sword as a staff, she limped after Liam, abandoning all her previous resolve to escape, venturing deeper into the cave, where darkness enveloped everything.

Inside, nothing was visible at all.

As she frantically chased him, he suddenly stopped walking. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get closer—then, seizing the moment, she hurried forward.

But unlike before, her hand passed right through his torso.

“Uh…?”

Jenaida finally realized that she had been trapped in an illusion.