#4. Truth and Sincerity
2023.08.04.
“That’s right, what you’re thinking. The first person who took that poison was my ex-husband.”
Ahh, a sigh burst from Elise’s lips.
His Highness David… I thought he had committed suicide, but had Iris killed him?
“Why did you kill His Highness David?”
Elise had felt guilty toward him. That was why, after Chase became king, she had tried to request his pardon.
“Because he wasn’t the right match for me.”
“You… you’ve gone mad. You’re completely insane!”
It was Iris who had gone mad with greed.
“Shall I tell you something interesting?”
As Elise lashed out, Iris’s mood improved. The humiliation she had suffered because of Elise over the past few years seemed to wash away completely.
“I killed the previous king, too.”
“What?”
Goosebumps rose across Elise’s body.
“You have to do at least that much to stay by Chase’s side. You understand?”
Elise was so shocked that she could not speak.
“Elise, take that medicine and die gracefully. If you don’t take it, then today, the one who will take my medicine will be Regina.”
A chill ran down Elise’s spine. Regina was Elise’s maid, the only person who stayed by her side on nights when she had nightmares.
“And if you still don’t take it, next will be Patricia.”
“Why Patricia? She’s someone who only goes around cursing me!”
“Because she spoke with you.”
Iris was truly wicked. Realizing what Iris was planning, every fine hair on Elise’s body stood on end.
“Are you planning to kill everyone I know?”
“If you don’t die.”
Her declaration was a spear, a sword, and a hammer to Elise. It pierced, cut, and bludgeoned Elise’s hope. And so, Elise’s hope shattered into pieces.
Elise hung her head low.
“Call Chase.”
“Are you planning to beg him? Maintain your honor as Countess Worton.”
She had tried to ask for at least Regina’s safety, but Iris left no opening.
Elise knew that what she was trying to do was contradictory and shameless. How many people had she trampled for Chase’s sake? Most of them had begged Elise to please take care of their remaining family members. Each time, Elise had done her best to grant their requests, but there were countless times when she could not. After living such a life, and now… was this retribution?
Elise muttered vacantly.
“Don’t touch Regina.”
“If I see your corpse tomorrow morning, Regina will live in peace.”
Iris smirked. The deal was struck. Iris rose.
The floral scent filling the place where she had been felt nothing but revolting to Elise.
Elise had a premonition.
That everything was over.
***
That night, a scritch-scratching sound of fingernails scraping stone rang out through the night. It was the sound of Elise drawing a magic circle on the floor.
Without a proper tool to draw a magic circle, Elise scraped the floor with her bare nails. It was a magic circle that reversed time, treated as an absurd magic even in the Ivory Tower. She had once seen it in a book called
Elise drew the magic circle with the desperation of clutching at straws. Without her excellent memory and sheer stubbornness, it would have been impossible. By the time she barely completed it, dawn was breaking. And all ten of Elise’s fingernails had worn away completely.
Sitting in the middle of the bloodstained magic circle, Elise muttered vacantly.
“What good is drawing a magic circle… there’s no one to pour mana into it.”
Elise let out a hollow laugh.
No matter how delicately one drew a magic circle, without a mage to activate the magic, it was useless. From the very beginning, there was nothing she could do alone. She had been born that way.
With a devastated heart, Elise picked up the bottle rolling on the floor.
Yes, let’s die. Let’s accept it gladly as the price for my sins. And if there is a next life.
“I definitely won’t die alone, so look forward to it.”
Chase. Iris.
Elise tipped the poison into her mouth all at once. Her body fell heavily to the side.
That was when a figure was caught in her dimming vision.
Wasn’t that Karan, the prince of Titrus? Why had he come here?
“…lise! Elise!”
Why was he calling for her so desperately?
Elise moved her lips, but all that emerged from between them was a thin breath.
Gradually, the sound grew distant. Then, a blinding white light enveloped her.
Thinking that everything should fade to black when dying, Elise closed her eyes completely.
***
“We have found where Countess Elise Worton was taken.”
The moment he heard those words, Karan sprang from his seat and rushed out into the streets. Despite Hartvin’s dissuasion that it would be dangerous, he disguised himself and headed to Bedroca’s underground dungeon.
He cut down without hesitation the Bedrocan knights who blocked his way. Without even a chance to counterattack, the Bedrocan knights met their end. By the time he arrived at the underground dungeon, blood clearly belonging to others was dripping from his sword.
“Elise would be surprised to see this.”
He nonchalantly wiped the blood off his sword against a dead Bedrocan knight’s clothes. Not a trace of human emotion could be felt from his expressionless face.
Yet even he changed after entering the underground dungeon. He let out a groan. All sorts of emotions shook him.
This place did not suit Elise. The damp moss, the humid stench, and the atmosphere that foreshadowed a dark future.
“How did she…”
Karan knew all too well the efforts Elise had made to seat Chase on the throne. Without her, an incompetent man like Chase would never have even approached the throne. She was a woman deserving of glory. So why was she in a dungeon?
“The scandal with His Highness had the greatest impact.”
Recalling Hartvin’s words, Karan clenched his fist. She was a woman he had not dared to even dream of reaching for. Just having her speak to him had been so overwhelming that he couldn’t even answer properly. And yet, a scandal.
Chase’s dark ulterior motives were all too obvious, and anger surged within Karan. Karan let out a long breath to suppress his anger and opened the door leading to the underground dungeon. For now, he would focus only on rescuing Elise. Everything else could wait until after he saved her.
Karan moved freely even in the darkness. Being accustomed to darkness was one of the traits of the people of Titrus. Those born of Titrus’s strong bloodline could distinguish objects in the darkness as clearly as in broad daylight. Karan had always considered it the blessing of the Titrus people. But now, that blessing had become a curse.
“Elise! Come to your senses!”
Elise, sprawled on the floor, was seared painfully into his eyes. Half-closed eyes, a vivid trail of blood flowing from the corner of her lips—they spoke of her fading condition.
“Why… why…”
Karan could not believe it. Just four days ago, she had spoken to him regarding the punitive expedition. Elise, who had worn a faint smile, exuded the scent Karan loved, and had requested Titrus’s help, was now sprawled there, completely devoid of color.
“Just a little more… you should have endured! As tough as you always have been.”
It had been over twenty years since Karan harbored feelings for her—the one called Chase’s viper. She was the only one who had respected him when everyone pointed fingers at him, calling him a barbarian. At the annual Continental Exchange Conference, she was the only one who did not disregard the people of Titrus. In this punitive expedition as well, she had been the only one who actively tried to accept Titrus’s opinions. Karan had found it pitiful that she was not treated as she deserved.
So Karan had cautiously suggested to Elise.
“It would be wonderful if Titrus also had someone like Countess Elise.”
Elise had taken his words as mere empty praise. She hadn’t spared Karan a glance. Elise’s unwavering gaze had been fixed on Chase. Karan had strived not to fall behind him. Now that he held her in his heart, in order to watch over her from afar and exchange even a few words, he needed a status equal to hers. That effort had begun to bear fruit. Soon, Karan too was to become crown prince. And if he achieved merit in the punitive expedition, he would become a hero of the continent, so he had believed that she might turn to look at him, if only once. He had lost sleep, swelling with anticipation.
But the moment he was one step away from his goal, everything had ended.
Karan stared down at Elise in a daze. Not a single sign of life could be found in her, who had always held herself straight and tall.
“Elise, don’t do this. Come with me to Titrus, to Titrus. Okay?”
Despite his desperate plea, Elise did not stir. Karan gazed at her for a long while before realizing. The underground dungeon was too squalid and cold for her. He had to move her to a warm place.
Karan slowly stood and drew his sword. As the blade wreathed in blue aura cut through the air, the iron bars that hadn’t budged no matter how much Elise had pounded on them were severed. After swinging the sword a few more times, the bars clattered to the floor. The noise was loud, but Karan paid it no mind. If anyone came to block his path, he would simply cut them down with this sword as well.
Karan’s eyes blazed with anger. There was no need to ask whom the anger was directed at. He would not forgive those who had made Elise like this. Murderous intent filled his bloodshot eyes.
But before that, he had to move Elise to a safe place. Karan pulled her small body into his embrace.
“It’s too cold here. I’ll move you to a warm place soon. Hold on a little longer, Elise. It will take time to eliminate all those who made you like this before we go.”
He spoke to her as if she were alive. He lifted Elise.
Then, Karan discovered a magic circle on the floor that he had not noticed until now. Looking back and forth between the magic circle stained with blood here and there and Elise’s ravaged hands, Karan suddenly realized something. He laid Elise back down on the floor.
“There must be a reason you drew this. There must be a reason you drew it while dying, to the point that your hands became like this. There has to be.”
Karan placed both his palms on Elise’s magic circle. He took a deep breath. He was someone who should never use magic, yet he activated the magic circle without a moment’s hesitation. A burning pain engulfed him. But he did not stop.
“Elise, no matter what happens in our next life, I will be by your side.”
Even if you do not wish it.
I will not leave you beside the one who made you like this.
Even if I must wager everything I have.
Karan repeated his vow before collapsing to the side with a thud.
The magic circle Elise had drawn shone with a golden light. A white light engulfed Karan and Elise.
It was the light of a regression circle—deemed an impossibility, dismissed as child’s play—activating.