“Episode 67”
And unknowingly, she fell into a deep sleep.
***
When Yulliana successfully kidnapped Ereina, the sparrow tasked with her mission was anxiously flying around near the Imperial Palace. Even for Yulliana Oborn, a grand sorceress and pyromancer, infiltrating the solemn palace without leaving a trace was nearly impossible. Furthermore, if she were to confront the guards directly at the Ducal Manor, she would need to conserve her magic.
Therefore, Yulliana immediately ordered the sparrow to ensure a suspect was identified. The sparrow, now obediently following orders, fluttered anxiously, lost in thought.
“…I can’t just ignore Yun’s actions any longer. But, is there no way she can be redeemed? Is that girl a threat to the Emperor? I don’t know… I don’t know…”
Lost in thought, the sparrow remembered the story Yulliana had told her. The Emperor loved the Empress, and he would do anything for her. “The protagonist” in her original work was a saint who communicated with the Ariaqne Power Stone. Even in this different dimension, Yun had followed that setting. Perhaps…
As the sparrow pondered, the appointed time with Yulliana approached. Finally, with resolve, the sparrow transformed its appearance to that of Yun, using the last of its strength to do so. Transforming into a familiar human form was easy for the sparrow.
Not long after, the closed door to the Emperor’s chamber opened. Lucian frowned as he revealed himself to the intruder. Yun, who had taken on the form of the sparrow, was sitting on the window sill.
“What brings the Saint here?”
“I thought we’d try something different today.”
Yun, in the form of the sparrow, smiled slyly at the handsome man before her. Then, with delicate fingers, she tapped on the window – tap, tap.
“Have a seat. Why are you so tense?”
“I couldn’t figure out what you’ve been up to lately. What are you thinking?”
Lucian complied and took a seat as instructed.
“…Your thoughts are unclear to me lately. What do you live for?”
Yun, still in the form of the sparrow, raised her eyebrows teasingly at the man before her. Lucian, although taken aback, was accustomed to her informal tone and responded in kind.
“Why. Just because you’ve saved me doesn’t mean I’m content. Lucian, do you not understand that?”
Lucian picked up a bottle of liquor prepared on the table and taunted her. Pouring more alcohol into the glass until it overflowed, he raised his eyebrows and looked back at her.
“What. No threats today?”
“No.”
As she muttered to herself, the sparrow with Yun’s appearance felt a pang of pain. It was painful to see her friend, who had brought her to life, so broken. Even though she knew she couldn’t save her friend.
“I’m just a rabbit doll. Yun. Even though you saved me, I couldn’t save you… I wish I had died with my throat slit back then.”
As the sparrow breathed heavily, she looked at her friend with tearful eyes. She had longed to see her affectionate friend who would lift her onto the bed, even if she was torn apart.
“…I won’t settle for anything less than value.”
The sparrow, hiding her inner thoughts, imitated Yun’s appearance faithfully. Holding back her emotions, she murmured the words Yun had said.
“…I can’t be filled by anything you offer. Unfortunately, Lucian. You don’t understand that.”
The sparrow, concealing her true feelings, looked at Lucian with resolute eyes. But before she could finish her sentence, Lucian grabbed her and demanded.
“What nonsense! What do you want? What do you think of Ereina?”
At that moment, the palace began to stir. What was once quiet and serene now became bustling with the commotion of the palace servants. The noise extended beyond the Emperor’s chamber.
Lucian froze with a terrifying dread when he heard the commotion outside the door. Despite his fear, he yelled, eager to hear the next words.
“Speak!”
As soon as the Emperor’s command was issued, the steward stepped forward and spoke.
“Your Majesty! Her Majesty, the Empress, has… has disappeared.”
“Immediately…”
“What?”
Lucian strode forward and forcefully opened the door. Meeting the terrified gaze of the steward, he demanded.
“Hurry to the Hylchen Ducal Manor! Move quickly!”
Upon receiving the Emperor’s command, the Imperial Guards and Knights of the Emperor, including his cousin and Princess, Clodia Anne Ariaqne, marched hastily to the Hylchen Ducal Manor. Clodia, who had accompanied the Empress’s brother from their palace, reluctantly followed the orders from her sober state.
Having received news of the tragic incident where the Duchess collapsed during her awakening, Clodia marched heavily-hearted with the Emperor to the Hylchen Ducal Manor.
As the retreating priests hurriedly released the barrier, Clodier called out to her cousin. Tears welled up in Clodier’s eyes as she approached her cousin.
“Was it your doing that brought our noble house to this? Was it you?! Did it have to come to this? How could you do this—!”
“Clodier.”
Lucian pointed his sword towards the priests, and Clodier, with blood streaming from the blade, closed her eyes tightly. Lucian spoke evenly, without emotion.
“I told you to stop this foolishness.”
Eventually, as the last layers of the barrier were undone, Lucian watched as the barrier was completely lifted from the mansion. And it was around that time, when the barrier was finally lifted, that he rushed towards the burning mansion.
Boom!
“Ugh!”
“Protect the queen!”
“What’s happening!”
Half of the mansion was already engulfed in crimson flames.
Witnessing the scene, people realized that this was no ordinary fire. It was a fire of destruction, an eternal flame of hell that would never extinguish. And within the empire, there were only a handful who could conjure such flames.
In Clodier’s bewildered mind, one person came to mind.
“Lady Arlecchino…?”
Meanwhile, as Lucian attempted to counter the flames with evocation magic, a startled Clodier shouted.
“Snap out of it! If you try to evolve this fire, even you, my dear brother, will lose half of your body!”
The flame of annihilation.
The reason this magic was so terrifying was that it could consume even more powerful magic than itself. If Lucian confronted it with all his power, even his magic would be greedily swallowed.
“I don’t care!”
Lucian yelled. Clodier looked into his golden eyes, veins pulsing, about to shout, “What—”
“Your Majesty!”
“What?”
Amidst the commotion, a guard who had been guarding the duke’s mansion rushed in urgently.
“…!”
In his arms lay the queen. Ereyna had been outside the mansion, not inside.
Lucian hurriedly took Ereyna from the guard. Then, as if his strength had left him, he sank down and embraced Ereyna.
“Eren…”
As Ereyna, awakened by Lucian’s tears, touched his cheek gently, she whispered like sharing a secret.
“I, I had a strange dream. I, I flew with an angel in the sky. The angel looked so, so much like Lady Arlecchino….”
Boom!
While the reunion took place, the flames of annihilation, which had already consumed half of the mansion, burned even more fiercely. Lucian, holding Ereyna, let out a sigh.
Meanwhile, desperately summoned palace mages and priests began chanting spells to extinguish the flames of annihilation. However, the flames greedily swallowed even their spells and continued to burn endlessly.
‘Can’t see ahead well…’
And standing in a place where her vision had become blurry, the pyromancer Yuliana Oban, who had conjured the flames, looked around the mansion. She had teleported as soon as the barrier was lifted and cast the most powerful magic she could summon to block the entry of the palace people and attack Yun.
“Haah….”
Feeling momentarily dizzy as a vast amount of magic drained from her, Yuliana gasped. Catching her breath and briefly looking down, she suppressed the throbbing pain in her chest. Yuliana, leaving her regrets behind, searched every nook and cranny of the mansion, where the blue rose garden, Evan’s gift, was burning in ashes. ‘Evan….’
Leaving behind a trace of regret, Yuliana searched for Evan. And not long after, she flew to him in a single breath and called out.
“Evan!”
“…Yuliana?”
