“What’s going on?”
Sabiel saw a woman rushing towards him.
“Your Highness.”
She had run so fast that her silver hair was disheveled and her cheeks were red.
Looking into her green eyes, Sabiel pretended to recognize her.
“Well, well, look who’s here. Weren’t you the one who was reluctant to come when summoned to the Crystal Palace? Did you regret it?”
When she didn’t respond quickly, he teased her further.
“Did you miss my embrace so much that you came running?”
Whispers rose around them, and too many eyes were watching.
Karina felt a mixture of emotions: the urge to kiss Sabiel’s cheek and the opposite feeling of wanting to cling to him while announcing her child’s existence.
“Your Highness.”
Karina straightened up and politely bowed her head to greet him. Sabiel and the other women looked at her curiously.
“Who is she, Your Highness?”
“Well……”
Seeing Sabiel, who didn’t seem to recognize her, Karina’s heart sank even more.
What a fair emperor who covers up injustices…
With the state of the Crown Prince, marriage was out of the question.
The Count and Countess of Harrington’s dream of a flower garden were never going to happen. At that moment, Karina felt a slight pain in her stomach.
“Ah……”
Karina groaned softly and frowned in pain, causing the curious eyes of the women to turn worried.
Feeling the sweat on her forehead, Karina spoke quickly.
“I am Karina of the Harrington Family. I have something to tell you, Your Highness.”
“Ahem. I’m busy right now.”
“I won’t take up much of your time. Please….…”
“Then I’ll listen for a moment.”
But the women he held in both arms were still at his side.
“I want to talk in private for a moment…….”
“You ask for a lot.”
“Please, Your Highness.”
Karina’s attitude seemed to make the women feel sorry for her as fellow women, and they exchanged glances before getting up and taking a step back.
Karina felt that she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. She had never been so nervous and scared in her life.
“I’m pregnant.”
“What?”
“Sabiel. You allowed me to call you by your name. It’s your child.”
Karina felt that she was about to burst into tears, but she held back and spoke clearly.
He had played with her, and then he had insulted her when she came to seek him out.
It all started because of Sabiel.
If he hadn’t abandoned her miserably, Karina wouldn’t have shed tears, swallowed her bitter feelings, and clung to Eleon.
Despite the humiliation and disregard, she endured it all for the sake of the new life growing inside her.
“My child?”
For a moment, Sabiel’s eyes lost focus.
W-what is it?
Seeing his face up close to her, Karina couldn’t help but tremble involuntarily.
But then, Sabiel quickly regained his composure and took Karina’s hand with a smile.
“That’s right, you’re pregnant with my child.”
“Your Highness?”
Sabiel gave Karina a light hug.
“Why are you telling me this now?”
“Well, Your Highness did not want to meet me.…”
“Stop. Forget about it.”
Sabiel gently wiped the tears from Karina’s eyes.
“I will send a carriage tomorrow night, come to the palace.”
Karina was surprised. She didn’t think it would be resolved so easily.
“T-Thank you.”
Karina bowed her head repeatedly to thank him and didn’t see Sabiel’s cold expression.
She was a woman who shone brightly as if she were walking through the moonlight.
She is a beautiful woman.
<“Your Highness, I’m pregnant with your child.”>
<Elysia said as she sobbed.>
<“Sabiel, it’s your child.”>
<Sabiel reached for her hand in surprise. >
<“My child? Really?”>
<“…….”>
<Sabiel was completely obsessed with Elysia to the point where she couldn’t even leave the palace as a candidate for the crown princess. Her life was like that of a bird locked in a cage, forced to have Sabiel’s child. Elysia was so miserable that she thought of death, but she had to live for the child growing inside her. She was trapped by a terrible man who claimed ownership over her.>
<“You’ve become mine now.”>
<When Sabiel smiled with ecstasy, Elysia trembled and burst into tears.>
<The next day, Elysia was found drowned in the palace pond. However, the cause of death was not drowning but strangulation.>
Karina’s expression and words brought up implications about the existence of a child that had been buried deep in Sabiel’s consciousness.
“Ugh.”
Sabiel tried to regain consciousness, which kept fading.
But a certain phrase kept ringing in his mind.
<Looking down at the cold Elysia, Sabiel murmured.>
<“Now you will stay by my side forever.”>
<It was a punishment he inflicted on Elysia, who showed the desire to escape from him at every opportunity.>
Sabiel’s eyes lost focus once again.
I should…punish her.
To the woman who did not dare to love him and betrayed him.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, at the Great Temple of Hadunsha.
Iris entered the prayer room and was greeted by Roben and Esho.
“Has there been any contact from the Duchess?”
Roben asked, and Iris sighed.
“Yes, Lady Elysia will be returning to Hadunsha.”
“That’s a big deal.”
When Roben sighed, Esho, who would normally be joking enthusiastically, kept his mouth shut.
The original setting had passed its starting point.
As time passed, the force that would unite Eleon and Karina would grow stronger.
Elysia, which was meant to exist only as a setup among them, was also being affected.
Iris, like Elysia, was not a transmigrator. Mariela had rescued her from being a war slave sold on the slave market.
During her time in the Yuter dukedom, she discovered that the duchess, who treated her kindly like a daughter, had a younger daughter.
Iris originally knew how to handle herbs. She wanted to help the Duchess, who created her identity and who gave her freedom.
The Duchess, who had no power on this matter, showed Iris the note from <Flower of the Blind Beast> after hesitating.
She had been protecting Elysia and helping Mariela get in and out of Hadunsha.
But she didn’t expect things to get so complicated when Elysia left for Grerosa.
After Elysia left for Grerosa, Iris had planned to leave with her, but she had experienced abdominal pain and had to leave the next day.
I should have been by Lady Elysia’s side.
All the priests who had been with Elysia had been killed, and Iris was devastated to have lost Elysia, whom she had cared for like a younger sister.
Now, the problem was not just protecting Elysia, but also dealing with Sonatek, who was determined to destroy this world.
“Have the gods said anything?”
Esho shook his head.
“It’s still the same. The five gods of this world and Oder are denying the existence of Sonatek.”
“I see.”
Some of the priests had the ability to communicate directly with the gods.
She was surprised when the brothers Roben and Esho suddenly appeared before her and explained that they came because the gods wanted to help her.
The ability to receive oracles was related to the level of understanding of the original story.
In general, only those who read <Flower of the Blind Beast> from beginning to end could become high-ranking priests who received divine oracles.
Trainee priests who read it sporadically were unable to receive divine oracles.
Elysia was unexpected, but she became a complete reader by reading Mariela’s notes.
However, even though Iris read Mariela’s notes, she could not receive divine oracles like Elysia, so her existence was special.
“He intends to kill Elysia.”
While preparing an antidote for the paralyzing poison, Iris trembled.
Because of the detoxification, the ingredients were so severe that there was a high chance that Elysia would experience recurring discomfort and dizziness even after regaining consciousness.
“Sonatek often reads the prophetic book.”
Roben and Esho were monitoring Sonatek’s entry and exit from Hadunsha.
“Is he trying to fix the story again?”
“Well, I’m not sure. Lately, he has been consulting the prophecy once or twice a day, and it seems like he has some intention behind it.”
“Has the content changed at all?”
Esho shrugged his shoulders.
“Not yet. Don’t worry too much, sister. I’m keeping a close eye on it too.”
Iris gazed at the small window of the prayer room, barely the size of a palm, which was now dark.
“I hope Elysia returns to Hadunsha soon.”
I would have been less anxious if she was right in front of me.
* * * * *
Upon arriving at the Grand Duchy, there was a commotion.
“Greetings, Your Highness the Princess.”
“Hello, Bernard. You seem fine as well.”
“I’m glad you returned safely, Your Highness.”
After being away for some time, they exchanged a small talk.
From the butler’s point of view, Bernard wanted to speak first to Elysia, who suddenly disappeared from a date with Eleon, which his master had warned him to stay away from.
However, he couldn’t ignore Eleon and Lady Lev, who had returned after a few years and had to quickly express his joy to Elysia.
“What happened? Lady Elysia. Are you hurt? You look unharmed. That’s a relief, but what is that outfit?”
Elysia, who was wearing a simple white cape, looked at Mariela, who was next to her and asked.
“Who is this person…?”
Elysia’s usually expressionless face showed a hint of embarrassment, making Eleon feel uneasy.
“This is Bernard, the butler who takes care of the grand duchy.”
Eleon introduced Bernard in a brusque tone. Elysia put her hands on her chest and bowed her head slightly as she greeted the butler.
“May the blessings of the Five Gods and Oder be with you. My name is Elysia.”
As she greeted him, Bernard looked at Eleon with a confused expression.
“Where am I going to stay?”
Where else would you stay? In the Grand Duchess’s bedroom. I had a hard time cleaning that room in a hurry.
But he couldn’t even say it.
“Bernard. Prepare the guest room.”
Eleon instructed before turning around and striding off to his own room.
“Elysia?”
Elysia, who had been following Eleon’s back with her eyes, put on a mask of ignorance and looked at the butler.
Returning to his room, Eleon was engulfed in mixed emotions.
“Sigh.”
He felt like he was going crazy with frustration.
“Sonatek?”
He felt like someone was trying to manipulate him like a scarecrow doll.
The unpleasant feeling lingered, and he couldn’t shake it off.
Ever since he heard that there was a book that meticulously recorded his life, he had felt uneasy, as if someone was watching him.
“Is that why you said it was close to taboo?”
He thought of Elysia, who had said that she wouldn’t even try to make an effort even if she heard that her fate was predetermined.
“I’m leaving for Hadunsha.”
What angered Eleon the most was that Elysia didn’t even consider making an effort.
He had never been so strongly attracted to someone before, especially a stranger.
Even when he was blind, he had desperately wanted her, and he wondered if her presence in his dark world made her even more special to him.
But that was not the case.
Now that his sight had returned and everything was back to normal, her absence was bitter and painful.
He felt like a man experiencing his first love.
Suddenly, his eyes landed on a book lying on the desk.
The History of the Palegara War.
Eleon tapped the cover with his fingertips.
“Why am I so stupid? This is not like me.”
He got up from his seat and picked up the book, muttering to himself.
“If Elysia won’t do it, then I’ll have to do it for her.”
But at the same time, he felt both excited and afraid to see Elysia again. He wondered how long he could endure her emotionless gaze.
Knock, knock.
When Eleon knocked on the guest room door, Elysia opened it.
“Let’s talk for a minute.”
She seemed hesitant at first, but then she moved aside to allow Eleon to come inside.
“You have something to say?”
After a brief silence, Eleon hesitated about how to start the conversation, but suddenly handed Elysia the book.
“Do you remember this book?”
At that moment, Elysia’s eyes shook slightly.
I do.
It was obvious that she knew the book and her expression revealed that she remembered what it was about.
Eleon asked urgently.
“Elysia, you know what this is? You remember?”
“…… Yes, I do.”
