“I’m sorry, but I can’t…….”
Berg couldn’t bear to raise his head. Instead, he lowered his gaze and broke the bad news to Adelia. Adelia accepted his sad news calmly on the outside but was about to crumble on the inside.
“……I see.”
“I’m so sorry. The poison doesn’t work with divine power …….”
Adelia bit her lip as she stared at the two people whose spark of life was slowly fading in the middle of the desert. She couldn’t leave them in a situation like this. If divine power doesn’t work, does that mean this is the power of chaos?
“First, let’s move these four individuals inside the sacred ground.”
“It’s not a bad idea. It’s a place where Vishna’s blessings remain most strongly on this planet, so maybe it will ease symptoms.”
Adelia nodded in response to Severance’s words.
Although she hoped so, she didn’t give it much thought. All was going as Vishnu had predicted. Adelia struggled to get rid of her uneasy feeling.
‘Overcome the loss…… Is this it?’
Adelia closed her eyes quietly and organized her complicated mind.
***
“……this place doesn’t have much effect either.”
Looking at the two people lying dead, Severance shook his head; it appeared as though their death was inevitable.
In a low, collected voice, Adelia moved her chapped lips.
“Please leave us alone for a moment.”
Pope Severance and Bishop Berg exchanged nods as they exchanged glances.
“…Yes.”
“We’ll stay outside for a while.”
Tak.
A serene silence descended after Berg and Severance left. There are definitely three people left here, but it seemed like she was alone. Adelia moved slowly in the direction of Demalo and Ivan.
It appeared as though even breathing was painful for them as they exhaled. Her heart painfully tightened each time she heard that breath.
She at last let out her suppressed tears. She didn’t want to cry anymore but…….
“Don’t die.”
Adelia asked them eagerly, muttering words that would not reach them.
“Please.”
She held both of the men’s icy hands in her own. The two people she fears losing the most. But at this rate, both will die.
Adelia opened her tightly closed eyes. Her eyes were resolutely determined.
Adelea held her hands firmly, awakening her strength. The time between the two soon came to a halt.
The state of not being either alive or dead. Can she really claim that she prevented their deaths and that they are now still alive? No, it’s merely blocking death’s eyes.
Adelia was aware of this. That they are practically dead. She, on the other hand, couldn’t bear the thought of them running out of air.
“In the end, everything happened as Vishnu intended.”
Adelia grinned and murmured, acknowledging that she had no choice but to do as she pleased.
Turn back time.
If that happens, they won’t get to this point and there won’t be a disaster in the first place.
But if she turns back time, would Ivan still remember her?
‘For as long as he’s alive, he doesn’t need to remember me.’
‘Yes, as long as he’s still alive, it is preferable to dying pointlessly.’
‘It’s better than losing them, so it’s all right……’
Adelia grinned, and her monotone laughter echoed hollowly in the temples.
***
“Yes……? What do you mean!”
Bishop Berg, as if he couldn’t believe it, asked Adelia. He spoke with tremors in every word. Adelia responded calmly to Bishop Berg’s question.
“From now on, I will move alone.”
“Such……it is too dangerous!”
Berg was adamant that he could never abandon her. Pope Severance, who was listening to Adelia behind his back, was the one who put a stop to him.
“Bishop Berg, please relax.”
“Your Holiness Severance…”
You won’t always be able to understand everything. There are instances when doing what you believe to be right is actually wrong.
Severance recited a few important phrases. The Pope stopped speaking, and Berg grimaced as though he was annoyed. But, he added, turning to face Adelia.
“It’s going to be a long journey, but I hope you succeed.”
Silently nodding, Adelia listened to Severance’s blessing.
Time to reverse everything.
***
A significant event occurred in the Huizeniac Empire while Adelia and her group were on their way to the sacred ground.
“Rebellion?”
No, a civil war would have been a more accurate description. How far do they want to go with their strategy?
“Perhaps they want to obliterate everything.”
First and foremost, struggle is what yields chaos.
Adelia tightened the hood even more as she observed the chaos within the empire. Through Bishop Berg’s holy being, she had some knowledge of the situation, but she had no idea it would be this serious.
‘The Duke of Valkyr resigned, too?’
That’s absurd. He was still far too young to retire. Something had obviously happened.
“Did they get rid of Giorgio Valkyr because he didn’t move the way they wanted?”
They selected Berkian Valkyr, his son, to serve as their puppet in his place. It made perfect sense in that situation.
In any case, the emperor would not have obtained the final relic in this scenario. In that case, Adelia’s destination was set.
To travel to the Valkyr estate, Adelia lined up to use the teleport hall.”
“Could you remove your hoodie so I can verify your identity?”
The vigilance to use the teleport hall has likely increased due to the chaos brought on by the civil war. It was only natural that the teleport hall, which connects to Valkyr, couldn’t be used at all and that the nearby territories strictly enforced the borders.
“Of course.”
Adelia removed her hood without thinking twice. Then, like a waterfall, the dazzling blonde hair that had been hidden under the hood fell out.
She altered her appearance by using a magic potion. Her face is already widely recognized. During this time, it was improper to reveal one’s identity.
The soldier asked while looking at Adelia’s fake identification.
“You are a healer and a member of the temple.”
“I’m ashamed. I still lack a lot.”
“Then, what is the rationale behind your…”
“Isn’t it a chaotic place? I would go anywhere if I could help people even a little bit,” she said.
“That’s a great idea. Please go in.”
With a Vishna Religion-sealed ID card, Adelia could easily enter the teleport hall. Since then, it has been simple. She paid a hefty price, boarded a carriage in the middle, and made her way up to Valkyr. People cannot survive without supplies, not even in the midst of a war.
“Haha, no one would want to visit the Valkyr at this moment, but the young priest has great courage.”
Adelia responded to the merchant’s remarks with a shaky smile.
“But a merchant came, right?”
I wouldn’t have come if it weren’t for the contract; however, if Valkyr survives, I’m afraid of the consequences because I can’t make money unless I’m here.”
“Is that so? I’ll say so, too.”
Adelia grinned sourly as she turned her head to look out the window. The Valkyr Mansion was close by before she realized it.
“The problem starts now.”
It’s probably not as accessible as it once was. Because this is where the chaos is centered.
Adelia squinted her eyes as she considered her next move. From this point forward, even the smallest error or failure was fatal. She therefore couldn’t overlook a little negligence.
She wanted this to be successful for a reason.
***
Hestine was looking out the window aimlessly. Her vibrant eyes were blank. It didn’t belong to the living.
Hestine was unable to handle the day’s shock in any way.
Hestine’s maid, Lizzie, bit her lip as she observed Hestine.
‘I’m getting goosebumps.’
Anxiety has made it difficult for Lizzie to sleep peacefully lately. Too much change was taking place.
Isn’t the family’s owner suddenly changing, and Hestine, her connection, silently looks out the window like a crazy person?
She thought she was also going crazy at this rate.
“Saint, it’s time to eat.”
Lizzie subdued her annoyance and used her sweetest voice to converse with Hestine. Hestine then looked over at Lizzie.
“…….”
Naturally, there was no reply. She felt goosebumps as the figure merged with the old Hestine. How can one change so dramatically?
“I can’t do this. I’m going to drive myself crazy if I stay like this. For a while, I’ll assign another maid to fill this position.”
However, recently, rumors circulated that the saint was insane, and she was concerned that no one would want to take charge of her.
Lizzie sighed and exited the room, carrying the food.
Tak~
Hestine was left alone. She took another soulless look out the window.
‘I want to get out of here.’
She has been considering it all day. She yearned to escape this luxurious jewel prison. She wished she could escape this horrible nightmare.
knock, knock.
Then someone rapped on Hestine’s door once more. Today, a sizable number of people showed up. Hestine in the past would have been delighted, but these days everything was just irritating.
Tak~
Even without Hestine’s approval, the door opened. Hestine turned her head away to see if it was Lizzie. But Lizzie wasn’t the visitor.
a young woman with freckles and simple brown hair.
‘Who is it?’
The familiar girl smiled at Hestine.
“Do you remember me, Hestine-nim?”
“……?”
“I used to be Adelia Sorne’s maid, don’t you remember?”
Hearing those words caused Hestine’s previously soulless eyes to become confused.
“Um, your name is… Siri or Romi, was it? I can’t say that I remember.”
As she drew nearer to Hestine, the girl muttered.
“I set up Lady Sorne and had her punished for being cruel to Hestine-nim,”
