“That’s right, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. The first person to take that poison was my ex-husband.”
Ah! Elise let out a surprise sound.
His Highness David, I thought he committed suicide, but was he killed by Iris?
“Why did you kill His Highness David?”
Elise felt guilty about him. So, after Chase became king, she tried to request his pardon.
“Because he didn’t suit me.”
“You, you…You’re crazy. You’ve completely lost it!”
The one who went mad with greed was Iris.
“Want to know a fun fact?”
As Elise raged, Iris’s mood improved.
It felt like the humiliation suffered by Elise seems to have been swept away
“I also killed the previous emperor.”
“What?”
Chills ran down Elise’s body.
“I had to do that much to stay by Chase’s side. Do you understand?”
Elise was so surprised that she couldn’t continue speaking.
“Elise, take that poison and die beautifully. If you don’t take that poison, Regina will be the one to take my poison today.”
Elise’s spine felt cold. Regina was Alice’s maid, the only person who stayed by her side during the nights she had nightmares.
“But if she doesn’t take that poison, Patricia will be next.”
“Why Patricia? She’s just someone who badmouths me!”
“She talked to you, didn’t she?”
Iris was truly vicious. When Elise realized what Iris was planning to do, her hair 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 hammered Elise’s hope. And so, Elise’s hope shattered into pieces.
Elise bowed her head deeply.
“Call Chase.”
“Are you planning to beg him? Keep your honor as a Warton noble.”
Elise tried to ask for Regina’s safety at least, but Iris was relentless.
Elise realized that what she was trying to do was contradictory and shameless.
How many people had she trampled on for Chase?
Most of them begged Elise to at least take good care of their remaining family.
Every time, Elise did her best to fulfill their requests, but there were numerous cases where she couldn’t.
Having lived such a life and now…Was it retribution?
Elise muttered in despair.
“Don’t touch Regina.”
“If I see your corpse tomorrow morning, Regina will live comfortably.”
Iris smirked. The deal was made. Iris got up.
The strong scent of flowers left in her place felt disgusting to Elise.
Elise had a hunch.
That everything was over.
That night, the sound of scratching stone with fingernails echoed all night.
It was the sound of Elise drawing a magic circle on the floor.
Without a proper tool to draw the magic circle, Elise scratched the floor with her nails.
It was a magic circle to turn back time, a magic that was considered absurd even in the Ivory Tower.
She had seen it in a childlike book called [The Terrifying Magic Circle Dictionary When You Know It].
Elise drew the magic circle with a desperate feeling. It would have been impossible without her excellent memory and stubbornness.
By the time she barely completed the magic circle, the dawn was breaking.
And all ten of Elise’s fingernails were worn away.
Sitting in the middle of the magic circle stained with red blood, Elise muttered in despair.
“What to do after drawing the magic circle…There’s no one to supply mana.”
Elise chuckled.
No matter how delicately you draw the magic circle, it’s useless without a magician to activate the magic.
From the beginning, there was nothing she could do alone. She was born that way.
Elise picked up a bottle rolling on the floor with a desolate feeling.
Yes, let’s die. Accept it sweetly as a punishment. And if there is a next life.
“I won’t die alone, so look forward to it.”
Chase, Iris.
Elise poured the poison in one go. Her body fell heavily to the side.
That’s when it happened. A figure caught her dimming vision.
Isn’t that person Prince Karan of Tetris? Why did he come?
“…Lise! Elise!”
Why is he calling me so desperately?
Elise licked her lips, but all that came out of her lips was a thin breath.
Gradually, the sound faded away. Next, a dazzling white light enveloped her.
I thought it would be blackout when I die, Elise closed her eyes completely with that thought.
****
“We found out where Lady Elise Warton was taken.”
As soon as he heard that, Karan jumped up from his seat and headed for the street.
Despite Hartbin’s dissuasion that it would be dangerous, he disguised himself and headed for Bedrokka’s underground prison.
He cut down the Bedrokka knights who blocked his way without hesitation.
Without a chance to counterattack, the Bedrokka knights fled in fear.
By the time he arrived at the underground prison, his sword was clearly dripping with someone else’s blood.
“Elise would be surprised.”
He casually wiped the blood off his sword on the clothes of a dead Bedrokka knight.
No human emotions could be felt from his expressionless face.
But that changed after he entered the underground prison.
He swallowed hard. All sorts of emotions shook him.
This place didn’t suit Elise.
The damp moss, the humid smell, and the atmosphere hinting at a dark future.
“How did…”
Karan knew all the efforts Elise had made to put Chase on the throne.
Without her, an incompetent person like Chase wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere near the throne.
She was a woman who deserved to enjoy glory. But why was she in prison?
“The scandal with His Majesty had the biggest impact.”
Karan clenched his fist, recalling what he had heard from Hartbin.
She was a woman he dared not even think of touching.
Just talking to her was overwhelming, he couldn’t even answer properly.
But a scandal?
Chase’s dark intentions were too obvious, and Karan’s anger surged.
To quell his anger, Karan took a deep breath and opened the door leading to the underground prison.
Let’s focus on saving Elise for now. Let’s do everything else after we save her.
Karan moved freely even in the darkness.
Being familiar with the darkness was one of the characteristics of the Tetris people.
Those born with the strong bloodline of Tetris could identify objects as clearly in the darkness as in broad daylight.
Karan considered this a blessing of the Tetris people.
But now, the blessing has become a curse.
“Elise! Wake up!”
Elise, sprawled on the floor, was painfully clear to his eyes.
Her half-closed eyes, the vivid blood trickling from her lips, represented her fading state.
“Why… why…”
Karan couldn’t believe it. Just three days ago, she had spoken to him about the subjugation expedition.
With a faint smile on her lips, emitting a scent that Karan liked, Elise, who had asked for Tetris’s help, was now sprawled out without a hint of life.
“You should have held on a little longer…as you have been doing, fiercely.”
Karan had fallen for her, known as Chase’s viper, over 20 years ago.
She was the only one who respected him, whom everyone pointed fingers at as a barbarian.
At the annual continental exchange meeting, she was the only one who did not ignore the Tetris people.
Even in this subjugation expedition, she was the only one who actively accepted and acknowledged Tetris’s opinions.
Karan felt sorry for her, who was not treated properly.
So, Karan subtly suggested to Elise.
“It would be nice if there was someone like Lady Alice in Tetris.”
Elise took Karan’s suggestion as a blatant compliment.
Elise didn’t pay any attention to Karan. Elise’s straight eyes were directed at Chase.
Karan strived not to fall behind him.
As long as he harbored feelings for her, he had to have an equal status with her to watch her from afar and even exchange words.
His efforts began to bear fruit. Soon, Karan was to become the crown prince.
And if he distinguished himself in the subjugation expedition, he would become a hero of the continent, and he believed that she would look back at him at least once.
He was inflated with anticipation and couldn’t sleep.
But the moment he reached his goal, everything ended.
Karan looked down at Elise in a daze.
From her body, which had always been upright, no signs of life could be found.
“Elise, don’t do this. Let’s go to Titris, to Titris, okay?”
Despite his desperate request, Elise didn’t move at all.
Karan stared at her for a long time and realized.
The underground prison was too shabby and cold for her to be there.
She needs to be moved to a warm place.
Karan slowly got up and drew his sword. As the sword with a blue aura cut through the air, the iron bars that Elise had been banging on and had not moved were cut.
After swinging his sword a few times, the iron bars fell to the ground.
There was a loud noise, but Karan didn’t care.
If someone comes and blocks his way, he can just cut them down with this sword.
Karan’s eyes were burning with anger. There was no need to ask who the anger was directed at.
He will not forgive those who made Elise like this.
Karan’s bloodshot eyes were full of life.
But before that, Elise needs to be moved to a safe place. Karan pulled her small body into his arms.
“It’s too cold here. I’ll move you to a warm place soon. Just hold on a little longer, Elise. It takes time to get rid of those who made you like this.”
He spoke as if Elise was alive. He picked up Alice.
Then, Karan found a magic circle on the floor that he had not paid attention to until now.
Looking back and forth between the magic circle stained with blood here and there and Elise’s messed up hand, Karan suddenly realized something. He put Elise down on the floor.
“There must be a reason why you drew the magic circle. There must be a reason why you drew it to this extent while dying. There must be.”
Karan placed both palms on Elise’s magic circle.
He took a deep breath.
He was a person who should never use magic, but he activated the magic circle without a moment’s hesitation.
A burning pain engulfed Karan. But Karan did not stop.
“Elise, no matter what happens in the next life, I will be by your side.”
Even if you don’t want me to.
I won’t leave you by the side of the guy who made you like this.
Even if I have to stake everything I have.
Karan kept making promises and then fell to the side.
The magic circle drawn by Elise shone in gold. A white light engulfed Karan and Elise.
It was the light of the activation of the regression circle, which was thought to never be activated, a child’s prank.
Oooommmmmggggggt