“They say that the tribe regards the Black Wolf as a mythical creature. They believe that if the shoulder bones start protruding, wings will appear, undoubtedly indicating the possession of magic.”
“Magic?”
“Ugh, I didn’t wait all this time to hear such a ridiculous story…”
Stella relayed the news from the Pompus Peninsula with an incredulous expression.
The last time I was worried about Casey’s condition, I sent someone there at Stella’s suggestion. There was a tribe there that held wolves sacred.
Casey’s shoulder bones were growing in an unusually peculiar shape, and the idea of wings appearing was beyond logical comprehension. I let out a small sigh and said,
“It seems like that tribe is talking about the legendary Casey.”
“That could be possible. There are records that some of the fallen Xenos ruling class led a group and settled on the Pompus Peninsula during ancient times.”
A few days later, the wolf caretaker came to the Empress’s palace. His expression was grim. I sensed that something serious had happened to Casey. What part of him could be hurting?
“Um… I think you need to see it for yourself.”
The wolf caretaker had fear in his eyes. Startled, I rose immediately to see Casey. When I arrived at Vanessa Palace, I saw Casey bouncing around as energetically as ever.
As soon as I saw him, I breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the caretaker with a puzzled look. He sighed softly and picked Casey up, stepping closer to show me the problematic area so I could get a better look.
“What is this?”
There, towering over Casey’s shoulder blades like a deformity, were tiny feathers. As if wings were about to sprout. I had always assumed it was simply a congenital bone problem.
For a while, I remained silent, gazing at the small wolf in bewilderment. Then, with a composed tone, I ordered the caretaker.
“Restrict anyone’s access to this place and ensure that this matter is kept strictly confidential.”
Returning to the Empress’s palace, my heart continued to race at an alarming speed, refusing to settle down.
A black wolf with wings—Casey, the legendary creature. A symbol of witches. Words that should never be uttered were swirling in my mind.
Lethenia’s body was imbued with the magic of water. I had confirmed it with my own eyes.
Thus, Lethenia’s identity as a member of the Xenos royal family became evident. That alone would have caused considerable trouble in Asha. But to be a reincarnation of a witch? It was the perfect condition for being burned at the stake.
‘Now, with a little more waiting, all preparations will be complete.’
Ios Island, the place I chose as my settlement, was a secluded place surrounded by the sea of death.
Unlike Asha, it wasn’t exclusive to magic. If I could perfectly establish a new identity, no one would find me strange there.
I’ve been discussing the settlement issue with Theo through the magical notes for some time now. With the funds I had accumulated, the ownership process was almost complete, and the ship would soon be ready.
Now that I had also uncovered the whereabouts of the secret order, hidden behind a veil, only negotiations with Ian remained.
Suppressing my restless heart, I thought positively about the future. However, a feeling that I had missed something crucial refused to fade away.
‘What’s wrong with my body today…….’
For a moment, dizziness swept over me, and everything turned black. Could it be because of exhaustion from lack of sleep? Nightmares have been haunting me lately. Now, going to sleep itself felt terrifying.
Upon waking up, the momentary pain I had been feeling became longer and more intense. I thought it was better not to sleep, even if I was tired. Perhaps staying awake intentionally for several days had taken a toll. My mind was foggy, and my body felt heavy like a wet cotton ball.
Suddenly, my left chest felt extremely hot, like it was on fire. I had a strange premonition. I hurriedly grabbed the mirror on the nightstand and nervously pulled down the front of my dress. I examined the reflection of my chest in the mirror.
“Ha…….”
Without realizing it, a sigh of despair escaped me. Strange bruises, for which I couldn’t determine the cause, had slowly darkened, and today they finally revealed their true form.
It was a black symbol, representing a contract with the demon. My mind went blank with tremendous shock.
I dropped the mirror and covered my mouth with both hands. My entire body trembled like a leaf, and my breathing became rapid. Soon, I lost consciousness.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
Sejin’s consciousness fell deep into the innermost depths. Demonio, the demon who had taken control of Lethenia’s body, rolled his eyes and carefully observed his surroundings. It was a world of humans that he had not encountered in a very long time.
Demonio chuckled excitedly, like a child visiting a playground. Not long after, a maid entered the bedroom.
“Stella?”
Demonio called her name through Lethenia’s mouth. As Demonio recovered some strength, Lethenia’s memories, which had been somewhat blurry, became a bit clearer.
He silently examined Lethenia’s memories. Demonio had planned to take Lethenia’s body and ruin her life. Inflicting unbearable suffering on humans was his greatest joy. The thought of taking on Lethenia’s form and tormenting her loved ones made him even more excited.
Stella handed the milk she brought to Lethenia and said, “I see you didn’t have any nightmares today.”
Stella smiled softly. Lethenia, who was possessed by Demonio, glared at her, then accepted the milk. After taking a sip, he spoke to her in a sarcastic tone.
“Now… you expect me to drink this?”
“……?”
Stella wiped away her gentle smile and asked in a bewildered voice. Demonio lifted the corner of his mouth and poured the milk onto Stella’s forehead. The white liquid dripped from Stella’s forehead down to her shoulders and then to the floor.
“…….”
Stella, shocked and frozen, stood still like a statue.
“I don’t want to see a disgusting sight; get out of here.”
With a vacant expression, she greeted and left the room.
“Hehehehehe-“
As soon as Stella left the room, eerie laughter echoed throughout the room.
Demonio hummed a tune, wandering around the palace barefoot. With unfocused eyes, he walked around. The courtiers were horrified by the sight of the Empress walking aimlessly.
Clearly, the Empress seemed mentally unstable to anyone. Among the numerous courtiers, someone gathered the courage to approach the Empress and asked cautiously,
“Your Majesty, is there anything uncomfortable?”
Demonio stared at the woman in front of him, blocking his way. Then she slightly lifted one corner of his mouth and swiftly raised his hand.
Swish!
A sharp sound echoed through the air. The woman who was slapped on the cheek looked up at the Empress in shock. Then Demonio struck her cheek forcefully once again.
A creepy energy emanated from her violet eyes. The woman, who regained her senses, kneeled and apologized to the Empress.
“Your Majesty, please forgive me. I, I made a mistake.”
Demonio looked satisfied as she observed the trembling woman kneeling on the ground. Leaving the terrified woman behind, Demonio resumed walking.
“Squeak-“
After wandering for a while, he heard a disturbing noise. It was a small mouse. With a movement too quick for a human, he caught it. The mouse squirmed desperately in his grasp.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
Having returned from the brink of death, Rosetin’s condition worsened. It was due to the lingering effects of Ledotir.
She smiled wryly at the thought that she was now deprived of the freedom to choose death.
During her wandering journey, she had a long dream. In that dream, she met the young Kaire, whom she would never see again. The vivid past was recreated in the dream.
The dream was so sweet that she wished she could live in it forever, even if it meant never waking up.
‘Kaire….’
In the ecstatic dream, she could freely call out the name she hadn’t uttered for a very long time. But when she opened her eyes, she returned to the unpleasant reality.
Everything had gone against her will. It felt like returning to a hell that she could never escape from. She had lost the will to live. Her mind and body had long since malfunctioned, rendering her unable to function properly.
Even Ian, whom she loved more than life, became someone she no longer wanted to see. She sank into a deep depression. Now, the mere thought of Ian was enough to bring a misery that was even more difficult to endure than before.
She didn’t want to see anyone. She didn’t want to do anything. Days passed as she wallowed in helplessness.
Knock, knock.
Then she heard a knock on the door. An attendant from the Empress’ palace had come to Kaelin Palace. Holding a small box with a pink ribbon, the attendant extended it to her, saying,
“A gift from Her Majesty, wishing you a speedy recovery.”
The attendant handed over the box and left. The relationship between the Empress and the mistress was rather awkward. They rarely interacted, and receiving a gift like this felt somewhat sudden.
With a vague feeling, Rosetin untied the ribbon. However, when she opened the box, she was so shocked that she dropped it. A scream that seemed to tear through everything echoed beyond her bedroom door.
“Aah!”
The maids of Kaelin Palace rushed into Rosetin’s bedroom.
“Miss Rosetin, what… Kyaa!”
The maids, too, screamed in horror when they saw the contents of the box—a mouse’s corpse covered in blood.
❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀
Happy Holidays!
