A Runaway Villainess, Now Healing In An Enemy Country - Chapter 54

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 54】

I slowly processed the scenery that had changed in an instant.

Inside an empty building slightly away from the Town Square with Clock Tower. It was an emergency refuge hideout along the route I had scouted in advance.

Since Davuer and I had to move only within a range where we could safely separate, our route was also adjusted accordingly.

In other words, our current distance from the Duke was merely three to four hundred meters. However.

‘As long as I don’t use magic, we’ll be fine for now.’

Only then did I feel relieved.

“Irene.”

Before I could collapse to the floor with my legs giving out, Davuer firmly pulled me up. The cool sensation of his fingers intertwined like shackles brought me back to reality.

His hair spread before my eyes like a small snowy field looked unusually bright, bright enough to make my retinas sting.

As I quietly faced him, the incident from the border region flashed through my mind like lightning.

“…We need to modify our plan a little.”

I had miscalculated.

Just giving Nereni a little of my magic wouldn’t be enough to deceive the Duke, let alone Chessier.

This was more certainty than speculation, more prophecy than certainty.

But this was about magic.

“Could we implant Magi instead?”

If it comes to this, things would be different.

* * *

A little before bringing Irene.

Jepi tightened his grip on the hand holding Lishie.

The woman, fragile as paper, struggled meaninglessly in his grasp while hurling curses.

“Let go! You brute!”

“…”

“Where is Older Sister? Why does Older Sister have to die!”

For someone who looked so delicate, she was tremendously troublesome.

The Countess, who had briefly lost consciousness after the sudden movement, unfortunately woke up just as they were discussing the remaining plans, overheard them, and was now throwing this tantrum.

Her face, with tear stains not yet dry, was completely contorted as she wailed. Her resistance was quite fierce, though where such spirit came from was unclear.

Jepi looked down at her, wondering if he should cover her mouth, but couldn’t bring himself to do it and muttered irritably.

“You’re too loud…”

The ‘methods for making people quiet’ he knew were very extreme, so there was no choice.

It wasn’t just Jepi, but Ally too, who was standing at a distance with fingers plugged in her ears, watching like it was someone else’s business.

“Let go! I need to go to Older Sister!”

“Shit.”

Honestly, he could have corrected her misunderstanding if he wanted to, but explaining was bothersome.

He also had desperately poor speaking skills.

“Countess.”

Then their master, who had been silently observing until now, finally moved. As he approached, Lishie stiffened like a small animal caught in a net.

Davuer took her hand without any explanation. She jumped at the cool sensation like touching a corpse, but didn’t shake it off.

After just a few seconds, Davuer released the hand he had been holding and spoke his assessment dryly.

“Touching doesn’t calm the Magi.”

“Wh, what?”

“Try using divine power on me.”

“That…”

Lishie bit her lip inward and lowered her head.

Upon hearing the word divine power, her whole body trembled as if struck by lightning. The Voice that usually echoed in her head was ‘still quiet today,’ yet she heard phantom sounds that didn’t exist.

[Didn’t I tell you that using divine power would solve everything.]

Until now, it had really been exactly as those words said.

When she first used divine power following that Voice’s guidance. Lishie had defeated the Vermin that turned the hunting competition into chaos and healed the injured people.

If there was a total amount of gratitude each person could offer to God, she would have used it all up right there that day.

“Older Sister…! Are you alright now?”

“Is that what’s important to you right now? You’ve dramatically awakened divine power. Everyone is watching you. You should go say something befitting a Countess…”

“That’s the most important thing to me! Are there any places that haven’t healed yet? Older Sister, you can’t close your eyes!”

“I’m all better. I just used too much magic. I’m going to sleep now… Today has been really absurd…”

Because she could save Irene with divine power.

“…Ah.”

She had used divine power on Irene that day.

As what she hadn’t been aware of until now surfaced, Lishie habitually grabbed her head and fumbled.

“Used, I used it. On Older Sister. Divine power.”

“Countess?”

Jepi, who noticed the change, tilted his head while looking at Lishie trapped in his arms. Ally also lowered her hands that had been covering her ears and approached.

Davuer frowned and asked quietly.

“Is there some problem with your divine power.”

“Divine power… No. I shouldn’t use it…”

“Hey.”

“The demon is making me. Making me move again…”

Lishie, who had jerked her head up, screamed. A glittering strange light swirled in her golden eyes.

“What I have isn’t divine power!”

Clang―!

Just then, a tremendously loud and sharp bell sound rang out, so Jepi immediately released Lishie and rushed to Irene.

It didn’t take more than a few seconds for him to return with Irene.

Lishie sat collapsed on the floor, blankly staring at Irene who had appeared with a small gust of wind.

Until she turned that gaze down to her.

‘…Come to think of it, Older Sister is.’

Irene resembled a spring storm.

A wind that swept through with unavoidable warmth that made you close your eyes in relief, only to disappear without a trace at some point.

A person who was kind to everyone but had firm boundaries. Ruthless to those who crossed those lines, but devoted and gentle to those within them.

That’s why Lishie was so envious of those within Irene’s boundaries. She was jealous and resentful too. Because it was a place not permitted to her.

Probably, for the rest of her life.

‘I see. These people are also within Older Sister’s boundaries…’

“Lishie.”

Finally, Irene’s red eyes reached her.

Lishie moved her stiff tongue to extract the confession stuck like a thorn in her throat.

She had to confess. Now, immediately.

In fact, from the beginning, this should have been said before anything else. Even if she might be hated the moment she revealed it, it was something that absolutely had to be said.

“O, Older Sister. The divine power I have…”

Actually, I think it’s an evil power that summons demons.

And I think that power is tormenting Older Sister.

Though she didn’t know much about the existence of that Voice, Lishie had decided to call it a demon. Since its actions were terrible, it must be a demon.

Probably not the ‘Demon Duke’ who was said to be the adversary of divine revelation, but the Voice inside her was the real demon.

“Later.”

Suddenly, warm heat was placed on top of Lishie’s head. Irene said while stroking her hair.

“There’s still something I haven’t finished dealing with. Let’s do it later. You should get some sleep for now.”

“…I’m, scared of sleeping…”

She was afraid of losing consciousness.

I don’t know when the demon might take over my body. It has already been helplessly stolen several times. When I regained consciousness afterward, something terrible had always happened.

“It’s okay now. I’m here.”

“Older Sister… you won’t… die… will you…?”

“Of course not.”

“Ah… thank goodness…”

But in that warmth, she let go of the tension she’d been holding.

Lishie couldn’t overcome the drowsiness that washed over her and finally closed her eyes. It was a deep sleep after a long time.

* * *

“Why do I have to take care of her?”

Ally pouted with her lips sticking out several inches, but despite her complaints, she lifted the sleeping Lishie like a princess.

I gently patted the diligent maid.

“There’s no one more suitable than you.”

“Mm. I am the most capable, after all.”

Easy.

Since Ally had already done her fair share, it was decided she would sit out the remaining operation along with Lishie.

“I did as you said, but…”

Saying that, Davuer took my hand as usual.

In a corner over there, Nereni was blinking with a blank expression, her fingertips stained black.

“Since magi has been infused, that form can’t be maintained for long. We need to finish this as quickly as possible.”

“…That’s what I intend to do.”

I was prepared for it, but seeing ‘myself’ tainted with magi inevitably made me feel uncomfortable. Of course, I would have felt the same way seeing anyone else in that state.

Even though Nereni was supposedly not even human, let alone a living creature—some kind of bio-doll thing—she was indistinguishable from a person on the outside.

I suppose you could call it a clash of ethics… These inhuman beings seem so carefree with no thoughts about it.

“Davuer, you’re not having any problems with your body, are you?”

I felt embarrassed asking this after telling him not to use magi carelessly.

I squeezed the hand I was holding for no particular reason, as if that might suppress the magi further.

Whoosh!

Just then, Jepi, who had just returned from the monastery, reported.

“Disturbance suppressed, search in progress. The Citadel has been sealed.”

“We should start moving soon.”

According to the original plan, Nereni, who had switched places with me, should have appeared before the commotion in the plaza died down.

The flow had been slightly disrupted by the incident along the way…

But the ending hadn’t changed.

“Alright, let’s begin.”

Even if it was a sudden and incomprehensible picture, that was fine.

Using the incident from the border region, I planned to disappear leaving only questions behind, just as Eshe Karte had done.

Abandoning Valtrès, Hilbarsia, and even all traces of my past life that remained here…

Back to Belmayer.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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