Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 222

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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 222

It wasn’t difficult to figure out that the “few days ago” he was referring to was the day we had talked about my death.

When I didn’t answer, Jeon opened his mouth again.

“If the Goddess is lending you power, that explains the might. But you can’t use this much power without any price.”

“Well, this is different from mana or divine power.”

“I don’t believe in divine mercy. Gods are fair observers.”

It was an unusually cynical attitude for Jeon. He frowned briefly as if recalling something, fell silent, then let out a shallow sigh.

Then he resumed walking after pausing momentarily.

It was significantly slower than the pace needed to catch up with Samuel. Thanks to that, the distance between Samuel and us widened considerably.

“But to think that the power Anelli uses belongs to a god – it looks very suspicious to me.”

“I told you. It’s about fulfilling what couldn’t be accomplished in my previous life.”

“Yes, that means the current Anelli might have to pay the price that wasn’t paid in the previous life.”

The price not paid in the previous life – would that be the proxy’s annihilation? The price I couldn’t pay because Samuel turned me into a human soul.

Though unlike then, I’m human now, so at least my soul could probably reincarnate.

It’s unfortunate that reincarnation presupposes death though.

“Are you still keeping Samuel’s words in mind?”

“Did you think I’d forget that overnight?”

Jeon, who twisted his lips as if he’d heard something ridiculous, stopped walking again.

His gaze, turned toward me, fixed on my dangling hand.

More precisely, on my hand that had turned white with dust from exercising divine power all the way here.

“I wanted to know what kind of situation would require death as collateral, so I requested materials from the Mage Tower.”

Jeon, who suddenly spoke up, slowly reached out his hand. He lightly grasped my dirty fingertips and lifted them up.

“My teacher always emphasized that the Mage Tower was truly a treasury of knowledge… But I couldn’t find even a clue about the phenomena you’re experiencing. Dying and coming back to life, talking to monsters, talking to animals – all of those phenomena.”

“Well, it’s a rare case.”

“That’s right. Since you were beheaded and then resurrected, I thought I’d look for information related to miracles performed by gods, but there was none. Even if there had been, my teacher probably would have sold it to the Temple long ago.”

Jeon rubbed my fingertips with his thumb. I could see the rough grains of dirt that made my skin feel gritty transferring to his hand.

“I wanted to eliminate the possibility of death, but I couldn’t find anything.”

No wonder his communication with the Mage Tower had increased so much over the past few days.

I was wondering if I should comfort him for his hard work, when Jeon continued speaking without waiting for my answer.

“Seeing the power you used today, it wouldn’t be strange if the price of this power was death. Honestly, it’s very likely.”

Jeon’s hand holding mine tightened. It was a grip so firm I couldn’t shake it off.

“…In this situation, it wouldn’t seem strange if you died.”

He whispered barely audibly and pulled my hand toward him. Jeon’s lips brushed against my dirt-covered fingertips.

The lips that seemed like they would lightly kiss and pull away pressed down firmly again. This time it was a bit higher up.

Over the ring he had put on me, Jeon pressed his lips like stamping a seal.

“As I said, it might not be.”

“Do you hope it’s not?”

With his lips still pressed against it, Jeon glanced up. His sunken golden eyes stared straight at me.

Do I hope it’s not? Do I hope I won’t die…?

It’s not something I can decide anyway, so is there a need to choose one side or the other?

Somehow it seemed like saying such thoughts would stoke Jeon’s anger again. I didn’t want to start an argument here, right before the end.

Fortunately, Jeon didn’t force an answer and changed the subject.

“I’m curious about something, Anelli.”

“Yeah.”

“How far into the future have you imagined, Anelli?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“After resurrection. I’m not talking about imagining eating snacks while watching the world end, but imagination about the future. It doesn’t have to be grand, just those kinds of things, you know. Whether you’ll have started a family in a few years, what face you’ll age with, where you’ll be living in your old age. Things like that.”

It was an unexpected question. So I unconsciously thought about the answer to Jeon’s question.

Before my resurrection, when I was striving to become Empress, I had certainly thought about such futures.

‘Marriage with Maxel, the imperial heir that would be born between Maxel and me, the Empress’s Palace where I would live my entire life. All those… everyday things.’

But after my resurrection, I had never properly thought about any of it.

I had only vaguely imagined geographically distant countries to escape from everything that was chasing me.

Perhaps understanding the implied answer through my silence, Jeon slowly nodded.

“It’s not something you must imagine.”

“Your imagination would be more interesting than mine.”

This conversation was uncomfortable. For some unknown reason, a strange awkwardness arose, so I forcefully pulled out my captured hand. Jeon obediently let me go.

I could see Samuel, who had gone quite far ahead, standing still and waiting for us.

As I turned around pretending to hurry, Jeon lengthened his stride and passed me.

“I haven’t done it either.”

His muttering that came out in a nonchalant tone was so small I almost missed it.

I opened my eyes wide, but Jeon walked quickly ahead as if there was no more conversation to share.

Instead, I, who had been trying to hurry, stopped again.

‘Haven’t done it.’

…Why?

* * *

Jeon let out a small sigh.

He had ended up revealing fragments of a past he had completely discarded.

It was quite impulsive and unnecessary. What was this, not being able to control the emotions that surged momentarily when she wasn’t even a child.

Jeon, who had been continuing his self-reproach inwardly, finally kicked out of his tent.

“She’s not even a child.”

He was already being treated as weak at every turn, and now he might even be misunderstood as having a gloomy mind.

‘Ah, maybe it’s not a misunderstanding.’

Jeon, who had carelessly sat in front of the weakened campfire, rubbed his face with dry hands.

Ever since hearing Samuel’s words, Jeon found himself thinking about Anelli’s absence whenever he looked at her.

He tried repeatedly to regain his composure, but it was useless.

How could he act normally after hearing such words?

‘And just now…’

There was no point in continuing that train of thought; it would only make him feel suffocated.

Jeon, who rubbed his face with dry hands once more, stared blankly at the campfire.

From far away came the cry of some unknown beast. In the past, he might have been frightened by that cry.

Now it just… though he couldn’t understand it, somehow seemed to be cursing and mocking him.

‘Calling him stupid, or an idiot, or a fool, or whatever. It felt like he had acted so foolishly that even beasts would look down on him.’

He must have seen Anelli talking to animals too many times.

“Not sleeping?”

Jeon, who had been burying his face in his hands, quickly raised his head. Anelli was coming out, lifting the flap of her tent.

“How did you wake up?”

“The monsters were being noisy.”

So it wasn’t the sound of beasts crying, but monsters being noisy.

Jeon, who had learned a fact he wasn’t particularly curious about, followed Anelli with his eyes.

Anelli, who had roughly thrown on an outer coat and tightly closed the front with one hand, placed her palm on the ground.

Green light rippled in the darkness and spread out around the campsite.

“Didn’t you kill all the nearby monsters earlier?”

It was Anelli who had turned the land that was originally full of disgusting tentacles into a clearing wide enough to set up three tents and still have room left over.

Anelli answered Jeon’s question slowly.

“There seems to have been a territorial fight nearby. It would be troublesome if they ran over here for no reason, so I’m leaving a strong aura as a threat.”

At first she seemed cautious, but now she used her power very naturally.

Just today alone, if the power Anelli used were converted to magic, it would have been at a level that would make any mage faint.

Regardless of the amount of mana, she had used her power too continuously and for too long.

Keeping his gaze on the green light, Jeon recalled the day’s events. The monsters touched by that light died quietly. They withered without any resistance.

There was no magic that could reap life so quietly and peacefully.

Of course, I’d never even heard of a poison that could do such a thing.

“I’ll cast a barrier around us, so you can stop now.”

“Your magic is consumptive, while my power is unlimited.”

“You’ll pay a price for it.”

“Yes, that might happen.”

Hearing Anelli’s indifferent voice, Jeon bit his lips. Only now could he see how emotionless Anelli’s face looked in the dim firelight.

He had been so excited about his relationship with Anelli progressing that he’d been completely oblivious.

He’d been so happy that someone precious had entered his life. Intoxicated by that emotion, he’d made a grave mistake.

He’d thought she was someone who was only lenient and soft toward him, someone who would come if he pulled.

But that person wasn’t ordinary at all.

“I overlooked something.”

“What?”

“What kind of love you had in the past, Anelli.”

Anelli, who had been concentrating on exercising her power, looked up.

A puzzled emotion flickered in her eyes as she looked back at Jeon.

“What?”

“It’s fine. Even if I can’t become your tomorrow.”

Throughout the journey here, Jeon had kept thinking. About Anelli’s absence. About a tomorrow without Anelli.

“I’ll be satisfied with the present.”

Anelli’s brow furrowed slightly. Having completely removed her hands from the ground, Anelli rose as if to approach Jeon.

However, she abruptly stopped moving at Jeon’s next words.

“If you want to die, then die.”

Anelli gazed at him quietly. Jeon didn’t avoid her gaze.

“If that’s more comfortable for you, then that’s what you should do. How could I possibly stop that?”

At the artificial pond in the Imperial Palace, Jeon had overheard a conversation between Maxel and Anelli.

He’d heard Anelli say that she might have once willingly given her heart to Maxel.

Anelli, who had loved Maxel, had tried to become the perfect empress for him.

And now, she loved me.

Yes, she loved me.

That’s why she was saying she wouldn’t harm my tomorrow. Because giving everything of herself to her beloved and presenting them with a perfect future was how that woman expressed love.

While being able to casually throw away her own future.

Jeon’s lips curved upward. His mind, which had been trapped in a maze with no exit, finally reached a conclusion.

“Then I’ll just follow you in death.”

If she won’t come when pulled, then I’ll have to follow her.

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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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