I’m Hunting My Enemy - Chapter 70
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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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70. Saintess (4)
“Right. I should have done this long ago. If Yosua dies, at least Ryuie’s freedom can be preserved.”
“No, you mustn’t!”
Agasa, greatly alarmed, instinctively rushed forward and grabbed Glem’s arm.
“If His Highness the Crown Prince dies, Ryuie will completely…!”
“The curse contained in the vow will return to Ryuie even more strongly.”
Glem answered clearly.
“But it’s better than a vow that will actually be fulfilled. Perhaps it can even be fixed.”
Between the worst and second-worst options, he had to choose the second-worst. He had been dragging this out, unable to make that decision.
Trying somehow to leave Ryuie without a single wound.
‘Now she has no choice but to get hurt.’
Glem, returning to Yosua’s manner of speech, spoke matter-of-factly.
“Ryuie no longer loves Yosua, and my soul is still alive, so even if Yosua’s body dies, the price might not be too great.”
“Then what about Your Highness? You are Yosua Albenheim. If Yosua dies, Glem might die with him! It’s too dangerous a gamble!”
“But you also disliked it, didn’t you?”
“Pardon?”
“Ryuie changing according to the god’s will.”
Teardrops fell onto Agasa’s rapidly rising and falling chest.
However, words of acknowledgment still couldn’t come out of her mouth.
Only one who can choose on behalf of the pitiful people can stand in the emperor’s position.
Glem was finally able to smile gently like he did when he was the Crown Prince.
“Since I won’t allow it, Yosua will never wake up, and it would be better to kill him instead. I’m just stating facts.”
If there are worst and second-worst options. This choice is the second-worst.
“Please continue to stay by Ryuie’s side. It will help.”
“Really… you would go that far? That can’t be undone, Yosua. Even if the vow is fulfilled, Ryuie will be alive. She can see, hear, and touch. But if you die, she can’t do anything!”
“You gave me a choice.”
Glem gently pushed Agasa away.
“So I simply made one.”
“But Yosua, Ryuie still…!”
Yosua left without listening.
Left alone in the room, Agasa began to sob uncontrollably.
It was crying like a child’s tantrum.
And at the same time.
Catsy, who had been monitoring only the Saintess’s room from the beginning, moved silently.
The risk of being detected was too great to eavesdrop on the conversation.
But Catsy faithfully memorized every single movement of who spoke in what posture with what expression.
And reported everything to her master without missing a single detail.
Surely Ryuie would be able to deduce it even without hearing the conversation.
Ryuie did not disappoint her expectations.
“…I see.”
Throughout Catsy’s report, Ryuie remained expressionless.
Even Catsy, who was reporting, began to feel uneasy.
When she suggested that she should have risked being caught to eavesdrop on the conversation, all Ryuie did was blink once.
“No, never mind.”
Ryuie stroked her scarred skin, identical to Glem’s burn marks.
Her eyes were calm.
It was an extremely dry reaction for someone who had just heard the story of Glem and Agasa, who had been contorting their faces, exploding with emotion, and shedding tears until just moments ago.
In reality, Ryuie felt nothing more than finding a puzzle piece she had forgotten about.
She had felt more emotion when Glem stole the Crown Prince’s ring.
Now that she had finished her series of deductions, only hard and clear sounds bounced out like solidified molten metal.
“There’s only one possible conclusion.”
Glem is Yosua.
Ryuie quietly contemplated the completed fact for a moment.
Glem was Yosua.
No matter how many times she checked, no other connection could fill the gaps.
Clang. Clang.
The anger that had knocked on the metal ceiling a few times soon exploded and blew off the lid.
“…”
Ryuie used all her teeth and tongue to suppress the rage that made her eyes roll back and wanted to smash her mouth.
All sorts of words writhing in her palate struggled to crawl out.
‘How dare. How dare. How dare!’
“Gasp, Miss, you’re bleeding!”
Trickle.
Blood flowed from Ryuie’s nose, unable to withstand the blood pressure.
The unseen inside of her mouth was in even worse condition.
Even as Catsy frantically searched for and offered a handkerchief, Ryuie only remained silent, dripping dark red blood.
That was even more frightening.
* * *
Agasa woke up with puffy eyes.
Having cried herself to sleep all night, she naturally looked terrible.
Receiving the wash water brought by a servant, Agasa looked at her reflection on the surface and couldn’t help but smile slightly.
It was because she remembered what Ryuie had written in her letter.
[…Even seeing all sorts of terrible sights here, none are worse than your sleeping habits. Remember when you said you came to treat me but nearly finished me off?]
‘Of course I remember, Ryuie.’
Agasa recalled the moment she first came to write a letter.
* * *
“They say an unpredictable villain targeting the Saintess is coming!”
When Agasa first heard the warning, she was terrified.
‘Finally, they’re coming!’
There were many who opposed the news that a naive woman from the countryside had become the Saintess.
Now thinking they were trying to eliminate her before she could truly become a proper Saintess, Agasa was terrified.
“Pl-please increase the guards!”
“Understood.”
“But it probably won’t be much use.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because they’ll bring more knights than we can handle, and they’ll definitely come with a justification that’s hard for us to block.”
“My goodness, are there such powerful assassins?”
“What are you talking about? The one targeting you is Yeongae Ryuie Greatone.”
“?”
When Agasa realized that what Ryuie was targeting wasn’t her life but her chastity, her face turned various shades of red.
The priests dramatically described Ryuie’s wickedness.
“She’s famous for chasing both what she likes and what she comes to hate to the ends of hell.”
“They also say that once she becomes obsessed with a target, she absolutely never lets them go until she gets bored.”
“Such a person dares to target the Saintess!”
“Her arrogance is excessive!”
Agasa couldn’t hide her flushed face. She was both bewildered and uncomfortable with Ryuie, who had driven her into such rumors.
Even when a letter arrived from Ryuie, she couldn’t hide those feelings.
[There is an issue with the betrothal vow, so I wish to meet the Saintess. Also to confirm the rumors of your beauty.
May you be blessed – R.G.]
Agasa thought she should be angry at the content contained in the concise letter.
Naturally, the priests were also furiously angry, as if they would bite and tear.
“This is insulting!”
“The ducal house has terrible manners!”
“It’s not just a day or two that nobles have been disrespecting priests, but this is excessive.”
However, Ryuie’s rudeness wasn’t quite enough to warrant refusing the ducal house’s visit.
Agasa waited for Ryuie, having prepared thoroughly.
She just hadn’t expected to encounter her somewhere other than the appointed meeting place.
“Aha. Well, who do we have here?”
Agasa was flustered seeing the woman who casually plopped down beside her like an old childhood friend.
“Who are you?”
“Ah. I’m not trying to harm you. Don’t worry about it.”
The woman spread both hands as if to show she had no weapons, then stared intently at Agasa.
While Agasa looked around wondering why there were no other priests nearby, her gaze kept returning to this woman.
She was an extraordinary beauty, rarely seen in a lifetime.
“I came because I was curious about you. What’s your name?”
“I have no obligation to answer someone who hasn’t revealed their identity.”
“Huh? I already introduced myself. In the letter.”
She raised an eyebrow and extended her hand.
“Ryuie Greatone. R.G?”
“Ah.”
Agasa fumbled, unable to reconcile the beauty before her with the rude letter. Taking advantage of this gap, Ryuie quickly snatched Agasa’s hand for a handshake.
Sizzle!
“Ouch!”
“Oh my. It actually works?”
With her palm burned hot, Agasa became even more flustered and shot to her feet.
Ryuie just laughed while shaking her burned hand.
“You’re kind of cute. Interested in dating?”
“Get out right now!”
Agasa drove Ryuie away, but from then on, Ryuie came every day to watch Agasa from the front row.
Since she was the daughter of a ducal house second only to the imperial family, she wielded her power without restraint.
“It’s you again.”
“Are you getting attached to me now?”
It was truly difficult to get angry at Ryuie, who sidled up to her so casually.
After learning about Ryuie’s vow, Agasa had forgiven the initial intrusion.
But she couldn’t understand why Ryuie kept coming to see her.
“I clearly told you that I cannot break that vow with my power.”
“How do you live knowing that a god is watching you? As a saintess, you must always feel that way.”
Agasa was surprised that Ryuie had immediately hit upon the anxiety she felt.
She hadn’t expected such a noble ducal daughter to understand a saintess’s heart.
“I try not to do shameful things. Always. So I can face Rkultu with dignity.”
“You shouldn’t be ruled by shame. I’ll help you.”
“!”
It was right then that Ryuie suddenly embraced Agasa.
Agasa wasn’t hurt because she was protected by Rkultu’s power, but instead Ryuie was burned by twice the rebound force.
“Why would you do such a thing!”
Agasa screamed in shock, but Ryuie was already in no condition to hear.
Startled knights and priests came running, but Ryuie’s condition was so serious it couldn’t be easily treated.
However, they didn’t blame Agasa with even a single word.
They simply carried Ryuie back to the ducal house as if they had expected this to happen.
Even their calm attitude was a great shock to Agasa.
‘How much has she lived throwing herself away like this?’
With guilt she shouldn’t have had to feel, plus an intense attraction, Agasa had no choice but to secretly escape the temple for the first time to go see Ryuie.
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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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