Queen of Revenge - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 24
Only after the tea had grown cold did Catherine allow a smile to grace her lips.
“As expected of my clever sister. I’ll keep this in mind—thank you.”
“I’m delighted if I could be of help, Elder Sister.”
Iolet laughed with obedient grace.
Catherine patted her head approvingly, and Iolet, having proven her worth, basked in the reward like a contented puppy.
After Catherine departed, Benedix lingered at Iolet’s side a while longer.
Once all the visitors had taken their leave, Iolet would have to return to the Tower.
Knowing how eagerly she anticipated these rare outings—scarcely once a week—Benedix made a point of carving out time to remain in the Tower until the late hours.
With both forearms resting upon the table, Benedix gazed intently at the girl before suddenly posing a question.
“How did you discover it? That the noble houses are raising private armies under the guise of personal guards?”
“Well, the knights you bring aren’t affiliated with the Royal Family.”
“Is that truly all?”
“Their faces change constantly, and they’re always armed. Of course, they don’t carry weapons when entering the Palace, but they retrieve them upon departure. The windows of this Tower afford quite a distant view, after all.”
“I see. I hadn’t considered that.”
Benedix gently stroked the backs of Iolet’s hands.
“Have you never thought of informing Mother directly?”
“Even if I told her, she wouldn’t listen.”
“Perhaps. But someone capable of devising such methods could surely earn the King’s trust with ease. You’ve hinted at such matters to the Crown Princess more than once, haven’t you?”
“Elder Sister wouldn’t welcome my stepping forward.”
Iolet’s denial came with almost compulsive swiftness.
“You know how she treats Mother’s other children. I want to be the sister who helps her.”
“Do you believe that’s how you’ll survive?”
“Yes.”
Rather than ask further, Benedix brushed his lips across the backs of her hands and the delicate inner skin of her wrists.
Only after showering her with countless kisses, like a young bird pecking at grain, did his hoarse voice emerge.
“Iolet.”
“Hmm?”
“Shall we run away together?”
It was unexpected.
Iolet’s eyes widened in surprise.
She soon shook her head with a soft, breathless laugh.
“If we left the Royal Palace, we’d die. Just like my mother did.”
“….”
“Besides, your house matters to you. You’ll be a Duke soon. When that happens, I’ll be able to leave here.”
Benedix buried his face in Iolet’s palm, remaining silent for a long while.
After considerable time had passed, he murmured softly.
“Very well. I respect your choice.”
“Thank you.”
“But remember this: only you can have me. Wherever I am, whatever I do, my soul belongs to you eternally.”
“….”
“You feel it too, don’t you?”
Iolet blinked in bewilderment, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
Benedix lingered over her lips, unable to pull away.
Cherry blossoms scattered like spring rain, painting the world in shades of pink.
Iolet stared blankly, her eyelids fluttering.
Through the hazy veil of petals that lingered like afterimages, I glimpsed a broad back tending to the Fireplace.
“…Dix.”
The hand moving the poker stilled abruptly.
A fragile whisper carried through the warm air toward him.
“Benedix….”
Respect and support were not the same thing.
I realized far too late that his respect for me did not mean his support of my choices.
Tears pooled in my unfocused eyes, dampening the pillowcase.
But Beni, what choice could I have made as a child?
I still remember so vividly Mother’s body swaying quietly in the attic.
The stale air of that place.
A corpse drained of life, lifeless as a log.
Her final words….
“You must survive, Iolet.”
Back then, I believed that was the only answer.
Iolet closed her eyes as she felt rough hands brush against her temples.
The dream of those better days ended just like that.
* * *
The Unregistered Territory.
The Unregistered Territory is the land that divides the northernmost reaches of the Continent—the realm of the Demon Tribe—from the lands of humanity.
In the age of myth, the Divine One imprisoned the wicked masses at the ends of the earth and erected a colossal wall to separate them from mankind.
This magnificent boundary, known as the Wall of Banishment, is surrounded by formidable divine power, preventing any race from entering or leaving.
Yet the benevolent Divine One, in their impartial love for all creations, left the Demon Tribe with an opportunity to partake in the abundance of the world once more.
Once every five hundred years, a great gate appears in the Wall of Banishment.
Through this gate, which opens for merely a quarter hour, the Demon Tribe emerged into human society, mingling among them to indulge in secret pleasures.
However, those Demon Tribe members who ventured into human lands had to wait another five hundred years to return home.
Weary of their amusements, the Demon Tribe gradually began to yearn for their homeland and established their own territory before the Wall of Banishment.
This was the origin of the Unregistered Territory that now lay wedged between the Northern Border of the Calande Kingdom and the Elovis Kingdom.
Iolet glanced at Bara, who was practically pressing her nose against the carriage window.
The girl’s crimson eyes sparkled in the light reflected from the snowy field.
“How is it, Bara? Do you sense anything?”
Bara shook her head vigorously.
Yet the way she pointed frantically at various spots across the snowy expanse suggested that if we drew closer, we might discover something.
“Once we arrive at the Command Tower, would you like to venture out tonight? I have something I need to ask of you.”
[Yes] [Yes] [Yes]
Bara’s eyes gleamed with delight as she pressed herself against Iolet’s side.
Iolet unwound her scarf and drew forth the necklace she’d hidden beneath her collar.
It was her mother’s keepsake—the very jewel that had sent her back to this moment in time.
“I’d be grateful if you could search that place for anything with a similar aura. Whether black or red, either would do.”
[I can do it] [!]
Bara shrugged her shoulders expansively, as though such a task were nothing at all.
Charmed by her expression, I burst into laughter—and the carriage lurched to a halt.
Without warning, the carriage door swung open.
“There’s no real need to send that girl, I think.”
It was Kairon.
He stood gripping the carriage door, gazing up at me. Despite the bitter winter cold, he seemed unaffected—a fur-lined cloak hung casually across his arm, as though he’d just removed it.
“No one knows the Unregistered Territory better than I do. If you have questions, simply ask.”
Kairon climbed inside and closed the door behind him. The northern chill he brought with him cut straight through to the bone.
Kairon’s gaze flicked across my necklace.
“It reminds me of something, actually.”
“Have you seen something like this before?”
“Not quite—the shape is far cruder. But it resembles a substance we’ve discovered in the Demon Stronghold and have been studying at the Northern Fortress.”
“You’re researching it? Is there something unusual about it?”
“Do you know why it’s so difficult to exterminate the Demon Tribe?”
He answered my question with one of his own.
Kairon spoke with casual indifference, as though selecting from a dinner menu.
“No matter how many times you kill them, they resurrect endlessly. You must carefully sever their bodies and incinerate them to truly end them. But when that substance is removed, a single strike to a vital point prevents resurrection entirely.”
“…”
“The Demon Tribe’s unpredictable power also stems from that substance. I suspect it may be a medium through which various functions can be selectively added or removed. Though this is merely speculation, of course.”
“…I see. Hearing that, my possession seems quite unrelated.”
I swallowed down the truth—that the necklace was my mother’s keepsake.
This confirmed it: I possessed an immortal body. At least, assuming my mother’s remaining lifespan was bound within this necklace.
‘But why did I regress at all? Is it because my throat was cut?’

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