The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 216

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

*

When the surroundings brightened again.

Crescens was right in front of me.

Crescens, who had been staring at me intently from close enough that I could feel his breath, chuckled softly.

“Why are you so surprised? There’s no way I would harm our princess.”

As he said this and took a step back, Rugenote was somehow already in Crescens’ hand.

Crescens, who handled the heavy holy sword as easily as if it were a mere stick, shrugged his shoulders while looking at my wary expression.

“I’m being sincere. I can’t lie. You know that.”

“I don’t know what you keep saying I know… Setting me aside, what about Tesagh and Ailren?”

“Well?”

“Does it depend on me?”

“Hmm, not exactly.”

“Stop giving me frustrating answers and tell me properly.”

“Haha, right. Our princess liked straightforward talk. I’ll try my best.”

I needed to act carefully.

Glancing at Tesagh and Ailren frozen like ice in the distance, I recalled what ‘Eivor’ had said.

“Let’s talk, you and I.”

He had said he wanted to talk with me. That must be why he left only me conscious now.

Swallowing a sigh, I opened my mouth.

“…Lina can wake up, right?”

When I spoke first, Crescens’ expression visibly brightened.

Leaning against the World Tree trunk, he rested his chin on his hand.

“Of course. She’s just sleeping for a while. The Princess isn’t a bad person. Well, I suppose you could call it a sin that she couldn’t resist her Uncle and was only focused on preserving her position, turning a blind eye to the suffering people whether willingly or unwillingly…”

Crescens, who had been speaking coldly, soon smiled mysteriously.

“Well, it’s not a mistake worthy of ending her life.”

Ridiculously, it seemed he had his own standards.

“Is she dreaming then?”

“Yes. She’s probably having a very happy and sweet dream.”

“What kind of dream?”

“A dream where her dead Mother has come back to life. She’s probably having tea time right about now, giving thanks to the World Tree.”

“…You call that a sweet dream?”

“Hey, I didn’t decide that. The Princess wants it, so what can I do?”

Crescens got up and slowly walked around the World Tree, muttering.

“I can’t create something that doesn’t exist. That’s not my role.”

“Role?”

“Yes, role. So I have no choice but to stir up the memories, desires, and fears that already exist deep in people’s hearts. It might seem omnipotent at first glance, but there are some constraints, you see.”

Role. Limits. Constraints.

These weren’t things one could create for oneself.

They were words that required someone to assign and distribute them.

“Then are Tesagh and Ailren also having such happy dreams?”

Crescens closed his eyes, opened them, and curved his lips into a smile.

“With a spoonful of fear added.”

Glancing once more at the motionless Tesagh and Ailren, I hid my hands behind my back and asked.

“…Why? Because you want to torment them?”

“I can’t say I didn’t have such feelings at all. But that’s not it. I wanted to see those two yearning for God.”

“Tesagh aside, Ailren is a Knight. Except for a few Priests, he’d be closer to God than anyone. His source of power is holy power.”

“Haha. Has someone who always lives by the water ever desperately wanted water, our princess?”

Crescens spoke monotonously.

“Everyone’s like that. Only after it’s gone do they realize its preciousness. Even the faithful Knight is no exception. …Tediously so.”

How strange.

Hadn’t he been doing all this because he wanted to destroy the World Tree?

Yet Crescens was speaking as if people should realize the preciousness of God.

“But our princess wouldn’t think that way, would she? You’re a kind person. Respecting that selfish faith even without believing in it yourself.”

Was the sleeping ‘Crescens” personality as a cardinal influencing him? Or perhaps.

“You might be right, Princess. About half of it.”

‘Half… he said I was right. There might be something I missed.’

I suddenly looked at the flame placed beside Lina.

Its color was utterly peaceful. It didn’t look at all like a sacred relic capable of burning the World Tree.

Crescens too seemed indifferent even after seeing the flame I had brought. He made no attempt to reclaim it. Unlike when he had desperately manipulated the Emperor to get his hands on it.

“How many lifetimes is this?”

“Well, how many times was it…”

“Didn’t you say you’d answer sincerely?”

“That’s unfair. I really can’t remember. I’ve experienced many deaths, but I don’t remember everything from the beginning.”

“…You mean you live normally and then realize midway that you’ve regressed?”

“Yes. You understand quickly. I even have my own reference point. When I think ‘Is this human of any use to this world? Wouldn’t ending this person’s life be beneficial for the world?’ that’s when I awaken. Ridiculous, isn’t it.”

“You had such thoughts when you saw Eivor?”

“Oh, that’s right. In other words, it also means Eivor lived dozens, hundreds, thousands of lives so wretchedly.”

Crescens’ eyes were empty as he giggled.

If what he said was true, then Crescens had repeated thousands of deaths over and over again.

I could understand him going half-mad. Not that I had any intention of defending what he had done.

‘This bastard, he suggested talking to aim for this.’

It seemed he still didn’t want to be hated by me and wanted to be understood.

But why?

Because I’m also a regressor?

‘He said reference point. …Let me think from the beginning again. Why did Crescens scatter the Ruby Tablet fragments around?’

In fact, if it hadn’t been for the Ruby Tablet, I wouldn’t have had reason to interfere with him.

But Crescens intentionally left one fragment behind. To draw me in as an Appraiser.

Despite hating the thought of me getting hurt, he ultimately made me follow him to the dangerous sanctuary, and above all.

‘The memories.’

He made me see fragments of the past.

That’s also why Crescens wasn’t greatly disturbed even when I obtained the flame.

Because making me see it was the purpose from the beginning.

‘He deliberately made the sacred relics pass through my hands. To tell me what I didn’t know. …To revive my memories.’

Goosebumps rose all over my body.

Mulling over the words Crescens had used, I raised my head.

‘End. Sleep. Death.’

[…The faces of life, creation, morning, and beginning were welcomed by all, but the faces of death, destruction, night, and end were merely objects of fear…]

Grandfather’s fairy tale [The Two-Faced God] wasn’t just hinting at split personality.

‘…Beginning, awakening, life.’

The conversation between Crescens and me, running on parallel lines,

“Why don’t you realize I’m going easy on you.”

“You’re not the only one receiving power from the sanctuary.”

“You know.”

‘The Two-Faced God.’

The God of Beginning, and the God of End.

It was a conversation between beginning and end itself.

“You don’t seem to have any more questions about me… I think it’s time for our princess to become curious about herself.”

Crack. Crack.

The sound of ice breaking rang out.

Turning my head, I saw the four pieces of the ruby tablet that had been hidden on the frozen altar combining and floating up toward me.

“Want to take a look?”

Crescens, who had approached me, gestured with his eyes toward my necklace that was glowing in response to the ruby tablet.

That’s when it happened.

Swish—

In an instant, two blades crossed at Crescens’s neck while a large hand snatched the tablet from mid-air.

“You must have pulled some dirty trick.”

Another hand pressed down on Crescens’s shoulder, forcing him to kneel.

“Now surrender.”

It was Tesagh and Ailren.

Crescens raised one eyebrow, dropped Rougenote, and raised both hands.

“Oh… our princess, did you wake those two in time with the sound of the altar breaking? Impressive.”

“Lady Elisha knew that we wouldn’t be fooled by the lies you created.”

“Lies? I merely brought out what was in your hearts. …But how did you figure it out?”

Tesagh spat out through gritted teeth.

“Because Elisha no longer calls me ‘Your Grace the Duke,’ and Duke Michele isn’t someone who would kill others just for impersonating his granddaughter. When I tore through space with my blade, your illusion shattered.”

“Lady Elisha is not someone who would suggest staying in a peaceful place while leaving the burning capital behind.”

Ailren followed with firm words, clenching his teeth.

I didn’t know exactly what illusions they had experienced, but both were clearly quite angry. As weight was added to the blades, Crescens let out a hearty laugh.

“Wow, such unwavering faith. I wonder what causes that?”

“No need to listen to whatever this bastard has to say. Then…”

“But you know.”

Crescens, interrupting Tesagh’s words, looked up at me with narrowed eyes.

“Our clever princess seems to have realized who she is even without this ruby tablet.”

He smiled brightly.

“Isn’t that right? …My ‘Beginning’?”

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