The Puppet Villainess’s Splendid Rebellion - Chapter 58
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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 58
I had a dream.
It was an underground dungeon.
A dark and damp place.
Cold floor. Rotting smell that pierced my nose. Rusted iron bars. Torches dimly glowing in the darkness.
A terrible space where someone’s screams seemed to echo from afar.
I was inside it.
My whole body ached. I couldn’t even tell where I was hurt. Shackles were fastened around my wrists. Cold metal dug into my flesh. The chains clanked every time I moved.
It was a familiar feeling.
I had returned to this place again.
The Imperial Underground Prison.
In the end, I couldn’t escape.
Someone was standing in front of the iron bars.
It was the Emperor.
The master of this Empire. My father.
“Didn’t I tell you there was no point in running away?”
A cold voice echoed.
“You are mine, Lorea. Your blood is mine, and your life is mine too. No matter where you run, you’re destined to return here.”
No.
No.
“Did you think the Duke would protect you?”
The Emperor sneered.
“He’s dead. Because of you.”
Thump, my heart sank.
I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“He died trying to protect you. Surrounded by assassins. With a sword pierced through his back. Bleeding. Trying to protect you. You killed him. You killed that man.”
That’s a lie.
That’s a lie.
Please tell me it’s a lie.
“The same goes for the Duke’s son. House of Carter fell because of you alone. It’s all your fault.”
No.
That’s not true.
No voice came out. I wanted to deny it, but my mouth wouldn’t open. My body was frozen.
The Emperor laughed.
“Now come back. To your place. If you return obediently, I’ll end it without pain. If you resist… it will only hurt more.”
A hand reached out violently toward me.
I tried to avoid it. But my body wouldn’t move. The shackles were holding me down. I couldn’t escape.
The hand wrapped around my neck.
I couldn’t breathe.
My vision darkened. My consciousness faded away.
‘…I don’t want this.’
I don’t want this.
‘…I don’t want to die. I don’t want to go back.’
Please.
‘…Save me. Someone save me. Anyone…’
“Princess!”
My eyes snapped open.
“Gasp!”
My breathing was rough. My heart was beating like crazy. My whole body was drenched in sweat. My back was damp. Sweat was also flowing down my forehead.
When I came to my senses, there was a familiar face in front of me.
“…Mia?”
Mia was looking at me with a worried expression while holding a wet cloth. It seemed she had been wiping my forehead.
“Princess, are you conscious?”
Mia asked tearfully. Her eyes were red and swollen. It seemed she had cried a lot. Her nose tip was also red and tear stains remained on her cheeks.
“What happened…?”
I looked around.
It was a familiar room. The guest room at the Duke’s Mansion. Sunlight was streaming in through the window. I could hear birds chirping. It was a peaceful scene. There was also a faint floral scent. It seemed Mia had brought flowers.
‘…It was a dream.’
This wasn’t an underground dungeon. It wasn’t the Imperial Palace. It was the Duke’s Mansion. A safe place.
Only then did my stopped thought process begin to flow again.
‘Sion must have brought me here.’
I tried to force myself to sit up. However, my whole body was weak. My bandaged arm throbbed.
“Princess, you mustn’t move!”
Mia hurriedly supported me.
“You slept for almost two days. You had severe anemia. Because you lost so much blood.”
“…Two days?”
“Yes. I was really worried. You wouldn’t regain consciousness… The Grand Duke was worried too…”
Mia’s eyes welled up with tears again. She seemed to be trying to hold back her crying, but it didn’t seem to be working well. Her voice trembled.
‘I was asleep for two whole days?’
At those words, I suddenly snapped to full alertness.
“The Grand Duke?!”
Forgetting about my groaning, I bolted upright.
My head spun. It seemed to be because of the anemia.
But that wasn’t what mattered.
“What happened to the Grand Duke?!”
“Your Highness! You shouldn’t get up like this!”
Mia tried to stop me.
But I didn’t have time to worry about that.
My hands trembled violently. My heart pounded like crazy. Anxiety crushed my chest. I couldn’t breathe.
“He’s dead. Because of you.”
The voice from my nightmare echoed in my head.
No way.
No way it could really be.
“Your Highness, please calm down!”
Mia grabbed my shoulders.
Her voice was firm. Different from usual.
“The Grand Duke is fine!”
“…”
“The Archmage looked after him, and he’s stable now! He hasn’t woken up yet, but he’s passed the dangerous crisis!”
“…Really?”
I asked in a trembling voice. Please let it be true.
“Yes, it’s true. The Archmage kept treating him. Now he looks peaceful, like he’s just sleeping.”
Relief washed over me. As the heavy weight pressing on my chest disappeared, all the strength finally left my body.
He was alive.
He didn’t die.
Carlos was alive.
The nightmare was just a nightmare. It wasn’t reality. Carlos was alive.
Tears flowed down my face.
I couldn’t stop them. Even when I tried to suppress them, the tears kept coming. I didn’t know if they were tears of joy or relief. Probably both.
“Your Highness…”
Mia looked at me with concern. She seemed like she wanted to comfort me not to cry.
I covered my face with both hands.
I cried like that for a long time. Silently. Only my shoulders shaking.
Thank goodness.
Thank goodness.
Really, thank goodness.
Thank goodness he’s alive.
Thank goodness that person is alive.
Only after crying for a long time did I finally calm down.
Mia brought me water. It was cool water. Moistening my dry throat made me feel a little better.
While drinking the water, I looked down at the bandage wrapped around my arm.
White bandages wrapped around my forearm. They seemed to have been changed cleanly. Mia must have done it.
Mia’s gaze fell on my arm.
“…Your Highness, that arm…”
Her voice was cautious.
I was just pondering what to say.
Knock knock.
The door opened with a knock.
“Hey, I’m here.”
Sion was leaning against the doorway, waving his hand casually.
Even though he must have only seen me sleeping for two days, his face didn’t seem particularly surprised that I had woken up.
“Could you step out for a moment? I have something to talk about with the princess.”
At Sion’s words, Mia looked back and forth between the two of us, then sighed and stepped back.
“…Yes. Please call me if you need anything. I’ll be waiting outside.”
Click.
The door closed quietly.
Silence settled over the room.
‘Awkward silence…’
Actually, maybe I was the only one who felt awkward.
When I glanced sideways at Sion, he seemed composed.
He looked around the room with a nonchalant expression. He looked at the scenery outside the window, and at the vase placed on the table beside the bed.
Then he sat in the chair beside the bed and looked at me.
“The Grand Duke is fine.”
As if he knew what I was most curious about, he kindly answered before I even asked.
“I gave first aid too, and stabilized him with the purification stone. The mana circuit damage will take some time, but as I said, his life isn’t in danger.”
“…Thank you.”
I tried to speak calmly, but my voice trembled without me realizing it.
“Thanks to you, we survived. Both the Grand Duke and I. If it weren’t for you, Sion, we both would have died. I don’t know how to repay you.”
“…”
Sion stared at me intently.
Without saying a word.
His eyes held a thoughtful look. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Those ever-changing cosmic eyes now felt only deep and dark. I couldn’t see what lay within them.
Sion shifted his gaze to my hands. His eyes narrowed for a moment.
And then, soon after.
“…The purification stone. You make it with your blood?”
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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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