The Villain Who Will Kill Me Is Too Handsome, It's Troublesome - Chapter 78

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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 78.
* * *
Artiela finally caught her breath once she and Kirien had made it back to the Lodging, their hands still clasped from the flight.
“Phew. Seriously.”
Secret romance was exhausting.
Though if she was being honest, Peter was the real culprit behind all this chaos.
“But Kirien.”
When Artiela turned to face him, Kirien tilted his head slightly and raised only his eyebrows. He would normally have answered right away.
Definitely suspicious.
“Did you use the Mirror of Truth to examine the Emperor just now?”
“Ah…….”
Kirien nodded slowly.
“What did you see?”
“I saw the Emperor as he appeared in his teens.”
“Is that so? I see…….”
Artiela also nodded slowly.
Then she brought the Bardo beneath Kirien’s chin, immediately wrapping the blade in an Aura of pale green.
“Who the hell are you really?”
At that moment, Kirien’s pupils dilated.
“Ati? Why would you suddenly…….”
“You’ve never seen what the Emperor looked like in his teens.”
Artiela’s voice turned cold.
Kirien’s pupils trembled. His throat worked as he swallowed.
“Don’t tell me you’re the Root of Evil?”
That cold, unfeeling smile—so different from Kirien’s warmth. And that peculiar arrogance in his tone. It had to be him.
Yet she hadn’t seen Kirien complaining of headaches. Even now, his spirit showed no particular disturbance. No shadow clung to him, and his soul bore no dark stains.
His spirit still shone brilliantly. And yet, he had unmistakably become someone else.
‘Is this the moment the sacred tree foretold?’
If she purified him now, couldn’t she save Kirien and vanquish the Root of Evil? Artiela verified the location of the Sacred Object.
She couldn’t reach it with her right hand, so she’d have to subdue him first, then retrieve it.
“Ati…….”
Then Kirien blinked. He shook his head violently.
“Kirien?”
Was it? It seemed like it might be?
“Just a moment…….”
With his brow furrowed and face contorted, Kirien’s eyes opened wide again. Only then did he notice the pale green Aura-wrapped Bardo leveled at his throat, and he went completely rigid.
“Have I perhaps committed some rudeness toward you?”
He posed the question with extreme care and caution.
The look in his eyes as he gazed at Artiela was pitiful. His pure white Aura began seeping out tentatively, as if seeking her approval.
“It’s Kirien right now, isn’t it?”
“Yes, of course I am…… Ugh.”
Kirien pressed his hand to his forehead.
Artiela hastily sheathed the blade and examined him carefully.
“Are you all right?”
Kirien grabbed Artiela’s left hand.
Had he not yet returned?
“Please…… examine me with this.”
No. He was fine. Intuiting that something had gone wrong with himself, he was entrusting his condition to her.
She hurriedly examined him with the Mirror of Truth.
His state matched what she’d seen with the Bardo. No shadow, and a radiant soul.
“You’re all right. There’s nothing wrong.”
Then what was that just now? Had the Root of Evil not visited him after all? And if that strange-speaking person had been Kirien…….
‘A Dual Personality?’
Among the wicked she’d judged before, there were often people like that.
Individuals bearing both a meek persona with low self-worth and a violent one. Their souls were distinctive too. From the front, they followed their timid master—shoulders hunched, endlessly weak—but viewed from behind, they were massive, their guilt carved thick upon them.
Artiela carefully examined the back of Kirien’s soul as well.
This time too, there was nothing amiss. She rarely felt such a strong sense of déjà vu as she did today.
“But something must have gone wrong somewhere.”
Whether pain continued to plague him, Kirien kept his brow furrowed.
“Could it be…….”
“The Holy Maiden and my mother could be put in danger because of me.”
Kirien’s face twisted with guilt.
“I should have held back then, but when I saw the Emperor embracing Artiela, I just couldn’t contain myself anymore…….”
But it would have been the same either way.
If he’d seen the Second Princess forcing her arms around Kirien instead? Wouldn’t he have wrapped Aura around Bardo at the very least?
“Usiell will be safe. Mother brought plenty of priests with her. And all the mages Mother brought are trustworthy people.”
“But that monster…….”
“Still, we won’t know unless we try to contact her. I still have the Communication Device Mother gave me.”
Artiela dashed toward the room, struggling to maintain her composure.
Kirien, who remained behind to watch her, had confusion written across his eyes.
“Why did I……do that?”
He’d lost control for a moment.
He knew how dangerous it was when this happened, so he’d spent his life suppressing his desires as much as possible. But the instant he saw Artiela in Peter’s arms, jealousy and malice came pouring out.
He thought he’d barely managed to suppress it.
When they were alone, the emotion he felt was probably Possessive Desire, wasn’t it?
No matter what, it was still too much.
“I’m losing it.”
He was dazed. The sensation of holding Artiela felt distant and hazy. Was it because he was too excited?
Or…….
“I should tell her.”
He felt it instinctively. Something was wrong with his body. Hadn’t the Holy Maiden mentioned this before?
That if he lost his memory or woke up in strange places, he should tell her.
Of course, the current situation seemed a bit different from that.
He waited for Artiela to emerge. But…….
“Artiela?”
“Kirien, I’m sorry, but I need to go find Usiell and come back.”
Artiela’s face had gone completely pale.
* * *
The party that left the Village found traces of the Magic Tower.
“This should be the right path…….”
Lilian’s brow furrowed.
“It’s been over twenty years since we last came here, so we might be confused.”
Usiell poured out Holy Power to track the traces of evil. But Usiell was equally lost.
Even though they’d walked exactly as the map showed.
“Has the Magic Tower really disappeared?”
“When you and Bertia closed the Magic Tower, did you set up a separate Barrier or seal?”
“No, we never did anything like that when I was there.”
“Hmm…….”
Usiell fell into thought for a moment. But soon she made a decision.
It had been a mistake to follow the map in the first place.
“Let’s go that way. Just now, a person who left the Village headed in that direction.”
A small but filthy aura—it had to be a Dark Magic user.
“They were probably being watched by us and were going to report to the Root of Evil.”
“It could be a trap.”
“Of course it could be.”
That’s why Usiell spread her legs and took her stance.
As she drew back an imaginary bowstring, brilliant blue Holy Power surged in response, forming a bow and arrow.
“There should be a Barrier nearby.”
Sometimes the crude method is the fastest path.
The priests who followed her also poured out their Holy Power following Usiell’s lead. Lilian and the mages drew out magic circles to support them.
And as they were about to expend their Mana…….
“Usiell, I think we might have already entered the Magic Tower’s domain?”
The mages couldn’t cast magic.
For this was land even Mana had forsaken.
* * *
“Artiela, calm down.”
Kirien seized Artiela’s shoulders urgently.
“What’s wrong?”
“The Communication Device won’t respond.”
This was the first time Kirien had seen Artiela in such a state of fearful confusion.
“Could it be because we’re far away?”
Thanks to that, she’d completely forgotten her worries.
“I’m not sure, but…….”
Artiela looked down at her right hand, fear written across her face.
Kirien caught sight of it too and startled. Her veins had turned completely black.
“It was fine until now. Why…….”
He quickly brought the Mirror of Truth to bear on Artiela’s hand. Through the mirror, the sight became unmistakably clear.
“The Time Magic has worn off.”
And so the curse had begun to stir violently, as though it meant to swallow her hand whole at any moment.
“Didn’t you say that Mana couldn’t be used inside the Magic Tower?”
That might be the reason.
The connection to the caster had been severed.
Kirien examined Artiela’s right hand with concern, his lips tightening before he pressed his forehead against hers.
Artiela gasped at the sudden contact, though only for a moment.
His hand found its way to her waist.
“K-Kirien?”
Heat flooded Artiela’s face. This wasn’t the time for such displays of affection, was it?
His hand, which had been drifting lower, stopped at the pouch hanging from her waist. The instant she understood his intention, Artiela twisted her body to pull away.
But Kirien stole her breath first.
With his lips.
“Right now, you’re all I’m thinking of.”
His lips descended like a butterfly.

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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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