Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 27

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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 5. The Heroine is Dangerous (7)

She fell helplessly to the pushing hand.

Genevieve stretched out her hand with all her might.

But her hand still couldn’t reach Edelaine.

Shane wasn’t far away like five years ago, nor was he stupidly spacing out like Genevieve.

Genevieve sat down on the floor and only watched as Edelaine gasped for breath with startled eyes.

The sounds grew distant.

Once again, Edelaine nearly got into big trouble trying to protect her.

Why are you trying to protect me again?

Never again should you do such a thing…

‘I told you not to do that…’

Even if she got hurt, she’d heal quickly anyway, and even if she got tired, she wouldn’t die. It seemed Edelaine still didn’t know that.

“…niya! Argh! My, my wrist!”

The sounds that had grown distant began to rumble and return.

Genevieve saw the priest rolling on the floor with his wrist severed.

She didn’t know his name. She knew he was from a faction that didn’t like her, but she never thought he’d actually try to kill her.

When the priest who had been writhing in pain made eye contact with Genevieve, he drew in a breath. Reason returned to his dull eyes.

“Wait, ah, Saint…!”

He tried to call out urgently, but it was already too late.

Genevieve wanted to go to Edelaine, but the knights were already holding both her arms.

“Wait a moment, I need to see Lady Edelaine, let go of me!”

“You can see her next time. After the situation calms down.”

“But!”

Genevieve gritted her teeth.

If only she could heal from a distance, even without touching.

‘Why can’t I do it! I definitely awakened, I can use purification power!’

She felt resentful and angry at her inadequate self. Genevieve burst into tears as she was dragged away.

The priest who had regained his senses screamed.

***

Genevieve was immediately moved to the Imperial Palace.

Since the second attack occurred within the Church, and by an insider no less, it was a natural measure.

The culprit was someone with unusually deep faith, who confessed to committing the crime because he thought the Saint had become corrupt by using the goddess’s grace for private purposes.

“But, I, I only thought about it, I ab, absolutely never intended to kill!”

“Do you think being seized by impulse is an excuse?”

“That’s not it! It was like being possessed by an evil spirit…”

His body moved on its own, the priest tied to the chair answered with a croak.

Edwin narrowed his eyes and stared intently at the priest’s unsightly face. The priest, drenched in sweat, was contorting his face as if in pain, but no lies could be found in his desperate struggles and gaze.

Edwin asked.

“Do you know who you mistakenly attacked?”

“I, that…”

His eyeballs rolled around. When he spotted someone behind Edwin’s angelic face, his shoulders trembled with a start.

“I, I don’t know! I don’t know!”

“Hmm, it’s fortunate you don’t know. If you had done it knowing, even I couldn’t have covered for you.”

Edwin turned around.

Shane, who had his arms crossed, snorted.

“Nothing will change.”

“Leave it to me for now. I won’t handle it carelessly. It’s also troublesome to shut up the mouths clamoring to hand over that guy’s custody since he belongs to the Church…”

“Hand him over.”

Edwin looked at Shane as if surprised, then smiled bitterly.

“Either way, you’re planning to kill him.”

“Whether he dies at the execution ground or in prison, the result won’t be different.”

“Ah, I suppose so.”

Of course…

“But there’s no need to be so sharp, is there? What this guy was aiming for wasn’t Edelaine but Genevieve.”

Edwin shrugged his shoulders.

“This guy can’t be held responsible for her bringing danger upon herself, can he?”

“That’s correct, but to be clear, this is just me venting my anger.”

“…When you admit it so readily like that, I have nothing to say…”

“Edelaine probably won’t even care about the attack I suffered as long as she knows why that bastard attacked Genevieve.”

“…”

“Even knowing she could have died in a few seconds with her neck caught in those hands.”

Those hands you cut off so they don’t exist anymore…

Edwin shook his head.

“According to the investigation results, this man has no particular backer. There were no suspicious circumstances, and no signs of receiving orders from anyone. The Pope is also jumping mad, so if there were any subversive elements inside, I would have known by now.”

“Then.”

“Literally a temporary impulse, or someone controlled him. It’s one of the two…”

Edwin finished speaking and pushed Shane’s back.

“In any case, I won’t handle it carelessly, so rest assured and let’s go.”

Just before closing the door, he turned back and signaled to the guard. The guard gagged the priest again and put him in prison. They’d need to dig for more information, but he guessed nothing more would come out.

“Genevieve must be shocked too, so I should go see her face.”

“I’ll be going back now.”

“Huh? You’re not seeing Genevieve?”

“Do I really need to see her?”

“How cold. Still, you’re her guardian.”

“I’m fulfilling my duties as a guardian.”

He wasn’t necessarily talking only about duties.

But Genevieve probably wouldn’t want to see Shane’s face right now either. Edwin didn’t insist twice.

“Is married life fun?”

“Do I have an obligation to answer? It’s my private life.”

“Are you drawing a line? Between us.”

“I despise people who go around blabbing about romantic relationships or private stories with others.”

“…I’m a bit hurt right now…”

Shane responded with silence as if to say, so what are you going to do about it.

‘This bastard was like this.’

Like he only had eyes for Edelaine, he was someone who had no interest or curiosity in anything else.

“If someone did control that guy.”

“Ah, you mean black magic? It’s not impossible but… the possibility is low. If he was being controlled, he would have remained in a state of lost reason. But that guy said being seized by impulse was only momentary. He said he came to his senses as soon as he acted.”

“Genevieve might have purified him.”

“That kid? Well, purifying poison maybe…”

In fact, even that wasn’t very impressive.

The reason Genevieve was busy was because her abilities weren’t particularly superior to the previous Saint.

Even for poison in the same area, she had to do what should be done once in two or three attempts. Since expeditions also cost money, Genevieve inevitably felt burdened in many ways. Evaluations of her abilities could be heard even with closed ears.

“Genevieve can heal wounds but can’t cure diseases. Poison is the same. What she can do is maintain life and stamina until an antidote is found. Even if she could lift a curse, it would take at least several days. Shane, you were evaluating Genevieve more generously than I thought?”

“I’m considering various possibilities. Edelaine is…”

Shane stopped speaking and twitched his jaw. The grinding sound was eerily audible.

“When she sees someone in danger, she’ll throw herself forward thinking she’s immortal or something. No matter what I say.”

“…That’s really amazing…”

To be able to ignore this terrifying man’s threats.

From the moment she responded to his relentless confessions and blind love that saw only her with not even a blink, saying “Sure, get along well with the Saint,” he couldn’t help but admire Edelaine’s extraordinary courage.

Edwin, who had been lost in thought for a moment, spoke casually.

“I thought after marriage you’d lock her up in the manor and hide her away completely.”

Shane didn’t answer. It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered such thoughts.

“That’s why I hinted that you should help me during the winter Founding Festival. Well, now that I know you won’t lock her up, invitations will be coming frequently from now on.”

The Queen Mother seemed anxious about not being able to marry off her son every time she conversed with Genevieve, so she would probably start calling guests in advance soon.

The Founding Festival was two months away.

‘Since Edelaine is good at reading people, she’ll be useful.’

Looking at Shane made that ability somewhat questionable though. No, maybe she saw clearly and that’s why she tried to keep her distance.

Edwin chuckled.

“Shane, I thought you wanted to hurt Edelaine.”

He had thought that forcibly bringing back the runaway Edelaine and threatening her into marriage was solely to confine and torment her. He knew how broken Shane had become after Edelaine disappeared.

To torment the woman who deceived and tricked him.

But seeing him now, that didn’t seem to be entirely the case.

Shane only looked ahead. In the few seconds he didn’t answer, the air grew heavy. He gave a brief reply.

“It’s not different.”

“Oh please, a husband who rages about killing that beast because his wife almost got hurt.”

Edwin, who had been grinning teasingly, quietly closed his mouth after seeing Shane’s profile.

“The very fact that I’m her husband must be horrifying to Edelaine.”

Shane spoke with bitter self-mockery, his blue eyes darkly subdued.

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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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