Chapter 563: Jealousy is My Power (63)
Chapter 563: Jealousy is My Power (63)
That’s not it.
Cien felt like screaming those words right then and there.
What did someone like her even know? There was a time when Cien had been born with a power she never asked for, a time when even her own mother had tried to strangle her before leaving this world. Those were days when the entire world seemed to hate and deny her very existence.
Perhaps that was why.
From a certain point on, even Cien had begun to hate herself.
She hated her eyes, which showed her all sorts of hideous emotions. She hated a world that moved solely on desire, and she was terrified of the fate that forced her to live within it.
That was why she wanted to rule.
The reason she had sneered at everything except herself, looking down on others and feigning cynicism, was actually quite simple. How pathetic and ridiculous that stubbornness was.
It was in that moment of darkness that she met Ian.
He was the first to show her kindness without expecting anything in return. Moreover, he had validated the very eyes she had spent her entire life denying.
He had revealed his heart to her without hiding a single thing.
It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful sight she had ever seen in her life. Only then did Cien begin to feel even a flicker of love for herself.
Yes, only now.
She was someone who owed him an immeasurable debt of gratitude. Naturally, she had no right to interfere in Ian’s personal relationships.
Yet, in the end, Cien could not bring herself to spit out the words blooming in her heart.
Despite her numerous counterarguments, there was one pointed remark she couldn't deny.
‘Because I don’t want to be hated.’
While Cien remained silent, Seria’s gaze flickered toward something.
“Puhu, kuhuhu… O Jealousy, Great Jealousy!”
The mud, which had drawn close, squirmed under Seria’s gaze. Since it was a formless lump, it was hard to tell, but it seemed to be bowing its head in a show of respect.
“You must do as you wish. As you wish… for everything shall go according to your will.”
What is it that I want?
It was just as that question crossed Seria’s mind.
A dizzying scent brushed against the tip of her nose.
Commonplace words like 'fragrant' or 'sweet' couldn't possibly describe this alluring smell. Like a beast that had been starved for a long time, Seria’s gaze instinctively chased the source of the scent.
It was a scratch.
Small wounds earned from being scraped by falling debris while she was interrogating the vampire’s servant.
Though the bleeding had stopped, it was difficult to completely mask even the faintest scent of blood. And Seria’s pupils were repeatedly contracting and expanding, drawn to those pale pink hairline cracks in the skin.
Thump, thump.
The sound of a heart echoed alone in the frozen time. Feeling that pulse, Seria recalled the advice her mother had given her once before.
‘Follow your instincts.’
Before she knew it, Seria’s lips were parting on their own.
It was also then that Cien clenched her fists and summoned her courage.
“B-But…!”
Unfortunately, those words were never finished.
Stab.
Fangs sank softly into her skin. It was such a startlingly natural and swift process that even Cien, whose neck had been bitten, failed to grasp the situation for a moment.
What just happened?
Even that question didn't last long. Soon, a fierce dizziness washed over her, accompanied by the sensation of a tongue licking the nape of her neck.
“Ugh, hng… Ah?!”
Cien couldn't even resist. Like prey bitten by a spider’s venomous fangs, her body twitched and shuddered, but that was the extent of it.
Her limbs wouldn't move, as if paralyzed. Every time the woman licked her neck, a chilling current surged down her spine, forcing nothing but lewd moans from her lips.
The girl’s vision narrowed in an instant. The last sight Cien remembered was the unfamiliar face of her senior, wiping the blood from her own lips.
Crimson eyes.
With the sight of those inverted pupils as her final memory, the princess lost consciousness.
Without ever knowing what her blood had awakened.
*
The Academy’s concentrated healing room.
It was a place one often ended up indebted to while attending the Academy. While it would be ideal never to need it until graduation, I unfortunately found myself visiting quite regularly.
Usually for one of two reasons.
One was, needless to say, when I was the one admitted, and the other was to visit a comrade who had been hospitalized.
Today’s visit fell into the latter category.
A comrade’s injury was always a heartbreaking affair. Thus, the sickroom was usually shrouded in a heavy atmosphere, but today, the air in the room felt even more oppressive.
The reason was simple.
The individuals standing here were just that formidable.
The Emperor of the Empire, the Sword Duke, and even the Great Witch of the Southern Kingdoms.
It was as if the leadership that moved the continent’s hegemonic powers had gathered in a single spot. If this had been a conference hall, every word they uttered would have been worth its weight in gold.
But they were currently in a hospital room.
There was no need for complicated talk. As if to prove this, the old man known as the pinnacle of the Empire let out a long sigh.
A tender light flickered in the Emperor’s blue eyes.
“It is a relief, at least. To hear that her life is not in danger…”
“We were foolish. We were so preoccupied with chasing the vampire that we never imagined something like this would happen in the rear.”
I remained silent even as I listened to the conversation between the Emperor and the Sword Duke.
It was all so incomprehensible.
The vampire had fled in a pathetic display. Since my future self, the Sword Duke, and even the Great Witch were there, it was a natural outcome. Nevertheless, I felt a strange sense of unease.
Was that really all?
One of the Seven Stars of the Dark Cult, a legendary fiend who had struck terror into the entire continent.
‘Greed’ had even approached me specifically to keep that woman in check. If she were such an easy opponent, Greed would never have resorted to such measures.
And then, another disappearance incident had occurred.
The princess had been found collapsed, her face deathly pale, and Seria had already vanished. According to the testimony of the priest in charge of treatment, Cien seemed to have lost a massive amount of blood just moments before.
I would likely find out what happened soon enough.
Once Cien regained consciousness, that is.
While I was lost in thought, the conversation between the Imperial heavyweights continued.
“Little boy, the Academy might be more dangerous than we imagined. Why don't you make your escape while you can? We’ve lived long enough, but the fate of a nation rests upon your shoulders.”
“I agree.”
The Great Witch made the suggestion, and the Sword Duke backed it up.
the process was as smooth as flowing water. There was no room left for the Emperor to argue.
“In the first place, it made no sense for someone like the Emperor of the Empire to remain at the Academy as bait. You should leave at once.”
“Then what about you, Greatuncle?”
“Well.”
The complexion of the Sword Duke, who was still inhabiting the girl’s prosthetic body, was cold. In a voice devoid of even a shred of warmth, the Sword Duke murmured softly.
“The Academy is precious, but it cannot be compared to your imperial person. These are people who targeted my grandniece the moment I was distracted. As long as there is even a slight possibility they might target you, I have no choice but to escort you…”
It was a statement as good as a confirmation.
There was no logical flaw in the Sword Duke’s decision. Yet, the reason he trailed off was likely due to the repercussions that decision would bring.
The Sword Duke was leaving.
That meant the departure of their strongest combat force. The Great Witch couldn't use her full power, and the ‘me’ from the future was someone who couldn't be summoned recklessly.
I might not even be able to operate in my own body for a while.
If so, their strength would shift into a clear disadvantage.
It was a fact everyone knew, but no one gave voice to it. The scale of responsibility each side had to bear was simply too different.
There was only one person free from these conflicting interests.
“Yes, you should leave.”
“Old hag…”
At the Great Witch’s cool response, the Sword Duke looked away with a guilty expression. It wasn't as if he didn't want to punish the culprit who had turned his beloved grandniece into this state.
It was just that he had a more important duty.
The Great Witch simply let out a short laugh, as if it were nothing.
“What can be done? You, me… even that God-fighter from the Holy Kingdom, we all have our own circumstances. I can’t ignore your situation just to unbind my own shackles.”
“Still, it is a relief that the vampire turned out to be more of a pushover than expected.”
Whether it was a consolation or an excuse he was making to himself, the Sword Duke cleared his throat with a few dry coughs.
“Shouldn't the two of them be able to put up a decent fight somehow? I will leave the Empire’s elites with them…”
“It’s useless.”
Exhaling a cloud of tobacco smoke, the Great Witch showed a faint smile. The gaze she fixed on the scattering smoke was hazy and unfocused.
As if she were staring at a single point in the past.
“If she were only that much, I wouldn't be racking my brain like this. Attaching a bunch of nobodies will only increase the casualties.”
“But…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll have to manage somehow… that is my duty, after all.”
In the end, the Sword Duke sighed apologetically and looked away.
That was it. The answer had already been decided.
The Emperor, who had known this from the beginning, patted my shoulder a few times as he left the room.
“…Let us see each other’s faces one last time before I depart.”
With that final remark, the room fell back into silence.
Only the sound of the Great Witch occasionally exhaling smoke echoed through the air.
Watching this, I thought to myself.
I needed more power.
And that night, the one who greeted me when I returned to the dormitory was a black-haired beauty.
“Are you finally… in the mood to ‘trade’?”
Her golden pupils, more brilliant than the moonlight pouring through the window, shone brightly.
The woman sitting on the edge of the bed spread her arms wide.
The final battle was drawing near.