Chapter 581: Jealousy is My Power (81)
Chapter 581: Jealousy is My Power (81)
The number of silver claws cutting through the air was seven.
The Golden Silk Sword, having reached the pinnacle of its art, was impossible to block. Seven sword strikes were unleashed simultaneously, leaving the target with only one choice.
To run.
However, the woman’s limbs were all bound, save for her right arm.
That should have been the end of it.
A predetermined future was about to be declared.
Spurt! Thick streams of blood sprayed in every direction.
And then, a future that had not been foretold arrived.
Thump!
Starting with a sound that shook the very foundations of the earth,
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The entire world began to vibrate.
It was a sudden, unannounced earthquake.
And as they say, unexpected variables bring unexpected results.
"Son of a...!"
With a clear clink, the chains binding the woman shattered all at once.
Even so, all but one of the blades had already pierced her body. Her arms and legs were tattered, and a long laceration stretched across her abdomen.
But there was one crucial fact.
They were shallow.
In other words, she had survived. The earthquake had ruined my posture at the critical moment.
Skreeeeeee!
The wounded beast let out a piercing shriek and began to bolt away. I hadn't even managed to regain my balance yet.
I had no choice but to cry out with my last shred of hope.
"Senior Elsie!"
"I know, you idiot...!"
Fortunately, Senior Elsie was already pointing her index finger. It seemed she had been preparing a spell just in case.
No matter how sturdy her body was, the woman had deep wounds on her abdomen and limbs. The moment she took another hit, she would likely be rendered combat-inept, even if she didn't die.
Just as I felt a moment of relief.
The woman, who had been running like a silver wind, veered off in a strange direction.
Realizing her intent, a scream immediately tore from my throat.
"No, Senior Elsie!"
Bang! The sound of a gunshot rang out as Her Highness fired a bullet.
However, it failed to hit the woman. It was because an inhabitant of the area—a hostage—stood at the end of the path the woman had taken.
The 5th Princess, Cien.
The girl, who still hadn't managed to steady her trembling legs, just stood there blankly. Senior Elsie had no choice but to fire a warning shot toward the direction the woman was running to prevent the worst-case scenario.
Exactly as the silver-haired woman intended.
As the bullet of light was fired, the woman leaped backward as if she had been waiting for it and began running in another direction. There was no one left who could catch her now.
Not me, not Senior Elsie, and certainly not the dazed Princess.
However, there was someone to snap me out of my stupor.
"Chase her, now!"
Senior Elsie screamed, pointing roughly in the direction the woman had vanished.
"She's heavily wounded at best! She can't maintain that speed for long! She won't have gone far!"
Only then did I snap to my senses and kick off the ground.
Senior Elsie was right.
Of everyone present, I was the fastest. The other two were mages.
If anyone was going to pursue her, it had to be me.
Perhaps thanks to my full-out sprint, it didn't take long.
I soon spotted the silver-haired woman. She was limping toward Seria.
I threw my hand axe with all my might.
Boom!
The hand axe, bolstered by terrifying acceleration, was more like a cannonball. Dirt sprayed everywhere with an explosive sound, and the silver-haired woman approaching Seria was forced to stop.
The axe blade, embedded between the woman and Seria, quivered.
I took a stance as if I were about to throw my sword as a final warning.
"...Get away from Seria. Now."
If her body were fine, it would be one thing, but she was already heavily wounded.
If I threw my sword, there was a high probability she would die instantly.
The reason I couldn't just throw it, however, was simple.
The distance between Seria and the woman was closer than I had imagined.
If I threw the sword, the woman would die, but at that distance, she could easily take Seria with her.
Even worse, Seria just stood there with a confused look in her eyes, not even thinking about distancing herself from the woman.
It was understandable.
Anyone would react that way if their long-lost mother appeared before them, battered and bruised, speaking in a voice that tugged at their heartstrings.
"Seria, my daughter..."
The woman took another step forward.
I had no choice but to shout again.
"I told you not to get any closer!"
At my threat, Seria's mother put on a sorrowful expression.
The composition made it look as if I were the villain. It was enough to make me go crazy with frustration, but Seria was clearly hesitating.
Her blue eyes flickered between me and the woman.
It was a gaze thick with lingering affection and indecision. I let out a sigh and tried to persuade Seria.
"I'm sorry, Seria. Step back... Your mother isn't the person you think she is!"
"My daughter."
But I wasn't the only one trying to persuade her.
As the woman spoke in a tender voice, Seria flinched and looked at her mother with trembling eyes.
She looked so small and cowed it was pitiful.
"When have I ever lied to you? I have always lived for your sake."
"Don't believe her!"
"Are you just going to let them take everything from you again?"
The woman's words pierced right through Seria.
My junior's breathing hitched. The faint trembling in her eyes began to grow uncontrollably.
I grit my teeth and raised my voice.
"Don't listen, Seria! And you, shut up!"
But Seria's mother didn't even pretend to hear me.
She only maintained her distance because she feared my sword; her eyes and mouth had long been focused solely on Seria.
"I heard that girl, Delphine, took everything from you."
"Eve... everything..."
"Yes, everything. How could I not know your heart?"
The woman's appeal, as she clasped her hands to her chest, was many times more persuasive.
Pleadings filled with apparent sincerity flowed incessantly from her lips.
"I, too, have experienced having your father taken from me. I loved him truly, but a mere human girl was jealous of the bond between your father and me, and she interfered at every turn. I... I only wanted to be your father's only mate."
"The... only mate..."
"Wouldn't anyone feel the same?"
The woman offered a benevolent smile.
In the glance she shot toward me, there was even a faint hint of reproach. I felt a surge of anger and wanted to scream at her to stop, but I couldn't.
Seria's upper body leaned slightly toward the woman.
She hadn't taken a step, but it was a choice that narrowed the distance.
I felt like screaming.
"Everyone wants to be the only mate of the person they love. Don't you?"
"Ian's... only mate..."
"You've had everything stolen from you until now. So, would it really be such a great sin if you took one thing for yourself now?"
The light began to fade from Seria's pupils.
As if her muttering voice were a floral scent, a dark current began to crawl toward Seria. I couldn't take it anymore and shouted.
"Get back this instant! You too, Seria! Otherwise...!"
"Take it back from that girl, Delphine."
"From Sister Delphine..."
This was bad.
I faced a final dilemma.
Should I throw the sword now? Seria might be in danger, but regardless, this was Seria's mother.
Would she really take her own child down with her?
I put strength into my arm, but...
"...Dammit."
I couldn't put any more strength into it.
The thought that Seria's life might be at risk was like a stumbling block; no matter how much I tried to swing my arm, it wouldn't move.
How could I possibly gamble with Seria's life?
In the meantime, the woman's persuasion continued.
"Yes, you only need to listen to me. How much has Delphine taken from you until now?"
"The sword, the vassals' affection, Mother, and... Senior Ian."
"Hehe, Delphine was far too greedy. That's why things turned out like this."
A murky desire began to swirl in Seria's eyes.
The girl's body trembled as she recalled old nightmares. Anger, hatred, and hostility.
And jealousy.
"Now it's your turn to take."
"My turn...?"
"Yes, everything... just as I did."
It was right then.
"Gah?!"
Thwack! The hand axe flew up and struck Seria in the solar plexus. It was the handle, not the blade, of course, but the pain of being hit in a vital spot was more than enough.
Seria's clouded eyes regained their luster. Looking around in confusion, she saw her mother, who was now baring her fangs, and flinched, trying to scramble backward.
But her mother spoke first.
"Yes, Seria. Just as I did... Though I ran into a minor problem at the end, you won't."
"Wh-what did you do, Mother? What do you mean?"
"Taking it back."
I had no choice but to squeeze my eyes shut at those words.
Seria probably didn't know.
Senior Delphine had intentionally wanted to hide this fact from Seria. That was why she had insisted on speaking with her mother alone, excluding Seria—a process that I heard had once made Seria storm out in anger.
Resenting her older sister.
I managed to squeeze out a plea.
"Stop, stop... Don't listen, Seria! Just get back! I'll handle the rest!"
"Oh my, you didn't know. How hard I worked for the sake of us, mother and daughter."
"I told you to get back right now!"
Sensing an ominous atmosphere, Seria's body went stiff.
Swallowing hard, Seria stared at her mother in silence, her eyes filled with fear and curiosity.
"Wh-what did you do...?"
"Delphine's mother."
With a bright smile, the woman revealed the truth in a proud tone.
"...I killed her."
It was the secret of the Yurdina family, buried long ago in a blizzard.
And the reason why Seria's mother had to be cast out.
Seria's trembling eyes froze completely.