Chapter 53
Chapter 53
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: The Princess No Longer Waits
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Once upon a time, she was a princess loved by all.
But their love was false, and they locked her away in a glass coffin, stripping her of her freedom and right to choose.
In the coffin where not a single ray of light could enter, so utterly lonely, so alone.
The princess despaired.
She burst into tears.
She denied reality.
No one left here to love her anymore.
She cried... cried... and kept on crying.
Until her tears filled the glass coffin.
Her sobs never stopped.
Then one day.
The prince who would stop her tears appeared.
The righteous prince approached the princess and declared so boldly,
'I will wield my sword for you!'
The princess's eyes sparkled.
'This prince still loves me,' she said, seeing a starlight sparkle in the prince before her.
She harbored hope.
She decided to believe in 'love' once more.
Waiting for the prince who would vanquish all evil and return to her.
The princess.
Continued....
Kept locked in the glass coffin....
The princess kept....
Waiting for the prince to keep his promise and return.
----------
*****
【In her endless wait without end, the princess endlessly pondered the two words 'stagnation.'】
The princess's voice reverberated through my skull, echoing deep into my mind.
【And only then did she realize she had fallen into a grave delusion.】
The black ink began to slowly coalesce right before Park Yeon-jeong's eyes.
As if the princess herself harbored eager anticipation of reuniting with the prince she had longed for.
It quickly took shape.
In an instant, she appeared before us in full form... and she was smiling.
So innocently.
Park Yeon-jeong belatedly realized that such a radiant smile could be so chilling and repulsive.
【She realized her wait was finally over.】
【That now it was her turn to go find the prince... and.】
The princess's hand slowly extended toward Park Yeon-jeong, collapsed on the floor.
【My prince... I have come to meet you like this.】
“......”
Her jet-black hair flowing, lips like red roses—the princess blushed at this long-awaited reunion with her prince.
In a faint voice, she said,
【Swear to me, staking that heart, that you will never leave me again.】
“......”
Pardon?
My heart?
No, before that.
This situation was a complete, unintended blunder.
The silver lining—if you could call it that—was that the princess's demeanor suggested the purple bullet's charm effect was still active.
Who would've thought.
In his panic, what he grabbed and threw.
Was none other than.
A quill pen...
Such an absurd mistake had led to this ridiculous scenario.
He had made two ghost stories that should never meet come face-to-face.
Slash!
Just from the queen's fan swipe moments ago, he could instantly grasp how much he had irked her.
And that was hardly the end of it.
Craaaaack—
The endless ripping sound was so grotesque he wanted to plug his ears.
〖You were toying with me from the start...〗
No way.
I was just doing my utmost to survive, Your Majesty.
〖Fooled by your sly tongue... Yes, did you enjoy it?〗
Thud thud thud thud thud—!
The sound of seams bursting echoed harshly across the entire space, and the queen's agitated voice finally exploded.
〖Men who only hurt women are unnecessary!!〗
Slash!
With the sound of the fan folding.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
The queen's grooms, who until moments ago had merely filled their seats like statues, rose in unison and charged at me like a zombie horde.
It was absolutely not voluntary movement.
Slaves moved solely by the queen's command—little more than her playthings.
The moment Park Yeon-jeong reached into his pocket to pull out Thousands of Gazes.
Heh heh.
A woman's laughter softly drifted into his ear.
【Your Majesty, it's been a while. And as always today... you are so very beautiful.】
The instant the princess spoke.
Halt!
All the grooms, who had been advancing fiercely until then, froze in place as one.
The queen's gaze shifted not to Park Yeon-jeong, but to the princess.
A sudden hollow silence descended.
Grind—
The sound of teeth gnashing broke the quiet.
〖......I hate you.〗
The queen murmured lowly.
【I love you, Your Majesty.】
The princess replied, and their exchange began to intertwine.
〖You, who so easily wins love's emotions from anyone—do you even know what love is!?〗
【That is why, every time I see you yearning for love, Your Majesty, I learn what love truly is.】
〖Shut up!!〗
Grind grind grind—!
The teeth-gnashing intensified.
But soon, that grinding sound.
Crunch!
Was accompanied by something shattering.
And no further sounds came.
The only sound was.
One woman's hate-filled outburst.
〖Then feel all the men's love you so desired, to your heart's content!〗
Slash!
The fan folded once more, resounding through the space.
Thud thud thud thud thud thud!
The horde of corpse slaves that had been charging at Park Yeon-jeong now surged toward the princess in her purple armor.
〖I'll defile that pure body of yours! I'll etch the ugliness hidden behind sweet words of love into every inch of you!!〗
Clasp!
Soon, the corpse slaves seized the princess's limbs.
Maggot-infested bodies slapped against her, tearing at her armor.
Any ordinary woman would have wailed and thrashed in such a situation.
But,
Smirk—
【They say love takes many forms.】
The princess retained her signature beautiful smile.
Her gaze fixed on one spot alone.
【Your Majesty truly... is so clumsy with love.】
〖Shut up!!!!〗
The queen's mounting fury transferred fully to the corpses.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
Just a few seconds.
The princess was buried under countless corpses, her form no longer discernible.
Clink... clink.
All that echoed was.
The clashing of unknown armor amid the writhing pile of corpses.
The princess's voice fell silent.
“......”
Park Yeon-jeong, witnessing it all, naturally turned his gaze to the queen, gasping raggedly.
Her dress, which had gleamed like pure white silk moments ago.
Drip... drip.
Was now spotted with red flecks falling from beneath her white veil.
Drip.
The veil, gradually staining red, clung to the queen's face, revealing her exhalations starkly.
The first time he faced her in such a state.
Fear gripped his entire body.
But.
At the same time, another emotion stirred.
Something strange, utterly bizarre.
'Pity.'
Even knowing full well all her actions were wrong, that uncanny chest-twinge from her crumbling form.
Park Yeon-jeong had felt this unpleasant sensation once before.
Ghost story name.
[Hates the Dark.]
:Identification code Cd-A-11
The strange pity from the Ghost Story Kid.
Back then, he couldn't define it.
But now, he could finally name it.
-
Contradictory Pity.
.
Drip... drip.
Once more, red flecks fell from beneath the veil.
The queen's gaze turned to the man slumped on the floor.
Drip.
And.
Her voice was more pathetic than ever, carrying a faint, inexplicable... sob.
〖...Don't look.〗
“......”
〖Didn't I tell you not to look!?〗
With the queen's sharp shout.
Several corpse slaves pinning the princess turned and charged at Park Yeon-jeong.
!
But.
Before the corpse slaves reached him.
Clink.
The sharp clash of armor pierced his ears.
Clink clink.
The sound grew louder and louder, and soon a massive shadow loomed over Park Yeon-jeong.
What entered his view was.
The back of a knight clad head to toe in orange armor.
Clink.
From within the orange helmet, a stern voice emerged.
【The princess desires the prince's left arm.】
The orange knight, grasping the left arm of the corpse charging at Park Yeon-jeong.
Rip—shrrk!
Ruthlessly tore it off.
Immediately after.
Clink clink clink!
A cacophony of clashing armor erupted like a chain reaction, shredding his eardrums.
【The prince's right arm!】
【The prince's left leg!】
【The prince's head!】
The knights that appeared charged at the corpse slaves burying the princess, shouting loudly.
【For the princess alone!】
【For her love!】
Shrrk!
Grind!
Snap!
The knights lunged at the corpses, swiftly ripping off every limb like weeds.
Thud! Drip! Crack!
The merciless assault continued.
Limbs tore free without mercy, filling the hall with horrific rending sounds.
Corpses were torn, shattered, scattered in pieces.
The time to clear every corpse off the princess: merely.
30 seconds.
Drenched in the flesh and guts of countless corpses, the princess still wore her radiant smile.
She delicately took the orange knight's offered hand and rose.
【I have gratefully received the love Your Majesty gave me.】
〖.......〗
The queen fell silent.
But the princess gazed at the queen, still beaming radiantly.
Her eyes unwavering, her smile unflinching.
As if that smile were fated never to fade.
【Isn't love something given and received?】
〖!!〗
【I shall return it to you as well, Your Majesty—this thing called love you gave me.】
Step!
The knights flanking the princess advanced without hesitation toward a single figure.
Their movements held no doubt, no confusion.
Only blind loyalty drove them toward one purpose.
And they cried out in unison.
【For the princess alone.】
Step step step step step!
The knights advanced relentlessly toward the queen, and her voice grew ever louder before them.
〖Stay back!〗
Flutter!
Through the veil stained red with blood, the queen tried to halt the knights.
Step step step step step!
But.
The knights would not heed her.
For they existed solely for the princess.
The queen staggered backward.
As if seeking escape somewhere,
Retreating step by step, searching for an exit.
However—
In that fleeting instant.
Shrrk!
Her foot caught the hem of her blood-soaked dress.
Her body lurched.
Her eyes widened.
Her outstretched hand sliced empty air.
Grip—!
Powerlessly seized by the knights, the queen screamed.
〖Let go! Release me!〗
But.
That voice soon turned to one woman's wretched wail.
The red knight and green knight seized the queen's head and torso.
The knights took turns.
The orange knight took the queen's left arm.
The yellow knight took her right arm.
The blue knight took her left leg.
The indigo knight took her right leg.
And at last, watching that scene, the princess's lips curved in her ever-present beautiful, chilling, radiant smile.
Cough!
By the time the white veil was fully dyed red.
The princess's gaze halted before Park Yeon-jeong.
【Thank you, my prince.】
“......Yes?”
To his curt question, an utterly unexpected reply came from the princess's lips.
【For arranging this chance to reconcile with Her Majesty.】
Reconcile... you say?
When those words slipped from the princess's mouth, brushing his ear.
His gaze slowly, heavily sank.
The knights holding the queen's limbless torso.
He quietly looked down at those blood-smeared forms.
Even this princess, whom he thought so easily subdued.
Was no different from the other ghost stories.
......Click!
!!
The air shifted.
The atmosphere shifted.
A familiar resonance struck his eardrums.
Intense lighting poured down on Park Yeon-jeong in an instant.
Static—
The all-too-familiar noise filled the space.
As his vision blurred, his gaze slowly rose.
And through his foolishly gaping lips, a faint voice escaped.
Barely piercing his throat.
He murmured the name.
“......No, Noise?”