Chapter 115: Rosette, Reunited
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 115: Rosette, Reunited
“Tsk, these brats have no manners at all.”
“You…!”
I whipped my head toward the guard, my teeth bared in a snarl.
At the same time, a heat like a rising wildfire surged within me. My mana was fluctuating on its own, reacting to my emotions.
[Master, you must endure for now!]
[That’s right, Mistress. You mustn't get too worked up!]
‘Ugh.’
Listening to the demons’ coaxing voices, I averted my gaze. The other children were huddled around the fallen Luciano, all of them glaring at the guard with wary eyes.
“Hmph!”
The guard merely snorted and turned away. Fortunately, as a low-ranking priest, he couldn't sense the mana surging inside me.
“Unlucky little pests.”
“…”
I let his muttered curses go in one ear and out the other as I looked back. I was worried about whether Luciano was alright.
But in my current helpless state, I couldn't even pull away from the guard to go to him. A sigh escaped my lips.
For the first time since my possession, I felt truly powerless. Tears pricked my eyes, and I bit my lip hard.
“Now, get in here.”
“…”
The guard, who had led me outside, entered another area. He shoved my back in front of an ordinary-looking door. I cautiously pushed it open.
Creeeak.
The door opened with the groan of old hinges. The interior was so dark I could hardly see a thing.
“Hurry up and get in!”
“Ack!”
Losing his patience, the guard gave my back a rough shove. I stumbled forward a few steps before collapsing onto the floor. The door slammed shut behind me.
[That arrogant human dares to—!]
[I’m going to go back and pull out what little hair he has left!]
‘Ugh…’
The demons fumed with rage. Regardless, I stood up and brushed the dust off my knees.
“Hmm.”
Anyway, where was I? It seemed I had been brought to the place where they experimented with the Demon’s Poison, but it was too dark to see clearly.
Left with no choice, I reached out and felt my way forward. However, the smell lingering in the room was a bit strange.
‘It’s similar to the stench coming off the children.’
Frowning, I covered my nose with my hand. It seemed this really was the place for the poison experiments.
“It’s been a long time.”
“…!”
Just then, someone approached and spoke while looking down at me. Startled, I looked up at the figure.
The person was staring down at me intently, but their face was obscured by the darkness.
Click.
“…!”
Suddenly, a light flickered on. It wasn't bright, but it was enough to distinguish objects and faces.
Startled, I looked around before glancing up again. My eyes widened in shock when I saw the familiar face.
“…Rosette?”
I murmured in a small voice. Perhaps because the room was so quiet, she seemed to have heard me. Rosette’s lips curled into a smile.
“Like mother, like daughter. You’re just as insolent as she is.”
“…”
“Still, it’s good to see you.”
Why was Rosette here? I thought Dantalion had taken care of her.
After Rosette tried to kill Veronica using a Direwolf and was locked in the Imperial Palace Underground Prison, I hadn't given her much thought.
I had assumed Dantalion would handle it on his own. I never imagined she would be at the Temple.
‘Her appearance is… strange.’
In my last memory of her, Rosette was a flamboyant beauty. But now, her pink hair, once as fresh as a flower, was a matted mess, and her green eyes were bloodshot. There were even hives and scars scattered across her face.
Since she was a fugitive who had escaped the palace prison, it made sense she’d be in rough shape, but she shouldn't have looked this physically damaged if she was being sheltered by the Temple. Something was wrong.
Feeling an instinctive revulsion, I reflexively backed away, but Rosette closed the distance. Her hand reached out and gripped my arm tightly.
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this day. The day I can finally have my revenge on those people.”
“Ugh.”
Eyes filled with madness stared into mine. In her state of extreme excitement, she scanned every inch of my face as if savoring my grimace. Soon, she let out a satisfied sigh.
“Ha… I wonder how much that bitch will grieve when you’re broken?”
She was clearly talking about Veronica. Rosette had completely lost her mind; she seemed beyond the point of reason.
‘Isn't she extremely dangerous? Can't you knock her out?’
[Ugh, that human’s body is strange.]
‘Strange? How?’
[Uh… it looks like her body has been fused with a demonic beast?]
‘What?’
I looked at Rosette again in horror. I hadn't noticed just by looking at her face, but the strength gripping me was unnaturally powerful, and the skin on the back of her hand looked greenish.
Fused with a demonic beast? I suddenly remembered that the Western Region had a custom of taming demonic beasts. But even so, those people wouldn't fuse their own bodies with them. Wasn't that basically a Chimera?
“I endured a horrific time to survive the toxicity, but it was worth it. To think they would actually bring the child of those two right to me.”
“…”
Rosette spilled her story before I even had to ask. It wasn't that she expected a child to understand; she just seemed so ecstatic that she needed to talk to herself.
Only then did I realize why Rosette was here. It seemed the Empress Dowager had secretly taken Rosette from the prison and brought her to the Temple, then modified her body so she could conduct the Demon’s Poison experiments using the children.
And Rosette had complied obediently, believing the promise that I would eventually be brought here.
‘These people are insane.’
Every single one of them was out of their mind. I was appalled by the sheer obsession of the Empress Dowager and Rosette. Do birds of a feather really flock together? The Empress Dowager had certainly found a subordinate just like herself.
“It’s going to hurt terribly when the Demon’s Poison enters your system. So, please cry for me with that pretty voice of yours.”
“Ack!”
In Rosette’s other hand was a small syringe. It was filled with a green liquid. Even at a glance, it was clearly the Demon’s Poison they had been forcibly injecting into the children.
“No!”
I shouted loudly and twisted my body. At that, Rosette’s smile deepened. It seemed the more I resisted, the more she enjoyed it.
‘Fine, I’ll just take it.’
Since the demons had already agreed to neutralize the poison discreetly, I pretended to struggle for a bit before letting my body go limp as if exhausted. Rosette calmly plunged the needle into my arm.
‘Eww.’
The syringe didn't even look new. I was more worried about getting tetanus than the poison.
[Fortunately, they diluted the poison quite a bit, considering Master’s age.]
[Neutralizing this much is a piece of cake!]
‘Right, right.’
Hearing the demons’ cheerful voices helped me calm down. Still, I made sure to tremble violently as if I were terrified. Rosette’s expression grew even brighter.
“Once the poison spreads, you won't be able to move for a while. But don't worry, you'll be fine after some time passes.”
“Uuugh.”
Rosette was kind enough to explain exactly how I should act. For a moment, I almost thanked her.
I kept my head bowed low to hide the fact that I wasn't in any pain at all. Rosette, assuming I was suffering, let out a delighted laugh.
“Hehe, I should be the one to see their faces in person.”
“…”
She didn't have the strength to take revenge on Dantalion or Veronica directly, so she resorted to kidnapping and tormenting a young, helpless child.
I shot a pathetic look toward Rosette. But Rosette, intoxicated by her own emotions, didn't notice my gaze.
‘Actually, this is for the best. I’ll just pretend to be unconscious.’
I closed my eyes and let the strength drain from my limbs. Seeing this, Rosette checked to make sure I was still breathing, and after looking relieved, she called the guard back.
“Put her back where she was.”
“Yes, I understand.”
I heard the guard’s groveling voice. Just as when he brought me here, the guard picked me up roughly and left the room.
How many more times would I have to do this? Would I be able to escape with the children before then?
A wave of anxiety washed over me, but I kept my eyes tightly shut so they wouldn't realize I was faking.
Soon, I realized I was back in the cell.
“Dia! Dia, are you okay? Diaaa!”
“…”
I heard Luciano’s sobbing voice. I felt like I was going to cry too if this kept up. But I held it in, knowing it would be suspicious if I woke up too easily after being injected with poison.
“Sniff, hic. I’m sorry, Dia…”
“…”
Eventually, the sound of Luciano wailing hit my ears. This is driving me crazy, seriously.