Chapter 116: Who on Earth Are You?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 116: Who on Earth Are You?
In the end, I had made the child cry. I felt so uncomfortable, as if I were lying on a bed of thorns, that I couldn't pull myself together.
I wanted to jump up right then and there and shout that I was fine, but there were bound to be eyes watching the inside of the cell. The other children, who were injected with poison daily, were staggering and as weak as sick chickens; if I, who had just been injected for the first time, seemed perfectly fine, it would surely arouse suspicion.
I had no choice but to grit my teeth and endure it. The problem was that the demons were doing too good a job of neutralizing the poison.
[Tsk, tsk. For a boy to have so many tears.]
Be quiet.
[Why does Master always pick on me!]
Sigh.
I let out an internal sigh as I listened to Desmond’s whining.
And so, while trying my best to pretend I had fainted, I eventually drifted off into a deep sleep.
*
‘Huh?’
I blinked slowly.
Gradually, the surrounding scenery came into view. I looked around with a startled expression.
‘Where am I?’
I wasn't in the prison; I was somewhere else entirely. Having suddenly woken up in the middle of a forest, I stood there dazed for a while.
I couldn't understand why I was in a place like this. I had certainly met Rosette, who had sided with the Empress Dowager, and had been forcibly injected with the Demon’s Poison by her, now a chimera. And while the demons were neutralizing the poison, I thought I had returned to the cell and fallen asleep while pretending to be unconscious.
‘Wait...’
I looked down at my palms, even more startled. They weren't the small hands of a child. They were the large hands of an adult—as large as my hands had been before I possessed this body.
‘Is this... a dream?’
I felt like I had experienced a dream like this before I met Nathaniel. I had met the rampaging Nathaniel from the original story in my original body.
A sense of foreboding washed over me. After a moment's hesitation, I began to walk forward. I felt like I needed to get out of this forest.
‘Ah!’
An exclamation escaped my lips at the sight beyond the forest. A vast, open field stretched out before me, where countless people were entangled in a fierce battle.
One side wore silver armor like medieval knights, while the other side wore loud, vibrant clothing, reminiscent of ancient tribal warriors. They were all mixed together, fighting desperately.
‘Could they be the Quincy?’
I remembered the Quincy, who were said to have originally lived in the southern part of the Empire. I had also heard rumors that they would soon invade the South.
Was this dream showing me the future, or was it showing me the present?
And why was I seeing this scene in my original form, rather than as Claudia?
Numerous questions flooded my mind, but I had no way of knowing the answers.
‘Dia.’
‘Huh?’
‘Claudia.’
‘...!’
Just then, a familiar voice reached my ears. I turned around instinctively and gasped.
‘Nathaniel?’
‘...’
Nathaniel was staring at me intently. My eyes widened at the unexpected encounter.
I had met Nathaniel in a previous dream as well, but it was still startling.
‘Dia.’
‘Are you... talking to me?’
‘Yes.’
Nathaniel nodded readily at my question. I looked down at my palms again, wondering if my appearance had changed back, but I was still in my adult body. Despite that, Nathaniel continued to call me Dia.
‘Where are you right now?’
‘What?’
‘Where are you?’
‘Uh...’
Nathaniel repeated the question without a change in expression. I was simply confused.
Could it be that to Nathaniel, I appeared as Claudia and not my original self?
Besides, this was my dream, not his. Thinking that way made me feel more at ease.
‘I’m trapped in the temple.’
‘The temple?’
‘Yes, the Capital Temple.’
When I answered naturally, Nathaniel furrowed his handsome brow. Then, he nodded.
‘I understand. I’ll be there soon.’
‘What?’
‘I will definitely come.’
‘...’
It seemed impossible, but Nathaniel’s words brought me an inexplicable sense of relief.
Even though there was no way he could actually come to rescue me, I felt much better than before. I wondered if I was just hearing what I wanted to hear because it was a dream.
‘Thank you, Niel.’
‘Mm.’
‘You be careful, too.’
‘I will.’
Leaving the battle with the Quincy behind, I gave Nathaniel a word of caution. He nodded again, his white hair fluttering in the wind.
‘It won't take long.’
‘...’
‘I will definitely come to save you.’
Nathaniel shouldn't have known what kind of situation I was in.
As expected, he was probably saying what I wanted to hear because it was a dream. I replied with a smile.
‘I’ll be waiting.’
‘Okay.’
Then, Nathaniel’s figure gradually began to fade. His face, as he looked at me, was filled with anxiety and sorrow.
What a realistic dream, I thought, just as my eyes snapped open.
[Master, are you alright?]
‘Ah.’
[The detoxification went well, but it seems you ran a fever, likely because the poison entered your system for a brief moment.]
‘I see.’
I accepted Desmond’s explanation. So that was why I had such a dream.
The afterimage of Nathaniel still lingered before my eyes. I closed and opened them again, feeling a sense of lingering regret.
“Dia, are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
Luciano checked on me, his face wet with tears. I hadn't meant to, but I felt guilty for making him cry.
“I’m really okay. You don't have to worry.”
“But...”
Contrary to my wishes, large tears continued to drip from Luciano’s eyes. He raised his arm and rubbed his eyes vigorously.
“I—no, Dia, you’ve been so kind to me. I’m so... sorry that I couldn't do anything.”
“Hmm.”
It seemed Luciano was deeply grateful that I had become his friend without prejudice.
Although there was a difference in our social status, I had been able to persistently approach him by using a child’s natural friendliness as a shield.
Especially since Luciano had been treated poorly at the temple for being a commoner, he must have been grateful to both Marianne and me.
I reached out and stroked Luciano’s hair.
“It’s okay. You’re always hurting here too, Luci.”
“I’m, hic, I’m used to it, so it’s okay.”
“No. You shouldn't get used to things like this.”
I shook my head firmly. Then, I sat up and pulled Luci into a hug.
“We’ll be able to get out of here soon. And then we’ll punish all the bad guys.”
“Sniff, we’re getting out?”
“Yes. Many people will come to save Dia. Gallant knights, too.”
“Ah...”
As I whispered those words, a light of hope flickered in Luciano’s eyes. Since he knew I was an Imperial Princess, he seemed to believe me.
[Regrettably, Master, we cannot leave because of the temple barrier.]
I know.
[Then why tell such a lie?]
It’s what you call a white lie.
I insisted, rubbing Luciano’s back. The other children sitting nearby also began to sob sorrowfully, as if the crying were contagious.
“I told you to be quiet!”
“...!”
A guard approached and banged his club against the iron bars. I glared at him before lowering my head.
“What’s this? The brat’s finally awake.”
I felt his greasy gaze on me. As expected, that guy was incredibly unpleasant.
“You’ll have to get another injection tomorrow. If it hurts, this mister will be sure to give you a big hug, hehehe.”
“...”
For a moment, a curse almost flew out of my mouth. But I bit my lip and held it in. The guard, assuming I was scared, let out a disgusting laugh and walked away.
Even if I leave this place, I’m definitely going to kill that guy myself. I ground my teeth inwardly.
*
Several days had passed since I was dragged here.
During that time, I had been injected with that wretched Demon’s Poison several more times. It was quite exhausting to pretend to be in pain every single time.
However, there was a limit to how much I could deceive her; when my condition remained unchanged despite multiple injections, Rosette began to show her suspicion.
“Why aren't any symptoms of poisoning appearing yet?”
“...”
She scanned my body thoroughly. But nowhere was there any sign of being poisoned by the Demon’s Poison.
Maybe I should have only partially neutralized the poison. It seemed the demons’ over-enthusiastic detoxification had created an unfavorable situation. I looked at the serious-faced Rosette with feigned anxiety.
“Any other child would have been vomiting blood and having their skin burn away by now.”
“...”
“Is it because she’s the child of a Sword Master?”
Rosette muttered softly. Since not only Cedric but also Veronica carried the Winston bloodline, it wasn't unreasonable for her to think that.
“No. Even so, there’s no way such a young child would be completely unaffected.”
Tsk.
However, Rosette shook her head, negating her own thought. Unfortunately, she was right. I clicked my tongue inwardly.
“You... who on earth are you?”
Rosette asked, glaring at me with piercing eyes.