“I think Beth is hurt a lot, but I’ll have to check it out. The scream sounded like Ridan, but we had to find Ridan, and the Emperor… I’m busy. White!”
I hurriedly looked for the White beneath my feet and lifted my head as if possessed.
For a moment, it seemed that I understood why Ixion was staring blankly at the stream.
This was not his will, it was like an unavoidable attraction.
“If you can’t stop it, then should I just purify it all up?”
“You must have panicked because you got caught too. Because you have a body that accepts black magic well.”
According to Niel, I was as easily affected by black magic as I was good at using divine magic.
My gaze naturally turned to the blackened stream right next, and there was an unbelievable figure that came to mind.
***
No matter how many people around him told him to build a force, there was a reason he didn’t listen to them.
Because his father, the Emperor, did not want his excellence.
Growing up in indifference, he had only heard praise from the Emperor once as a child.
Because he was a good swordsman and excelled in martial arts, he should grow up to be a wonderful prince who could serve the Empire.
He was happy to receive the compliment for the first time in his life, but the Emperor’s subsequent words meant that he should not covet anything and become a part of the empire.
He had nothing he wanted in particular and had nothing precious, so at one time he just wanted to live like that, but after meeting Elsia, he felt a strange repulsion.
He didn’t want to serve the Empire, he just wanted to be with Elsia all the time.
“Your place is decided by you, not your parents.”
As a Prince who excelled in martial arts, his favor was always overflowing.
Nobles who want a new power and women who want a good husband.
But Ixion knew that it was all an illusion.
The Emperor didn’t want Ixion to come out on the surface.
The Emperor wanted Ixion to be his and the Crown Prince’s long-term horse forever.
Those around him were people who wanted to be something to him anyway, so he didn’t care about all that.
Meanwhile, the person who suddenly appeared was Elsia.
She unconditionally saved him, and she had no wish for anything other than her very natural right for freedom.
Rather, she even told him to live his life happily regardless of her.
Even now… She says he was supposed to take care of his own place.
It was so Elsia-like that it made him laugh and sometimes made his heart flutter.
‘How can I make Elsia happy being with me… .’
He thought so as he looked into the red eyes filled with worry as he woke up.
‘That way you’d be by my side, what the hell am I supposed to do?’
Since she has a clear opinion of her own, he must definitely be able to stay by her side only when she wants to.
Didn’t she herself say she would live like that?
Paradoxically, he thought it would have been better if Elsia wanted something from him.
Power, territories, or the entire continent, he would have brought and sacrificed it all. But when he asked what she wanted, she said ‘good health and long life’, and that was the realm of God.
Just like in the old days, how great would it be if he could make her fall in love by dancing together once at a banquet?
This time, she rescued him from the bad memories, and walked away.
As if she could take care of her happiness on her own.
But did she already know that she can decide her own happiness?
“I think Beth is hurt a lot, but I’ll have to check it out. The scream sounded like Ridan, but we had to find Ridan, and the Emperor… I’m busy. White!”
Looking at her bewildered, Ixion hastily stood up.
Suddenly, she was looking as if she was falling into the blackened stream.
He had also forgotten that he had to get out of here quickly.
Ixion knew the person reflected in the stream.
The brother who abused her, ignored her, and sent her hostage to the empire.
In the end, King Artize was killed by him after instigating Ixion’s assassination.
It was Decan, with silver hair and red eyes like her.
***
A young man who looked very similar to me was reflected in the water.
His red eyes were full of madness, and his white skin had a large scar.
‘I think it’s Decan!’
I couldn’t even guess who I would see if I was under this curse, but I was stunned that it was Decan.
Indeed, he was the most cruel person to Elsia. It was also the direct reason why he called me.
‘But actually, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen the man, can he hurt me?’
Paradoxically, such curiosity kept me from taking my eyes off the stream.
[Elsia, you are the Artize royal family. Everyone on the continent says we are dark and suspicious, but the truth is they are all true. Aren’t we the descendants of the devil?]
As far as the Artize royal family was concerned, the people’s suspicions were justified.
They hid from people that they could use black magic, but it was true anyway.
[It means you can never live a normal life.]
One corner of my chest was strange.
He must have been speaking to his younger sister, Elsia, but I heard him talking to me.
[If you don’t become truly evil, you’ll have no choice but to be eaten by black magic. No matter how hard you try, your end will be disastrous. That’s the fate of Artizee who couldn’t stand on top.]
Decan laughed horribly.
[So quietly accept your fate. Don’t have any hope.]
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
I screamed as if possessed by something.
[Why? Do you want to kill me? Do you think killing me will end the curse of your blood? Then you will become a different monster.]
My heart was pounding.
Because he was telling the truth about the things I feared in my heart.
I fear that no matter how hard I try, I will not be able to stop the demonizing, and I wonder if that was my destiny, which was engulfed by black magic in the first place.
“You and I are different. You are a villain, you killed a lot of people, you made people suffer, and you tried to kill me first. It was my self-defense that harmed you.”
It seemed that there was only Decan and me in this world. I didn’t think of anything.
I spoke calmly.
“There is no such thing as fate. So I won’t give up hope. I won’t be a monster. I’ll do my best to live happily next to the good people I care for and love.”
Finally, when we parted, I remembered the Marchioness, who wished me happiness, Heim, whom I really like, and Irene, who gave me pretty hunting clothes.
And.… And Ixion’s friendly expression, who told me that I was a person who shines brightly.
He doesn’t make that face to anyone.
“I love you.”
There are so many people who care about me, but I didn’t want to give up.
“Therefore….”
It was then. My body shuddered.
Decan’s figure was scattered in the blurry vision.
“Elsia! Wake up!”
With Ixion’s low voice, I felt my body swaying and resting on something.
“Isis, get as far away from here as possible. Hurry!”
“Mah!”
I was dizzy and lost my consciousness.
***
When I woke up again, I was riding Isis.
“Mah.”
White was crying anxiously in front of me.
I reflexively checked the position of the sun and knew that time had passed.
LEARN MORE
!
!
!
!
!
!
“If you encounter the Fog of Curse in the water, run away. Smoke that has already stayed in the water cannot fly back. The further away you are, the faster you’ll be able to come to your senses.”
It must have been that Ixion remembered Niel’s last advice and sent me as far away as possible
‘Ixion left….what of Beth?”
No matter how much I looked around, I bit my nails in concern because he wasn’t around.
‘Or maybe somewhere else? He must have been hurt.’
He was wrapped around me tightly and rolled down with me, so of course he would have been injured.
Even though he was injured and couldn’t ride a horse, Ixion must have sent me desperately.
Even Beth couldn’t get up, so it meant that Ixion was injured and was alone at the foot of a mountain.
“Isis.”
I grabbed the reins and whispered.
“Let’s go to Ixion.”
It was the Emperor and Ridan, but for now, I just thought that I should go to Ixion.
But Isis was huffing, completely ignoring what I said, and was just going on its own way.
The master’s last command was to get as far away from here as possible, so the clever Isis could never go back to Ixion.
“Then where are we going now?”
I sighed in frustration, but Isis couldn’t answer.
“We have to go back. Let’s ask for help.”
I wondered what I could do here to find Ridan or the Emperor.
In particular, the Emperor, whom I had never met, had already accumulated bad feelings in me.
No, I got annoyed the more I thought about him giving his son a compliment for ‘good job’ and then having him serving the Empire without wanting anything for the rest of his life.
Originally, we had come to find the Emperor, but now I didn’t even think about it.
“Huh? Isis, let’s go back. But why do you keep going west?”
There is no doubt about Isis’ cleverness, but I also knew very well that it was not loyal to me.
“Mah.”
Reluctantly, I had no choice but to surrender myself to Isis.
“I think Beth is hurt a lot, but I’ll have to check it out. The scream sounded like Ridan, but we had to find Ridan, and the Emperor… I’m busy. White!”
I hurriedly looked for the White beneath my feet and lifted my head as if possessed.
For a moment, it seemed that I understood why Ixion was staring blankly at the stream.
This was not his will, it was like an unavoidable attraction.
“If you can’t stop it, then should I just purify it all up?”
“You must have panicked because you got caught too. Because you have a body that accepts black magic well.”
According to Niel, I was as easily affected by black magic as I was good at using divine magic.
My gaze naturally turned to the blackened stream right next, and there was an unbelievable figure that came to mind.
***
No matter how many people around him told him to build a force, there was a reason he didn’t listen to them.
Because his father, the Emperor, did not want his excellence.
Growing up in indifference, he had only heard praise from the Emperor once as a child.
Because he was a good swordsman and excelled in martial arts, he should grow up to be a wonderful prince who could serve the Empire.
He was happy to receive the compliment for the first time in his life, but the Emperor’s subsequent words meant that he should not covet anything and become a part of the empire.
He had nothing he wanted in particular and had nothing precious, so at one time he just wanted to live like that, but after meeting Elsia, he felt a strange repulsion.
He didn’t want to serve the Empire, he just wanted to be with Elsia all the time.
“Your place is decided by you, not your parents.”
As a Prince who excelled in martial arts, his favor was always overflowing.
Nobles who want a new power and women who want a good husband.
But Ixion knew that it was all an illusion.
The Emperor didn’t want Ixion to come out on the surface.
The Emperor wanted Ixion to be his and the Crown Prince’s long-term horse forever.
Those around him were people who wanted to be something to him anyway, so he didn’t care about all that.
Meanwhile, the person who suddenly appeared was Elsia.
She unconditionally saved him, and she had no wish for anything other than her very natural right for freedom.
Rather, she even told him to live his life happily regardless of her.
Even now… She says he was supposed to take care of his own place.
It was so Elsia-like that it made him laugh and sometimes made his heart flutter.
‘How can I make Elsia happy being with me… .’
He thought so as he looked into the red eyes filled with worry as he woke up.
‘That way you’d be by my side, what the hell am I supposed to do?’
Since she has a clear opinion of her own, he must definitely be able to stay by her side only when she wants to.
Didn’t she herself say she would live like that?
Paradoxically, he thought it would have been better if Elsia wanted something from him.
Power, territories, or the entire continent, he would have brought and sacrificed it all. But when he asked what she wanted, she said ‘good health and long life’, and that was the realm of God.
Just like in the old days, how great would it be if he could make her fall in love by dancing together once at a banquet?
This time, she rescued him from the bad memories, and walked away.
As if she could take care of her happiness on her own.
But did she already know that she can decide her own happiness?
“I think Beth is hurt a lot, but I’ll have to check it out. The scream sounded like Ridan, but we had to find Ridan, and the Emperor… I’m busy. White!”
Looking at her bewildered, Ixion hastily stood up.
Suddenly, she was looking as if she was falling into the blackened stream.
He had also forgotten that he had to get out of here quickly.
Ixion knew the person reflected in the stream.
The brother who abused her, ignored her, and sent her hostage to the empire.
In the end, King Artize was killed by him after instigating Ixion’s assassination.
It was Decan, with silver hair and red eyes like her.
***
A young man who looked very similar to me was reflected in the water.
His red eyes were full of madness, and his white skin had a large scar.
‘I think it’s Decan!’
I couldn’t even guess who I would see if I was under this curse, but I was stunned that it was Decan.
Indeed, he was the most cruel person to Elsia. It was also the direct reason why he called me.
‘But actually, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen the man, can he hurt me?’
Paradoxically, such curiosity kept me from taking my eyes off the stream.
[Elsia, you are the Artize royal family. Everyone on the continent says we are dark and suspicious, but the truth is they are all true. Aren’t we the descendants of the devil?]
As far as the Artize royal family was concerned, the people’s suspicions were justified.
They hid from people that they could use black magic, but it was true anyway.
[It means you can never live a normal life.]
One corner of my chest was strange.
He must have been speaking to his younger sister, Elsia, but I heard him talking to me.
[If you don’t become truly evil, you’ll have no choice but to be eaten by black magic. No matter how hard you try, your end will be disastrous. That’s the fate of Artizee who couldn’t stand on top.]
Decan laughed horribly.
[So quietly accept your fate. Don’t have any hope.]
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
I screamed as if possessed by something.
[Why? Do you want to kill me? Do you think killing me will end the curse of your blood? Then you will become a different monster.]
My heart was pounding.
Because he was telling the truth about the things I feared in my heart.
I fear that no matter how hard I try, I will not be able to stop the demonizing, and I wonder if that was my destiny, which was engulfed by black magic in the first place.
“You and I are different. You are a villain, you killed a lot of people, you made people suffer, and you tried to kill me first. It was my self-defense that harmed you.”
It seemed that there was only Decan and me in this world. I didn’t think of anything.
I spoke calmly.
“There is no such thing as fate. So I won’t give up hope. I won’t be a monster. I’ll do my best to live happily next to the good people I care for and love.”
Finally, when we parted, I remembered the Marchioness, who wished me happiness, Heim, whom I really like, and Irene, who gave me pretty hunting clothes.
And.… And Ixion’s friendly expression, who told me that I was a person who shines brightly.
He doesn’t make that face to anyone.
“I love you.”
There are so many people who care about me, but I didn’t want to give up.
“Therefore….”
It was then. My body shuddered.
Decan’s figure was scattered in the blurry vision.
“Elsia! Wake up!”
With Ixion’s low voice, I felt my body swaying and resting on something.
“Isis, get as far away from here as possible. Hurry!”
“Mah!”
I was dizzy and lost my consciousness.
***
When I woke up again, I was riding Isis.
“Mah.”
White was crying anxiously in front of me.
I reflexively checked the position of the sun and knew that time had passed.
LEARN MORE
!
!
!
!
!
!
“If you encounter the Fog of Curse in the water, run away. Smoke that has already stayed in the water cannot fly back. The further away you are, the faster you’ll be able to come to your senses.”
It must have been that Ixion remembered Niel’s last advice and sent me as far away as possible
‘Ixion left….what of Beth?”
No matter how much I looked around, I bit my nails in concern because he wasn’t around.
‘Or maybe somewhere else? He must have been hurt.’
He was wrapped around me tightly and rolled down with me, so of course he would have been injured.
Even though he was injured and couldn’t ride a horse, Ixion must have sent me desperately.
Even Beth couldn’t get up, so it meant that Ixion was injured and was alone at the foot of a mountain.
“Isis.”
I grabbed the reins and whispered.
“Let’s go to Ixion.”
It was the Emperor and Ridan, but for now, I just thought that I should go to Ixion.
But Isis was huffing, completely ignoring what I said, and was just going on its own way.
The master’s last command was to get as far away from here as possible, so the clever Isis could never go back to Ixion.
“Then where are we going now?”
I sighed in frustration, but Isis couldn’t answer.
“We have to go back. Let’s ask for help.”
I wondered what I could do here to find Ridan or the Emperor.
In particular, the Emperor, whom I had never met, had already accumulated bad feelings in me.
No, I got annoyed the more I thought about him giving his son a compliment for ‘good job’ and then having him serving the Empire without wanting anything for the rest of his life.
Originally, we had come to find the Emperor, but now I didn’t even think about it.
“Huh? Isis, let’s go back. But why do you keep going west?”
There is no doubt about Isis’ cleverness, but I also knew very well that it was not loyal to me.
“Mah.”
Reluctantly, I had no choice but to surrender myself to Isis.
