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A little while ago, Carrion had been watching Iana from afar.
She was creating birds with magic and playing with the children of the territory.
It was the first time in a long while that Carrion had seen Iana smiling.
As he watched her, he couldn't help but think that if they hadn't divorced, Iana would have been taking care of their child with that same expression.
'Child?'
At that moment, a memory flashed through his mind.
"Could she be pregnant?"
Looking back, Iana had been showing strange changes in her body since around the time Grand Duke Ervin came to the Count's estate.
Her sickly complexion had disappeared overnight, and she had suddenly started eating large amounts of food, enough to be mistaken for pregnancy.
'It was also strange that the magic dog attacked Iana.'
He wondered if perhaps those symptoms were caused by the emergence of magical power within her.
That's why he had called Iana out to question her about what had happened back then.
"This is important to both of us. Perhaps Iana, you might not have been having an affair."
He couldn't shake the thought that the naive Iana had been seduced by Grand Duke Ervin, who needed a mage.
Carrion gripped her wrist tighter.
Iana looked down at his hand holding her and said coldly,
"Didn't I warn you? To prevent me from harming you with my magical power."
"What?"
"This is the price for you ignoring my words, Carrion."
The moment Iana raised her free hand.
"⋯⋯!"
Carrion, frightened, reflexively released her wrist.
Iana now possessed strong magical power, and he knew that messing with an Archmage in a war situation could lead to unforeseen disasters.
Embarrassed by showing his fear, he reacted violently.
"I, I'm just not pressing for an answer right now because it's wartime. You must answer my questions when we get to the Imperial Palace. Do you understand?"
Unlike the angry Carrion, Iana spoke in a calm voice.
"I'll answer then."
"⋯⋯."
"If you and I survive this war⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯!"
Only then did the fear of war wash over Carrion.
But Iana's eyes were firm and resolute, like a knight going to war with the determination to die.
It was a strong-willed woman he had never seen before.
Iana turned around and walked away without a word.
Her long, gold hair, tied in a single braid, fluttered in the breeze.
Carrion's heart pounded at the sight of his wife's back, which he had seen hundreds of times.
✦ ✦ ✦
Around that time, Riel was having a small conversation with a healer in the detached palace.
Riel asked the healer in a small voice.
"How is Mrs. Alisa?"
"Mrs. Alisa is confined to her room, and her scratches have festered, making her face a mess."
The healer looked around again and continued in a whisper.
"According to Duke Havel's orders⋯⋯."
'Duke Havel must have mobilized the Imperial Palace healers to prevent the wounds on Alisa's face from healing.'
Just as Riel was lost in thought, an unexpected voice was heard from outside the door.
"Has Your Majesty, the Empress, arrived?"
'The Empress?'
Riel's eyes sharpened at the unexpected appearance of the Empress.
"Alligerah."
At the Empress's command, the guard announced loudly.
"The Empress is entering."
Riel rose from her seat and gestured to the healer to inform Duke Havel of the situation.
Creak-.
The door opened, and the Empress and an elderly maid entered.
Riel bowed politely and greeted her.
"Riel Estina greets Her Majesty, the Empress."
"I have heard about the incident with Mrs. Alisa. Tell me, how is your health?"
The Empress asked in a voice devoid of any emotion.
As if she had no wariness towards Riel.
The Empress's inscrutable demeanor bothered Riel greatly.
'I have to find out what the Empress's intentions are.'
"I have no major injuries."
"That's fortunate. Then rest well."
As the Empress turned to leave, Riel called out softly.
"Your Majesty⋯⋯."
The Empress turned around quietly and looked at her.
Riel and the Empress's eyes met.
"Isn't Her Majesty waiting? Speak quickly if you have something to say."
The maid standing behind her scolded Riel.
"I apologize, Your Majesty. I unintentionally caused a disturbance in the Imperial Palace."
"How could that be your fault? You were attacked by Mrs. Alisa while standing still⋯⋯."
'Is she trying to get rid of Alisa through me? Since I'm going to be executed anyway.'
It was unusual, even strange, to bring a maid from a family of traitors to the detached palace under the guise of investigating her.
It didn't fit the Imperial family's customs, and it wasn't a pleasant thing to do as a woman, but the Empress remained calm throughout.
As if the Empress had read her mind, she asked.
"It seems strange that I came to see you. Doesn't it?"
"⋯⋯."
Riel looked at the Empress without a word.
"I saw you when you were young. From the time our Diane family sponsored the Estina family's orphanage."
"⋯⋯!"
Riel's eyes wavered.
Orphanage sponsorship.
It was a point to attack the Empress with, as it was a connection between the Diane and Estina families.
But whether by coincidence or intention, the Empress lightly touched on that point and said.
"Riel Estina."
"⋯⋯."
"I have been watching you since then, as you were exceptionally beautiful and intelligent."
Riel could tell from the Empress's meaningful words.
'The Empress came to warn me. She noticed my plan⋯⋯.'
✦ ✦ ✦
For several days, Iana removed the Arika Vine near the outer castle and in the villages of districts 3 and 4.
Occasionally, mutant krikans appeared, but they were easily dealt with by her curtain of fire and the archers' magic arrows.
Having worked together, they were as unstoppable as an elite unit.
Finally, on the seventh day since leaving the Ducal Palace, they arrived at the rocky mountain in district 4, where the Arika Vine had first appeared.
A dark, ominous energy emanated from the sharply rising black rocky mountain.
"Alright, let's split into two groups here."
At Charles's command, Charles and Iana each split into two groups at the entrance of the rocky mountain.
As she was about to enter the rocky mountain entrance, Charles called out to Iana in a small voice.
"Iana, are you going like that?"
"Yes?"
Following Charles's gaze, she looked down and saw that her combat boot laces were untied.
She bent down and tied her shoelaces.
"All done!"
"Hmm⋯⋯."
Charles looked disapprovingly at the shoelaces Iana had tied.
He approached, knelt on one knee, and retied her shoelaces.
"If you tie them like this, the shoelaces will come undone quickly. You have to make a knot like this, crisscrossing them."
"Your Highness, you're even good at tying shoelaces? It never works out that way when I do it."
Iana smiled wryly and praised him exaggeratedly.
"Even if you flatter me, I'll only tie them for you this once. So watch carefully and remember."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Charles smiled slightly at Iana's energetic response.
"Then let's see each other later."
Iana and Charles parted ways at the entrance of the rocky mountain.
There was a grassy field with lush grass around the sharply rising black rocks.
She stood at the front and searched for monsters.
The Arika Vine had definitely appeared the most in the rocky mountain, but strangely, no vines were visible.
Khan was also quiet, and she couldn't sense any monsters either.
"They said the Arika Vine definitely appeared here⋯⋯."
Johan's words were followed by another knight's reply.
"Could they have run away somewhere else?"
The moment she crossed the stream and stepped on the ground, Iana felt a dizzy spell and heard an auditory hallucination.
"Baby. Want a piggyback ride?"
Johan approached with a worried expression and asked.
"Archmage, what's wrong?"
Woof! Woof! Woof!
At that moment, Khan, who had been walking ahead, spun around in place and barked fiercely.
It was an abnormal reaction, unable to pinpoint the direction of the monsters.
The knights looked at Khan with puzzled expressions.
"Khan, what's wrong?"
Iana was lost in thought for a moment.
'I can't see it, but I can feel the magical power. Then?'
Her gaze went down to the ground.
"The ground! It's under the ground!"
As Iana said urgently, the knights shouted loudly.
"Retreat!"
The knights and mages all ran towards the entrance of the rocky mountain.
Suddenly, the ground in front of them began to heave, and the Arika Vine, which had been buried underground, sprang up.
"Ah!"
Those who were running away tripped and fell, caught by the Arika Vine.
Iana helped the knights by launching a curtain of fire, falling behind.
Swoosh- Bang! Bang!
The archers fired magic arrows at the coiling Arika Vine.
Thick white smoke filled the rocky mountain's grassy field.
She couldn't see well because of the smoke.
Yelp!
As the smoke cleared a little, she saw the Arika Vine wrapped around Khan's front legs in front of her.
Iana quickly ran over and cut off the Arika Vine with her magical power.
"Khan, let's go quickly."
She and Khan ran again.
Behind them, the Arika Vine, growing larger and larger, chased after them at an incredible speed.
That's when it happened.
Bang! Bang!
The ground behind her began to collapse.
"Iana!"
Charles ran towards her from the entrance of the rocky mountain with the archers, calling her name.
The archers followed behind him.
Charles ran quickly and reached out his hand towards Iana.
It was the moment his fingertips brushed against her hand.
Bang!
With a tremendous roar, the ground Iana was standing on instantly caved in.
A moment later, Iana and Khan had disappeared, into the depths of the earth without a trace.
She was creating birds with magic and playing with the children of the territory.
It was the first time in a long while that Carrion had seen Iana smiling.
As he watched her, he couldn't help but think that if they hadn't divorced, Iana would have been taking care of their child with that same expression.
'Child?'
At that moment, a memory flashed through his mind.
"Could she be pregnant?"
Looking back, Iana had been showing strange changes in her body since around the time Grand Duke Ervin came to the Count's estate.
Her sickly complexion had disappeared overnight, and she had suddenly started eating large amounts of food, enough to be mistaken for pregnancy.
'It was also strange that the magic dog attacked Iana.'
He wondered if perhaps those symptoms were caused by the emergence of magical power within her.
That's why he had called Iana out to question her about what had happened back then.
"This is important to both of us. Perhaps Iana, you might not have been having an affair."
He couldn't shake the thought that the naive Iana had been seduced by Grand Duke Ervin, who needed a mage.
Carrion gripped her wrist tighter.
Iana looked down at his hand holding her and said coldly,
"Didn't I warn you? To prevent me from harming you with my magical power."
"What?"
"This is the price for you ignoring my words, Carrion."
The moment Iana raised her free hand.
"⋯⋯!"
Carrion, frightened, reflexively released her wrist.
Iana now possessed strong magical power, and he knew that messing with an Archmage in a war situation could lead to unforeseen disasters.
Embarrassed by showing his fear, he reacted violently.
"I, I'm just not pressing for an answer right now because it's wartime. You must answer my questions when we get to the Imperial Palace. Do you understand?"
Unlike the angry Carrion, Iana spoke in a calm voice.
"I'll answer then."
"⋯⋯."
"If you and I survive this war⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯!"
Only then did the fear of war wash over Carrion.
But Iana's eyes were firm and resolute, like a knight going to war with the determination to die.
It was a strong-willed woman he had never seen before.
Iana turned around and walked away without a word.
Her long, gold hair, tied in a single braid, fluttered in the breeze.
Carrion's heart pounded at the sight of his wife's back, which he had seen hundreds of times.
✦ ✦ ✦
Around that time, Riel was having a small conversation with a healer in the detached palace.
Riel asked the healer in a small voice.
"How is Mrs. Alisa?"
"Mrs. Alisa is confined to her room, and her scratches have festered, making her face a mess."
The healer looked around again and continued in a whisper.
"According to Duke Havel's orders⋯⋯."
'Duke Havel must have mobilized the Imperial Palace healers to prevent the wounds on Alisa's face from healing.'
Just as Riel was lost in thought, an unexpected voice was heard from outside the door.
"Has Your Majesty, the Empress, arrived?"
'The Empress?'
Riel's eyes sharpened at the unexpected appearance of the Empress.
"Alligerah."
At the Empress's command, the guard announced loudly.
"The Empress is entering."
Riel rose from her seat and gestured to the healer to inform Duke Havel of the situation.
Creak-.
The door opened, and the Empress and an elderly maid entered.
Riel bowed politely and greeted her.
"Riel Estina greets Her Majesty, the Empress."
"I have heard about the incident with Mrs. Alisa. Tell me, how is your health?"
The Empress asked in a voice devoid of any emotion.
As if she had no wariness towards Riel.
The Empress's inscrutable demeanor bothered Riel greatly.
'I have to find out what the Empress's intentions are.'
"I have no major injuries."
"That's fortunate. Then rest well."
As the Empress turned to leave, Riel called out softly.
"Your Majesty⋯⋯."
The Empress turned around quietly and looked at her.
Riel and the Empress's eyes met.
"Isn't Her Majesty waiting? Speak quickly if you have something to say."
The maid standing behind her scolded Riel.
"I apologize, Your Majesty. I unintentionally caused a disturbance in the Imperial Palace."
"How could that be your fault? You were attacked by Mrs. Alisa while standing still⋯⋯."
'Is she trying to get rid of Alisa through me? Since I'm going to be executed anyway.'
It was unusual, even strange, to bring a maid from a family of traitors to the detached palace under the guise of investigating her.
It didn't fit the Imperial family's customs, and it wasn't a pleasant thing to do as a woman, but the Empress remained calm throughout.
As if the Empress had read her mind, she asked.
"It seems strange that I came to see you. Doesn't it?"
"⋯⋯."
Riel looked at the Empress without a word.
"I saw you when you were young. From the time our Diane family sponsored the Estina family's orphanage."
"⋯⋯!"
Riel's eyes wavered.
Orphanage sponsorship.
It was a point to attack the Empress with, as it was a connection between the Diane and Estina families.
But whether by coincidence or intention, the Empress lightly touched on that point and said.
"Riel Estina."
"⋯⋯."
"I have been watching you since then, as you were exceptionally beautiful and intelligent."
Riel could tell from the Empress's meaningful words.
'The Empress came to warn me. She noticed my plan⋯⋯.'
✦ ✦ ✦
For several days, Iana removed the Arika Vine near the outer castle and in the villages of districts 3 and 4.
Occasionally, mutant krikans appeared, but they were easily dealt with by her curtain of fire and the archers' magic arrows.
Having worked together, they were as unstoppable as an elite unit.
Finally, on the seventh day since leaving the Ducal Palace, they arrived at the rocky mountain in district 4, where the Arika Vine had first appeared.
A dark, ominous energy emanated from the sharply rising black rocky mountain.
"Alright, let's split into two groups here."
At Charles's command, Charles and Iana each split into two groups at the entrance of the rocky mountain.
As she was about to enter the rocky mountain entrance, Charles called out to Iana in a small voice.
"Iana, are you going like that?"
"Yes?"
Following Charles's gaze, she looked down and saw that her combat boot laces were untied.
She bent down and tied her shoelaces.
"All done!"
"Hmm⋯⋯."
Charles looked disapprovingly at the shoelaces Iana had tied.
He approached, knelt on one knee, and retied her shoelaces.
"If you tie them like this, the shoelaces will come undone quickly. You have to make a knot like this, crisscrossing them."
"Your Highness, you're even good at tying shoelaces? It never works out that way when I do it."
Iana smiled wryly and praised him exaggeratedly.
"Even if you flatter me, I'll only tie them for you this once. So watch carefully and remember."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Charles smiled slightly at Iana's energetic response.
"Then let's see each other later."
Iana and Charles parted ways at the entrance of the rocky mountain.
There was a grassy field with lush grass around the sharply rising black rocks.
She stood at the front and searched for monsters.
The Arika Vine had definitely appeared the most in the rocky mountain, but strangely, no vines were visible.
Khan was also quiet, and she couldn't sense any monsters either.
"They said the Arika Vine definitely appeared here⋯⋯."
Johan's words were followed by another knight's reply.
"Could they have run away somewhere else?"
The moment she crossed the stream and stepped on the ground, Iana felt a dizzy spell and heard an auditory hallucination.
"Baby. Want a piggyback ride?"
Johan approached with a worried expression and asked.
"Archmage, what's wrong?"
Woof! Woof! Woof!
At that moment, Khan, who had been walking ahead, spun around in place and barked fiercely.
It was an abnormal reaction, unable to pinpoint the direction of the monsters.
The knights looked at Khan with puzzled expressions.
"Khan, what's wrong?"
Iana was lost in thought for a moment.
'I can't see it, but I can feel the magical power. Then?'
Her gaze went down to the ground.
"The ground! It's under the ground!"
As Iana said urgently, the knights shouted loudly.
"Retreat!"
The knights and mages all ran towards the entrance of the rocky mountain.
Suddenly, the ground in front of them began to heave, and the Arika Vine, which had been buried underground, sprang up.
"Ah!"
Those who were running away tripped and fell, caught by the Arika Vine.
Iana helped the knights by launching a curtain of fire, falling behind.
Swoosh- Bang! Bang!
The archers fired magic arrows at the coiling Arika Vine.
Thick white smoke filled the rocky mountain's grassy field.
She couldn't see well because of the smoke.
Yelp!
As the smoke cleared a little, she saw the Arika Vine wrapped around Khan's front legs in front of her.
Iana quickly ran over and cut off the Arika Vine with her magical power.
"Khan, let's go quickly."
She and Khan ran again.
Behind them, the Arika Vine, growing larger and larger, chased after them at an incredible speed.
That's when it happened.
Bang! Bang!
The ground behind her began to collapse.
"Iana!"
Charles ran towards her from the entrance of the rocky mountain with the archers, calling her name.
The archers followed behind him.
Charles ran quickly and reached out his hand towards Iana.
It was the moment his fingertips brushed against her hand.
Bang!
With a tremendous roar, the ground Iana was standing on instantly caved in.
A moment later, Iana and Khan had disappeared, into the depths of the earth without a trace.
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