Chapter 349 – The Princess Can’t Sleep (1)
The center of the empire, the underground water.
At the place where Bianca beat the ‘spreading nightmare’, dozens of people gathered around her body in her black clothes.
“This is the last chance Heaven gave us. The students are intoxicated with the joy of victory, and the Imperial Knights have left the capital.”
Said Rendolph, the leader of the pack, lighting a torch.
“…When this is done, we will be able to take back what was once ours.”
Rendolph declared raising his right hand.
“Kill all who rebel! Anyway, if we catch Eugene Calliope, it’s our victory! Other than that, show no mercy!! Pay us back for what we lost!”
Had it not been for Lianna’s betrayal, most of the empire would have fallen into these hands.
However, I was betrayed, lost everything, and lived in hell until this moment.
So… Now this was just revenge.
“…Then, let’s go…”
“Ahahahaha! It fit perfectly ♪”
The moment Rendolph was about to declare an advance, a woman appeared between the aisles spreading like anthills.
Another angle-
A beautiful look that you will never forget once you see it.
Liana walked out slowly, her golden hair and her crimson eyes shining.
“Liana Lumenhark…!! How dare you shamelessly right in front of our eyes!!!”
Rendolph, seeing Liana’s figure, raised a blood band around her neck and shouted.
“If four years hadn’t betrayed us, we wouldn’t have fallen like this…!! Entire..!! All four years!!!”
“Betrayal…? Fall…? Hmm. What do you mean?”
“Don’t be shy!! Why!! Why!!! Did you betray us! You could be the emperor of an empire!!!”
Rendolph couldn’t understand it.
Even if they just let the operation go ahead, Liana could have become the emperor of the empire, and they could have become powerful people.
But wasn’t it Riana who destroyed all of them with her own hands?
“Ahahaha!!! Ah… I’m sorry, I laughed out loud because it was so funny.”
“Your year… What the hell is funny?”
“Yeah, that’s funny. To think that a lion and a group of rabbits could truly be allies… The face is stern, but the head is a field of flowers, right?”
“…Liana…!!”
Rendolph gnashed his teeth at Liana, who treated them like her pack of rabbits, but…
This was all smoke.
It was true that she was angry, but she wouldn’t have brought her this far if she had only lost her cool at this provocation.
While feigning excitement on the outside, Rendolph was thoroughly analyzing the situation in his head.
‘…Looks like Liana’s condition isn’t perfect either.’
Her liana has scars all over her clothes and skin, which she tries to hide, but her gait is unsteady.
However, by nature, a wounded beast is the most dangerous.
Anyway, if you drag out time here, your colleagues who infiltrated by another route will be able to capture Eugene alive.
‘… When that time comes, I’ll step on her arrogant face myself.’
With her victory secured, she doesn’t have to fight for her life.
“…Hmm, you suddenly lost your words? Oh, are you thinking of killing time?”
Then, as if she had already seen it through, Riana whispered, and Rendolph was taken aback for a moment, but then answered with a twist of the corner of her mouth.
“What then? Already my colleagues have infiltrated through other routes. No matter how hard you struggle, it’s too late.”
Even if Liana were to pursue him from now on, it would be after his comrades had already captured Carnea.
‘…No matter how much he’s from Carnea, he’s still just a student.’
In contrast, this side was an expert at killing people.
If you brutally kill a few people as an example, the students will lose their will to fight on their own.
Then, Liana said, extending her fist in front of her.
“By the way, the colleague who infiltrated by any other way… Is this what you’re talking about?”
Tuk─ tududuk─ tutuk─
When Liana spreads her hand, many of her tokens fall from within.
“Really… They’re not even cockroaches, they’re annoyingly spreading all over the place, so they’ve been running around since morning ♪”
“…Yeah…Year…”
Seeing the mark on the floor, Rendolph spoke in a trembling voice.
“…You mean you wiped us out in just one day!! This monstrous bitch…!!”
“Hmm… To be a monster while dealing with the likes of you guys… Ahahahaha! Aren’t you overestimating yourself?”
“Liana ahhhhh !!!
Rendolph, who could no longer keep his cool, shouted heartily.
“…The worms that should have disappeared with me originally… I wish they would have lived in a corner somewhere if they were lucky enough to survive.”
At the same time, the smile disappeared from Liana’s face.
“Now that’s it!! Kill them!!!”
Seeing the enemies rushing at Rendolph’s horse, Liana whispered softly.
“…Hey. Actually, I didn’t want to say that.”
I don’t want Melfisa to lie anymore because of me.
Even for someone like me, I was happy that Bianca asked me to go with her.
I also wanted to dance with Yujin and eat something delicious.
“…Actually, I wanted to go to the party too.”
I don’t want to be hated. I hate to see sad faces. I want you to smile.
I want to be loved, I want to be loved, I want to be loved.
“But what can I do? To keep my sun from being polluted…”
Because I, already irreversibly tainted, have to come forward.
“What does the crazy bitch keep talking about!! Kill it!!!”
“…Thank you for not running away. It’s a bit cumbersome to find and kill them one by one.”
At Liana’s words, Rendolph gritted his teeth.
“Don’t pretend to be relaxed!! I already know that you broke your oath and became weak!!! Besides, it wouldn’t be normal if we dealt with all of our comrades!! Can you handle this number with a body like that!!”
“That’s right. I’m weak. As you said, I’m very tired… Yes, the number is higher that way.”
Contrary to Rendolph’s thoughts, there was no big problem in clearing the ‘Darkness of Empire’, but ‘The Spreading Nightmare’ was different.
If she hadn’t defeated the black knight in the first place, it was a powerful enemy that Liana might have defeated.
The fatigue accumulated in Liana’s body and mind from dealing with them was now nearing her limit.
…But.
“So what?”
“…What?”
“That I’m weak… That I’m tired… That you’re going to beat me for that reason?”
Aaaaa────────!!
The moment Liana took her steps, Rendolph realized.
Why did Liana call themselves a group of rabbits?
It wasn’t sarcastic.
I just genuinely feel that way.
The class is different.
Like a being who was determined from her birth to be a predator and a prey, no matter how hard Liana struggled, she was a wall she couldn’t overcome.
The moment he realized that, Rendolph shouted in a soggy sense of inferiority.
“Liana Lumenhark!!!”
“…Not funny. So… I’ll thoroughly erase it this time so that this won’t happen again.”
If this incident is found out, Eugene will surely be angry.
Why did she handle it all alone, why didn’t she tell herself?
I don’t want to see Yujin getting angry.
So I really don’t want to get caught, but…
Yeah, if I get caught… I can’t help it.
If you don’t run away and apologize directly, even if you get angry, Eugene will eventually forgive you.
“…Then can you die in peace?”
Inside the dark underground waterway, Liana smiled lightly.
***
Late dawn, Carnea’s Garden.
Liana, who had barely reached the wall with a staggering step, let out a sigh as she leaned against her.
“…Haa… I guess it’s impossible to have a party like this…”
The dress was completely messed up, and the skin that looked like white jade was covered in blood and dust.
… She had never felt as keen as she did today that she was weak.
I thought it would be okay for her to give as much as she wanted to be by Yujin’s side…
It was a bad idea.
She needed strength to stay by Eugene’s side.
If this doesn’t help, she doesn’t deserve to be by Eugene’s side.
Unlike the other pure and upright children… I am a human being who was defiled a long time ago.
“…Then shall we go back?”
Recovering her minimal health, Liana tried to go straight back to her dormitory, but…
‘…I’ll be waiting for you.’
A word left by Yu-jin before leaving haunts her.
“Ahahaha…! Eugene wouldn’t have thought that I would be this late, but what the hell is she thinking!”
Again – again –
Although she rationally knows that she can’t stay until this time…
Again – again –
With a small expectation in one place in my heart, I slowly climb the stairs.
“Whoa…”
Finally she trembled as Lianna stood in front of the banquet hall door and grabbed her doorknob.
I’m sorry ──
The door opened, and what Liana saw in front of her eyes.
…It was an empty, dark banquet hall.
“…Yeah, that’s natural.”
I knew it, but my heart throbbed.
And she hates herself even more.
I had unreasonable expectations for the subject that told me not to wait, and then I was unreasonably disappointed.
There was a degree to being selfish.
“So it’s okay! It’s okay!”
This is the path I have chosen
If something like this happens in the future, I will come forward again and again.
So I shouldn’t get hurt.
“Ruler! Then, shall we go back?”
The moment when Riana was about to leave the banquet hall with a desperate smile.
Hwareuk─
A candle lit inside the banquet hall.
“…Ah?”
Liana’s eyes widened and her mouth hung open at the small but extremely bright light.
Under the flickering candle light, Eugene Calliope said with a small smile.
“… Late. Liana Lumenhark.”
