THE TRAGEDY OF THE VILLAINESS

Chapter 163

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“What? Why?” (Seria)

“Since the immediate royalty is a national treasure, they inspect them from time to time. If he was a fake, they would have been processed long ago without a peep. And would have announced that he was dead.” (Lesche)

Certainly, since Mies also hid in the Grand Duke’s household, it must have been the case with the imperial family. But….

“It’s the first time I am hearing about this.” (Seria)

“Because it’s an imperial family’s secret. By the way, Linon doesn’t know either, so don’t tell him.” (Lesche)

“……?”

‘Then why did you tell me the secret?’

Lesche lifted Seria’s chin and asked,

“Was that why you were trembling so much?”

“I wasn’t trembling…..I’m glad, though.”

Seria was able to calm her mind, which was even more at ease than before. Finally, she began to read the letters that she couldn’t even see when she was attached to Abigail earlier.

As she read the documents, she recalled what Queen Ekizel had said earlier at the Imperial Palace.

“Prince Jun is very interested in gemstones. He asks repeatedly for that blue diamond. He never once bothered me, but that’s what my son asked for.”

Queen Ekizel might have said it to soften the mood, but Seria was shocked inside.

Did Prince Jun want her to bring it? Nissos, who was one of Lina’s slaves, also wanted the blue diamond.

It was to give to Lina.

‘What happened to my blue diamond after I died in the past?’

In the past Seria Stern was summarily punished by Kalis for the alleged abduction, torture, and murder of the Saint. Rather, he was able to kill Seria because he was condoned by the Great Temple.

Moreover, the townhouse where Seria had stayed was given to her by the Great Temple. All of Seria’s personal property was located there, so it would have all been seized by the Great Temple after her death.

The blue diamond, a jewel of the national treasure, probably went to Lina. The priests of the Great Temple were the ones who were eager to give everything valuable to the Saint and Stern.

The mermaid spring also went to Lina.

As Seria tried to break Tuban’s seal, Lina must also break the seal of that mysterious monster. So did she have the blue diamond?

‘There is still one jewel left.’

Seria still did not know what the last gem would be that Tuban wanted her to bring. This time it seemed that the power was even more depleted because  a new gem was being drawn on the Stern insignia very slowly.

‘First, let’s use the power of the circlet.’

Writing things down would clear many things.

Then a few days later.

The day approached when the sacred power conceived by Lina would be transferred to the sacred tree.

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“So I don’t have to go to the sacred tree?”

When Seria asked back, the high-ranking priests of the Great Temple shook their heads in a flurry.

“The journey to the sacred tree is not an easy one, so we asked you to take a good rest at the temple.”

Seria folded her arms and asked.

“Why? Did Lina tell me not to come?”

“……!”

“No way!”

‘You really can’t lie.’

In any case….

It seemed that Lina was trying to carry out exactly what the darkness ordered her about not letting Seria see the child before Prince Jun spit out blood and black darkness.

Seria clicked her tongue when she heard that they said that Lina would handle the measurement with her divine power

“I can’t help it if I’m not invited. At most, I came all the way to the Great Temple.”

“I’m sorry, Stern …..”

She turned and blinked at Abigail. Abigail nodded lightly as if she understood. Of course, after making sure that the priests who served Lina were looking at her.

***

Lina looked very pale. She took a series of rough breaths.

”Saintess, are you alright?”

“Ha, give me some water, please.”

“Here it is!”

Lina finally drank the water offered by the priest and clasped her shaking hands. The divine power measurement consumed more power than she had imagined, and she felt like it was squeezing out her soul.

How in the world did Seria do this? If not a monster. ….

It was the day after the sacred power was infused into the measurement relic.

A long line of people headed for the sacred tree led by Lina. 

Kalis was not there. He had not returned from his territory yet. Instead, the other headmaster of the seventeen families accompanied her with great effort.

‘Is Kalis avoiding me?’

Lina questioned the butler several times because she was suspicious, but he also showed her evidence that Kalis wasn’t.

There was evidence that a major dispute had arisen between two venerable vassals of Haneton over the ownership of some land.

He said, “If something goes wrong, there will be a fight in the territory.” But Lina’s mind was still restless. She wanted to go down to the Haneton territory to check it out herself, but she didn’t.

If everything about the butler was a lie….It was because he didn’t think Lina could handle it.

It took exactly one day to get from the Great Temple to the sacred garden with the sacred tree. The ceremony began shortly after Lina changed into Stern’s robe.

After a three-hour ceremony, Lina was exhausted. But…

“Thank you for your hard work in holding it, Saintess.”

High Priest Jubelud’s voice was dripping with bitterness. So did the other priests. Some even cried. Lina also felt emotional.

‘If this divine power is really born as a person.’

The Divine Power that had caused Lina so much suffering at first was now on her side. Lina thought she should try to give it affection.

‘You don’t hate me, do you? You won’t hate me because of Seria.’

The scheduled return date was the next day.

Lina came out to the garden, wanting to see the sacred power again that had been transferred to the sacred tree one more time. There, Lina found a connection.

‘Seria?’

Lina remembered well what Seria’s sacred power was like. She was wearing a wig or her hair was a different color, but ….

‘Why is Seria here?’

Lina reflexively ran to the other side. Her heart throbbed. She looked to the side when she heard the sound of water splashing.

The sacred tree was as huge as 20 thick trees combined. There was a small pond at the base of the tree where she stood. According to what the priests had told her earlier, it was a sacred pond with a beautiful name, “Mirror of Truth.”

Passing the time until Seria went, Lina squeezed out the last of her sacred power and threw it into the pond. The dark, shimmering pond shone brightly. The moment she approached it with curiosity.

“……!”

Lina swallowed her scream and took a step back.

Reflected in the pond was her own face, obviously dead. And the dead Lina’s face was visible…

Lina ran toward Seria, tears streaming down her face in horror.

‘So I’ve finally come to the sacred tree.’

Seria lifted her head. The sacred power that Lina had given birth to was tied in the form of light in the center of the sacred tree.

If possible, she wanted to check that out when Lina completely left this place. But in order to visit the Garden of the Sacred Tree, she had to break the blockade of the Great Temple. It was a noisy thing, majestic and large and always officially documented.

There was no need for a complicated ceremony, such as the head of the seventeen families accompanying the procession.

‘If it wasn’t because of Prince Jun, I would have come later.’

The words of Prince Jun were conveyed to Seria by Abigail. How dirty and suspicious those words were, telling Lina not to show the divine child to her (Seria).

In the end, Seria had to sneak in like this.

“I beg you to come without telling the Saintess, Grand Duchess.”

Of course, it was not a complete infiltration, since the High Priest Jubelud helped Seria out with a troubled expression. In the distance, the three Holy Knights were also hiding, breathing hard. Thanks to her threatening words to them to never interfere.

“Phew~”

Seria clasped her hands together and took a deep breath. The moment when she strongly released her power toward the sacred power that resided in the sacred tree.

She opened her eyes wide.

“Crazy….!”

A large amount of magi began to erupt from Lina’s sacred power. The magi that exploded together poured down the sacred tree and the garden without a moment’s rest. It was unlike any magi she had ever seen.

As she backed away without realizing it, she felt a chill behind her. The moment she turned around, her breath caught in her throat.

‘…… Why is that thing here?’

There was that monster she saw in the world of Tuban.

It was the same monster whom she saw pleading in front of her bruised corpse, holding Lina and urging her that time was running out. She knew it was by no means an illusion because that monster was crawling from far away at a tremendous speed.

Seria could not even scream.

It was when she reflexively backed away. In a flash, white smoke escaped from the sacred tree that touched her back. It was a strange entity that grazed past her and quickly took shape.

One tempo late, Seria realized what it was.

It was Tuban.

Tuban attacked the crawling monster without hesitation. Tuban’s long hair fluttered.

Tuban’s hand took off the gag in his mouth and threw it away.

“……!”

Tuban bit off the monster that was about to jump at Seria. Huge magi erupt from the monster’s body as if exploding.

At the same time, Tuban’s growl filled the sky.

“Liegel!” (*the monster’s name)

Thump!

Tuban and the monster’s body collided and began to roll around the sacred ground in a mess.

“Stern!”

“Grand Duchess!”

“Are you all right?”

Seria was certain that she was not the only one who could hear this tremendous noise and commotion. For the Holy Knights, who had been hiding in the distance, came running like crazy.

“……!”

It was shortly after that she felt a familiar holy force behind her and her spine shriveled. When she turned around in a panic, Lina was standing there, pale-faced and shaking with a shudder.

“Um, that’s……”

The moment when Seria staggered to her feet.

The sacred tree, which had been just as quiet as a gentle lamp, even with Seria’s sacred power, vomited an enormous sacred power. At the same time, the magi which had been hanging around on the garden floor united. It all happened in an instant. The magi and sacred power began to mix like madness.

Watching the chaotic scene as if they were attacking each other, Seria grabbed onto the sacred tree without realizing it, as if she was holding a walking stick.

It was at that moment.

She felt tremendous pain and bent forward.

“Ah!”

She heard a strange voice in her head.

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*My god, my heart was pumping the whole time translating the last part of this chapter. Everything was chaotic like a magic battle when everyone appeared. Tuban, the monster Liegel, Lina, Seria, magi, sacred power….Ahhhhhh.