Chapter 233

Long ago, when she was still Grace, there was a serial killer who had caused quite a stir.

Countless women had fallen victim to him. He was a madman who would leave their bodies on the streets for everyone to see, as though proudly displaying his handiwork.

In the end, she had captured him herself.

“Heh... What a shame. Just ten more, and I’d have a hundred.”

Even after being caught, he showed no remorse and simply grinned to himself. Grace had personally carried out his execution.

Like this.

Whoosh!

“Urgh... Ugh......!”

The appearance of High Priest Byron, held in Ceres’s grasp, began to change before their eyes. His thick, dark brown hair rapidly turned white, then started falling out in clumps.

His face, which looked fairly young for a man in his mid-forties, quickly withered and became wrinkled.

“Ghh... Guaaagh!”

His body crumpled to the floor, slowly bending and wasting away until not a flesh remained. Only ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) after he was reduced to a grotesque skeleton did Ceres finally let go.

Thud.

High Priest Byron collapsed onto the floor, utterly lifeless. He looked no different from the corpses piled to one side, with nothing left but skin.

“Hmm, I think I can call this self-defense.”

Ceres wiped the blood from her cheek and spoke to Ben. She had been cut by the sword Byron had swung moments ago while protecting a child.

“......”

Ben could only stare, speechless. Looking at Byron’s corpse on the floor, he made the same vow once again.

...I’d never piss her off.

.

.

.

Chapter 64: Princess Nailia’s Marriage

Grip!

“Urgh...!”

“What did you say?”

“S-sorry... Ggh!”

“The temple plan failed?”

For the first time, Veilks showed his anger. A subordinate he had planted in the temple had just brought him unbelievable news.

“The spring returned to normal?”

The Holy Spring, which was stained blood-red, had returned to its original state. Worse yet, High Priest Byron, who had carried out the plan, was dead.

“Hah!”

He had spent so much time and effort on this. First, he planted a subordinate in the temple, then spent ages completing the magic circle that would corrupt the Holy Spring.

“And yet......”

Was this man really telling him that all of it had been ruined so easily?

“Lady Drow... Ggh!”

“.....”

...Her again.

Veilks released the subordinate whose throat he had been choking. He stared coldly at the man as he gasped for breath, then scoffed.

“Tell me everything.”

“L-Lady Drow was apparently among those prepared for the ritual.”

“...She was disguised?”

“Yes. We believe she may have used magic...”

The man couldn’t be certain, as he only heard the story from others.

Fortunately, he wasn’t caught because he didn’t take part in the ritual that day, but he didn’t witness what happened firsthand either. He could only piece together what he heard and pass it on to Veilks.

Should I have killed her sooner?

Though she was always getting in the way of his plans, Veilks never once tried to eliminate her himself.

Even he couldn’t explain why. Normally, he would’ve disposed of her without a second thought. But for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

...Something about her bothers me.

Whenever he considered getting rid of her, an unpleasant feeling would creep over him. Some strange instinct told him he shouldn’t touch her, and it always held him back.

He’d felt that same way once before, a very long time ago.

“Are you saying she killed Byron?”

“Yes. But the state he was in...”

News of High Priest Byron’s death already spread throughout the Empire. He was the one behind the ritual that corrupted the Holy Spring, but what shocked people most was the state of his body.

“He looked like he’d aged to death in an instant.”

“......”

...Again. Once again, something had happened that brought someone from the past to mind.

“Haa...”

The same absurd thought kept creeping into his mind, one he had desperately tried to ignore all this time. It was impossible. There was no way it could happen.

But this time, he couldn’t dismiss it anymore.

Could it really be...

...Did that woman come back to life?

Veilks’s face twisted into a frightening expression.

***

[Buu!]

[Pii?]

[Buu~]

Whack!

[Buueh!]

...What are you two doing?

Airien was back. Sooty was the happiest to see the little rabbit return.

Sooty flew over to welcome Airien with a hug, but she recoiled in alarm and kicked him away. Sooty burst into tears.

[Bu!]

[Pi!]

Tap tap tap tap!

The two were soon fighting as if they were never happy to see each other in the first place. Ceres could only shake her head.

[Buu~]

[Pii~]

But it didn’t take long for them to start playing together again. Both giggled as they clung to Whitey’s tail.

[Kids sure have endless energy, meow.]

Elliet could only sigh as she watched them.

“What happened? Did your power really disappear after the Holy Spring was corrupted?”

[That’s right, meow.]

“Haa.”

It was the answer Ceres had expected, but she still sighed. The power of the Tamer Relic, said to hold sway over the world itself, had vanished when the Holy Spring was corrupted.

No one could’ve known. As far as everyone knew, the Holy Spring was simply a place where Tamer Relics were awakened.

Now everyone’s going to make a fuss.

These days, even the Imperial Family was strictly controlling access to the Holy Spring to keep it safe. From now on, people would only be allowed to enter when the Tamer Relics needed to be checked.

After dealing with High Priest Byron that day, Ceres immediately restored the Holy Spring by turning back its time, returning it to its original state.

The Tamer Relics’ powers returned at once. Airien and Elliet appeared like they had been waiting. The next day, Jubelios, the Fire Spirit King, came to see her too.

[Those damn bastards! How dare they put me to sleep!]

“You’re too loud.”

Why are you coming to me with this?

She sent him away as he continued shouting at the top of his lungs.

“But there’s still something I don’t understand.”

[What is it, meow?]

“Why did the Dukes’ and Kainel’s powers disappear?”

The Holy Spring was connected to the powers of those four as well. That was something no one had known until now.

[That’s......]

“That’s?”

Knock, knock.

Just as Elliet was about to answer, the butler Colin entered after knocking.

“My Lady.”

“What is it?”

“Grand Duke Persia has arrived.”

“......”

Ceres scratched her cheek at the news, looking unusually troubled.

After restoring the Holy Spring, the first thing Ceres did was have Ben check on Kainel. Thankfully, she soon learned that once the spring returned to normal, the intense heat that had engulfed Kainel’s body disappeared as well.

As for why I didn’t go check on him myself—

Bang.

“You......”

Step.

“Who did this? Who hurt you?”

...Because I knew this would happen.

The moment he saw her, his already cold expression turned even colder.

This is why I was going to wait until I was completely healed before seeing him.

There was no way to hide the cut on her face after Byron’s sword had slashed her.

“It’s just a little cut.”

“Who did it?”

Ceres sighed as he asked the same question again.

He really hasn’t changed at all.

He was still just as sensitive whenever she got hurt.

“If I’m this injured, what do you think happened to him?”

“......”

Ceres’s words finally eased the frown on Kainel’s face. Her attacker was unlikely to have survived.

“What about you? Are you all right?”

“As you can see.”

Stroke.

Ceres reached out and placed her hand against Kainel’s forehead. Thankfully, his fever really was gone. She quietly sighed in relief, then suddenly paused.

“Will it leave a scar?”

Kainel examined the wound on her cheek, gently running his fingers over it.