The Tragedy of The Villainess

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“Sir Cassius."

Cassius raised his head.

“I have just received word. The boundary has been successfully restored."

Cassius had to go up to the capital as soon as the restoration was done, so he was currently at the easternmost boundary. It was the safest but, at the same time, most disgraceful position for a knight.

A place like a gatekeeper.

All the major nobles of the Imperial were gathered at the hunting ground. The whole social world would be busy talking about Cassius.

The other knight also knew about Cassius' circumstances, but he pretended not to know.

The knight, who shifted his gaze for a moment, looked perplexed.

“Isn't that the Berg carriage? Why is it coming here? I haven't received any separate communication from them….Sir Cassius? Did you receive a message from them?"

“I would not have received it."

Cassius raised his body.

“How hostile is Berg to Kellyden?”

There was a vivid anger in his quiet voice. Cassius was always the quiet one, so rarely did he reveal this raw emotion so clearly.

Especially in front of outsiders.

"……?"

The knight turned around, thinking something was wrong. It was at that moment.

“Sir Cassius! Why is that…..!”

More than 70% of the magical boundaries were created by the Great Temple. The sacred power from the priests was poured into special holy relics to create long boundaries.

There were no rules at all for the rate at which the sacred power contained in the relics decreased. So the holy knights periodically walked around to check.

Realistically, it was impossible to observe the boundaries of this large continent on a daily basis. This was why it was not uncommon for the boundary to be breached.

Most of the borders were like solid trees planted in the soil, safe from double or triple protective coverings. No one could eradicate them. However, there were also boundaries where the protection level was relatively low due to the low supply and high demand of the sacred goods.

For example, this boundary where Cassius was standing.

So instead, they supplemented the degree of safety with easy access to the holy knights and their priests. The seal of the Great Temple, which was used to release the protective shield of this fortress, was already in Cassius’s hands.

The knight, who looked into Cassius’ calm eyes, instinctively sensed danger. He immediately took his sword and jumped at Cassius.

“Kaaaaa!"

But he was one step too late. The knight who had been stabbed in the chest fell as he was, dropping his decisive sword.

Cassius lifted the sword, which was dripping with blood.

Slam!

Cassius broke the holy seal with strength.

The sacred power that was shining like the Milky Way lost its way and began to be disturbed. An ominous spirit began to spread, as if the demons who smelled the scent of humans were gradually crawling toward them.

Cassius looked at the bracelet that Lina had placed directly onto his wrist before coming to the hunting ground.

The bracelet, which looked just like a handful of long hair cut and braided, looked like a token for a knight on the battlefield.

It was full of Lina's sacred power. She said it could hold up for a very long time, even without Stern or silver tree branches.

Only a Saint could do that.

Only the Saint.

“Demons! Demons!”

“Demons are here!”

“Protect the carriage!”

The tense screams of the knights below could be heard.

The demons, who instantly began to attack, crawled and ran quickly toward Berg's carriage. The horseman hurriedly cut the rope and the horses ran away. The carriage, inscribed with elegant patterns indicating the highest class status. Bang! It made a noise as it fell over on its side.

The door of the carriage broke.

"……."

Both eyes of Cassius, who was watching attentively, gradually became distorted.

Because the carriage was empty.

He couldn't see green hair anywhere. (*He was thinking Seria was in the carriage and tried to kill her)

Immediately after.

"……!"

He felt terrible pain piercing his back.

Boom! Cassius collapsed, and was barely able to turn around. Immediately his breath stopped for a moment.

“I should have killed you then.”

Those red eyes flashed brilliantly. At the same time, Lesche kicked Cassius roughly as his body flipped over in the blink of an eye. Lesche grabbed Cassius by the chest and lifted him up.

“Kuk!"

Cassius’s face was struck with a fierce fist. Violent grip, Cassius's mouth burst into a mess and bright red blood poured out. His cheek seemed to have caved in the shape of a fist.

Thud!

Cassius was thrown to the floor. Immediately after, military boots stamped mercilessly on his back. With each breath Cassius took, the smell of blood came up to his nose, which left him gulping for air.

“Cassius Kellyden.”

A letter fell in front of Cassius's blood stained vision. His eyes widened as he identified the paper.

It was….

[…I have found something suspicious from the Saintess, please come to the border as quietly as possible….]

"I should tell you, since the effort to kill Stern by even forging a letter is great.”

“Kak…!"

“The Saintess you love so much that you even lick her feet has been proven a fake."

“……!”

Instantly, forgetting the pain, Cassius quickly raised his head. But that was all. He still couldn't withstand the force of the stomp on his back, and he fell to the floor again.

Cassius's head started to spin like crazy.

What do you mean she’s a fake Saint?

Lina is a fake?

“That's outrageous!”

"If only I could put you and her in the demon boundary and let you live there until you get old and crumble."

Unlike his sarcastic voice, Lesche’s eyes flashed with murderous intent. He kicked Cassius brutally in the ribs. Cassius couldn't even scream from the pain as his ribs shattered to pieces. His whole body seemed to be crushed, and gradually he collapsed.

“Take him away."

Soon Berg's knights dragged Cassius away. Lesche touched the broken seal with a frustrated look on his face.

"Your Highness!”

“Your Highness!”

Alliot, wearing the constellation gold armor, rushed up. The priests were with him. They looked as if the world had collapsed when they saw their broken seal and hurried to begin repairing it.

Alliot approached Lesche and reported.

“Fortunately, the demons had only partially gathered at the border. I don't think any more will come in until the repairs are complete.”

“How many people are guarding the perimeter?”

“Twenty.”

“That seems appropriate.”

Lesche looked down with a frown.

“Your Highness.”

It was then that a priest approached with a pale face.

“The boundary will be restored in less than half an hour. I had no idea that Master Cassius would unseal it and destroy it so wickedly…."

The search for Cassius's body, which the Berg knights had thrown on the wagon, was already over. What they found on Cassius's body was the seal of a High Priest.

The seal of High Priest Jubelud.

"……."

The priest glanced at the fallen Berg’s carriage. It was horrified to think that Stern might have been in that carriage.

“I…. I must return first to report to the temple.”

“Go.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

The priest quietly retreated.

“Your Highness, you have a lot of blood on you.”

Lesche asked, wiping off Cassius’s blood on his armor with the cloth Alliot had given him.

“Where is Linon?"

“I heard he arrived at the imperial residence.”

“He followed Seria again.”

“Yes.”

“Linon went to the mansion looking like a corpse, so he would cling to the Grand Duchess.”

***

"Hic…hic…hic…”

Linon put a wet handkerchief in his mouth and sobbed without rest. Seria glanced to the side. Abigail's expression was spectacular.

She thought if she were to describe the letter "u" with a face, it would be just such an expression. Like looking at something you can't unsee ….

Of course, Linon didn't care; he cried as he spoke.

“Those lunatics didn't know while forging the letter, did they? The loyalty and trust between me and the Grand Duchess.”

Seria chuckled.

Linon was right. Linon's "forged" letter, which came to Seria through the hands of an aide, was truly perfect.

It was signed by Chief Aide Berg, the order in which the seal was stamped, and even the color of the sealing wax was the same.

But, oddly enough, there was only one thing that was missing.

^^7

It was the emoticon that was Linon’s signature.

At that time, feeling odd, Seria immediately called Ben and Susan quietly. She did not call the aide who had brought her the letter, because he was also a bit suspicious.

‘Of course it wasn't that aide.’

It took less than half a day for it to become clear that the letter was a fake. Because as soon as Seria sent all the pigeons to Lesche on the border, Linon was so surprised that he sent a reply. Then he even used the magic crystal ring and went back to the imperial mansion.

He said it was Lesche’s order.

It was a forged letter sent by someone with an agenda. When Linon made some duplicates and brought them to Seria, he spoke with a crisp look on his face.

“His Highness told me to have a fake carriage depart to the border. I don't know who it is, but… no, no, His Highness said he would catch the culprit in the act, along with the evidence."

Seria nodded when she heard it. So she deliberately got in the carriage and went outside.

"Actually, there was no need for the Grand Duchess to get in the carriage and go out.”

“I did so because I thought that whoever sent this letter might be sending someone to keep an eye on me. He must have been so excited to see me being fooled by the letter."

“I can see why the Grand Duchess was so famous in the social world at one time!”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean it in a good way.”

Seria raised her eyebrows quickly, but Linon only wiped his eyes.

“So how long are you going to follow me?”

“Do you know how my heart pounded when I got the letter? And His Highness told me to stay close to the Grand Duchess.”

“I need to change my clothes, but will you still stick to me?"

Linon gasped.

“I'm sorry.”

Seria’s sleeves were soaked because of Linon who grabbed her arm and cried. After she got dressed and came out, Linon was very quiet, unlike earlier.

"……?"

Abigail was just staring blankly, but her expression looked more relaxed than before. Yeah. For Abigail, Linon was a handful.

Two days later, late at night.

An unexpected visitor came to the Berg residence in secret. Seria couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the person who had taken off the hat that completely covered him.

“High Priest?"

It was High Priest Joel. For a moment, Seria reflexively looked around the mansion. It was because she remembered the rule that all the places the High Priests visited should be modest.

The Berg residence was very glamorous because Lesche had decorated it to Seria’s taste….

But her thoughts did not last long.

High Priest Joel suddenly covered his face with his hands and began to cry. Panicked, Seria immediately took out her handkerchief.

She had never thought that the High Priest would cry in front of her. It was something she had never thought of even once. High Priest Joel spoke through his tears.

“Stern, please come to the Great Temple with His Highness the Grand Duke…”

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