Living As the Villainess Queen

[Mara refuses to help. That leaves only Flora, but I don’t know what to do,] Eugene wrote, pausing for a moment. She couldn’t bring herself to suggest, ‘What if I go to the wanderers’ hideout to meet Flora?’ She feared Kasser might drop everything and return to the kingdom immediately. Though she knew he wasn’t a reckless person, the thought made her feel conflicted. His prioritizing her above all else made her feel both cherished and burdened.

[We’re still gathering more information about the spell to control larks. I’ll let you know what I hear from Aldrit.]

Eugene closed her notebook and sighed. This lockdown of the Holy City might last a long time.

The dry season was already more than half over, and the kings’ plan to eliminate the monster and stabilize the Holy City within this period seemed likely to fail. If Mara and Flora didn’t help, Eugene would be the only one who could use the spell to control larks. However, she couldn’t travel long distances in her current condition. Perhaps after she gave birth and her body had recovered, which would be at least six months from now, at the earliest.

Eugene was worried about her family left in the Holy City, but she didn’t think anything immediate would happen. The Arse family’s influence would protect them for the time being. The real problem was that the powerless citizens of the Holy City would be sacrificed to maintain the defensive spell. The longer the lockdown lasted, the more people would die.

To calm her complex emotions, Eugene picked up a pen and unfolded a piece of paper. She drew a long line and wrote “Holy City” in the middle of it. Then, she sketched a semicircle over the Holy City.

This spell is said to be an invisible barrier… Eugene imagined a dome-shaped transparent wall covering the Holy City, a soft barrier deflecting any surrounding attacks.

Soon, Sang-je will undoubtedly state his demands. Will it be me? Or Flora? Or perhaps both of us? So let’s assume Flora and I reach the front of the Holy City. Eugene paused, noticing something odd.

In that case… how do we enter the Holy City? Sang-je wouldn’t deactivate the defensive spell just to admit two Anikas. If the kings entered during that moment, it would be over.

If Alber had stayed in my dream longer, she would have surely told me. As she drew an arrow from outside the Holy City to inside the dome-shaped barrier, she suddenly realized.

Oh, could it be… with a teleportation spell?

***

“The first problem is the limitation of this spell. You said the purpose of using this spell to control larks is to get past the Holy City’s barrier,” the elder began.

“Yes, elder,” Aldrit confirmed.

“This spell is called a control spell, but it’s not as precise as its name suggests. It doesn’t give specific commands to larks; it’s a spell that summons larks. In other words, you can’t command larks to go somewhere specific. You can only tell it to come to where you are.”

Aldrit sighed deeply, contemplating the implications. “So the spellcaster needs to be inside the Holy City’s barrier.”

“Exactly.”

“But the spellcaster can’t cross the barrier…”

“Which means the spell can’t be used for its intended purpose.”

Aldrit frowned, pondering further. “What exactly is the form of the Holy City’s barrier?”

Suddenly, Flora, now with clear eyes, stepped forward. The elder, having noticed her attentive listening, chuckled and gestured for her to come closer. “Come nearer.”

Flora hesitated briefly before approaching the elders. Though she had been in a state of shock and confusion, the conversation about the spell caught her attention, easing her despair and piquing her curiosity.

She had recently been completely absorbed in learning divine arts. The newfound knowledge brought her so much joy that she felt sleeping at night was a waste of time, waking up each morning with excitement. For the first time, she felt that this excitement was the joy of life.

She hadn’t become a priest out of sincere religious devotion. Anger and jealousy had been her motivators. She both relied on and resented Sang-je for favoring Jin over her. She believed that if it came down to choosing between her and Jin, Sang-je would choose Jin. Therefore, learning the truth hadn’t devastated her as much as it might have.

“What are you curious about?” the elder asked.

“The spell to control larks…” Flora began.

“It’s sorcery,” the elder interrupted.

Flora slowly nodded, absorbing the revelation.

“You must have been frustrated listening to our conversation without context. Let me give you some background.”

The elder proceeded to explain the current defensive spell surrounding the Holy City, its characteristics and weaknesses, and the plan to use the larks control spell to break through the barrier. He also revealed that only Anikas could be sorcerers for the larks control spell. Aldrit anxiously watched Flora’s expression, unable to interrupt. 𐍂�

Flora listened silently with a calm demeanor, processing the information.

“The spell to summon larks to the sorcerer’s location… Is that the only problem to solve?” Flora asked.

The elder shook his head. “There is a bigger issue. Can the sorcerer handle this spell?”

“…Are the side effects severe?” Flora inquired.

“You could call them side effects. This spell amplifies the sorcerer’s darkest emotions. For example, if someone has been irritating to you, that feeling could turn into an urge to kill. You will face the darkest parts of yourself. The sorcerer could use larks to fulfill their desires. That’s why this spell is dangerous and was sealed as a forbidden art long ago.”

The elder looked Flora in the eyes and asked, “Do you have the courage to face your own ugliness?”

Flora’s eyes wavered.