Novel All
Chapter 289
Chapter 289 – Retribution (1)
“It appears that the situation has concluded, Nagel-nim. The Devil King’s magic has significantly diminished.”
“Tell our kindred to deactivate the barrier and withdraw from Arem immediately.”
“Yes!”
Following Nagel’s orders, the restrictive barrier that spread throughout Arem was lifted, and the devilkind who had evacuated to the outskirts began to return one by one.
“It’s unbelievable. An entity, no less than a human, has stopped the Devil King’s rampage…”
“Human potential for growth is said to be unfathomable. Perhaps this is not the end.”
Nagel, who had been observing the situation, suddenly sensed a series of energies and bristled his tail.
“What is it, Nagel-nim?”
“I’ll leave the cleanup to you, Kellian!”
Without further ado, after entrusting the remaining dragons with the aftermath, he hurried into his own subspace.
Upon entering the subspace, Nagel immediately encountered a familiar figure waiting in front of his throne.
“I heard you vanished from Pruyna recently, but what brings you to the devil realm without notice?”
“One doesn’t need to announce their visit here, right? I’ve come to ask for a favor.”
“A favor?”
Nagel frowned and asked back.
“Just find one human who slipped into this devil realm. The name is Eshel Bert. I trust no further explanation is necessary?”
“Why are you searching for that human?”
“Don’t ask for a reason. Just find them before those two you just saw do.”
She asked him to find the person before Sian and Velkaryon could.
Nagel, intently observing her, soon smiled enigmatically.
“It’s not fitting for you to smell so human. Marian?”
“Are you the only one with that right, Nagel?”
Pruyna’s Guardian Dragon Marian faced him with a complex smile.
—
A very long time ago.
That is, in a past life when I was still a child.
I remember having a discussion with Emily while she was doing the laundry in the manor’s yard.
“Emily, where is your hometown?”
“My hometown? Why do you ask all of a sudden, young master?”
“Just curious. Since you said you’re not from Belias like the other maids.”
“Well, if I must say, I don’t really have a hometown. I’ve always been a wanderer since I was born, and only settled down in Belias for the first time.”
Emily told me she had been at this manor since she was young, long before my birth.
To my understanding, she became my dedicated maid only after I was born as a child of a concubine and left at the manor.
Truth be told, calling her a dedicated maid seemed vague, as she was the only maid tending to me and accessing my room; in essence, Emily was my sole maid.
“I was taken in by the family’s former matriarch. That’s Eshel’s mother.”
“My brother’s mother? How did that happen?”
“I guess she just took pity on me, wandering around on the streets without food. Perhaps she thought to use me as a servant or slave when I got older. Without understanding anything, I just entered this duke’s household.”
Back then, naive as I was, I simply accepted her story, but now that I think about it, she had glossed over many details in telling me this.
“After she passed away, Lady Margaret came and changed all the servants, but I didn’t leave. That’s why I’m here with you now.”
“Why did you stay with me? Didn’t the one who took you in have a son? Shouldn’t you be at my brother’s side?”
“There wasn’t much of a reason. Since Eshel is the elder son, many would serve him, but you didn’t have anyone. No one wanted to be your maid, so I just volunteered.”
“Thank you, Emily…”
“Thanks are not necessary. If you truly are grateful, then please don’t slump around like this. Do some exercise. That way, you could eventually be of little help to Eshel.”
Nothing much of a reason.
She definitely said so, and I didn’t doubt it.
But only after recalling that memory did I realize.
She hadn’t stayed with me for no reason.
She was there for some secretive purpose.
For someone else, not me.
“…”
“You aren’t shocked? Did you know that Emily was involved with witches?”
Princess Arin shared the entire story about Emily in Belias with me and asked curiously at my calm reaction.
“Yes.”
If I hadn’t seen that memory just earlier, I probably would’ve been entirely unaware.
“Was Emily really a witch?”
“To be honest, I’m not sure either. I’ve only recently learned about Emily’s connection with witches.”
“I see.”
She nodded, accepting my response.
“I wish she could have told us honestly, but Emily didn’t say anything and just disappeared from our side. It seemed that Nanan and Hestiawan somewhat knew, but they didn’t open their mouths for some reason…”
Emily had cleaned my room one last time before she disappeared.
“I may be presuming, but she was definitely one of your people. I don’t know where she is now, but I bet Emily won’t go to Sian…”
“That maid Emily, she’s in the devil realm.”
Our gazes shifted simultaneously.
Lunabre, who had somehow regained enough strength, was approaching us with the support of Nanan.
“Rogers said so. An unfamiliar human suddenly arrived at the Devil King’s castle and removed the Pendant of Enchantment.”
I knew what that meant.
“Didn’t I tell you before? The only one who can undo the Pendant of Enchantment is someone unaffected by it, in other words, only another witch…”
“…”
“Sir, who have you been keeping as your maid?”
Lunabre’s sincere question left me with no response, as I myself did not even know who she truly was.
Where exactly is Emily now,
and what is she doing?
—
In the dark forest where no light penetrated, Hanial sat dejectedly on the floor in front of her with a broken Pendant of Enchantment.
And in front of her, with a face deeply twisted in anger, was the owner of the holy sword.
“I’m sorry, Eshel…”
“Please, tell me what I long to hear. Mother.”
In response to her mother’s heartfelt apology, there was nothing but a cold and harsh reply.
“I’m not here to hear an apology from you, Mother! Didn’t you say you would detain Sian? Fine, I can understand if you managed to break out of the subspace! But Sian is not fighting the Devil King right now! Despite my provocations, the two are not trying to kill each other!!”
Overcome with anger, Eshel could not calm his wrath.
“Speak up if you have a tongue! This is entirely your plan, isn’t it?”
Finally, grabbing Hanial’s head, he demanded an explanation.
Nothing about family mattered to him any longer at that point.
“That wench has betrayed us! Because of her, everything has gone astray!”
“Which wench are you referring to?”
“The stray cat I left behind at the Bert Duke’s House before I left. She has forsaken you and chosen him!”
“Speak clearly, who has forsaken me…?”
– Swoosh
A strange presence suddenly diverted the tense atmosphere.
Eshel’s eyes quickly turned to where the presence was felt.
“It’s been a while, Eshel-nim.”
A fairly unfamiliar woman greeted him formally.
Eshel, not immediately recognizing her, looked puzzled.
“Who are you…?”
“I served as Sian-nim’s maid at the Bert Duke’s House. My name is Emily.”
“That’s right, Emily. I remember you. But why are you here?”
It was a question born purely out of puzzlement.
Eshel could not comprehend why she, barely a memory to him, was present in this place.
“That woman is also a witch. Like you, she carries my blood within her…”
As Hanial explained, Eshel let out an incredulous laugh.
“You tell me it carries your blood? That she’s my family?”
“Not exactly. Unlike you, Eshel-nim, I had Hanial-nim’s blood forcefully infused into me through magic.”
Eshel’s gaze returned to Emily.
“I was like a stray cat in the duke’s house, watching over everything in place of Hanial-nim. By Sian-nim’s side, I witnessed all his actions. For the future Eshel-nim…”
“I thought it strange before. You were the one maid at the duke’s house who was not charmed by me. And you even refused my offer to become my maid after Sian.”
Eshel had not had significant suspicions about her at that time.
With Bert Duke and Kellin, along with many guardians, under the spell of his enchantment, he had simply thought his own power wasn’t enough yet.
Moreover, since she only told redundant stories when asked about Sian, he didn’t feel the need to question her further.
“And now you’re telling me that you were a witch with mother’s blood? Why didn’t you serve me?”
“The reason is what I’ve told you before.”
“What?”
“I am the one and only maid of Sian-nim in this world.”
“Sian! Sian! That damned Sian!!!!”
Unable to contain himself any longer, Eshel exploded in rage, screaming wildly.
“The world is supposed to conform to me! It’s supposed to be structured around me! How can he, they, everyone! How can they forsake me for that Sian!”
“While I can sympathize with how you feel, it seems you don’t have time to be so agitated.”
“What?”
“By now, not only Sian-nim but also the master of this devil realm must be frantically searching for you, Eshel-nim. Shouldn’t you be running away quickly? It would be excruciating regardless of which of them catches you, wouldn’t it?”
“I, the savior of this world, am I supposed to run just because those abominations are coming?”
Eshel defiantly drew his holy sword that radiated light.
“Before that, I should deal with you first! Corroded by filthy dark mist, I will purify you with this light!”
Gripping the golden light-emitting holy sword tightly, Eshel slowly approached Emily.
– Tick
Suddenly, a single raindrop fell from the clear sky,
soon followed by a heavy downpour.
Distracted, Eshel watched the falling raindrops with a vacant expression.
“Unexpected. I didn’t think she would be the first to arrive…”
Emily, also gazing at the rain, opened her mouth meaningfully.
“Is it a relief? At least, the most merciful one seems to have found you first.”
“What?”
Eshel’s gaze quickly shifted as another presence was detected.
– Splish-splash
Wet footsteps sounded, approaching Eshel ever closer.
As the noise neared, Eshel felt an inexplicable chill.
“That’s a face I’ve never seen before on brother.”
“…!”
“Very unfamiliar. It even seems pitiable.”
“Why are you here?”
Eshel’s face turned ghastly pale as if he had seen a ghost.
“It rained back then, too. I felt so utterly hopeless and despairing, like a wanderer with nowhere to return.”
Amidst the pouring rain, she shone with pure beauty.
The elder daughter of the Bert Duke’s House, Eshel’s sister,
“What do you think of that feeling now, brother?”
It was Elris Bert.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
(To be continued)