Sponsored by k. Thank you ?( ⅕)
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TL : Hmm, it’s unexpected but I’m going to take a long hiatus due to my health problems. I will try to finish the 4 novels that are about to be done soon, along with some sponsored chapters of other novels. The 4 novels are: The tragedy of the villainess, who stole the empress, failed to abandon the villain, political marriage with the friendly enemy. The rest of other novels that I have been translating will be on hold. After I finish the 4 novels mentioned, I might update once in a while (if I can ) the novels that I like most. The list is The Princess’ bedroom doll, and maybe a couple others. I’m not quite sure right now. I know it’s sudden and I was surprised too. But I will need time for treatment and recovery so obviously I can’t continue translating as it takes a lot of time. Anyway, I hope this won’t be the last goodbye.
***
About an hour after coming down to the underground, Lesche stopped in place for the first time.
He looked ahead, breathing roughly.
At the same time, the strange hair that had been moving in front of him since he left the knights, as if telling him to follow quickly disappeared.
It was the hair that had been scattered throughout the strange world that Seria had called "Tuban's World." It was worth it to follow without looking behind.
Seria was sleeping.
Lesche’s heart bounced to the top of his neck and sank slowly. The breathing felt sweet and painful as if someone had let go after strangling him for a long time. The surrounding scenery, which was not even recognized, was now in sight.
The demons were lurking in the vicinity of the sleeping Seria. The reason why those demons did not jump on Seria was simple.
It was because Seria fainted on the knee of the man named "Tuban" among the firmly stretched roots of the sacred tree.
Lesche, who had cut down the demons at random, walked forward with all his might. Tuban, who had already become translucent, said nothing and watched the scene.
Tuban thought he would stop in front of him, but he didn't.
Because Lesche, who had inserted his sword into the floor, bent over Seria. His hands trembled a little. Lesche carefully picked Seria up.
It was only after checking her pulse that Lesche closed his eyes slowly and then opened them. When he held the living Seria fully in his arms, Lesche realized that she was not breathing properly.
If this were not a place where the demons were infested, he would have buried his lips in her forehead and chose to breathe for a while.
He tore Tuban’s hair that wrapped around Seria’s body loosely without hesitation. The hair fell to the floor in a flutter.
When Lesche’s hand touched Tuban’s hair, the chain pattern glowed fast and disappeared from his neck.
“Take my wife.”
"……."
Tuban realized after a pause that the words had been said to him. Lesche’s eyes were fixed on Seria, but the words spit out of his mouth without hesitation.
Only Seria would hear what he was saying anyway. She had used too much power. Liegel, who was also aiming for the moon's blood sealed in the sacred tree, would not be able to move for a while. Almost everything had been done, so there was only one thing left to do.
Just one.
Suddenly Tuban remembered a past that neither Seria nor Berg could remember.
Stern was the only one in the world at that time, and the demons had multiplied so horribly that they exceeded humans….
It was a time when the emperor was recognized as lower than Stern.
Seria, pressed by duty, could not take her eyes off Berg's face when he came to visit her, even though she thought he was arrogant.
“Berg is here to protect you.”
Lesche Berg's voice came to her faintly.
“And you look so lonely.”
Meanwhile, Lesche turned his head to see if he had satisfactorily confirmed that Seria was safe.
Once again, Tuban’s face was finely hidden by his hair, but Lesche felt no minimal interest.
Just …….
He didn't feel too bad when he knew Tuban was Stern’s guardian, because it reminded him of Seria. That was really odd. It was the same when Tuban gave her a bracelet that looked like it was woven out of his hair. The strong sense of divine power seemed to mean giving it to Seria.
Lesche held Seria firmly to his chest with one arm and the sword in the other. And so, without looking back, he went back the way he came.
Her green hair swayed like a carpet. Tuban thought of the vanished past, of Seria sobbing in despair.
“I wish I didn't have this power. I don’t even want a family. So no expectations from the beginning….”
And if she could meet that arrogant Berg again…. she said she wanted to say something.
Tuban was quietly dispersed into the sacred tree.
***
13. Words to keep firmly in your heart
***
The collapse of the sacred tree was half recovered in a day.
Perhaps thanks to the protection of the sacred roots, the garden did not collapse.
The master of the Berg rescued the Grand Duchess with bloodshot eyes, the Great Temple also found Lina, and the knights of the Berg rescued the three holy knights.
However, they had yet to find any clues as to where in the world the demons came from and why they appeared in the sacred land.
At the time, the Holy Knights, who were quietly dispatched by High Priest Jubelud to protect Seria, had been in a coma for several days, and Seria and Lina were similarly unable to regain consciousness.
And so it was….
“Saintess? Saintess!"
“The Saintess is awake! Healing priest!"
“Here!"
After two days, Lina came to her senses, her body trembling.
“Saintess? Are you hurt? I'll get you some painkillers right away…!"
The problem was Lina's condition. As soon as she woke up, she wrapped her face in her hands without saying anything. Then she kept crying sadly.
In the end, the priests had no choice but to close the door and go out and engage in a serious conversation.
"As expected… I think it's because of the disappearance of divine power in the sacred tree."
“If that's the problem, didn't the High Priest warn you about that?
For the sake of her stability, do not talk about it for the time being.”
“What? I have not mentioned…."
"……?"
Lina asked the priests one by one after that, but no one told Lina that she had lost the divine power she had transferred to the sacred tree.
The priests were confused.
“Then what is the Saintess crying so much about?"
***
It was late at night.
Knock. Knock.
With a knock, the elegant doors of the building inside the Great Temple opened quietly.
Despite the fact that it was night, the Temple was noisy because of a series of incidents. Under these circumstances, the priests were in a state of haste to return to their original positions in order to minimize the damage to the plan to deploy the new star power.
However, some priests were not able to do so.
It was because of the guest who visited them in secret.
Her eyes were reminiscent of a mountain of wildflowers out of reach of man. It was Titania, head of the Lumen clan, a race whose ancestors were half-spirits. (*Lumens are mixed race with spirits who can grow silver trees.)
Titania had long been working with the temple and was tasked with the occasional inspection of several key locations designated by the temple.
But…
Where the Lumen family's unique atmosphere was placed, Titania looked very nervous.
“Where is the Saint?”
The two priests who had been working on the sacred tree in place of the fallen High Priest, priest Henoch and priest Joel looked at each other.
“The Saintess is now resting in another building.”
“Is it far from this building?”
“It's far, but…"
Titania finally relaxed her tense shoulders slightly. She said in a low voice with a cautious look on her face.
"I'm here to tell you something."
“What is it…?"
“I felt from afar the tremendous magical energy erupting from the sacred power that the Saintess had transferred.”
"……?"
"…… yes?"
Both priests froze in place.
***
It was early in the morning when a priest paid a visit to the Berg residence in the imperial capital.
The Great Temple was busy recovering the collapsed Garden of the Sacred Tree, but they also faithfully sent a priest to the Berg residence to see if Seria was in any danger.
The priest asked nervously.
“Has the Grand Duchess not awakened today?”
“Yes, priest.”
Ben's melancholy answer caused the priest to sigh deeply. He looked around the large hall on the first floor, which only the servants passed through.
"His Highness……."
"His Highness has always been in the bedroom to guard the Grand Duchess's side. He feels terrible because she has been unconscious for many days.”
“Of course…”
Lesche Berg returned to the capital as soon as he rescued Seria from the collapsed ground. Although Lesche lent to the temple the knight commander Alliot and his Order to defeat the demons, Lesche’s bloody cold eyes made any dialogue impossible.
Therefore the temple had not yet been able to say thank you.
Berg was not the only one who was afraid that Seria would not wake up.
‘I hope she wakes up soon.’
Contrary to the anxious feelings, the Grand Duke's butler was polite and kind.
“Priest. Would you like a cup of tea while you're here?"
“I thank you for your kindness, but no. I have to go back to the temple.”
“Yes, I understand….”
The priest thought that Ben was very determined. In fact, everyone was afraid the Grand Duchess wouldn’t wake up.
He thought that he had to reduce the number of times he visited them and tormented each of them.
“Please contact the Temple as soon as the Grand Duchess wakes up.”
“Of course. I’ll tell them right away.”
The priest left with a worried look on his face.
***
“Seria?”
“Yes?"
As soon as Seria answered, her arms wrapped around Lesche’s neck.
On the bed.
Lesche did not avoid her contact. Seria wrapped her arms around him, and buried her face in his shoulders and neck. However, he could not hide his giggling voice.
No, he couldn't hide the giggle. Nor did he seem to be trying to hide it.
“You’re touching me.” (Lesche)
"……."
Seria let out a soundless scream. She was really going crazy and felt a strong desire.
She only regained consciousness a few hours ago.
She heard many urgent voices. Her weak body felt like it was being washed in hot water. Bitter medicine and lukewarm water poured into her mouth one after the other, and when she finally came to her senses, Lesche was in her field of vision.
Lesche looked a little emaciated. Had she been unconscious for a long time?
At that moment, she couldn't help but be puzzled.
“Seria?”
Because her hands were trying to open Lesche’s shirt.
