Chapter 131: You idiot. You just figured that out? – 1

Vivian sat on the ground, hugging her knees, waiting for the ritual to be ready.

Elena, meanwhile, dipped her hands into the prepared livestock blood and was drawing a magic circle on the floor.

The time to offer the sacrifice was approaching.

This was the moment to pay the price for all the power she had used thus far.

But what filled Vivian’s mind was not such thoughts.

It was only Kailo.

This ritual had to be completed before he left.

If not, she had to ensure she could catch up with him, even if he left.

She didn’t know what she would do when she saw him.

Even now, she felt a strong aversion to the idea of binding his heart through sorcery.

First, she wanted to confirm whether he was truly under a curse.

There was also something she wanted to tell him—words she couldn’t bring herself to say out of fear of this ritual.

“Ha…”

Elena let out a sigh that could almost be mistaken for something seductive as she looked at Vivian.

The magic circle seemed to be complete.

Her face was flushed, her eyes curved into crescent moons.

One could even describe her expression as euphoric.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

Her mentor said.

“For so long… for so long.”

“It’s nothing special.”

Vivian muttered, shaking her head.

“No, you won’t understand its meaning.”

Elena replied.

Vivian didn’t bother questioning her further.

She had no room in her mind to care about Elena’s words.

Perhaps it was the reassurance that came from knowing that someone as powerful as herself had become a witch.

“Vivian, I’ve warned you many times: you must not give up midway through the ritual.”

Elena said.

“Yes.”

Vivian replied.

“If this ritual fails, your magic will go out of control. The witch hunters from the Las Order will surely sniff it out. You’ll be executed, no doubt about it.”

“…I know.”

Vivian placed a hand on her lower abdomen.

Here lay her child with Kailo—and the future of Rondor.

The long-standing lineage of the Rondor family would end here.

If there were to be an heir, it would have to be a child adopted from another family—or perhaps an orphan secretly raised as their own.

What would her father and mother say if they saw her like this?

Even so, from Vivian’s perspective, this was something she had to do to survive.

The witch’s power had been undeniably helpful.

It allowed her to discern lies, detect danger, and eliminate threats.

With Elena’s power, she had removed Count Corrode without lifting a finger and saved Kailo from death.

Considering even the smallest things, it wasn’t the wrong choice.

When she was young and surrounded by enemies, every bit of this power had felt all the more precious.

…And even going forward, this power would prove useful.

Especially in holding onto Kailo.

Vivian knew she was sinking deeper into a mire, but she couldn’t stop.

All she could do was press on, hoping a new path would appear at the end of this swamp.

Elena spoke.

“Then let’s begin.”

“…Okay.”

Elena closed her eyes and chanted a short spell.

When she opened them again, she said,

“Vivian, your blood—”

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

At that moment, the sound they should not have heard reverberated through the door.

Someone was pounding on it violently.

Startled, Vivian quickly turned her head toward the door.

However, even without speaking, Vivian knew who it was.

There was only one person who could do this to her now.

“Vivian!!”

As expected, his urgent voice shouted from the other side.

“Open the door!!”

Her heart turned cold.

She realized now that when people are pushed to their limits, instead of panicking, they calm down and slow down.

She slowly looked around her surroundings.

A magic circle drawn in blood on the floor, various candles, and herbs.

Slowly, she grasped the situation she was in.

…If she was caught, it would mean death.

Not a physical death, but the death of her relationship with Kailo.

Vivian shouted belatedly in a sharp voice.

“Don’t, don’t come in!!”

How in the world did he find this place?

And why did he come here?

Why now, of all times?

Wasn’t he trying to leave?

Wasn’t he pushing her away?

Why, at this very moment, had he returned?

“Open the door! I don’t have time to explain right now!”

His urgent voice came with the sound of the door rattling.

Vivian instinctively stood up, intending to block the door, but a hand grabbed her wrist.

It was Elena.

She spoke firmly.

“…Vivian, I warned you just now. Once the ritual begins, it can’t be stopped.”

Vivian’s gaze lowered.

The magic circle drawn in blood was already glowing red.

“Open the door, Vivian!”

Vivian’s mind went blank.

Her body froze, unable to choose either option.

She couldn’t go to block the door, nor could she abandon the ritual that had already started.

Kailo seemed as though he had somehow sensed her danger and came looking for her.

It had always been that way.

He always appeared like a hero, rescuing her from danger.

Even now, it was the same—but this time, Vivian didn’t want it.

Especially not to show this side of herself to Kailo.

“…Please, please, Kailo. Just… leave me alone.”

Thud!!

Her plea didn’t seem to penetrate the thick door.

The door began to rattle, shaking off dust.

“…Don’t, don’t come in….”

The one person she absolutely couldn’t get caught by was about to uncover her secret.

Overwhelming despair consumed her, leaving her unable to act.

-Slash!!

“Ahh!!”

Unaware of this, Elena was busy progressing with the ritual.

The witch, holding a dagger she had drawn from her robes, slashed deeply across Vivian’s palm.

A gruesome wound was carved into her soft hand, and blood began pouring out.

“Vivian!!”

Whether it was her scream as the dagger pierced her flesh or not, the door rattled more violently.

“I said, don’t come in…!!”

-Crash!!!

In the end, the doorknob broke.

“Don’t come in!!!”

Time seemed to slow for Vivian in that moment.

Kailo burst into the room, gripping his sword tightly, but even his movements appeared sluggish to her.

Facing inevitable ruin, Vivian quietly sank to the floor.

Her legs could no longer support her.

“Ah… ahh…”

Kailo, breathing heavily as though from an earlier fight, stepped into the room with a concerned expression.

Was it because he was a witch hunter?

It felt as if he had sensed or seen something that brought him here.

However, it didn’t take long for the worried look on his face to crumble.

Relief, which he had just exhaled like a sigh, froze as he stood still.

His gaze swept across the room—

The magic circle Vivian stood on, painted in blood.

“…What?”

At first, confusion.

“…What is…?”

Then, bewilderment.

He was unable to comprehend the inescapable situation unfolding before him.

His hand never left the hilt of his sword, not even for a moment.

Even so, his face grew paler by the second.

The corners of his eyes trembled visibly.

His confused gaze darted around repeatedly.

He opened his mouth several times as if to say something, but in the end, only heavy silence consumed him.

He, too, understood the situation.

“…Damn it, Vivian.”

From behind Vivian, Elena muttered cheerfully in a feigned friendly tone.

“Got caught, huh?”

Why she was so cheerful was beyond comprehension, but there was no time to worry about that.

Vivian felt her voice trembling as she forced herself to speak.

“Kailo… I’ll explain everything. This is—”

“Shut up.”

A short, sharp remark cut Vivian off.

It was a cold, chilling tone he had never used before.

“…Just shut your mouth.”

It felt like a dagger piercing her heart.

The affection she had always felt from him was nowhere to be found.

After silencing her, Kailo struggled to process the situation.

To Vivian, his relentless effort was deeply painful.

It felt as though he was desperately trying to believe in her, but the irrefutable evidence repeatedly shattered that belief.

As though he was forcing himself to come up with an excuse for her, only for it all to fall apart.

His expression grew darker and harder.

And as his expression solidified, Vivian understood what he was feeling.

Betrayal and disgust.

His gaze, which had been scanning the room, finally landed on Vivian.

“…It was all fake, wasn’t it?”

All Vivian could do was shake her head.

But she also understood how hard this was to believe.

“No, Kailo… It’s not…”

But Kailo didn’t listen.

“The feelings I had for you… the choices I made… the sacrifices I willingly endured… none of it was my own will.”

At that moment, Kailo clutched his mouth and began to gag.

Unable to bear the immense shock, he fell to one knee, continuing to retch.

“Ugh…!”

“Kailo…!”

Vivian wanted to run to him, but Elena wouldn’t let her go.

Even if she could approach him, she didn’t know what she could do.

After a long moment, Kailo started to chuckle.

Then, he burst into loud laughter.

It was the same reaction he had when Robert Rondor’s crimes were revealed in the past.

After laughing like that for a while, Kailo staggered to his feet.

With his eyes tightly shut and his head raised, he slowly looked down at Vivian.

“…Ah.”

A murderous intent unlike anything she had ever seen radiated from Kailo.

The same threatening aura he used to intimidate enemies to protect her was now directed at Vivian herself.

Her one and only became a man consumed by overwhelming hatred.

“Vivian… Rondor.”

How long had it been since her name was spoken so coldly?

The man who used to call her name with the warmest affection now spoke in the coldest tone imaginable.

“Ka-Kailo… Please… Please…”

The pain from the change drove Vivian to plead.

But he had no intention of listening.

With a bitter laugh, tears threatening to spill from his bloodshot eyes, Kailo spoke.

“…You damned witch… You’ve been toying with me all this time.”