Chapter 153: The Wicked Witch – 2

Vivian could feel the murmurs as she walked.

A massive crowd had gathered in Loctana.

It seemed that many had come to witness her execution.

With so many people speaking and moving, vibrations rumbled through the ground.

Or maybe, she was simply mistaking it for the trembling of her own body.

Until the very end, death was terrifying, and with every step she took toward the execution platform, she wanted to collapse.

—Clank… clank…

The sound of chains rattling was distinct, yet separate from the quivering noises that escaped from Vivian herself.

The fanatics beside her seemed to barely hold back their laughter as they watched her in this state.

As if merely dying wasn’t terrifying enough, the fact that they were mocking her made it all the more unbearable.

She had felt this countless times before, and now, with so little time left, she would only feel it a few more times—this world seemed to despise the fact that she was alive.

Did people even realize?

That nothing hurts more than crushing loneliness? That there aren’t many things colder or more terrifying than that?

Pain that never fades only deepens, like sinking into a thick swamp—the more you struggle, the deeper you sink.

And in such a moment, the hand that was once extended toward her… she could never forget it.

…Just hold on a little longer.

Vivian whispered to herself.

If she endured just a little longer, she would be dead.

That was what she told herself, but as she approached the execution platform, her emotions twisted and tangled.

No, this was it. There really was no time left.

She had to change her mind now.

Right now, she needed to speak.

If she revealed that Kailo knew her true identity, she might at least be granted an easier death.

Kailo did know who she was.

And he had also forgotten her.

He was the man who told her she should die, that she never should have been born, and then left.

Between deep affection and searing hatred, he chose hatred and discarded his love.

There was no way to mend what had been broken.

Did she really need to protect someone like him?

Moreover, he was now engaged to Gisela Lute, whom she despised with every fiber of her being.

She would burn here, while he celebrated his engagement.

At the very least, she should ruin that happiness.

Why was Gisela allowed to be so happy when Vivian had struggled her entire life?

“…Haah… haah…”

No.

Just hold on a little longer.

There was no meaning in this.

She should stop being pathetic.

Kailo wouldn’t care even if she did.

She should stop being so disgusting.

If she screamed until her throat was torn, her body would soon be consumed by the flames.

Even if Kailo had abandoned her, she had never been able to let him go.

To him, their time together was nothing but trash, but to Vivian, there had never been a moment more comforting—more full of happiness.

It was enough just to have had hope once.

It was enough just to have dreamed of building a family again…

…No, it wasn’t enough.

—Crack…

She had wanted to share love with him.

She had wanted to spend her life by his side.

She had wanted his eyes to look only at her.

She had wanted to repay him for everything he had given her, slowly, over a long period of time.

She had wanted to make him the happiest man in the world.

She had wanted to give him everything.

Selfishly, she had wanted it to be her.

She couldn’t stand the thought of someone else giving him that happiness.

Vivian shook her head violently.

She forced all of her tangled thoughts out of her mind.

Enough thinking.

Just disappear.

No one wanted her to be alive anyway.

Just look at them.

“Witch!!”

“Die!!”

“Burn her already!!!”

As she stepped into the square, the sea of people erupted into a frenzy at the sight of her face.

Standing on the raised platform, she could see them all.

From the front of the crowd to the very edge of the city, the people stretched endlessly.

They had all come to witness her disgraceful death.

The fall of a high noble had become mere entertainment for them.

Were these the citizens of Loctana, celebrating her execution?

She had worked so hard to improve their lives, and yet they acted like this?

Or had people come from neighboring cities just to watch?

Perhaps some had traveled from the Corrode estate, or from Nerumport.

The thought of her death being put on display for them all—it was more humiliating than she could bear.

In that moment, she realized that dying alone might have been a blessing after all.

“…Why…?”

She mumbled without realizing it.

Perhaps it was a lament directed at the world.

“…Why do I have to suffer this much?”

Her gaze swept over the faces in the crowd.

Excitement.

Disgust.

Delight.

Rage.

“…What exactly… did I do so wrong?”

“Die!! Die!!”

“Witch, die!!”

And then, the realization hits.

All the wrongs committed against Kailo.

If only I had treated him a little better, would he have stayed by my side until the end, loving me?

If only I had treated him a little better, would he not have gone to another woman?

Well.

Come to think of it, that was true.

I was always used to the resentment of countless people, and Kailo’s love was the only thing that mattered.

But I didn’t cherish that precious love.

That’s why he left, and in the place he abandoned, I could finally see those who had always remained.

It was only a hideous sight that I had been blind to, simply because Kailo had been shielding me from it.

Vivian took slow, heavy steps toward the central square and ascended the platform.

A high wooden platform built so that everyone could see.

The archbishop was waiting there.

Near the platform, two execution devices were prepared.

One was the guillotine, a familiar sight.

The other… was a pyre, with a wooden stake and straw set up for burning.

There was a choice to be made.

Ah.

Just from that, it was clear.

They still hadn’t given up on Kailo.

***

“Why are there so many people?”

Valon muttered as he watched the endless procession of people leading into Loctana.

The sheer number of people gathering was unexpected, and the road to the castle was blocked.

Up ahead, soldiers were conducting inspections, carefully checking each person one by one, making the process slow.

“Shit… we’re not going to be late, are we?”

“…Hey, Kailo. You… never mind.”

He saw my expression and shut his mouth.

I couldn’t help but feel restless after coming all this way.

On the road to Loctana, I had many thoughts.

Thoughts that still led to no clear answer.

But in the end, I knew I needed to see Vivian’s face to sort them out.

I didn’t want this to end in vain.

Inside the city, the roar of the crowd echoed through the air.

The deafening shouts made it feel like a war was about to break out.

The louder the uproar grew, the more I feared that we had already lost too much time.

And yet, in this waiting, I tried to organize my emotions.

Tried to steady my tangled feelings.

Vivian, the girl I had known since childhood.

She had come to mean so much to me.

My closest friend, my closest companion, my most hated enemy, the woman I resented the most, the person most precious to me, and the one I had loved the most.

Yet, did my feelings ever truly matter in all of this?

Could I be certain of anything?

I still didn’t know.

Our turn for inspection was approaching.

Valon and I pulled our hoods lower over our faces.

Since the Las Order still had a bounty on my head, it was best to move discreetly.

Avoiding unnecessary trouble was the priority.

Fortunately, I wasn’t too worried.

The soldiers conducting the inspection were all familiar faces.

“Next!”

Yanes called out, his face worn with exhaustion.

Beside him stood Duran, and behind them, the knights of the Las Order.

It seemed the Order had stationed their knights here to prevent other witches from coming to Vivian’s aid.

Valon and I approached Yanes carefully, hoping to avoid the attention of the knights.

Seeing the dark circles under Yanes’s eyes and Duran’s weary expression, it was clear they, too, had suffered greatly.

As if feeling the absurdity of standing here doing inspections while Vivian was about to be executed.

“Where are you from…?”

Yanes asked weakly, then, noticing my tall stature, he slowly lifted his gaze.

And froze.

For a long moment, Yanes and I exchanged looks.

Duran, standing beside him, widened his eyes in shock and muttered,

“…Ka, Kailo—”

Smack!

Yanes’s rough hand immediately covered Duran’s mouth.

Swallowing hard, Yanes scratched his brown beard and continued, his voice slightly trembling.

“W-where are you from? And who are you?”

“From Lis… The name’s Reginald.”

“…Why, why are you here?”

“…To watch the execution.”

Yanes hesitated at my formal response and question, then muttered as if speaking to himself.

“…Just to watch?”

It was as if he was asking, You’re not going to save her?

I did not answer.

Just as I had told Valon, I might only be here to watch.

How Yanes interpreted my silence was unclear, but his eyes began to fill with anger.

There were those who wouldn’t understand the story between Vivian and me.

But even in that anger, there was trust directed at me.

He must have understood that I had something in mind.

So perhaps he thought it best to let me go for now, and he calmed his emotions.

“…Pass.”

I gave a slight nod and walked past them.

As I passed by, Yanes whispered.

“…Please, help me.”

I paused for a moment in thought and then quietly replied.

“…Don’t expect it.”

Just as I thought I had entered the castle, knights who had seemed indifferent stopped me.

“You there, why are you entering without even showing your face?”

Yanes answered on my behalf.

“We have confirmed his identity. Who we let into our land is none of your concern.”

“It is our concern. Today, the Archbishop is also present in this land, and there is the execution of a heinous witch. We must be thorough in our inspections. You there, show your face.”

The knights demanded an answer, leaving no room to escape.

I looked down at Valon, and he was the first to pull back his hood.

But the knights paid him no attention.

As if I had been their target all along.

At times like this, my large build was a hindrance.

“I said, take it off!”

When I didn’t comply, the knights raised their voices.

I took a deep breath and removed my hood.

The knights’ faces hardened.

They examined me carefully, confirming among themselves.

“…Black hair, black eyes. Large build, a half-cut ear.”

Some seemed to recognize me just by looking at my face.

“…Kailo Alan?”

Then, they let out short, disbelieving laughs before drawing their swords and stepping toward me.

“…To think you would walk in on your own. So you really were on the witch’s side? The Archbishop did say you might come…”

[TL Note: I cant. This is so stupid. Will the Eastern Kingdom realistically stand still if you execute the Heir of the Alans in a foreign land? It will start a War dude. The Alans will butcher you.]

I said nothing.

What should I do?

Should I draw my sword?

If a commotion broke out, I would never reach Vivian.

I would be stuck here, unable to move forward.

“Come with us. You have much to answer for before the church—”

-Srrng!!!

Before I could think further, a thick robe was thrown at the knights.

At the same time, Valon, who had hidden his sword beneath his robe, shouted at me.

“Run, Kailo!!”

-Thud!!

He kicked a knight in the chest, using the robe to obscure their vision.

I didn’t hesitate.

I pulled my hood back over my head and dashed into the castle.

“St-Stop him!!”

The knight who had been kicked by Valon shouted, but there weren’t many of them.

Even so, the nearby knights who had heard the commotion quickly drew their swords and swung at me as I fled.

-Clang!!

Yanes and Duran were already fighting to clear my path.

I had no idea what they planned to do about the castle gates.

I looked back.

Valon was fighting against three knights.

For a moment, my vision trembled.

Valon had been my friend since we were fourteen.

Would he survive this fight unscathed?

“Hurry up and go!!”

Sensing my hesitation, Valon shouted.

I could feel his resolve.

I had already told him many times—

Even after seeing Vivian, I might not be able to act.

My mind wouldn’t change.

And yet, for that gamble, Valon was swinging his sword.

For his sake, I forced myself to look forward again.

The knights chased after me, but disappearing into the tightly packed crowd of people flooding into Loctana wasn’t difficult.