episode_0080

Empty-

The magic tool I was holding fell to the floor.

– Destroy it completely. So that it has no choice but to rely on me.

– To the point where I couldn’t even believe it myself. It broke my spirit.

“Uh…….ah…?”

It was as if my brain had been damaged by an incomprehensible situation, and only babbling, indescribable language, was coming out of my mouth.

– Then, the young lady may live with her wings clipped forever.

– Good. You will never leave my side for the rest of your life.

“..Ah..Tena…?”

My eyes shook as if there was an earthquake, and my hands, feet, and even my breathing all began to shake violently.

As if he wouldn’t wait for me like that, Madou continued to tell me the following conversation.

– ..The young lady.. will be hurt a lot.

– I have to treat that.

– Do you want the young lady to break down?

– Rosalind.

– ..sorry.

“Ah..no..”

That’s a lie.

There’s no way Athena would have said something like that.

I covered my ears with both hands.

I felt like I couldn’t listen to it anymore.

But mercilessly, the magic tool continued to emit her voice.

Her voice, which I loved so much, pierced my ears clearly and violently, like a bullet flying towards my heart.

– Tell everyone to isolate Hera completely. Tell them that anyone who reveals anything will be beheaded immediately.

Stop..

– I don’t like being intimate with my slave. Order that maid to properly hurt Hera.

Stop..

– You said Dylan. Give me a generous retirement allowance. Thanks to you, I was able to leave an imprint on Hera.

Stop..

no.

I don’t want to hear it.

“Ah …

He grabbed my ear as if he was going to rip it off.

Then, blood started flowing out of my ear along with a stinging pain.

It hurt, but I couldn’t stop.

Because the words she heard from the magic tool were much more painful than the pain of her flesh being torn apart.

“Miss!!!”

Alina ran over and grabbed my two hands that were cutting themselves, and broke the magic tool with her feet before I could hear anything.

I ran to Alina with a trembling body and spoke to her in an earnest voice.

“Alina…right..? Ah..Athena…wouldn’t have said something like that..?”

“…..”

“Bordin…did he do something with magic..? Right…that…is something like that..”

“Miss.”

“Tell me, Alina..!! Are you..lying…?”

Alina looked at me with a confused expression. When I spoke while sobbing, she closed her eyes tightly and pulled me into her arms and hugged me.

I buried my face in her shoulder and couldn’t see anything.

“….It’s all true, miss.”

“…….Huh…?”

“All the words that appeared in the magic tool were orders given by Athena.”

“……Ah..no…”

“Miss. It’s not too late.”

When I didn’t answer, Alina continued her speech.

“Run away. I’ll buy you some time.”

“……”

“If it’s the royal seal, you’ll be able to get help from the Great Sage. If it’s him, then -”

Alina noticed that her shoulders were getting wet. She grabbed my body and pulled me out of her arms.

“Miss..?”

I couldn’t find Alina’s face.

My vision became blurry from the pouring tears, and I could no longer see anything.

“Huh..?..Haha…That’s weird..Why..the eyes..are…..”

“Miss?!”

“Security…”

“–!!”

Alina started screaming at herself, but I couldn’t hear her properly.

I was so shocked by the unbearable truth that I felt as if my brain had been cut off.

Just then, I fainted.

‘ah……’

I want to die.

* * *

“Why does Athena like me?”

“Hmm. Because it’s pretty?”

“….”

Athena answers without hesitation.

It was definitely a compliment, but I didn’t feel that good about it.

‘If you like something because it’s pretty, doesn’t that mean it has no other charm?’

Athena noticed my slightly upset mood and smiled faintly, kissing my forehead.

“Phehe..Of course I’m joking. Are you offended?”

“….not really.”

I felt sad, but for some reason I didn’t want to admit it, so I denied it.

“I love you.”

“Huh..?”

I turned my gaze to Athena, surprised by the sudden confession, and she was looking at me with seething eyes.

“It’s not just your looks. Your pure personality, your little habits, everything is so lovable.”

She climbed on top of me and started coming towards my lips.

“Athena..”

“I love you Hera.”

I wrapped both hands around her neck and smiled, closing my eyes slightly.

“I love you too.”

.

.

.

“Mom!! No..!! Don’t do it!!”

“Miss..! Calm down…!”

“You promised…you promised not to…leave..!”

“No, that won’t work. I have to put it to sleep first…-”

…..

….

…

It seemed as if I had heard Marie’s voice in a fleeting dream.

“…..ugh..”

I forced my heavy eyelids open and saw myself lying on the bed in my room.

As I lift my head, a warm, wet towel falls from my head.

There were many traces of someone caring for me all around me.

“……”

My eyes were open, but I felt dazed, as if I was still asleep.

An exhilarating feeling, as if you were walking on air.

This ticklish and mysterious feeling didn’t feel so bad.

Leaving that gloomy feeling behind.

I tried to move my body to get out of bed, regaining my slightly dizzy vision, but-

Clank-

“….?”

An arm that doesn’t move at all.

When he raised his head, he saw that his two arms were bound in handcuffs wrapped in soft cloth.

While I was trying to figure out the confusing situation.

A voice came from the door.

“Mom…?”

Marie looked at me with trembling eyes, holding a towel in her hand.

She ran to me without hesitation and threw herself into my arms.

“Mariya..”

He hugged me so tightly that it was painful, as if he was saying that he would never let me go.

I wanted to pat her head, but my tightly tied arms wouldn’t allow me to do so.

After sitting still for a while without doing anything, I started to feel something wet near my chest.

“Call…Mariya…are you crying..?”

As I tried to speak, a burning sensation came from my throat and a cough came out.

“Ugh…Mom…Are you okay now…?”

Marie’s words made me vaguely remember something, but I couldn’t figure it out because it was buried in the blue fog that was all over my head.

“What happened..?”

Marie, hearing my cracking voice, looked surprised and hurriedly ran somewhere and brought water to my lips.

I felt a little better after moistening my dry throat.

“Mom…don’t go…don’t leave Marie behind..”

As she cried out desperately, the fog slowly cleared and memories began to surface.

Bang bang sounds.

Alina holding my arm as it swung violently.

Marie, who clings to my leg and ties me down.

And finally.

The one who tried to take his own life by tearing off his own flesh.

“Ugh…! Haak…gasp..!!”

As the memories came back to me, my breathing became ragged again and tears poured from my eyes.

“Mom..! No…!!”

Marie saw me like that, then immediately took something out of her bosom and put it in my mouth.

Then a slightly sticky liquid started flowing down my throat.

As the mysterious liquid entered my body, a hazy and vague sensation began to envelope me again.

“Haak..haa….ha..”

My heart, which had been pounding like crazy, began to calm down little by little, and my breathing gradually returned to normal.

As I laid down on the bed, feeling dizzy, Marie placed the towel she had brought on my forehead.

“Ugh…Mom…..”

When I saw Marie crying sadly next to me and nursing me, an indescribable sense of guilt began to fill my body.

‘What have I done…?’

It was a blurry memory, but it was clear.

He tried to commit suicide in front of Marie.

…..how could that be possible.

How could a human being called a mother commit such a cruel act?

I promised to take responsibility until the end, but I tried to turn away from her to escape the pain that was tormenting me.

A terrible sense of self-loathing dominated my mind.

It felt as if I was no different from the parents who had abandoned me.

“Mariya…will you come to mom..?”

When I called Marie’s name, she opened her eyes wide and ran into my arms.

Even though I couldn’t move my arms, I couldn’t hug you.

I moved my body as much as I could to wrap it around her.

“I’m sorry, Maria…sob…I’m sorry…”

“Huh..Mom?!”

When I apologized tearfully, Marie was quite embarrassed.

I committed an unforgivable sin against Marie.

How much my selfish actions must have hurt her.

“I’m sorry..Mom was…so tired..I made a mistake…”

“….”

“That will never happen again….Just this once…Can you forgive me, Mom?”

Marie, who had been looking at me with her eyes that were shaking violently, soon began to cry tears of relief, burying her head in my body and crying.

“….Mom is bad….”

“..I’m sorry Maria..”

“You promised…you said you’d always be by my side…sob..”

“I’m sorry….I’m really sorry..”

“Whoaang….”

Marie, who was crying in my arms like that.

After a long time, she fell asleep in my arms with a relaxed expression.

.

.

.

“Ah..Miss..Are you okay now…?”

I looked at her, leaving Marie sleeping soundly next to me.

“Alina..”

She looks at me with an expression full of worry.

Did she finish cleaning up? Her maid’s uniform, which had been soaked in Bordin’s blood, had been replaced with a new one.

As I tried to get up, Alina hurriedly ran over and laid me back down on the bed.

“You need to calm down, miss…”

“…..Alina.”

“Yes…?”

She looked puzzled at my call.

“By any chance, were all those things you said to me…all done at Athena’s behest..?”

“Ah…..”

Although I didn’t hear an answer, her intentions were conveyed clearly.

“Sorry..I didn’t even know that and I’ll beat you up..”

“No, Miss.”

Alina cuts me off.

When I turned my head, she was looking at me with a stern expression.

“Even though I was ordered to do so, it was clearly me who hurt the young lady.”

“…..”

“So please don’t forgive me. It’s my fault, miss.”

“Alina…”

There were mixed feelings going back and forth between me and her.

Only after so much time had passed.

“…Alina…-”

I made up my mind again and tried to talk to her.

bang-!!

I couldn’t finish my sentence because of the loud crash of something breaking.

“Hera!!!”

ah.

When I heard the voice, my heart started pounding again.

The voice that had been tormenting him like crazy just a moment ago.

I turned my trembling head and looked at her.

“Ugh…gasp…”

When I saw her sun-like color, so familiar, my breathing quickened and my body trembled.

As I slowly raised my head and met her eyes, tears began to flow down my cheeks again.

The thing I most want to see right now.

But, ironically enough, the thing I want to see the most.

I love you as if you were my everything.

She is someone I hate to the point of death.

Athena was looking at me with an urgent expression, breathing heavily.