Episode 61 – Purpose

*

After Edgar left the room with Deborah, a chilly atmosphere lingered in the living room.

As soon as Edgar disappeared, Lara glared at Ellie with murderous intent, while Ellie stood there, sneering at Lara as if she were pathetic.

Just as Lily was about to step in to stop them, Mena came out of the kitchen, grabbed Lily’s hand, and said,

“Rather than just reheating the tea, I think it would be better to brew a fresh pot. However, I haven’t quite learned Lily-nim’s preferences yet. I’m sorry, but would you mind helping me choose which tea you’d prefer?”

“…Huh? B-but right now…”

Lily turned her head to look at Lara.

Her face was contorted with anger, with deep wrinkles forming between her eyes.

It was the same look she had when she used to stare at the Demon King’s castle back in the Whirlwind Forest.

On days when Lara wore that expression, she would always return covered in blood, having indiscriminately slaughtered monsters and animals.

But since they weren’t in the Whirlwind Forest anymore, Lily was worried that the enraged Lara might harm the Imperial Princess.

Mena whispered softly to Lily, who was anxiously watching her mother.

“Don’t interfere right now. You’ll only get hurt.”

“B-but, what if the Princess-nim…”

“Don’t worry. I’ve heard some rumors about the Princess-nim.”

Lily nodded reluctantly and followed Mena as she led the way.

As the two whispering women disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Lara and Ellie in the living room, Lara spoke first.

“What are you doing?”

“Now, you’re not even using honorifics anymore.”

“What are you doing?”

“What do you mean?”

The sound of Lara grinding her teeth filled the air, and veins bulged on her forehead.

Lara seemed to be barely holding back the urge to kill the princess in front of her.

“…Hah, Elizabeth. Why are you approaching Ed like that? What’s your purpose? What use does the Empire have for Ed that the Imperial Princess is throwing herself at him like some cheap street whore?”

“Those are very harsh words.”

“Answer me.”

“Purpose… I wonder? At least I’m not trying to sneak into his bed while he’s asleep. I don’t have the tendencies of a street whore, you see.”

Lara’s face turned bright red with shame and anger.

Just from Lara’s request to Ed to ‘stay in human form while in this room,’ the princess had figured out that Lara had touched him while he was sleeping.

If she tried to deny it to this clever woman, it would only lead to more ridicule and an even more difficult situation to refute.

Moreover, Lara was terrified at the thought of how disgusted Ed would look at her if Ellie said something to him.

“You, right now…”

“And, Lara-nim, what is your purpose? What purpose do you have in cooperating with Ed? What can you even do?”

“…”

“Could it be that you wanted to share love with Ed? Did you want to become his lover or something?”

“That’s… that’s none of your business…”

“How shameless.”

“…”

Ellie looked at Lara with genuine disgust, not the exaggerated expressions she usually wore, and then squeezed her eyes shut.

Then, as if she had a headache, she folded the fan in her hand and pressed the hard handle against her temples.

Lara could only tremble, unable to do anything.

Because she knew that if she killed her, Ed’s revenge and everything else would be ruined and over.

And Ellie, who knew that fact all too well, fearlessly opened her mouth to lecture the archer of the famous hero party that had defeated the Demon King.

“You married that idiot hero, had a child, didn’t even tell the Saintess-nim, and ran away, and you actually want something like that? Aren’t you ashamed of Ed? No, even if we put all that in the past, can’t you see Ed’s condition right now?”

“What?”

“Wake up, you foolish woman.”

“…”

Finally dropping the honorifics, Ellie’s true expression was not one of ridicule, scorn, or anger, but of pity.

Pity for Ed.

“Anyone can see it, not just me. That he’s at his limit, that his anger is tearing through his reason, and that he’s only a step away from destroying and crushing everything he can get his hands on.”

Lara was silent, and Ellie continued, sounding frustrated as she looked at her.

“That’s not something that can be solved by just sleeping with him. Can’t you tell even though you’re right next to him? Or are you so used to him being like this for so long that you’re relieved and think nothing will happen?”

“…I know that,”

“I heard from Ed that Lily-ssi asked him not to cross the line. Excellent. It was a necessary point for Ed, who could lose his mind at any moment. I agree with her words, and as the Imperial Princess, I am grateful that she said that to Ed.”

“…”

“But you know. A horse that’s been let loose is more wild than a horse that’s been tied up, and a horse that’s been locked up is even more insane.”

Ellie’s gaze slowly shifted from pity to concern and then to fear.

Lara didn’t miss it.

Ellie was afraid of Ed.

“Yes, I certainly had a plan to use him to get rid of the political rivals who threatened the Imperial Family at first. But, it’s different now. I will offer the Balguir Count family and the Hero’s family to him as sacrifices. Hoping that it will end his anger.”

“Sacrifices?”

Lara felt repulsed by Ellie’s words and protested.

Ellie’s words sounded like the attitude of a weak king towards the Demon King.

“You make it sound like Ed is the Demon King.”

“Isn’t he?”

Ellie neatly admitted Lara’s words.

She admitted it so casually that it was almost embarrassing.

“Get a grip. You seem to be unable to grasp the situation properly because of your memories with Ed from 20 years ago. He’s an undead who carries the Demon King within him. Moreover, he possesses the divine power of the Saintess, the greatest of all divine powers, so he can’t be defeated with divine power like other undead.”

“Don’t call Ed a monster!”

“I admit that he’s a good person. I mean it. Just by not going crazy and destroying the world, just by not handing his body over to the Demon King, I acknowledge that he’s a true member of the hero party and a hero of the Empire. Even trying to save Banata, I sincerely respect and admire Ed.”

“Yes! Ed is definitely!”

“But, what I see is that he is very unstable.”

“…Unstable?”

“Yes, it’s not because he has the Demon King inside him, but because he’s in so much pain. Because he’s having such a hard time. Because his mind is so worn out that it wouldn’t be strange if it collapsed at any moment.”

“No, Ed has been much more stable recently…”

“Good heavens, are you crazy? Ed is cornered right now. I saw the people he smashed and destroyed while laughing at the Os Gravi tavern. I saw him tearing and crumpling his own body whenever he felt like it, is that normal?”

“…That’s,”

“So please, I beg you. Lara.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“As the archer of the hero party, a legend who saved the world, I sincerely ask you.”

Ellie pointed at Lara with her fan.

Resolutely, cruelly.

“Don’t cling to Ed with your body that’s been defiled by Robin anymore and further stimulate Ed’s anger.”

“…”

Lara felt like she had been struck on the head by those words.

Certainly, Ed had thoroughly rejected Lara’s affection.

Lara was well aware that his anger towards Robin was also a factor, but that he hadn’t yet sorted out his feelings for Mela.

But perhaps,

Perhaps, in a future where everything was over, she could fill the seat next to Ed.

If she vowed to devote herself to him for the rest of her life, wouldn’t she get a second chance?

Lara had been carefully nurturing such hope, a hope that was still so faint that it might soon fade away.

So, she had gradually increased physical contact with Ed, trying to touch his skin,

She had approached him when he fell asleep in his human form and, overcoming her shyness, embraced him without wearing a single thread, and she had led his sleeping hand to her breasts.

But Ellie’s rebuke that her body, defiled by Robin, would only fuel his anger was like a solid boot crushing even that small hope that had just sprouted.

With that great shock, as if a footprint had been imprinted on her heart, Lara staggered and grabbed onto a chair, barely able to stand properly.

Ellie, perhaps a little surprised by her own unusually excited appearance, fanned her flushed face with her unfolded fan and took a slow, deep breath.

Looking at Lara, who was standing with her head bowed while holding onto the chair, Ellie, who had calmed down first, slowly opened her mouth.

Her tone had returned to its usual self.

“You asked me what my purpose was, right?”

“…”

“It’s nothing much. To prevent Ed’s anger from reaching the Imperial Family and the people of this Empire.”

“…”

“I will help him with his revenge for that, and I will do whatever he wants. If he wants to kill all of Robin’s family, I will make it happen. If he needs the warmth of a woman, I will gladly comfort him with my body.”

“…Ugh,”

“Hah, I’m sorry for speaking so harshly. Please forgive me. But don’t forget.”

Ellie looked at Lara.

Looking at the top of her head, which was bowed without a word, Ellie thought that she had understood her words well enough.

Ellie looked at the kitchen where Lily and Mena were, who had probably been listening to this whole conversation.

Just as she was about to tell them that they could come back now, Lara spoke slowly.

“…That’s a lie.”

“…Lara-nim?”

Lara was still bowing her head, but her voice was neither the angry voice from before, nor her usual tone.

It was like two voices were ringing out at the same time.

One was like a groan, and the other was a bizarre voice that sounded like laughter.

It was as if something deep within Lara’s heart, which even Ellie couldn’t identify, was becoming a sound and crashing into Ellie.

Ellie was flustered by that inexplicable, strange sensation.

“You pretend to be doing it for Ed, for the Empire, for the people, but that’s a blatant lie.”

“…Lara…nim?”

“Even if Ed kills Balguir or the heroes, even if he shares his body with you, in the end, you’re the only one who benefits. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

“You wicked bitch.”

The rough breaths she exhaled between her split voices sounded like a snake hissing.

Ellie stared intently at Lara, who was still standing with her head bowed, and was so startled that she almost fainted.

Because the eyes of the woman, bowed down, were visible through her bangs, falling down due to gravity.

Because she had discovered that those eyes were staring straight at her.

Ellie covered that chilling gaze with her unfolded fan and said.

“…Of course, I won’t deny that I’m in a situation where I’m gaining political advantages. But that’s only a secondary,”

“I won’t hand Ed over to you. Ellie. Absolutely not.”

“…Get a grip, Lara-nim. You married Robin,”

“How can I prove my love?”

“…Huh,”

“…Should I take out Robin’s eyeballs and chew on them? Should I tear out Mela’s womb and take out my own womb and offer them to Ed? Lily,”

At the same time as she said that, Lara’s head slowly turned towards the kitchen.

The way she moved didn’t seem human, but unnatural, like a mechanical device.

“Would it be proof if I killed Robin’s daughter?”

“…No, absolutely not, there’s no way.”

Lara turned her head again in an unnatural way and stared straight at Ellie, or rather, she tilted her head and glared at Ellie.

Not trying to look arrogant or threaten Ellie, but as if her twisted heart was being revealed, Lara, with her crooked head and fluctuating pupils, captured Ellie and slowly opened her mouth.

“…I hate my past the most, I hate myself the most. But I can still have hope, right? I’ll love him and make him happier than the past I sent him, than the misfortune he’s experienced! Why? Why? What the hell are you to say that?”

“…Lara-nim.”

“Watch your mouth from now on. Ed isn’t the only one who’s about to explode with anger.”

Ellie was truly surprised by Lara’s insane expression.

Even Ellie hadn’t expected this.

The conversation was over, but a tension that felt like it would explode at any moment filled the living room.

It was then.

Tok tok

Something tapped on the window of the top floor of this tall white glass tower.

Ellie and Lara turned their heads towards the window at the same time.

A small bird-shaped mass of magical power was sitting on the window, holding a rolled-up parchment letter.

Ellie approached the window and said.

“Ah, it’s my contact network.”

Ellie was secretly grateful for the timing of the letter, which had diverted their attention, and opened the window.

The bird landed on Ellie’s palm and was absorbed into Ellie, leaving only the letter behind.

It seemed to be Ellie’s magic.

Ellie received the letter, unfolded it, and read it with her eyes.

A moment of silence descended on the living room.

And in the equally quiet kitchen, Lily and Mena were standing there, sweating profusely.

Perhaps they had missed the timing to turn off the heat, the teapot was charred black.

.