episode_0080

Episode.80 Collapsed Paradise

“Arrived.”

Triche’s voice came from outside the carriage.

“Did you hear that? Stop sleeping now and wake up.”

“Hot…! Write, are you saying it’s already arrived?”

Illya, who had been leaning on my shoulder with her eyes closed, stood up, wiping her drool.

“Okay, get off quickly. It’s uncomfortable inside the carriage.”

【That’s right, get off quickly.】

“Hwaaam… just wait a little… get ready to get off…”

How can I take a nap comfortably when I’m about to commit adultery?

“Still, I got there faster than I thought. It only took 5 days by carriage to go to another country, right?”

It took a total of 5 days to get the poison from Heblon and return to Violet’s territory.

Honestly, I thought it would take at least a month.

I felt like the receiving part would take up a lot of time.

– Drurk!

“Get off.”

Triche roughly opened the carriage door.

“Ugh… Can’t we just rest a little longer…?”

Illya became mushy like a liquid monster.

I guess it’s because he’s a vampire who sleeps at night.

“… Stranger, I would like you to accompany Illya into the mansion.”

“By a stranger… do you mean me?”

I got off the carriage and looked around.

“There is no one here who can be called a stranger other than you… And, once again, why is that like that? I always called it that.”

【It’s not wrong.】

Chaewon responded to Triche’s words.

I’m so pissed about this for no reason.

“No, strangers seem to keep their distance a bit. We also had time together.”

“Ha, then… Traveler.”

She must have forgotten Illya’s existence, and her speaking tone returned to its original form.

“It’s much better. If possible, I would have liked you to call me by my name.”

‘I think it would be better to be a traveler than a stranger who seems to have no affection.’

【Both are not good…】

“It’s noisy, it’s not worth calling you by your name… No, that’s enough.”

Triche’s tone almost slipped into her true self, but she confirmed Illya’s presence again and finished her sentence.

“I have a place to go to work again. So please.”

I was dumbfounded when I saw Triche coming out so shamelessly.

**********

After confirming that Ilya and I had gotten off, Triche drove the carriage and headed to the back of the estate.

We entered the mansion with solemn hearts.

I said anything to brighten the depressed mood even a little.

“Are you fully awake?”

Ilya held the parasol tightly.

“… I just lost my mind for a moment. Don’t worry too much… huh?”

Illya’s expression became serious.

“What’s wrong? Scarily…”

“Something is strange. There’s no way our mansion is this quiet at this hour.”

【So, the mansion that was quiet only in the morning… Is it still quiet as the evening approaches? Something definitely happened!】

Chaewon also seemed to feel strange.

“Sure… Where have all the people I always seen… gone?”

“It would be urgent to quickly find out what happened.”

“Would you like to go to the lounge where employees rest?”

Ilya shook her head after hearing what I said.

“Dear, there is no need to do that. The shallow magical power of the human users that was always detected inside the mansion has now almost all disappeared. Even Dad’s great magic power… Aluns’ magic power…”

“So, then the remaining employee is Triche?”

“No… probably not her. I’m sorry, but I can’t sense her magic either… Maybe it’s because she has too little magic power.”

– Boom!

There was a sound right upstairs.

We stopped talking and ran straight to the stairs to go up to the second floor.

“Huh? Illya, lady?”

Just as I was about to climb the stairs, I heard the voice of a person I knew from directly above me.

“Alukid?”

Ilya must have known the name of the employee, so she immediately called him by name.

“Was that sound you heard from the second floor earlier?”

I asked Alukid.

“Yes, I’m a bit busy right now. The current situation is very difficult for me, who is a commoner and works as a commoner to make money.”

“Try to explain everything that happened. Come on.”

Ilya spoke in a forceful tone.

It looked as if he had already inherited the throne.

“Ah… the situation is quite serious. If you don’t run away now, you’ll get caught up.”

Alukid said with an embarrassed expression.

“Run away…? Please explain quickly. Now, are you disobeying my orders?”

“Hmm… Telling the lady is probably the last thing I have to do as an employee.”

Alukid says something meaningful.

“Lady Illya’s father… So, the Duke of Verdium knocked out one employee and tied him on his back like a luggage and spoke to all the employees of the mansion. ‘A revolutionary moment that will soon mark a milestone in history begins. Those who want to live can leave this place right now. If you don’t leave, you could get caught up and die.’ Say.”

He didn’t call Verdium ‘him’, as if he really wanted to leave after completing all his business here.

“… My dad?”

“Okay, so I’m ready to leave now that I’ve finished shopping. To be honest, I have earned enough money so I have no regrets. I earned enough to play and eat for the rest of my life at the level of a commoner.”

Ilya lowered her head.

“… Dad… No, where did Duke Verdium go? ”

“It’s a cave in the west.”

“That place…”

It’s a cave again.

A system is created, and if you enter the Black Gate, it starts or ends in a cave.

What do you want to say to me like that?

Nothing comes to mind when I think of caves.

“Gosh, if we delay any longer, we could be in real danger. I hope we can meet again, Miss Illya.”

With those words, Alukid hurriedly left the mansion.

So, after all, there were no people from my world?

Could it be that the Black Gate was struck by lightning and ended up in a different place due to an unfortunate accident that turned it into a dark red gate?

So, what about the missing people who have disappeared every year due to the dark red gate?

To have a headache.

“Hehe… Lee, where is the cave to the west?”

“That place… is where my mother, whose face I don’t even remember, is sleeping. I don’t even know the name… But why, whenever I see that cave… My heart aches so much… Why is my dad in that place… I’ve forgotten everything…”

Her red eyes were gradually losing their vitality.

“Hey, come to your senses. Ilya?”

I stroked Illya’s black hair.

Perhaps because his body has grown a little, I can now pet him without having to bend down.

“Siwoo… No, my dear.”

“Why are you calling me?”

“Just in case… The person Verdium knocked out and took away… is your colleague…”

“Calm down, Lee, my colleague is not an employee. Because he clearly knocked the user unconscious. She must be in this mansion now. Because I said I was imprisoned.”

As soon as the story about her mother came out, Illya started acting like a mentally ill person, and soon began to have only negative thoughts.

‘So I guess I need some reassurance.’

【No, what kind of family did that mosquito woman live in? I only mentioned my mom once, but my mentality was easily broken like a cookie dough.】

Ilya seemed a little relieved after hearing my answer.

“Then… I’m glad. I didn’t want that child to be sacrificed… I didn’t want it either.”

【Is sacrificing a living person the right thing for an intelligent life form to do in the first place?】

Chaewon is right.

‘Probably… it’s not Harin.’

It had to be that way.

“Ah, Ilya. So, it’s like there’s absolutely no security here right now, right? Why don’t I take advantage of this opportunity and go rescue my comrade?”

“… Honey, you remember what I said before, right?”

Ilya raised her tiptoes and grabbed my collar.

“What are you saying-”

Then, with some force, Illya brought her mouth to my ear.

“I think it will be one of two things that will be offered as a sacrifice. Me, or your white colleague.”

A tickling yet heavy story told in whispers.

“Well, so?”

“The probability of her being here is small. There is a very high chance that it will be a waste of time. But even if your comrades are really trapped here, it’s too late. I also cannot forgive a third party becoming a sacrifice. All the employees in my mansion are precious. So… I think it’s better to rescue your colleague a little later and go see my father first… What do you think?”

【It’s a choice. Which one will you choose? By the way, was it really necessary to whisper when no one was around? You’re always flirting until the end, you bitch.】

Chaewon also clung to me and overheard what Illya was whispering to me.

This is what happened to me.

“Run the mansion to rescue your companions right now.”

Options cannot be added.

“Or, do you want to head straight to Verdium and grab even a glimmer of hope, just in case? ”

Just two.

“You…”

You must choose one of the two.

“No. Shiwoo, which one would you choose?”

If we were to compare it to a wedding ceremony and a reverse wedding ceremony, the wedding ceremony goes straight to Verdium.

Finding and rescuing Harin from the mansion, who may or may not be in trouble.

The wedding is the right choice regardless of whether Harin becomes a sacrifice or not.

It would be a great advantage for Yeokbae to be able to rescue Harin from the mansion and encounter Verdium with her.

But what if Harin is not in the mansion?

“I decided, my choice is…”