“What do you mean?”
In response to her strange reaction, Lianrius’s mouth subtly hardened.
It was Lianrius’s habit that came out when he was lost in thought. The blue eyes looked straight into Liarte’s eyes.
The habit of twisting the corners of the mouth while looking in the eye.
‘He definitely fixed it after the coming of age ceremony.’
Lianrius was indifferent, but he tended to express his raw feelings. After getting caught and suffering due to the Duke Birce of the House of Death, this habit was thoroughly corrected.
‘This is surely the past.’
Around this time, Liarte regarded Lianrius as the sun.
A noble sun in a different position than herself. A sun that was shining brightly. She wished for the affection of her twin, her closest blood relative. She used to tremble in fear that she would be hated even if she kept her mouth shut.
Liarte suddenly became annoyed with this conversation. So she roughly held their hands together.
When they hold hands enough for him to use the power of water, he will return.
“It means I won’t do anything to annoy you. Do you have a problem?”
She felt like It was meaningless to pay attention to him and let him consume her mind.
‘It’s strangely low.’
Lianrius felt a subtle distance from the reaction of his strange twin sister.
‘It feels like she changed.’
Liarte’s hands were much colder than usual.
An Awakened person with the water ability had a characteristic of low body temperature.
But Lianrius didn’t even assume that it was awakening.
He just brushed it away thinking that Liarte was a patient and her body temperature had decreased.
Yes, Liarte was a patient.
‘Come to think of it, She lost consciousness for nearly two weeks after the banquet.’
After contemplating for a while, he could understand this reaction from Liarte.
Furthermore, the poison used in the assassination attempt is mixed with the Opertarium, which is often used by the Duke of Birce.
The main symptom of Opertarium is hallucinations.
‘This reaction is a side effect of poison. ‘I’m sure she’ll go back to normal.’ Lianrius concluded.
At that time, the door opened without any knocking.
“Lianrius. It would be nice if you had time.”
Aynias entered Liarte’s room for the first time in his life.
He was one of those people who asked her to die for Lianrius before her return. He walked forward and did not even look at the direction of Liarte.
“Father has called the Awakeners of Elheim.”
“Why am I being summoned?”
Aynias despised Liarte, but to Lianrius, he was the caring older brother.
There was only one direct reason why Aynias hated Liarte.
‘Is it because my mother died?’
It was the confession that Aynias made in the prison just before her death.
The Duchess of Elheim died after giving birth to twins.
Lianrius, the younger one of the twins, was the last to be born, but no one blamed Lian.
This is because Aynias firmly believed that the Duchess had died due to Liarte. After all, she had given birth to an unawakened child.
It was a story that she couldn’t feel any inspiration from now.
The two continued with the conversation as if Liarte wasn’t present.
“I’m sorry that I interrupted your time, but an abnormality has occurred in the spirit stone.”
“Tell me more, Aynias.”
Lianrius showed interest in the conversation.
“The spirit stone suddenly started to glow. You should go and see if you can wake it up.”
Liarte was capable of making it glow.
‘That light.’
The blue man appearing from the spirit stone…
Fragments of the Spirit Stone being broken from execution as if connected to Liarte…
‘In the past, the Spirit Stone did not shine.’
The only thing that changed from the past was herself.
Liarte was the Awakener of the Spirit Stone.
She returned to the past while accepting the enormous energy from the spirit stone.
“Let’s talk on our way.” Aynias took Lianrius out.
Soon the door closed.
Liarte muttered a word she saw in old books a long time ago.
“Regression.”
It meant ‘Returning of the soul to a time in the past’.
Elheim’s blood and flesh had killed Liarte. It was doubtful that she was saved because she was the Awakener of the Spirit Stone, or if her coming back to life was because of the water magic being incomplete.
In the end, it was clear that her revival had something to do with the shimmering Spirit Stone.
‘I really came back…?’
It was an incredible miracle.
Liarte calculated the age at which she collapsed due to poison.
The day she died was on her 20th birthday, and she collapsed due to poison half a year before her adulthood ceremony at the age of 17.
3 years ago.
She came back to the time just before she died.
At the time of her execution, she had vowed to escape from this family if she ever got a chance.
Now Liarte was the Awakener of The Water.
She wasn’t sure whether her power was a blessing or a curse, but one thing was certain.
‘I will escape from Elheim.’
Liarte will abandon the Duke of Elheim.
Just like they did.
The first step was preparing for Birce’s visit, which would take place two days later.
* * *
The carriage was heading to Elheim. A strange gold pattern was engraved on the black exterior.
Anyone could see that the carriage belonged to the Duke of Birce.
The wagon was unusually driven by a knight.
”We’ll arrive soon, Young Master.”
“When?”
The voice heard inside the cabin was captivating.
His voice, like temptation that cannot be resisted, was sweet and low, stimulating the human hearing.
His appearance was just as enthralling as an angel, so much so no one would be able to refuse him.
It was because of this that Michael, the master of the knight Walter, was more dangerous.
“It usually takes five minutes to get there, so shouldn’t we add ten more minutes to it?”
“You can do that in ten minutes with that skill?”
Michael chuckled.
“Shall we bet? Who catches more. For reference, I always win.”
It was a serious joke.
Enemies were gathered at the mouth of the forest.
The average assailant or robber would have fled immediately after seeing the infamous Birce’s emblem.
However, they rather gathered when they saw the pattern of Birce.
It meant that Michael in the carriage was the target.
Walter was on the lookout for the enemy, but it was too late.
“With this, I am the winner of the 800th bet.”
“And I lost 800 times.”
Michael, a bad-tempered man, had already kicked open the door of the carriage.
Walter paid his silent tribute.
‘ ….won’t go back alive.’
Not him and Michael, but his enemies.
“I hate being hindered and interrupted.”
At his drowsy tone, death spread through the woods.
Without even being able to scream, the lives wrapped in black energy fell to the ground. The enemies wouldn’t even know how they died.
The ability to kill thousands of knights in a single stroke made the Imperial family and aristocrats wary of the Duke Birce of Death.
“It’s over.”
Walter sighed and cleared the remaining bodies. There were little traces left behind.
“There’s poison in your mouth. It’s a bad idea.”
“I’m sure. You seem to be doing quite interesting things.”
Michael unfastened the velvet eye patch.
“You still can’t see anything?”
“Yes. I thought it would get better with time, but it’s still dark.”
Not long ago, Michael Birce lost his sight.
It wasn’t poison or a physical problem, it was a curse.
The only thing that could solve his condition was an outstanding awakener of the Water with detoxification and healing powers.
“It’s not a curse that can be released that easily.”
“By now, the imperial family must be holding a toast.”
An information came in that assassins had appeared at Elheim’s banquet.
Birce knew that the Imperial family behind it.
However, Elheim seemed to be convinced that Birce was the one behind the assassination attempt. After all, the Duke of Elheim’s hatred for Birce was famous.
In this situation, there was no way that they would welcome Michael who visited to lift the curse.
“Will they help the young master?”
“Who knows.”
Michael replied nonchalantly. He pulled up his lips and smiled gracefully.
“It’s a miracle if they can help, or I’m going to get some information about Elheim. Either way, I’ve got nothing to lose.”
The faded red eyes in the eye patch were dim. The Imperial family was the only one who can use such a curse.
At the same time, blinding the Birce successor, and forming a play to make Elheim hate Birce more.
The imperial family must have taken Birce as a joke.
It was The Duke of Birce’s way of pursuing the enemy and killing him brutally.
No matter who was behind the imperial family, Michael thought to return the little gift he had received.
Even though he couldn’t see, it won’t ever affect his revenge.
“Then, Young Master.”
Birce’s carriage approached the castle of Elheim.
“One in a million, what would you do if someone could actually break the curse?”
Walter asked carefully because he was a man who didn’t know where to go.
“I’m going to give them everything they ask for.”
“What?”
Michael folded his fingers and counted the things he could give.
“Jewels, power, or honor. They’ve helped Birce. I’ll give them everything I can.”
The grace was clear.
Just as you must kill your enemy, you must treat your saviors with due respect.
That was Birce’s creed.
The carriage finally arrived at the gates of Elheim.
“Hey! It’s Birce!”
The tightly closed door was about to open.
Vigilance and vigor flowed from the elheim knights placed at the borders.
They were still an unfortunate family full of hypocrites.
“Go to Elheim.”
Michael told the knights of Elheim.
“Tell them the successor of Birce has come to the visit.”
The next Duke of Birce.
The heir to the hostile family, which was the exact opposite of Elheim had come to visit.
In such a situation, Michael was the only one laughing like an angel.