The light was gone. Leticia, who was hesitant, opened her mouth gently.
“Did you just reply?”
Twinkle, twinkle.
“Oh my Goddess.”
Leticia burst into laughter.
“You really understand.
Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle.
The glittering bracelet seemed to be enjoying itself.
“Thank you for helping me.”
Leticia smiled bashfully and wrapped her bracelet carefully.
Could it be because of the unexpected relationship? After returning to the past, the fear that had been crouching in her heart all along seemed to melt away.
“Thanks to you, I feel a little more at ease.”
Although aware of the future, Leticia was still afraid.
No, that made her even more afraid.
Because she knew what’s going to happen to her in a few months.
She was fine on the outside, so no one noticed her sickening pain. The pain that pushed through her whole body as if her heart was being squeezed with needles.
Even though she knew she had to endure it to save Dietrian, she couldn’t help but be afraid.
All the more so knowing that she couldn’t rely on anyone in the future.
So, for now, this little bracelet has been comforting.
“Please take good care of me in the future.”
It was unknown whether this bracelet was really the treasure of the Goddess or not.
The important thing was the fact that this bracelet was helping her.
“Now all we have to do is take out the remains.”
She didn’t know how to use the bracelet yet, so she didn’t know what to do. Leticia, who was worried, spoke to the bracelet again just in case.
“Could you please return Julios’ remains now?”
Twinkle, twinkle.
A very intense light flashed from the glittering bracelet, as if telling her trust it.
Leticia, who slightly turned her head away from the light, exclaimed. There was a familiar wooden box on the bedside table.
Leticia picked up the box with trembling hands.
As she stroked the box, which was dappled with light very carefully, the bracelet sparkled again.
It made Leticia burst into laughter as if it wanted her praise.
“Thank you, good job.”
Now, all she had to do was bring the remains to the detached villa.
Leticia put down the box containing the remains and started preparing to go out. The night was deep and her body still hurt, but there was no time to hesitate.
‘It’s safer for Dietrian to keep the remains than for me.’
The past had changed, so the future was unpredictable. Although unlikely, Josephina might confine Leticia back to her west villa.
As the future seemed uncertain, it’s better to return the remains to Dietrian as soon as possible.
Just like that, Leticia picked up the remains. The white light shrouding the box began to fade. Just like in the central temple.
“Huh?”
The box slipped into the bracelet before she had time to react.
Leticia, who was still in the same posture as her outstretched hand, blinked her eyes in bewilderment. She stared blankly at her empty table, then quickly rolled up her sleeves to check the bracelet.
“Did you hide Julios’ remains again?”
Twinkle, twinkle.
“Why?”
The bracelet didn’t respond.
What the hell is this all about?
Leticia, who was looking down at the bracelet in bewilderment, heard a loud noise in her ears. Leticia looked out her window and said in a puzzled voice.
“Paladins?”
Why on earth were the paladins visiting her villa at this late hour?
Before thinking about the reason, Leticia spotted a familiar face among them. Leticia’s eyes widened.
“That person…”
Noel Armos.
It was the Ninth Wing of the Saintess.
***
In the past, Leticia only met Noel twice. The first meeting was at her wedding and the second was the day Noel died.
After the fall of the Principality, Leticia, who was the Queen, was charged with high treason and locked in a convoy wagon.
One night, not long before arriving at the Empire, something happened.
Someone attacked the escorts and broke the wagon which Leticia was trapped.
As she coughed against the dust, a small but firm hand lifted her up.
[Come on, wake up. We have to get out of here right now.]
It was Noel.
[You…what do you want from me?]
[I’ll give you a detailed explanation after we get rid of the pursuit team. Hold me now.]
She hurriedly held Noel.
Closing her eyes reflexively, she felt cold drops of water on her cheeks. Then her body soared into the sky.
[The prisoner has escaped!]
[The Saintess’ Wing have betrayed us!]
[Noel Armos escaped with the criminal!]
The sound of people shouting, the sound of weapons colliding, and the sound of arrows being shot was heard continuously.
Noel took Leticia and left the convoy.
And after a few hours.
Noel died.
***
Chugulug (iron sound). Chuk. Multiple spear points hit the stone floor at the same time. Red torches dyed the paladins’ cold faces vermilion.
Noel walked out among the paladins lined up in white cloaks. Although she was small in size, she overwhelmed the paladins with her presence.
“Where is that woman?”
“We made sure she was still in her room.”
“How could she dare to disobey the Saintess’ order and lock herself in her room?”
Noel arrogantly raised the tip of her chin.
“Immediately bring her to me.”
“Understood.”
Paladins rushed into the villa. Noel, who was proudly staring from behind them, trembled.
‘Is this really okay?’
Since she tried to go out harder than usual, she kept feeling anxious.
‘I came without permission. Shouldn’t I go inside? Can I go this far?’
The order she had just given was unimaginable if it were her usual self.
If she wanted to meet someone, it’s Noel’s way to send a letter in advance, to politely knock at the appointed time when she got a reply, and to open the door and then go inside.
‘But the opponent is that Leticia.’
She didn’t have to be nice and she shouldn’t be.
‘Besides, I made a promise to Ahwin. At least this time, I have to do it well so that the Saintess will like it.’
There was no reason not to.
Because Noel was well aware of what a horrible person Leticia was.
Rumors that Leticia killed another person and that the Saintess dealt with it.
Some even said that the Saintess wept over her daughter’s misdeeds, or that she collapsed in shock while consoling the bereaved family.
She’d been listening to it countless times since she was young.
‘Yeah, it will be fine. No, compared to the crimes committed, it might not be enough to calmly lead her out.’
Noel, who was motivated again, quickly looked around.
‘Is there water? A fountain or a well. As soon as she comes out, I’ll let it rain with the power of water.’
To show the power of a Wing, there was no simple and effective means like rain.
There was a small pool of water in an old fountain nearby. Noel waved her hand as a test and a long stream of transparent water rose like a whip.
The water whip moved in an instant, creating long curves in the air. The paladins who saw it flinched.
The power of the Wings aroused instinctive fear in the viewers.
‘That’s the power of a Wing.’
‘I can never win with only the sword.’
‘I don’t even want to fight.’
The power of the Wings wasn’t all about the transcendent ability to control water, cause fire, and create thunderbolts.
The sense of intimidation they radiated with mere breathing would overwhelm the opponent.
Even now, the faces of the paladins who were weighed down by the energy that Noel had not managed to hide were going white. In the end, one of the paladins called Noel with a dying face.
“L-Lady Noel.”
“Yes?”
“K,Kelog (gulp). I’m sorry, but we’re too weak…”
Noel, who had been weilding her power in excitement, looked back with a puzzled expression.
And when she saw the paladins who looked exhausted, she was startled and relaxed.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
The water she was wielding flowed into the fountain. The tense paladins staggered and let out the breath they had been holding back.
“Huu.”
“Kuk.”
“Kuluk.”
“Now I think I’m going to live, keuhuk.”
Seeing the staggering knights, Noel smiled with an embarrassed face.
“Sorry. It’s been a long time since I used my power, so I’m excited. This is so much fun.”
“I-Is that so?”
“It doesn’t look much, doesn’t it? Shall I show you again? This time, I’ll try to capture the power well. I practiced hard so it should be good…”
The paladins were frightened.
“No! It’s really fine!”
“How dare we let you use the power of the great Goddess for the sake of insignificant humans like us!”
“We have a constitution that gets hives when we see something strange!”
Noel embarrassingly said.
“Haha, yes…if you hate it that much…”
She looked back at the villa. Quite a while had passed since the paladins went inside, but the palace was still quiet.
Noel, who had been waiting silently, frowned.
‘Why is there no news?’
It was time to come out. Is she resisting?
‘Even if there was resistance, it’s too late.’
A woman with no power alone would not be able to overcome the strength of several paladins.
‘Do I really have to go in?’
As things went contrary to her plan, she kept getting nervous. Noel reflexively chewed her lips and looked down the dark hallway.
‘Anyway, why is my heart beating like this?’
At first, she thought it’s because she was nervous, but it felt so weird for it to keep doing this.
‘I’m too anxious.’
When she was little, she hated her mother, who only cared about her sick brother, and hid her brother’s medicine.
As she wished, the house was turned upside down, but Noel wasn’t happy at all. Her heart sank again and again at the sight of her mother’s back as she hurriedly rummaged through the chest of drawers with a pale face.
Eventually, she couldn’t overcome her guilt and wept bitterly as she pulled out the medicine from her bossom.
‘It feels the same as back then.’
Noel sighed and pressed on her stomach.
Guilt and reluctance as if committing a big mistake.
It has been that way ever since she entered the vicinity of the villa.
‘What did I do wrong?’
However, no matter how much she looked back, nothing came to mind.
‘Is there something wrong with my heart? Should I go to the doctor?’
Her thoughts didn’t go further. The paladin who went in to pick up Leticia hurriedly ran out of the building.
Three went in, but only one came out. Feeling uneasy, Noel approached.
“What happened? Why didn’t you bring her? And the rest.”
“I, that. Actually. That woman is threatening us.”
The paladin opened his mouth in embarrassment.
“With Lady Noel…she said she wanted to meet alone.”
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