The people of the Empire were thrown into great turmoil upon hearing the news of the saintess’s miscarriage.
“What if the saintess hates the Empire? What happens to us if she leaves forever?”
“I can’t even imagine an Empire abandoned by the saintess!”
“She might despise us. She might even seek revenge on us!”
“Would she really go that far?”
“She’ll leave the Empire for sure! Then it’s all over. We can’t keep her here!”
“Still, maybe we can pray and beg?”
“Stop dreaming! Have you forgotten what the Empire has done to her? If we try to hold her back, the Wings won’t stand for it. Their master’s child is dead. How deep do you think their grudge is?”
People tried to suppress their fear.
“Would it really go that far? The Wings’ loyalty aside, this is the Empire, the Holy Empire! His Majesty wouldn’t just let that happen. He’ll find a way to keep the saintess.”
“Of course. Besides, the saintess is not in good health. A long journey doesn’t make sense. And the principality is a poor country. It’s better for her to recover body and mind in the far superior Empire.”
Their desperate hopes were dashed by dreadful news.
“The saintess is going back to the principality!”
Overwhelmed by the shock of losing her child, Leticia declared she would return to the principality.
“And His Majesty? His Majesty is just letting this happen?”
“His Majesty agreed to it!”
People were astonished.
“Then what happens to our Empire?”
“She’ll never come back! Who would want to stay in the place where they lost their child?”
“This is insane! What about the desertification? How will we fend off the monsters?”
Despairing Empire citizens began to search for someone to blame.
“It’s all Josephina’s fault! If that fake hadn’t coveted the real saintess’s place, this wouldn’t have happened!”
“Rehir, he’s the problem. That villain attacked the saintess, didn’t he?”
“That’s right! We need to find him! He’s the one who caused all this! We must get rid of him!”
On the second-floor terrace of a teahouse overlooking the square, Rehir clicked his tongue as he listened to people curse him.
“Disgusting creatures. They blame me, only seeing the immediate cause. Well, you humans have always been like this. Sickeningly foolish.”
Not long ago, he would have swept away all the noisy humans in the square. Right after losing his wings, he was consumed by terrible rage. But not anymore.
“Keep babbling all you want. Your end isn’t far off anyway.”
Rehir laughed coldly as he glared at the Empire’s people. Hearing about Leticia’s miscarriage had filled him with a sense of leisure. It made sense that Leticia was in critical condition. Having been abused by her mother all her life, Leticia’s child would have been incredibly precious to her. Losing such a cherished child overnight must have been a massive shock.
“The spirits are completely deranged.”
Rehir chuckled, watching the spirits wandering the capital, weeping.
「Lady Leticia, Lady Leticia…!」
「So sad. Our Lady Leticia is in pain, waaah.」
「I’m going to flood everything, waaah.」
To avoid the spirits’ pursuit, Rehir was in disguise. But seeing them so distraught made him want to reveal his true self. He longed to see the weakened spirits scream in agony under his heel.
“I should be patient for now. Greater pleasures await me.”
Rehir downed his wine in one gulp and went inside. Julios, who had been kneeling, slowly stood up. He placed one hand on his chest and bowed deeply.
“Master.”
“Julios.”
Rehir grinned as he lightly patted Julios’s cheek.
“Julios, I have some very good news. Leticia, that woman, is in critical condition.”
“In critical condition, you say?”
Julios asked expressionlessly. Despite hearing that the beloved Leticia was dying, there was no emotion in his eyes.
“So, she will die soon?”
“Of course. Fate is on my side. If we put in a bit more effort, she’ll die even quicker.”
“Anyone who disturbs my master’s peace must be killed, of course. Is there anything I can do? Shall I kill her myself?”
“Ha ha ha! I really like the sound of that.”
Rehir laughed, his eyes glinting cruelly.
“That woman must not die a simple death. She must be utterly broken, body and soul. She must die in the most excruciating pain until the very end.”
“Of course.”
The hatred in Julios’s eyes was clear as he spoke, reflecting Rehir’s emotions. Rehir found even this pleasing.
“So, you will have to step up. I planned to move after more preparation, but there’s no need for that. Your task is to…”
* * *
Meanwhile, at the exact moment when Rehir was instructing Julios to harm Leticia,
“By now, Rehir must have heard the news that I am in critical condition.”
Leticia was also discussing their next plan with Dietrian.
“He will surely move to inflict more harm on me.”
That vile man wouldn’t miss the opportunity to exploit Leticia’s shock.
“If we’re lucky, he might use Lord Julios. He knows well that he is our greatest weakness.”
“In that case, your plan is…”
“I will be the bait.”
Dietrian closed his eyes tightly. Even though he expected this answer, it felt like needles pricking his heart. He clung to a faint hope and tried to persuade Leticia again.
“You don’t necessarily have to be the one to step up. Rehir hates me, the dragon’s descendant. Surely…”
“No. That’s not true.”
Leticia shook her head firmly.
“Rehir hates both of us, but you and I are different.”
“…”
“He may despise the dragon’s descendant, but he can tolerate it. He can crush you anytime he wants.”
Just as Josephina had attacked the principality in their past lives.
“But not me. As long as I’m alive, Rehir can’t do anything. I will constantly thwart his plans.”
Leticia, the true saintess loved by the transcendents and commanding eight Wings, was someone Rehir would believe needed to be eliminated now while she was weakened.
“So, I have to step up. It’s something only I can do.”
“Leticia.”
“I’m not doing this to protect others by sacrificing myself. I will never lose to him. Moreover, I want to end Rehir with my own hands.”
She wanted to personally destroy the one who sought to take everything from her: her child, husband, benefactors, Wings, country, and family. She realized that this was the true way to protect everyone. Leticia gently pressed her lips to his forehead and whispered.
“Trust me, Dietrian.”
* * *
A week had passed since the news of the saintess’s miscarriage. During that time, the anxiety enveloping the Imperial capital had only grown. The saintess’s condition continued to deteriorate.
“Did you hear? She coughed up blood yesterday?”
“They say she doesn’t even recognize the Crown Prince.”
“The Wings are in an uproar. The atmosphere in the palace is chaotic.”
“Her condition worsened so suddenly?”
People didn’t want to believe it, but they had no choice. Deep into the night, the Imperial Palace was as bright as day.
Armed knights followed the light spirits into every corner of the alleys, returning with every reputed physician.
“They have the palace physicians, but they’re still seeking our help?”
“Oh dear! What are we to do? The Empire is doomed, doomed!”
For the true saintess chosen by the goddess to die in the Empire—it was an unspeakable disaster, signaling the goddess’s complete abandonment of the Empire.
“It would be fortunate if she could recover in the principality.”
“Indeed.”
Even those who vehemently opposed Leticia’s departure to the principality eventually resigned themselves to hoping for her recovery. Yet, problems persisted.
“Why is the departure delayed?”
“They say she’s too weak to use a teleportation scroll.”
“Then she has to cross the desert again? Is that even possible?”
“Wouldn’t it be best if the Crown Prince made efforts?”
Teleportation scrolls could be taxing even for healthy individuals. For the ailing Leticia, it was unbearable. Callisto, a mage and a Wing, endeavored to improve the scroll, but the attempt failed.
“She decided to cross the desert.”
On the day Leticia was to depart, people lined the streets from early morning, nervously awaiting the palace gates to open.
Shortly after, the gates creaked open. The royal knights, the Wings of the goddess, and the principality’s guards rode out one after another. Though they were powerful enough to raze a city if they wished, their spirits were decidedly low.
Among them, Noel and Banessa stood out. Noel, holding the reins, trembled silently as tears streamed down her face.
Banessa wasn’t much different. He appeared significantly more gaunt than when he first arrived in the Empire. Rumor had it that they were present when Rehir’s minions attacked, leading to their overwhelming guilt for failing to protect Leticia.
“Stop the carriage for a moment!”
A sharp cry came from inside the carriage. The coachman hastily halted the carriage, and a young woman rushed out. It was Kailas, the Wing of Healing.
Pale-faced, she ran forward and spoke urgently to the princess at the front. The princess, alarmed, repeated her words loudly.
“The saintess has collapsed again?”
Her voice was clear enough for everyone nearby to hear.
“Bring the physician! Quickly!”
There was chaos as they called for the physician. Moments later, the physician emerged from the carriage. Those watching anxiously held their breath.
“Blood?”
The cloth the physician hurriedly brought out was soaked in dark red blood. Through the open door, they could see Leticia’s limp form. A knight rushed to close the door, but not before everyone had seen.
“The saintess coughed up blood!”
“Oh, goddess!”
Seeing what they had only heard in rumors threw the people into panic. And observing these reactions were those who had anticipated this moment.
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