Chapter 221 - He Is My Fiance

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༺ He Is My Fiance ༻

 "Haah… Haah…"

 Rifael gasped for breath, her eyes cautiously fluttering open as she took in the unfolding scene before her..

 "W-what is this…?"

 A hint of realization dawning in her eyes as she surveyed our expressions—lacking fear, but filled with a cold detachment

 "…..?"

 Her gaze then shifted down to her own body, a silent confirmation of the profound transformation she had undergone. In her widened field of vision, the grotesque sight of purple skin, wings sprouting from her back, and menacing ruby-colored horns protruding from her head greeted her.

 "No, this can't be…"

 She must have been bewildered. She desired power, but she didn't expect her outward appearance to change so drastically.

 When her family members had consumed similar pills for strength, they had only complained of minor discomfort. That was why she took the pill without any worries. 

 However, the pill given to her by the Demon King was a bit unusual.

 The Demon King had woven enchantments into the pills, ensuring the ability to kill those who betrayed her by dedicating their souls. However, Rifael's pill carried an additional magic—a corruption that twisted the very essence of the one who consumed it.

 The Demon King's obsession with destroying beautiful things must have triggered this.

 But there was no need for that. It was because her outward appearance might have been beautiful, but her inner self was terribly wicked.

 "This can't be happening… This…"

 "Live with it for the rest of your life."

 There was no reason to respect something that was no longer human. So, I spoke coldly while looking at Rifael, who was moving her eyes frantically staring at her transformed body.

 "This was your choice, wasn't it?"

 "For… your interest…!"

 As I finished speaking, she rose to her feet and rushed toward me. Simultaneously, ruby-colored magic radiated from her hands. Just the sight of it made me feel repulsed. 

 – Boom, boom, boom…!

 While contemplating this, Clana's golden mana clashed fiercely with Rifael's ruby magic. The collision created a massive cloud of dust and stone fragments around us. In a situation that felt like déjà vu, I patiently waited for the dust cloud to settle.

 "Why, why…? How…"

 The outcome was all too predictable. No matter how much power Rifael had gained from the demon, she stood no chance against the awakened Clana.

 It was a foolish idea from the start to confront the most destructive of the three special mana with her newly awakened feeble magic.

 In fact, it could be considered a miracle that she managed to maintain her form after consuming the one-time power-boosting pill.

 "Euhehehe… ehehehehe…"

 Rifael, who had been gazing at her hands burned by Clana's solar mana, suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. 

 – Shaaa…

 "It's not over yet… I just have to become stronger and return…"

 She began spewing out ruby-colored energy from her entire body while uttering third-rate villain-like lines. I should remember this line; it might come in handy.

 "Where do you think you're going…!"

 Clana took a step closer to the fading Rifael.

 – Thud…!

 "Frey?"

 However, I grabbed her arm and stopped her.

 "Frey… Do you know what…?"

 And at that moment, Rifael, her eyes gleaming, whispered in a chilling smile.

 "…There's a way for you to survive."

 Clana's eyes widened upon hearing those words. While she had a vague notion of what Rifael meant, she decided to listen further.

 "Take my hand. Come with me…"

 "What are you talking about?"

 "Go there and just like I did… offer your soul to the Demon King."

 Seeing my expression morphed into a frown after hearing that, she extended her hand towards me and continued speaking.

 "If you become a subordinate of the Demon King, you can spare your life, you know? If you don't like that, you can simply just offer your soul. It's not that difficult! Just make a blood oath…"

 "Th-that…"

 At the same time, Clana, who had been looking at me, began to waver.

 "…Does offering your soul to the Demon King guarantee your survival?"

 With a trembling voice, she then approached me.

 "If, if that's the case… If that's the case…"

 "Do you think my pathetic little sister over there can extend your life?"

 "Ugh."

 In response to Rifael's mocking tone, she found herself unconsciously biting her lip.

 "When you're dead, it's all over, isn't that so? I know that your lifespan is barely two years left. Therefore…"

 Gradually, Clana's expression grew paler.

 "…Let's go to the Demon King together."

 Suddenly, Clana began to look at me with a determined gaze.

 "Is there really no way for you to survive… other than that?"

 "Frey…"

 And a moment later, she spoke to me in a low voice. 

 "I wish you could have lived…"

 Unbeknownst to me, tears welled up in her golden eyes.

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 "What are you talking about, Clana?" 

 Frey whispered with a gentle smile, his eyes fixed on me. 

 "I will undoubtedly survive. When everything is over, I will spend happy days with everyone."

 On a day like today, he seemed oddly loathsome. Did he think I didn't know? Did he believe we were oblivious to the truth?

 We were well aware that his lifespan was less than two years, and even if we completed everything, there was no way for him to return.

 "…We can go on walks, travel, attend performances… Well, what else? Anyway, I plan to do a lot of those things. So don't worry…"

 Don't utter such reassurances with that foolish expression. You're weaving lies to calm and prevent us from panicking, but we already knew the reality.

 "What's wrong? Why are you like this?"

 It was already hard to look at Kania, who shared the same senses as Frey and had joined me in the same operation on the Western Continent.

 "Miss Kania?"

 "How… How can you endure this… this agony?"

 She keenly felt the torment coursing relentlessly through her body, so much so that she could sense it with every breath.

 She claimed that even most curses couldn't inflict this level of pain.

 His body underwent a constant cycle of dying and reviving in real-time, naturally causing such agonizing sensations.

 Yet, for Frey, this was already part of his daily existence. According to Irina, he hadn't shown a hint of pain.

 "You still don't believe me? Haven't I explained to you so many times already? I have a chance to get my wish granted by the Sun God."

 Certainly, there was a chance that the Demon God's words were deceitful. Perhaps what Frey's saying was the truth.

 However, there was something Serena couldn't openly disclose to us, making her tread cautiously around the topic. This only lent credibility to the Demon God's words, aligning with Frey's actions.

 Numerous pieces of evidence left us feeling sorrowful, anxious, and panicked. 

 That was why Frey would never know. He shouldn't know about the things happening behind his back.

 Like how Kania called out your name and wept silently whenever she felt the pain.

 Nevertheless, she was said to be researching a way to modify the curse that caused the same suffering to her, redirecting most of Frey's pain towards herself.

 How Irina immersed herself in dark and forbidden magic, sacrificing her own well-being like a madman to research ways to extend your life, despite having despised such magic her whole life.

 And I was no different.

 I was prepared to exile those falsely accusing Frey, or, if they sought to harm him, I was willing to kill them to protect him. I was becoming the tyrant I vowed never to be.

 But we could never let Frey know about any of this. Just as he never showed his pain, we should never reveal our efforts either.

 "What's wrong, Clana? You don't look well…"

 "..."

 Frey asked with a worried expression, and within my heart, a multitude of emotions surged. 

 'Calm down, Clana.'

 We might be on the verge of losing our minds. No, maybe we already had.

 The memories and emotions of our souls erupted like a burst of water as the truth was revealed during the Third Ordeal.

 Consumed by those things, we could only focus on Frey now.

 And that was why the thought of him disappearing in two years felt so heartbreaking as if our souls were being torn apart. Maybe after that, we would become complete invalids or lunatics.

 Then, "the bet during the vacation" became an event that took place because of these reasons.

 To those unaware, it might seem like a sweet and enjoyable romantic comedy.

 Yet, for those privy to the truth, it appeared as the desperate acts of individuals teetering on the brink of madness, struggling to avoid losing their sanity.

 If he really did vanish in two years, if such a thing truly happened, we would likely follow him, choosing between forfeiting our lives or succumbing to madness. However…

 Frey wouldn't want that. He would want all of us to be happy.

 Contradicting his wish and meeting our demise or descending into madness would render all of Frey's efforts futile.

 That was why…

 Our love for Frey was profound enough to prompt us to sacrifice everything for him, bearing the fruit of our love by carrying his seed within us.

 We entered into this bet to leave a lasting trace of his existence in this world, ensuring his face and presence remained etched in our memories, even if he was gone.

 Of course, that, too, was a form of escapism.

 Until this moment, it represented the most reasonable decision we made to make Frey happy and preserve our sanity.

 "Frey."

 But the situation had changed.

 "Listen to me carefully."

 If there existed a way for him to survive, regardless of the cost, no matter the sacrifices involved, I was willing.

 Even if it meant selling my country, staining my already blood-soaked hands even redder, or being recorded in history as a tyrant.

 I was determined to save him, at any cost.

 That singular goal consumed me in this moment.

 "You can offer my soul instead."

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 "What the hell are you saying, Clana?"

 Flustered by Clana's words, Frey grabbed her shoulders and asked.

 "Do you know? You don't have to carry everything by yourself."

 Clana, with a calm expression, looked at Frey and began to speak.

 "You already have my soul. I've already given you everything. So when you offer your soul to the Demon King, you can offer my soul instead."

 Her expression oddly brightened as she conveyed this.

 "Deceive her by offering my soul instead of yours. Pretend to submit to the Demon King for a moment and receive life."

 "Clana."

 "I'm fine. It's okay if I'm the only one who falls into corruption. You can stop me, right? Even if I turn into a canary or end up confined in the underground prison, it's alright."

 "Clana…!"

 "I don't mean to sacrifice my soul right away, but look into it carefully. I have no intention of tricking you into losing your soul. When you are certain about everything, you can offer my soul."

 As Frey, who had been holding her shoulders, exerted force, Clana emitted an aura of domination from her entire body and said.

 "This is a command, Frey."

 Startled, Frey cautiously backed away from her.

 'Perhaps, I could withstand the corruption to some extent. Of course, the Demon King could threaten him using my stolen soul, but he can just simply turn a blind eye and pretend to surrender.'

 Clana murmured softly as her gaze fixed on Frey.

 'I just need to ascend to the throne of the Empress. Whether I descend from it or not, I've upheld my covenant.'

 Watching Frey, who succumbed gradually to her aura of domination, Clana spoke.

 "I hope you live a long, long life, Frey. That's my only wish."

 A slight smile played on her lips.

 "So… if those words prove true, if there's concrete evidence, present my soul and bow before the Demon King, if only for a moment." 

 After the erosion of the aura of domination ended, she tried to turn towards Rifael while saying this. 

 "… I don't want to."

 "What?"

 "That will never happen, so give up on that idea."

 Upon hearing Frey's determined voice, which easily resisted the fading domination, Clana halted in her steps.

 "The only entity that can dominate me from above is you."

 "...."

 "The only person I've pledged undying loyalty to, the one who commands me, is you. I will be in your service until my last breath." 

 Frey spoke like that.

 "I'd rather die as the Empress's vassal than a Demon King's dog."

 Leaving those words behind, he moved toward Rifael..

 "That's right… Take my hand, Frey! Grab my hand…!"

 – Ssk…

 Frey soon clasped Rifael's hand, despite the crazed look in her eyes.

 "Yes, as promised, I will speak well about you to the Demon King. However… you'll have to yield to me a bit."

 Frey stared at her as she excitedly rambled on.

 – Crackling…

 "Kyaacck!"

 He infused his stellar mana into her hand.

 "T-this, this bastard…!"

 Rifael lost her sanity upon seeing grotesque scars and marks spreading all over her body, launching into a wild rampage.

 "Because of you… Clana spent over a decade in hell."

 Frey, feeling the tightening grip on her hand, muttered icily, "You should experience the same."

 "Aaaack!"

 For a while, smoke billowed along with crackling sounds in the courtyard.

 "Ugh."

 As Frey observed Rifael's increasing grotesqueness, his brows suddenly furrowed. It was due to the escalating pain in his heart.

 – Crumpling…!

 "Hehe, ehehe…"

 Seizing the opportunity, Rifael began infusing her magic into Frey's arm, merging her hand with his.

 "Clana, my foolish little sister…"

 Watching Clana desperately reaching out to them, she whispered.

 "Your fiancé, I will take…"

 – Swiiing…!

 However, she couldn't finish her whisper.

 "Keeeugh…"

 A fan-shaped assassin's weapon flew in from somewhere, severing the arm that held Frey.

 "I don't know who you are, but…"

 With a sigh of relief, Clana looked toward Frey, who wore an indifferent expression as he examined his left arm. Suddenly, he shifted his gaze and widened his eyes.

 "Is it unpleasant?"

 Serena, carefully carrying a basket filled with vegetables, greens, and cooking ingredients she must have gathered, approached with a neat dress and apron.

 "…Frey is my fiancé."

 She was approaching with an expression she had never shown in front of Frey.

You can read 505 episodes for $10. p.*atreon.com/Astrid02