Chapter 13 - Desiring Freedom

Chapter 13 – Desiring Freedom

The Emperor of the West Empire had changed four times. The West Empire was a strong empire back when Emperor Iver, famous for his tuberosity, occupied its throne. But now it barely existed, like a piece of cake eaten around.

The minorities, who relegated to the corner of the West, did not miss the opportunity and attacked the Empire. All sides of the Empire became a battlefield, and in the middle of it, a young child with a sword suddenly appeared.

“On the battlefield, even a child like that…”

Ironically, those who felt pity towards the child died first. Yet the child survived tenaciously, even if his back was covered with wounds and his breathing was ragged, persistently enduring. The longer he was on the battlefield, the more injuries he suffered.

By the time the Emperor of Miltan was replaced for the fifth time, he turned his sword to the center of the Empire, the symbol of the Iver family carved in his gloves.

He sported black hair, which was golden before. The necklace around his neck was nothing but a tool for hiding his blonde hair.

It was about ten years after the child appeared.

His name was Nabel Iver.

***

The fork poked the apple in the middle, clutched by a hand that was tender and thin. The owner of the hand saw one side of the apple turning brown, and took a bite, avoiding it.

Ronée suddenly looked at her hand. Every time she looked at it, she would sometimes remember another hand, holding her own.

“Nabel.” A small frown appeared on her lips. It was a name she hadn’t forgotten even after ten years.

The child, who was no longer there, was a little taller than her then. By now, wouldn’t he be much bigger than her?

Ronée thought, how are you doing?

He was bought by her as a slave, but he was not a slave. Ronée did not treat him as a slave. Nabel was a free man, and he left.

You said you’d come back.

She hadn’t been under much sunlight, so her skin was pale. She picked up the fork again. It was then,

“Lady!”

There was only one person who came rushing into her room: the maid Ryne.

“Ryne? Is something wrong?”

“Lady…” Ryne was panting, unable to speak.

Ronée immediately knew that the fear she had been dreading for ten years had finally come.

“From the temple, I got a call.”

Ronée dropped the fork. The fox, Bell, jumped into her arms and sat down. As if it was reassuring, as if it was there to protect.

Ronée saw Nabel from Bell. For a moment, she reminisced about their childhood promise that he would come back, but she immediately erased it from her mind. The child, who said he would be back soon, was late. It’s been ten years since she started expecting his return even though she said she wouldn’t.

Ronée closed her eyes. This year, she turned 27 years old.

***

“Where are the heretics?”

The Wizards of the God’s Crest entered the mansion. While Count Rieda and Lady Countess treated them with great care, knights rushed into Ronée’s room.

“You’ll be dragged out anyway when the sorcerers arrive. Is there any reason to stay here?”

The knights laughed at Ronée to their heart’s content. Now that the sorcerers from the temple had officially come, they thought that no matter how many foxes she had, she still would not be able to endure.

It was the moment they had been waiting for ten years.

“Lady…” The maid, Ryne, was at a loss.

Ronée looked out of the window. Oblivious to her wretched situation, the sun was brightly shining across the clear skies.

It would be better to walk out than to be dragged out, Ronée thought, raising herself up.

”Don’t you want to go out?”

The voice of Nabel she remembered was still young. He’d be an adult now. She recalled his voice again, wondering how he looked now.

I want to go out, too.

Ronée gazed out of the window once more. That was the first time in her twenty-seven-year-old life.

Can we get out of here?

The Rieda family was the leading family of numerous knights and wizards. It was too much for her alone. Until now, she had been told to behave at the temple, which prevented her death. However, orders had already been issued to kill her if she resisted violently.

“If the devil resists strongly, cleanse it.”

Ronée’s father accepted the order from the temple with a look of regret.

What they said was quite a spectacle.

”It’ll take a long time to recreate your daughter, but… you are still young, wouldn’t it be all right?”

Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu

Ronée’s stepmother, now in her late thirties, could not hide her laughter at the remark. That day, Ronée completely abandoned her personal affection for the two after hearing their conversation. Besides, it was already thinner than a thread.

“……”

Still, I couldn’t get out. No, I couldn’t get out.

Since then, they’ve been acting like they could kill Ronée somehow.

“If you try to escape with all your might, we won’t hesitate to do anything cruel on the other side,” they would say.

But Ronée still desired to leave. It was better than being treated like a demon and going to the temple anyway.