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Episode 87: Yggdrasil
The West of Aktoum, ‘Yggdrasil’, a dark slum city.
Despite how the city was named after the World Tree, the entire city was as dull as rotten roots.
The only light was the light of joy that leaked out of the gambling hall.
The only laughter was the paroxysmal laughter of drug addicts.
On the streets, even the eyes of children were cloudy like dead fish; Deborah came to meet someone today.
Swssh—
Deborah pulled the hood down so deeply that her face was unrecognizable, and hurried her steps.
‘I can’t believe I have to do this!’
To be honest, she didn’t want to even set foot on this wet and shady street.
But she couldn’t help it.
Because ‘that person’ wouldn’t do business unless one came in person.
‘A picky person.’
She couldn’t help it though.
This was the only place in Aktoum where she could get the ‘Heart of Eros’ and the ‘Breath of Johannes’.
There were no other options.
‘Today, I have to be patient with that dog-like temperament and deal with it.’
Deborah’s face contorted into displeasure.
Just as the imperial family ruled the world of light, there was a ‘ruler’ who controlled this dark world.
The head of the dark guild of ‘Calypso’.
He was the darkness of Aktoum, the ailment, and the ruler of this tumultuous street.
He handled expensive and illegal things here.
He was a man who bought and sold everything that could make money.
Whether it was objects, information, someone’s time or even someone else’s family
 And even human life.
It was when Deborah had just taken a big step out of a puddle of filth.
Kwak!
A beggar-looking man giggled and grabbed her wrist.
“Will you give me a penny?”
Deborah collected saliva and spat it on the floor, reciting the code.
“The wolves of Yggdrasil run west, licking their gallbladder.”
The man flashed his yellowed whites, revealing his strong gold teeth.
“Long time no see.”
He took Deborah and disappeared into the darkness.
* * *
After the picnic, the chicks were noticeably refreshed.
So they were able to do more intense work.
‘I’m sorry, chicks.’
But I couldn’t help it. Hardcore progress until the wedding.
However, Seryl’s strong appeal convinced me to let the kitten hang around for the day.
Seryl, who was laughing, going ‘heh heh’, and saying it was okay to get punched with a soft front paw, asked as if she suddenly thought about it.
“Oh, but Your Majesty. When will Maribel come
?”
“Maribel
”
It was then. Before I could answer, the door swung open and Maribel entered.
Almost like a person who took off his pants before entering the bathroom, the door was already open when she knocked.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
I narrowed my eyes at the aggressive call that was unlike the timid Maribel.
‘What happened?’
“I finally got the information you mentioned last time!”
I took the initiative before Maribel could elaborate further.
“Did Deborah meet Lady Yuria?”
“

Yes, that is correct

!”
Last time, I questioned the maids, speculating that there was a connection between Deborah and Yuria’s premature appearance.
“Is there anyone you know who is acquainted with Madam Deborah?”
Fortunately, Maribel had one.
“My childhood friend works as Madam Deborah’s maid. Should I tell her to look at her movements?”
Through Maribel, I instructed to be reported only when she was meeting her on purpose, because Deborah wouldn’t leave her maid alone if she caught her spying.
She was not eavesdropping on the content, and she would be able to figure it out without being caught.
It seemed that Maribel’s friend finally brought news.
“She said they met the day before yesterday.”
“Yes

?”
It felt like my chest was getting colder.
I had a bad foreboding.
‘In the end, Yuria decided not to give up.’
Even after the news of the marriage was announced.
There were two options for Yuria.
‘Either she gives up or doesn’t give up.’
I guessed that if it was the former, she would have returned to Malta, and if it was the latter, she would meet with Deborah.
“Madam Deborah is now staying in a temporary home with a few of her private maids, and she says Lady Mavis has been there!”
‘What kind of work are you two doing
’
Wasn’t it really a combination of ‘worst + worst’? Yuria and Deborah!
‘I can’t believe the two women who hate me are united

.’
Two women with almost different personalities, like Jjajang and Jjamppong, but they got along like Jajangmyeon.
As expected, I always preferred tangsuyuk?
‘She must be cornered.’
Yuria would think it was all over when her wedding was over.
If Rixus, her purpose itself, married me, then there would be no more chances.
So, now that she was in a bind, she would have no choice but to end this marriage

There was a high probability that she was preparing a dangerous and large scheme.
It would be Deborah who encouraged it, dragged it, and pushed it.
“

Your Majesty?”
Maribel called me, who was deep in thought.
“Should I find out more?”
“No. It’s done. Tell your friend to stop.”
“
We’re close enough to ask for more
”
“Deborah is cruel. Your friend’s life will be in danger if she looks at my movements and finds out that it’s been leaked somewhere.”
“

Yes.”
When I replied that her friend could not help further as it might put her in danger, Maribel asked with a worried expression.
“Then what do you plan to do, Your Majesty?”
“Hmm
”
Meow—
Looking at the kitten, I rolled my head.
‘Should I go there?’
Yggdrasil. A place where lives hung stagnant at the edge of a cliff.
I was aware of its existence as I read it in the original. But I didn’t even go near it for fear that the darkness would bury me.
Half of the people there were prostitutes, the other half were drug dealers, and 100% of them gambled.
I remember that it smelled stale just by reading it in text.
It was also the place Deborah always went to whenever she planned a scheme.
‘The Dark Guild of Yggdrasil.’
And its ruler,
The head of Calypso, ‘Shadow’.
Everyone called him Shadow.
He was one of the wicked who traded with Deborah and many other bad guys.
A terrifying human who did not get an upset stomach even after receiving money from the wicked.
“Ha, I guess I have to deal with such a person after all
”
“What kind of human?!”
At Seryl’s clear question, I looked down at her.
Laura was looking at me with her worried eyes.
So was Maribel.
They seemed to have noticed something.
“Seryl can deal with that person instead! Your Majesty!”
‘

I don’t think so

 Pink cotton candy.’
You would melt as soon as you went, a small and bright person like you.
Still, her willingness to replace me because I looked like I was in trouble was cute and precious.
She didn’t even know what it was about.
“You guys, have you heard of Yggdrasil?”
“
.
”
Unsurprisingly, Seryl’s face turned white.
Yggdrasil’s notoriety was very high in Aktoum.
“There
 you can’t go there! Your Majesty, it’s said that the people who go there either die or come out as half-corpses.”
“I heard that it is a lawless area
”
Maribel frowned and vividly described the scene in front of her eyes.
“I’ve seen a man from Yggdrasil, and he lacked one arm and one leg.”
“

.”
“But he never told me what he went through there!”
“

Why?”
Maribel wrapped her arms around her body and said with a face full of fear.
“He told me that if he said anything, the rest of his arms and legs would be cut off too. Oh, it’s true! And the tongue
.”
“Ugh, that’s terrible.”
“
I-It’s not scary at all. But, Seryl needs to sleep with her mom tonight.”
I frowned.
‘If you set foot in Calypso, you will come out as a half-corpse.’
I didn’t want to be a corpse before I got married.
Meoww—
At that moment, the kitten Seryl was playing with jumped up onto my lap.
I thought as I stroked the cat’s head.
‘Then I’ll have to make a ‘proposal’ that can’t be refused even if I die.’
And right now, I didn’t have anything that could be that ‘proposal’.
But fortunately, very close by, there was a man with the object.
I quickly picked up a pen and paper and wrote a reply.
A reply to the question that I read and ignored.
* * *
“You still haven’t gotten a reply?”
Johann asked his butler, Melphis.
Melfis bowed politely and said,
“I haven’t received anything. And that’s what you asked an hour ago.”
“
.
”
Johann sat down on the sofa and blinked loosely.
It was amazing. He couldn’t believe she ignored his letter.
It was also amazing that, for the first time, he had waited for a letter from the other person.
The man replied because of the power he possessed, and women were always quick to reply to his letters in the first place.
Hence, this was his first time waiting.
It was his first time doing something like this, so he was looking forward to it more.
“The more I experience it, the more I think about it, and the more fascinating it is.”
“
Ordinary men are often ignored.”
“Because I’m not normal.”
“That’s right too.”
He pondered the message he sent her.
<When will you come to the archduchy?>
It was an ordinary question. He couldn’t find any reason for her to not reply at all.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt like he didn’t know why.
He was a bit tenacious.
But then, he heard the sound of a visitor coming and Melfis went down to the first floor.
And, after a while.
There was a letter in the butler’s hand.
“The reply has come.”
Johann immediately got up from his seat and walked quickly to receive the letter.
Spinel’s seal. It was definitely a letter from the Queen.
He read it without hesitation. Though, it was so concise that he didn’t even have to read it.
<Now.>
Johann’s lips rose up as if perturbed.
“Ha.”