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Lewarren, who entered Kylian’s room, was rolling his eyes as if trying to grasp the situation. His eyes saw Anais sitting on the floor, Priest Phileal reaching out his hand in bewilderment next to her, and Kylian aiming a sword at her thigh.
“What is this…”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Because this woman is so arrogant about treating my leg.”
“Are you really crazy? Did you just draw a knife on Lilith?”
Lewarren angrily approached Kylian. Then, Anais took Kylian’s knife with her hand. Kylian never intended to cut her. So he was quite taken aback when Lilith grabbed the knife and started to bleed.
“Ugh…!”
“Kylian!”
“How impertinent, High Priest Lewarren Iphigenia.”
Lewarren hesitated to approach as Kylian calmed down and warned him, then he looked at Anais. He could see her pale face, struggling eyes barely open, and chapped lips chewing in pain. Even so, she couldn’t let go of her knife in her anxiety.
“When Saintess Lilith is injured, she has trouble recovering her energy. You should know that, Kylian.”
“Ah, true.”
He answered so insincerely and removed his sword. Then Anais, with tears in her eyes, clenched her fists because her palm hurt so much.
“Why did you call me, Kylian?”
“That woman called you. She said it’s unfair.”
Kylian sneered at her and looked down at her with pitiful looks. Anais looked up at him and was back to her normal face. She didn’t do anything wrong, so she told Lewarren without hesitation.
“I never tried to harm the High Priest of Death.”
“…….”
“Really Lewarren, did you guarantee the revelations the High Priest of Death saw? The revelation that I poisoned the tea?”
“…….”
Lewarren’s expression was not good. Anais felt suspicious about him. Him and Kylian and Lilith. These three were people who had firm faith in each other, so there was no room for Anais to intervene. However, Lewarren’s expression now looks like someone who felt sorry for her. Similar to the expression he often gave to the real Lilith.
“Because it’s not a lie.”
“Lewarren?”
“Because I saw you trying to kill the priest of death.”
“Ha.”
Kylian laughed at Anais again and glared at her.
“Why are you lying?”
“You’re the one lying, Lilith.”
“Lewarren!”
“Why are you pretending to be Anais? I always respected you. But bringing me here wasn’t enough, so now you’re asking me to help you pretend to be Anais?”
“Lewarren…”
“I’m sorry. But I can’t do it anymore.”
Lewarren said with a sigh. Anais stood there blankly, hit in the head by his words.
“Why are you lying? Lewarren. Why?”
“Stop it.”
Kylian cut her off, and he gestured with a look that it would just be the same.
“Kylian.”
“If you call me so rudely one more time, I’ll have your tongue pulled out, Lilith Isadora.”
“…….”
He said that and kicked everyone out of the room. Except for Lewarren.
Anais continued to look in the direction he had left, like a devastated person. It was Lewarren who brought her here. It wasn’t enough that he called her Lilith, and he sided with the High Priest of Death to frame her.
What is going on? Anais really thought she might be Lilith.
She couldn’t help the trembling of her chin at the resentment.
Lewarren betrayed her. A close friend whom she trusted more than anyone else.
When Anais thought that, sad feelings came as if a thorn had been driven into her chest. More because she couldn’t figure out why he betrayed her.
* * *
After that, Anais’ treatment did not improve.
“Are you taking me for energy again?”
“…….”
Without answering her, the guard captain took her out of prison again.
Having been through this a few times, Anais thought he must be taking her energy and giving it to the fake.
So she decided not to ask any more. She preferred to save her energy by not speaking.
What was the reason for Lewarren, who brought her to persuade Kylian, to say that? Maybe she was really sleepwalking and was trying to kill the High Priest of Death? Then that person must be someone who can use divine power.
There was no one on her side. Phielal won’t be able to openly help her like he used to.
Anais thought she couldn’t even ask for Phileal’s help anymore. She didn’t know when she would die, so she couldn’t keep continuing to receive his help. If she dies, it’s over, but not for Phileal. He was younger than her, and he had a higher rank in the Temple of Death. He was also a man who wanted to rise higher.
She didn’t want to be a hindrance to his future. She just wanted to stop Kylian from sacrificing people, give up the guilt he had against her, and find a way back to life and live happily ever after.
“As expected, she must have been feigning sickness after all.”
“Hello, Your Majesty.”
She pretended to be calm and greeted him with a smile at the thought of not knowing when the last time would be. Then he gave a cold glare and set down the body of the fake Anais he was holding.
“Honey.”
“Yes, Wife.”
“Hold my hand. I don’t want to stand alone.”
“Alright.”
The fake Anais stretched out her hand inside the magic circle, and Kylian smiled kindly as he held her outstretched hand outside the magic circle.
Anais looked at it, then pursed her lips and swallowed a gulp.
“Your Majesty.”
Anais said so to the fake in her body. It wasn’t easy to call Anais in person.
“Say it.”
“Is Your Majesty okay with it?”
“What?”
The fake tilted her head and looked at Anais, who fell to the floor. Anais somehow thought that the fake face looking at her with a child-like innocent smile looked strangely similar to the expression Phileal used to make.
“Do you know how many sacrifices have been made to save Her Majesty’s life? The sages of the Mage Tower and the priests with divine power. And even innocent nobles.”
“…….”
“Don’t you feel sorry for them?”
The fake tilted her head to the other side this time as Anais asked that. Then she took one look at Kylian. Kylian didn’t think Anais’ question was wrong.
What he feared the most was that when Anais came back to life, she would ask him why he did this. But he was confident that he could convince her.
Kylian thought it was all his fault that Anais suddenly left him.
“People who knew nothing were sacrificed for Her Majesty’s sake, how can you not stop it?”
“…….”
The fake smiled, confirming that Kylian looked at her and wanted her to answer the questions.
“Why should I stop it?”
“What?”
“Why do I have to stop it?”
“Your Majesty.”
“I don’t remember. But it’s because of them that I died.”
“But it was through your own choice that you died.”
“Ah, did I, Kylian?”
“…….”
Kylian couldn’t answer her words. He knew it too. What was written in her diary was true.
Anais had been preparing for her death for a very long time, and he didn’t know how Lilith knew it, but the day Anais died, she wrote it down in her diary as if she knew she was going to die. The reality was that she had vowed to take the shot for Kylian that day.
“No.”
“Is that so? That girl seems to love Your Majesty very much.”
“…….”
“So that’s why she’s talking nonsense.”
“…Your Majesty.”
Anais looked at the confused Kylian. He couldn’t believe what his wife had said, and it was painful to hear it with her his ears. Even then, when his eyes met the hated saint Lilith, who was looking at him pitifully, he became cold.
“Never mind her, Wife.”
“Why.”
“Because we don’t need sacrifices anymore. It is enough to take the divine power from that wicked woman.”
“Oh, I’m glad.”
The fake shook Kylian’s hand and stepped back a little. Kylian, impatient with her actions, followed her into the magic circle and grabbed her hand again.
“Kylian.”
“Yes, Wife.”
“I think it’s natural for the weak to die.”
“…….”
“It is an honor to have them sacrificed for me.”
“…….”
“Kylian, you think so too, right?”
The fake Anais held his hand again and smiled at Kylian, who was so distorted. She looks like she really thinks so.
“What the wife said….”
“…….”
“Is absolutely true.”
As for Kylian, it didn’t matter if the real Anais, whom he loved, was no more. Even if she didn’t, he must love her. It was all his fault for missing her before.
“What nonsense is that?”
“Shut up.”
“How can a forced sacrifice think it’s an honor?”
“I told you to shut up.”
“Are you really Anais? Anais had always sided with the weak! She wasn’t someone who so easily exploited others!”
“Leviathan!”
“…Yes.”
Since Phileal couldn’t come, Leviathan came behind Anais and tried to block her mouth.
“Don’t do it! I will say… mmph!”
The cloth covering her mouth was enchanted with silence magic. Anais, who couldn’t say anything as her mouth was gagged, looked at Kylian’s gaze pitifully, confused but trying to ignore his own feelings.
“Honey.”
“Yes, Wife.”
“I want to use that saint as my handmaid from now on.”
“That’s not possible.”
“But you never know when I might collapse.”
“But…”
“I will use her with the chief priest with her. If it was the chief priest Leviathan, she won’t do anything stupid.”
As the fake asked, she held Kylian’s hand again. Then, bringing it to her cheek, she smiled shyly.
“It is dangerous.”
“There is nothing dangerous. If I am in danger, you will save me.”
“Don’t worry. Kylian. I’ll be with you whenever you hear thunder.”
He suddenly thought of Anais before she died, who had told her not to worry.
“I ….”
“…….”
“I will definitely protect you, my wife.”
“That’s good.”
The fake laughed languidly and looked at Kylian. She didn’t know for a second that her eyes had returned to purple.
—
t/n: WHAT.MORE.DO.YOU.NEED.KYLIAN AAAAAHHH