Chapter 132
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A villainess locked away in a desolate tower—I had possessed her body. Chapter 132 A Dark Mage's circle. For a moment, I wanted to deny reality itself, but unfortunately my mental fortitude proved far stronger than I'd expected. But why on earth was this appearing here? No matter how many times I blinked, the fact that what lay before my eyes was the Dark Mage's circle I'd seen before remained unchanged. The sickly crimson hue—whose origins I had no desire to contemplate—and those geometric patterns like writhing worms crawling across the surface. It didn't match exactly with what I'd seen before, but the resemblance was undeniably striking. I stared down at my feet for a long while before finally releasing a deep sigh.
"What in the world is happening here?"
In the original story, Lemeia Salt had deteriorated day by day after being confined to this chamber. I had naturally assumed it was simply due to the loss of freedom and confinement, and the original work offered no other explanation for her decline. But could it have been this repulsive magic circle that was the real culprit all along? Surely this wasn't the kind used for human sacrifice, was it? Wait, no! Could I have been kidnapped to be used as a human sacrifice? Is that what this is? 'Oh, what do I do...!' Feeling goosebumps prickle across my skin, I hastily retreated from the magic circle. But once the ominous thoughts had begun, they continued to spiral endlessly, one after another. It was a problem I'd remained unconscious of for so long, precisely because the original story and my current reality diverged so drastically. Or rather, I thought I'd been unconscious of it... 'I can't remember.' Had I actually finished reading 【The Forced Empress】 to the end? Tracing through the plot carefully, what I knew for certain was that in the original work, the heroine Lemeia Salt was slowly destroyed by Lyden's obsessive love-madness. And each time Lemeia rejected him, Lyden systematically destroyed or dismantled everything she held dear, pushing her further into despair. Yet in the end, he never obtained Lemeia's true love. So both of them continued their ruined love within that desolation... but what happened after that...? 'What became of them?' Why can't I remember? It's hard to believe I didn't read it all the way through... no, I'm quite certain I read to the ending, so why exactly...? But the more I thought about it, the more confusion only deepened.
"No, first I need to pull myself together."
I patted my cheeks and shook my head, snapping out of my daze. If I continued spiraling into my own thoughts in a situation like this, I truly feared I would lose my mind.
"In... out. In... out."
I took deep breaths, desperately trying to calm my racing heart. But trapped alone in this dimly lit chamber, relying only on moonlight, my composure refused to settle. At the Blaire Grand Duke Residence, dark rooms had felt cozy and pleasant, yet the subtle darkness blanketing this chamber seemed to gnaw away at my very sanity. Setting aside the Dark Mage's markings beneath my feet... this space itself felt oppressively suffocating, as though the air itself were strangling me.
"Sigh..."
After one more deep breath, I deliberately averted my gaze from the floor and moved toward the door. Yes, thinking about it calmly, it wasn't entirely strange after all. Even though the original story and the current situation had diverged significantly, and to make matters worse, I couldn't even remember the ending! What I could newly deduce was that Lyden's descent into madness stemmed not from failing to win Lemeia's love, but from dark magic itself. Through the dark magic book I'd seen in the library that day, what I'd grasped wasn't merely about the altars used in dark magic or human sacrifice. Though I couldn't recall every detail, I could still vividly remember the general outline of dark magic. And that book, which warned of dark magic's dangers, stated.... 「Dark magic, which fulfills one's desires by sacrificing another's life, possesses tremendous power, yet carries a fatal flaw—the caster's soul inevitably becomes corrupted. Where there is gain, there is loss. Countless Dark Mages have ruled through immense power, yet few savored dominion for long. They didn't lose their control, but they lost the capacity to feel joy from it. The inhumane act of sacrificing others for one's desires slowly destroys the souls of both the caster and those who participate. And this is precisely why dark magic is forbidden, or why only the most carefully selected individuals with strict discipline dare handle such knowledge.」 Of course, with only the evidence presented so far, I couldn't determine whether Lyden was a Dark Mage himself or merely complicit in dark magic. Yet if it was true that dark magic corrupted not just the caster's soul but also those of the participants, then the strange aura I kept sensing from Lyden made sense. At least, the darkness I'd felt from him was far from ordinary. Knock, knock. Then, breaking the silence outside, came the sound of knocking.
"...!"
I clutched my startled chest and stepped back, and at that very moment, the door that had been locked tight swung wide open. Upon confirming the figure revealed before me, I couldn't help but wear an awkward expression.
"We meet again."
"Y-Your Highness, Crown Prince Lyden."
Though I'd suspected it, seeing his face in person made it difficult to find my words. But showing fear now would only disadvantage me. Adjusting my demeanor, I forced my lips upward as naturally as I could.
"A-ah, h-hello there...?"
Right, I'd forgotten. I was absolutely terrible at acting. As my voice came out pathetically strained, the Crown Prince's expression grew peculiar. I naturally averted my gaze from his and hastily stepped back a few more paces. The fact that he'd kidnapped me and now greeted me so casually made me think he was genuinely unhinged. But why kidnap me specifically? 'Because I'm partners with Blaire Grand Duke?' Of course, I couldn't entirely rule out that possibility. Lyden and Blaire Grand Duke appeared openly to be rivals watching each other's moves. If it were simply because of the Grand Duke, I might be able to negotiate my release through careful conversation. Though the fact that he'd brought me to the very chamber of spirit and time where Lemeia had been trapped suggested that possibility was extremely slim. I mustn't abandon hope entirely. Steeling myself once more, I opened my mouth with a respectful tone.
"If you'd simply s-summoned me, I would have c-come. Why bring me here...? Haha."
"I prefer to have conversations without interruptions, in quiet."
"Interruptions...?"
The Crown Prince Lyden gazed down at me with an inscrutable expression, his voice carrying a subtle undertone.
"Something like a 'Princess's' partner, perhaps."
Thump. In that instant, my heart plummeted. As I remained frozen in place, staring at the Crown Prince Lyden, his voice descended upon me tinged with amusement.
"Why do you look so startled?"
"...."
"The unrecognized Princess of Salt, April Salt."
After his matter-of-fact words came a voice that seemed to coax me sweetly. But none of it registered, because....
"Your royal blood was revealed, yet you were never acknowledged as royalty—treated with ambiguity all along, I hear."
The very information I had hoped would remain hidden had spilled from his lips. How? How did he find out? Yet even amid my confusion, that question resolved itself almost immediately. Given Lemeia's behavior, she must have already confessed everything to the Crown Prince Lyden. Having reached that conclusion, I pressed my lips firmly shut against his continued words.
"How unfortunate."
"...."
"Everything you accomplished became Lemeia Salt's achievement, and you were forced to live in someone's shadow, denied even the smallest recognition for your efforts."
I didn't understand why he was broaching this subject with me, but his words were undeniably accurate. As I listened in silent contemplation, a suddenly tender question fell from his lips.
"Princess, did you not feel wronged?"
"I... beg your pardon?"
"All that should have been yours, all that you should have enjoyed, all the praise you deserved—you never experienced any of it, never obtained any of it."
A bitter laugh. A twisted smile crossed my pallid face.
"Have you never once felt resentment, Princess April Salt?"
Never felt resentment? His words struck at something raw, and for a moment I couldn't determine what expression I should wear.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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