49: An Unfortunate Reunion

Letia, who had been living in a cave, coughed up black blood.

“D*mn it… Ugh! Is this my limit now? Haha, I guess the saying that sinners don’t live long isn’t just an empty phrase.”

Muttering to herself, Letia staggered out of the cave and gazed at the crimson sky, dyed as if with blood.

“It’s time. Time to use this remaining power to execute my glorious revenge. Haha… Hahaha! Ahahahaha!”

Though she laughed maniacally, tears streamed down Letia’s face.

Rustle.

“!”

Sensing movement, Letia sharply turned her gaze toward the sound. What she saw was a man she once loved so deeply that she would have given everything for him—Ramios. 

He was the same man who had gone mad after witnessing his family brutally killed before his eyes and had run aimlessly through the village. Now, he stood before her in this desolate place.

“…”

“…”

They stared at each other in silence until Ramios took a step forward, slowly approaching Letia. His cracked voice broke the quiet as he called her name.

“Leti…a.”

“…”

“I… I was wrong.”

“…”

“Please. Kill me.”

“…”

“I want to die by your hands.”

Letia glared fiercely at Ramios, who was pleading desperately for her to kill him as he moved closer.

“Can’t you shut that mouth?”

“Letia, please. I can’t go on like this. I… Please! You want to kill me, don’t you?”

“Yes, the reason I kept you alive until now… was so I could see you like this—completely broken, trembling in fear, and dying by my hands.”

“Then do it! Please… Kill me, Letia. And don’t… commit any more sins.”

“…”

“It’s my fault… that you became like this.”

“…”

“I’m sorry, Letia. I’m truly sorry. If I could turn back time, I’d go back to when you came to me. I should’ve run away with you, lived with you. I should’ve repaid the debt of betraying the one who saved me. Kill me, Letia.”

Letia quickly approached Ramios, who had fallen to his knees, and began to strangle him with all her strength.

“…Ugh! Guh… Let… Letia…”

“Die! Just die already, you bastard! It’s all your fault! Because I loved someone like you, my life… my life is ruined!!!”

“I’m… sorry… Letia… Guh… I’m sorry for loving you… I’m sorry for making you… like this… Guh… Letia, I’m sorry… for loving you… I’m sorry… for not… protecting you…”

Through her bloodshot eyes, Letia watched as Ramios, who kept apologizing to her even in his final moments, collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

“Pfft. Pffft! You fool! Serves you right! You really… Hic. Hic… Sob! Sob. Hic!”

Covering her face with both hands, Letia sobbed uncontrollably. After taking a deep breath, she raised her tear-streaked face to the now-darkened sky.

“It’s time… to end everything. Ramios, when I die, I won’t be able to go to the same place as you, will I? Well, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter at all.”

Letia glanced at Ramios’s lifeless body lying on the cold ground. She noticed the beasts, drawn by the smell, slowly gathering around.

Growl.

“You must be starving.”

As the pack of predators bared their sharp teeth and prepared to pounce, Letia cast a simple spell, sending them fleeing with their tails between their legs.

“If it were up to me, I’d tear your limbs apart… but… Haha, I don’t even know myself anymore. Seeing you dead like this… why does it feel so…”

Letia sighed repeatedly, then lifted Ramios’s limp body. It was far too thin to belong to an adult man. Dragging his frail body, she descended the mountain and left him on a busy roadside.

“Goodbye, Ramios. And… I’m sorry too.”

After whispering her farewell, Letia disappeared. Shortly after, a passerby discovered Ramios’s strangled body. The news that the dark sorceress, responsible for mass killings through her dark magic, had personally murdered Ramios spread like wildfire. 

The emperor soon issued an order allowing anyone to kill Letia on sight. 

With the emperor’s decree, people, determined not to fall victim to her any longer, armed themselves with magical tools and became obsessed with hunting down the dark sorceress to kill her.

—

Men and women, young and old, all carried magical tools imbued with powerful magic at the emperor’s command. Their sole purpose was to kill the most notorious villainess in the history of the Albazar Empire—a woman who had lost herself to sl*ughter. 

Believing that they would die if they didn’t kill her first, the people patrolled the streets with sharpened resolve, ready to strike the moment she appeared.

Watching this heartbreaking scene was a certain woman.

The Duchess of Hormons, who had boarded a carriage heading to the imperial palace for the first time in a while.

Until the emperor’s order, the capital had been abuzz with tales of the extraordinary yet deeply moving love story of the Duke and Duchess of Hormons. 

A love so strong that even death couldn’t separate them. A couple whose bond was acknowledged even by the gods.

For a time, Aella had been overwhelmed by visits from ladies who came to see her personally.

Kina, exasperated by the visitors, had once said, [They used to call you the daughter of a criminal, but now look at them! How shameless can people be?!]

Recalling Kina’s grumbling complaints, Aella let out a soft laugh. 

But her laughter faded as she looked out the window at the grim faces of those prowling the streets.

‘How did it come to this? How did she…?’

Closing her eyes, Aella thought back to when the woman who was now the worst villainess had once shone the brightest.

Letia, the saint of the Albazar Empire. Like Aella, she had been born the daughter of a count. 

Born with a sacred power called “divine energy,” Letia was raised in the temple, where she honed her abilities for the sake of the empire and its people. 

She offered sacrifices to the gods, followed their will to protect the empire, and cared for the people’s well-being.

Her devout followers revered her even more than the emperor, treating her with a fanatical devotion.

Growing up watching her, Aella had dreamed of becoming like the radiant saint who healed the sick and helped the suffering. Remarkably, Aella later became the empire’s only healer, possessing curative magic that developed later in life.

Aella had met the saint once.

It was at the temple, where she had gone to pray to the gods, holding her grandfather’s hand tightly.

[Ella, my dear. That’s the saint over there.]

[Wow!]

To young Aella, Saint Letia was no different from a goddess. She was the most beautiful woman in the world, elegant and radiant. A sacred saint beloved by the people.

[Saint! Thank you so much! Thanks to you, the empire is at peace!]

Hearing young Aella’s voice, Letia approached her, crouched to meet her eye level, and patted her head.

[You have a very pure and clear soul.]

[My soul is pure? What does that mean?]

[Haha, it’s okay if you don’t understand yet. What’s your name?]

[Aella! My name is Aella!]

[I see, Aella. When you grow up, you’ll be able to use your power to heal the sick and the injured.]

[Wow! Really? Like you, Saint?]

At Aella’s words, Letia smiled instead of answering, nodding as she placed her hand on Aella’s head.

[Aella, may the gods’ blessings always be with you.]

[Thank you! I hope you’re happy too, Saint!]

[Thank you, Aella.]

As the smiling Letia walked away, young Aella waved enthusiastically after her. 

The memory ended, and Aella opened her moist eyes.

“Saint… No, Letia. How did you become such a tragic woman?”

In Aella’s memory, Letia was still dazzlingly beautiful. Overwhelmed with sorrow at the thought of her current state, Aella pulled out her handkerchief and wiped her tears.

“If only I could meet her…”

Aella clutched the handkerchief tightly in both hands and murmured softly.

Creak.

“My lady, we’ve arrived.”

“Thank you.”

As the carriage door opened, Aella saw her husband smiling as he extended his right hand to her. She let out a small laugh.

“How did you know I was coming and prepare like this…?”

“A husband and wife are of one heart. We don’t need words to know. Come, His Highness is waiting for you, my lady.”

“Yes.”

Taking Kael’s arm, Aella headed to the garden where the Princess was waiting.

“Aella Hormons greets Her Highness, the Princess.”

“Welcome, Duchess.”

“I’ll take my leave now. Have a pleasant time.”

“Thank you, Duke.”

Aella exchanged a glance with her husband, who bowed to the Crown Princess before leaving. He mouthed to her to come home with him, winked, and walked away, making Aella chuckle.

“The rumors were true.”

“Pardon?”

“There’s a rumor going around that the Duke of Hormons has become quite the romantic. Haha. It’s lovely to see.”

“Ah…”

Though it was true, Aella felt guilty even hinting at the closeness of their relationship in front of the Crown Princess.

“Aella, have a seat.”

“Yes.”

“The herbs you brought last time were so delightful. Today, I brewed some tea myself for our tea time.”

“Y-Your Highness brewed it yourself?!”

“Aella, it’s just the two of us here.”

“B-but, Your Highness, you’re now officially…”

Aella stopped when Elena reached out, placing her hands over Aella’s and smiling warmly.

“Just when it’s the two of us. I want to be informal with you.”

“Your Highness, what if I grow too comfortable and act rudely?”

“Haha, I know you won’t, Aella.”

“Honestly…”

Laughing with Elena, Aella took a sip of the tea she had brewed. Her exclamations of delight followed.

“Is this really your first time brewing tea? I’ve never tasted tea this rich before.”

“Haha, I’m glad you like it.”

“Oh, Your Highness… I brought you a gift.”

“Another gift?”

“You’ll like it.”

Aella presented a necklace made of lapia, a gem available only in Roden.

“This gem…”

Elena, speechless as she admired the colorful rainbow-like lapia embedded in the chain, listened as Aella continued.

“I heard that in Roden, lapia is a gem given to the most precious person as a token of good fortune.”

“Aella…”

“I hope that good fortune will come to you soon, Your Highness. I asked my husband to bring lapia from Roden and personally made it into a necklace. I’m sorry if it’s clumsy, as it’s my first attempt.”

“You made this necklace yourself?!”

Just as Elena expressed her surprise, Aella saw her husband running toward her urgently.

“Dear, what’s wrong?”

“There’s no time to explain. Quickly, take Her Highness somewhere safe…”

A loud noise interrupted him, and Aella turned to see the imperial palace collapsing and bursting into flames.

“This… can’t be…”

“Your Highness!”

“Your Highness! You mustn’t go to the palace! D*mn it! Ella! Stay here!”

“Kael!”

Aella couldn’t follow her husband’s orders. She ran toward the palace, now engulfed in flames, where the agonizing screams of those trapped inside echoed. It felt like she was experiencing hell itself.

“Kael! What about Their Majesties and the Crown Prince?”

“The Emperor and Empress have been evacuated, but the Crown Prince… we can’t find him…”

“Your Highness! Julius!”

“Your Highness! You can’t go in there!”

“Let me go! Aella! Julius is… No, no!”

As Aella restrained Elena, who was trying to run into the burning palace, she heard a chilling laugh in the air.

Looking up, she saw a woman laughing as if she found the situation amusing.

“That woman…”

It had been a long time, but Aella recognized her instantly. Despite the passage of time, her appearance hadn’t changed.

The woman laughing like a devil was none other than Letia, the saint Aella had once admired.

But now, she was nothing more than a villainess consumed by evil.