Chapter 12.4

The narrow corridor was lined with all sorts of miscellaneous items and ornaments, whose purpose she couldn’t guess.

Brienne grabbed the nearest vase.

“Brienne, that’s heavy and dangerous, so let me—”

“Getting caught is even more dangerous.”

With those words, Brienne threw the vase with all her strength.

Herace watched as the vase shattered against the toppled display, speechless.

Then it was grab, throw, smash, repeat.

While Brienne broke everything she could get her hands on, Herace kept toppling display cases.

In less than thirty seconds, the corridor was a complete mess.

Now, just entering the hallway would take quite a bit of time.

Brienne, now further inside, stuffed every small item she could use as a weapon into her bag from atop the display.

Her bag, which had felt awkwardly empty, was now bulging. Feeling a bit more secure, Brienne looked back at Herace.

“That’s it. Let’s go now!”

However, Herace seemed to have been watching her all along.

As their eyes met, a low chuckle escaped Herace’s lips.

“……Herace?”

Brienne felt a little afraid at Herace’s cheerful expression, which didn’t fit the dire situation at all.

“Why are you… laughing right now?”

“No, it’s just… I’m happy, somehow.”

Herace approached the wall, right beside Brienne, and took her hand.

“It’s my first time experiencing something like this with you, Brienne. Seeing a new side of you I’ve never seen before just makes me smile.”

“…….”

“And I think I just found one more reason why I can’t help but like you.”

As Herace softly whispered this to Brienne, who looked at him with complete disbelief, a loud voice suddenly interrupted.

“Stop right there!”

At last, the knights had caught up to them.

“Witch, unfortunately there’s no way out behind you. If you surrender quietly now, we’ll spare your life.”

The one who seemed to be the commander spoke, and the knights simultaneously drew their swords.

They couldn’t easily enter because the corridor was blocked, but their eyes were sharp and cold.

Brienne couldn’t trust their words.

These were people who would burn someone alive just for being an outsider.

If they thought she was mocking Riela’s face, she was sure they’d give her an even crueler death, not a lighter one.

She knew just how foolish it was to believe such lies.

But……

Brienne gripped Herace’s hand tightly.

“What about him?”

“……Brienne.”

Sensing something odd in her question, Herace quietly called her name. But Brienne didn’t look at him.

She simply stayed pressed against the wall, wary of the knights.

“If I surrender quietly, will you spare him too?”

Only then did the commander’s gaze shift to Herace.

He frowned slightly in thought, then nodded.

“If that’s your condition for surrendering, I’ll let this man go outside the village.”

“You swear it by Demekia god?”

Brienne asked urgently.

If he was devout enough to be the commander of the temple knights, she figured he wouldn’t lie about swearing to the god.

The answer came simply.

“Yes, I swear.”

No sooner had he spoken than Brienne let go of Herace’s hand.

As if to say goodbye, Brienne looked up at Herace and whispered softly.

“Here.”

“Brienne, please……”

“There’s a way here, Herace.”

But instead of a final farewell, Brienne whispered something else, after having been ready to die to save his life just moments before.

Herace’s eyes, filled with longing, stopped for a moment.

Brienne pretended to step forward and tapped the wall with her fingertip.

There really was a small indentation there.

With her back to Herace, Brienne discreetly shook the bunch of keys.

The moment she’d pressed herself to the wall, frightened by Herace’s sudden laughter, she discovered a small recess in the wallpaper hidden by the display.

<It’s my first time experiencing something like this with you, Brienne. Seeing a new side of you I’ve never seen before just makes me smile.>

<…….>

<And I think I just found one more reason why I can’t help but like you.>

Because of that, Brienne couldn’t even focus on Herace’s voice.

Even as she heard his gentle words, her hands searched the wall, trying keys in the slot.

And when the knights arrived—

<Witch, unfortunately there’s no way out behind you. If you surrender quietly now, we’ll spare your life.>

She was certain there was a door leading out.

If there really hadn’t been a way out, the commander wouldn’t have bothered with promises—he would’ve ordered the knights to clear the debris first.

Brienne and Herace, who had blocked the only exit themselves, would have been like rats in a trap.

But the commander didn’t do that.

<You swear it by Demekia god?>

<Yes, I swear.>

The person calling Brienne a witch swore by Demekia god that he’d let Herace go.

And he kept glancing anxiously at the wallpaper, so this must be the right door. Luckily, he didn’t seem to know the exact spot.

Brienne sorted through the keys behind her back, picking out the ones she’d already tried.

‘Hopefully Herace will catch on.’

She worried for a moment that he might misunderstand which keys she’d tried, but then Herace placed his hand over the keyring.

Even joining in Brienne’s act.

“Please, don’t do this. I can’t let you go.”

“……Herace.”

“If you have to go, then let me go instead. What meaning does life have for me without you, that I must suffer such a cruel punishment?”

His low, heartfelt voice echoed down the corridor. At the same time, Herace naturally managed to take the keys.

He simply looked like someone holding Brienne back.

Even Brienne, knowing he was acting, was a little surprised.

She wanted to turn around.

She wondered what kind of expression he was making as he spoke those words so sincerely.

But she knew she couldn’t move now. Not until Herace found the right key for the slot.

Brienne glanced at the still-tense knights and steadied her breath, lowering her gaze.

“……I’m sorry, Herace. Don’t worry about me. Even if we never meet again, we’ll be fine. So keep living. Hold on, no matter what.”

Really.

“That’s my only small wish.”

With a faint smile, Brienne slowly lifted her head.

She had never imagined she’d use lines from her favorite romance novels this way.

As soon as she said it, embarrassment flushed her face, but at least it bought a little time.

The commander waited until Brienne finished before raising his hand.

“That’s enough goodbyes. Now step forward.”

But Herace wasn’t ready yet.

Brienne needed to buy a little more time.

After a brief hesitation, she cautiously took a step forward, then looked at the commander as if truly frightened.

“Wait, before I go, I have one question.”

“No more! If you’re planning any tricks, you’d better stop. Hand over the keys first.”

“Answer me first.”

Brienne pretended the keys were in her bag and reached inside.

She found the small glass ornament she’d packed earlier.

If things went badly, she was ready to throw it.

“That man from before—who is he?”

The man who helped her and Herace escape, who attacked the knights.

When she asked about him, the commander frowned.

“Why do you care?”

“Maybe you don’t need the keys after all.”

Brienne, gripping the glass ornament tightly, threatened the commander in a gentle voice.

In this vivid illusion, that man was the only one who’d helped her.

So she wanted to know why he’d helped, and whether he really was Arthur.

She needed any scrap of information to solve her ‘original sin’ or whatever it was.

The commander ground his teeth.

“You’re just a witch, unworthy to even mention his name! If you hadn’t imitated Miss Riela, he’d never have helped you. Is that answer enough?”

The commander, suspicious of the drawn-out conversation, ordered the knights.

“No more negotiations. Drag them both here.”

“Yes, Sir.”

One by one, the knights sheathed their swords and began clearing the debris blocking the corridor. Brienne grew desperate.

“Herace, is it ready yet?”

Just as the knights grew noisy, Brienne quietly asked.

Click.

Finally, the key turned in the lock.

“Now.”

Herace pulled Brienne into his arms and dove through the door.

* * *

When the door, which had looked like just a wall, opened, they found themselves in a wide field under the blazing sun.

Herace quickly locked the door and removed the used key from the ring, handing it to Brienne. He took her now heavier bag.

“Are you hurt anywhere, Brienne?”

“No, I’m fine. What about you, Herace?”

“I’m fine too.”

“That’s a relief. I’m glad we both made it out safely.”

Having passed a crisis, Brienne was exhausted and sighed. Running for her life from sword-wielding knights had left her legs aching.

But there was no time to rest.

The knights could break down the door at any moment.

If only there were somewhere to hide.

The wide-open field held only a single old shed. Hiding there would be pointless—they’d be found for sure.

Herace, noticing Brienne’s anxious look, spoke.

“If you’re tired, let’s rest a little.”

“What? But it’s too dangerous.”

“Escaping the temple won’t be easy anyway. This whole village is practically a giant temple.”

He was right.

They were already suspected as outsiders and witches, so even if they ran, nowhere would be safe.

“Instead of just running, we should focus on escaping the illusion. Do you know how?”

“Oh, yes. I have to resolve the original sin I committed in my previous life to get out.”

Brienne showed the communicator and shared what Zen and Lusell had told her.

It was the first real conversation she’d had with Herace since meeting him, so she expected him to be surprised.

But Herace—

“So this is your previous life, Brienne?”

“It seems so. I don’t really know what’s going on, but I think I… was Riela.”

Even though she hadn’t explained much yet, his face showed he’d already figured something out.

“……Then I’ll be honest, Brienne.”

Herace sighed, his eyes troubled.

“I saw that man’s face earlier.”

“Really?”

He’d seen Arthur’s face.

Brienne’s eyes wavered slightly.

She’d dreamed so many times about the Myth of Roeta, but all she knew about Arthur was that he had black hair.

His face was always blurred, impossible to see clearly.

But—

“Kaiden.”

“……What?”

Herace’s next words were even harder to believe.

“That man was Kaiden, Brienne.”

『Make Believe Is Extremely Dangerous』Continues in Volume 5