Chapter 232
“Ahhh!”
“Ah….”
To her left, cold river water surged, while to her right, the raucous scene of the tavern remained. Clinking glasses and all sorts of noise swirled, disorienting her mind.
Snow fell, and when she lifted her head, the alley appeared upside down, while the ground bubbled like a swamp, swallowing her ankles.
It was as if the work of multiple painters had been jumbled together in chaos. It was hell transplanted in its entirety. Within this vision, everyone confronted their personal nightmares.
[Look me straight in the eyes. Why do you keep looking away? You killed me. You forced the poison on me and ordered me to hang myself!]
[Long time no see, huh? Aren’t you glad to see me again? Don’t you remember my face? I still remember. The voice that told me to ‘drown in the river’, the laughter as I sank—promising to make good on it!]
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I swear!”
“Why do these damn women torment me? It’s not fair, it’s not fair! I just did what I was told!”
The servants who had aided Nathan in mocking and killing innocent women struggled desperately, trying to release the corpses that whispered curses, clinging to their ankles and shoulders.
[Die. Die. Die.]
[Come with me. Sink beneath that cold river, together!]
“Kyahhh! Let go of me!”
Even the middle-aged woman, pretending to be a mother, was seized by the past. Those clinging to her feet were not all knights—they included men and children—but all appeared the same: eyes gouged out, black blood flowing, cursing her.
“Ah….”
In the center of this hellish scene, where illusions and barrier sorcery intertwined, Sebelia realized that the space had become similar to the protective barrier surrounding the research lab.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want this… I really didn’t!”
Some of those swallowed by the illusion pleaded tearfully for forgiveness. Others, in anger, swung their fists.
And Sebelia gasped at a chilling realization.
“So this is it.”
This was her specialty—her unique illusion magic.
The clues had been there all along. Back at the lab. How had she forgotten? She hugged herself and closed her eyes tightly.
The corridor that had become a dense forest when she tried to stop Claude from rushing out recklessly. The wreckage of a broken carriage scattered everywhere under the rain-soaked gloomy forest.
Claude had been horrified, almost losing consciousness. Now, she realized it had been…
A memory he didn’t want to recall.
Sebelia exhaled. Once again, she felt her abilities with her own skin. Her magic could summon the memories buried deep in a person’s mind, bringing them vividly to life as illusions.
So this was my true specialty.
After countless sleepless nights with no hint of this skill, it now bloomed in a life-or-death moment. She let out a bitter laugh before realizing the situation.
“…Nathan.”
She had to stop him. Ignoring the servants flailing around, she scanned the room and spotted him clinging to the window handle, screaming.
“You wretches, daring to resent anyone! If you’d known your place from the start, none of this would have happened, you fools!”
Over ten women surrounded Nathan, screaming at him. Sebelia could easily infer their identities.
These were the women Nathan had toyed with… once happy, dreaming of a future with him, now broken.
Each swallowed their grief and rage, reaching out toward Nathan.
“Ahhh! Save me! Open this door immediately!”
Nathan pounded the window in a frenzy. The talisman he had set to restrain Sebelia held firm so the window wouldn’t budge.
But fortune favors those who strive.
Sebelia’s powerful illusion began to suppress the barrier’s magic. The glowing patterns on the floor gradually faded. With a creak, the window rattled.
A narrow gap appeared, letting the cold wind brush Nathan’s cheek. He screamed with delight as the window swung wide open.
“What a truly horrifying scene.”
A languid, sarcastic voice entered her ears. The voice that shouldn’t have been there.
“Young Marquis Wheddon. Can you explain this unpleasant situation?”
Prince Shateian stood in the middle of the wide-open window. Nathan, leaning against the rattling frame, blinked blankly.
Unaware in his panic, Nathan did not realize that opening the barrier meant more than just the window—it was the room itself.
“Uh… uh…”
While Nathan stood dumbfounded, nobles crowded the corridor, screaming as they looked inside.
“That… that can’t be. Lilia, Lilia!”
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