Chapter 143
The warriors who saw her faltered.
“Aquafuran.”
“Aquafuran…!”
Who was the first to call out that name?
The dazzling light grew ever stronger. Before its blinding radiance, the warriors one by one fell to their knees.
They were men of great pride, ones who would never bow unless before their king—yet in this moment, they had no choice.
Was it intimidation? Or rather, should it be called a gentle yet undeniable force pressing down upon them?
An aura of unapproachable dignity coiled around Siren’s entire being. It made them lower their heads naturally, without being ordered or forcibly subdued.
“Huff!”
At last, the half-dead woman gasped deeply and returned to life. Her chest rose and fell dramatically, and Nicoletta, who had jolted awake as though leaping up, hazily whispered as she gazed at the shimmering light surrounding her.
“Ah… Have I… died after all…?”
With a faint cough, she let out those slow, trembling words—before slipping into unconsciousness once more.
But this time, she had not died. She had merely fallen asleep.
After examining her condition, Siren gave a slight nod to one of the warriors.
There was no need for her to open her mouth and give a command. Those who felt reverence obeyed instinctively.
‘Why she pretended to be mad—I can ask her when she wakes up.’
Siren, who had been peering into the well, came up with a good idea.
Since it was about time to return, she needed to set a trap.
“Yasamin, you can come out now.”
“Ah, I’ve been caught.”
“I figured you’d be here for a while now, but it was still just a guess.”
The sound of steady footsteps echoed in her ears.
It was almost ridiculous how naturally he appeared the moment she called his name—but then again, it had been ten minutes.
“Tell me I did well, sweetheart.”
It was always amusing to see a man so much taller and larger than her curl up and act endearing.
Of course, he wasn’t doing it for her sake—he simply liked it himself.
Still, she didn’t mind.
As Siren gently stroked Yasamin’s hair, she let out a brief sigh.
“I want to use Nicoletta to wrap things up. Let’s all pretend to be dead. That way, the rebels will enter the city of their own accord.”
“Should we round them up all at once and execute the ringleaders?”
“Yes.”
This time, decisiveness was necessary.
A throne was not something one could secure with half-measures.
“Understood, my queen.”
Upon confirming Siren’s will, Yasamin spoke in a voice as sweet as dripping honey.
It was almost as if he were singing a low melody, or perhaps chanting a strange incantation—it carried an addictive allure.
“I’ll take care of everything and place the crown upon your head. You don’t need to worry. Just sleep, and when you wake up, it’ll all be over.”
“As soon as possible.”
“Of course, within a few days. We’ll throw a banquet, let them all drink, and they’ll collapse on their own.”
Who would have thought the scorching heat of the South would become something to long for?
Wilkeron was undoubtedly far more pleasant in comparison, yet—
‘It’s just… I have a bad feeling. Like I need to return as soon as possible.’
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t concerned about the Nu clan she had left behind in the desert.
She doubted anything major had happened, but for some reason, the thought kept nagging at her.
‘There’s no real reason to rush back before finishing things here, but….’
Yasamin, noticing her troubled expression, raised an eyebrow.
“What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”
“No. I need to take care of things here first.”
Even if she was worried about the South, it wasn’t as if she could go there right away.
As she shook her head and kept walking, Yasamin quickly caught up.
“Should I send Jin?”
“Can you do that?”
“Of course. He’s a spirit. Seems like you haven’t regained all your memories yet.”
She had thought he could only move back and forth within the desert.
Her eyes flickered with realization, and soon, she felt relieved. If Jin could go and check on the state of the South, then that was enough.
And Yasamin, without needing any words, read Siren’s answer just from her expression.
Nicoletta was a completely different person when she came to her senses.
“…Yes, I understand. I know what I need to do.”
After sipping a bowl of warm soup, she held a cup of tea in her hands… But something about her felt different.
The Nicoletta Brienne from before was gone.
Unlike before, she no longer clung to her pride or stubbornly acted out of impatience, pleading with desperation for forgiveness while confessing everything.
She had abandoned her obstinacy, yet there was still a certain resolve in her gaze—a person who had given up everything except herself.
“I’ll return to the Brienne family and ask them to accept me. I’ll tell them I succeeded. And as proof… I’ll say I’ve brought back a lock of the queen’s hair.”
“That’s right.”
Truthfully, this plan required a small sacrifice.
That was—some of her hair.
Yasamin greatly disliked the idea, but the other side wasn’t foolish. They needed proof in order to believe her.
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