Chapter 45 - Because You’re The One I Love The Most, My Daughter
45. Because You’re The One I Love The Most, My Daughter
Fortunately, no one noticed I used my power.
Oscar, who was holding a sword with stable posture, blocked my front.
“Mabel, don’t ever leave from my side. I’ll protect you.”
“Ung.”
I didn’t let my guard down even though I answered calmly.
‘I have to protect Oscar.’
It’s not that I didn’t know how Oscar felt about protecting me, but Oscar was still a child. I was the only one who could protect Oscar.
I had to protect Lalima and the nanny, who had no abilities.
“Sigh.”
Perhaps because I used so much of my sacred power for the rain, I was out of breath even though I only evaporated the fire arrow.
Because I used so much, I couldn’t use my ability recklessly.
I didn’t know who the attackers were, but I could see that they were prepared quite thoroughly.
The knights were unable to grasp the flame spells that rushed unexpectedly, even though they would block the attacking waters.
“First, we’d better get to where His Majesty is. I’ll cover for you.”
The knights, who saw us coming out of the carriage, surrounded us and formed a line.
“Are you okay, Your Majesty?”
Cissero, who hit the flying arrow, joined the ranks and asked me. I tried to answer casually, but I nodded instead.
‘Oscar told me not to play with him.’
Cissero smiled awkwardly and got in a ready stance.
The attackers were constantly rushing in from wherever they came from.
As soon as we took a step, a dart flew.
“Kyaa!”
Oscar blocked the dart that flew towards Lalima.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes…”
The surroundings were in complete chaos. Maybe because of the size of the procession, I couldn’t see the stand-in-Emperor even if I navigated through the crowd.
‘Just where are they coming from?’
In this situation, I was worried because I wouldn’t be able to see it if someone ran towards Oscar and I.
‘So, this. It’s a concern for all human beings. I’m not particularly worried about the stand-in-Emperor.’
It was time to hold Oscar’s hand and move forward slowly. Cissero’s eyes widened as he looked back.
“Your Majesty! It’s dangerous!”
Looking back from his voice, a man wearing a black robe was casting a spell.
That person was looking at me.
“……!”
I pushed Oscar as hard as I could. Suddenly, Oscar stumbled and was pushed back a few steps.
And right after that-.
“Mabel!!”
Kwaang!
A tremendous explosion caused the soil and dust to swell. But the pain didn’t come. Because someone covered me when the explosion happened.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Cissero’s face.
“Your Majesty! Are you okay?”
Blood flowed from his back. On top of that, his clothes were all stained.
“Ah’m okway.” (I’m okay.)
“That’s a relief.’
I looked in the direction of the wizard, but there was no one there. We didn’t know when they’ll attack again. When I thought that I had to move in quickly, I saw it.
The sword Cissero carried.
‘I…saw that somewhere.’ (T/N: Anyone else wondering how Mabel is so calm and where Aiden is?)
I suddenly remembered.
The sword that penetrated the carriage. The sword had a pattern. And the same pattern was on the sword that Cissero carried.
‘No way.’
I got up with a calm look and shook off the dust on my clothes.
“Thw.a.n.k you.” (Thank you.)
And I tried to get away in a hurry so that Cissero wouldn’t feel suspicious.
“Your Majesty is not very good at lying.”
“Euk!”
Before I could resist, Cissero grabbed me by the neck. Oscar shouted in astonishment at the sight.
“Mabel! You, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d…!”
“You’d better not come close, Your Highness.”
“You…”
Before I knew it, a sharp dagger came under my neck. Cissero’s voice, which warned Oscar, was different from his usual voice.
‘He’s like a different person.’
This must be his true nature.
It was said that he joined the knights a year ago.
It was worth praising him for being undercover for a year without being suspected by others. His acting was so good that I forgot to be fooled. He even blocked an attack and acted as if he was injured.
Was it Oscar’s instinct to be wary of Cissero?
‘Well, I don’t plan to be held in peace.’
“Scawy…” (Scary…)
I glanced down, pretending to be scared. It was after most of the gra.s.s was burned from the fire magic.
‘This isn’t enough.’
But it was better to do something than not try. I concentrated on my mind and collected my breath.
‘Grow. Grow.’
Meanwhile, Oscar and Cissero confronted each other. Even though the other knights surrounded him, Cissero was relaxed.
Oscar gritted his teeth and spoke, “Let go of Mabel.”
“I don’t want to. This baby Emperor has something to do.”
“You b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Is it Devlin?”
“What’s Devlin? I’ve never heard of it before.”
Whether he was trying to tease him on purpose, Cissero replied with a smile. Oscar gritted his teeth but when he saw my caught self, he calmed his anger.
The nanny and Lalima rolled around at a loss.
Oscar’s interrogation continued.
“What do you need with Mabel?”
“I don’t think I’m obliged to answer that.”
“…you’re surrounded anyway. If His Majesty comes soon, the escape will fail.”
“Pft.”
Cissero burst into laughter briefly. His laughter echoed throughout the forest.
“Ah, sorry, sorry. It’s too much for a threat. Your Highness, listen carefully. The stand-in-Emperor can’t come. The newly developed paralysis magic won’t let him take a step.”
‘The stand-in-Emperor is under a spell?’
I couldn’t imagine it. The stand-in-Emperor, in my imagination, was a very strong person.
Since he’s a sword master like Lissandro, he won’t be beaten easily. Was what I thought.
‘Lies.’
On the other hand, I felt anxious that Cissero could be right.
If he really was fine, he would have come all the way to where I am.
‘Since when was it.’
I wasn’t aware of it, but I trusted the stand-in-Emperor as much as I trusted myself.
I clenched my teeth. The bigger of the crisis I experienced, the more I came to my senses.
‘I never thought there would be a traitor so deep in.’
In fact, it was a lie to say I wasn’t shocked.
There was an attack in the middle of the Imperial Palace the other day, and now an undercover was planted nearby. Whoever was behind it can’t be anything but bold.
What was in common, was that I was the goal.
“Cithewo.” (Cissero.)
“Please speak, Your Majesty.”
Cissero spoke informally to Oscar but spoke politely to me. I was offended by the inscrutable att.i.tude, but I suppressed my emotions.
“Cithewo… its a bad pewson?” (Cissero… is a bad person?)
Instead, I dragged the time, pretending to be a child who knew nothing. Cissero replied with a smirk.
“A bad person. I consider myself a good man, but for Your Majesty, I could be a villain.”
“……”
‘He seems to have forgotten my age.’
I was not a real baby, so I understood, or I wouldn’t have known what you were saying.
While drawing away Cissero’s attention, my plan was progressing step by step. Cissero seemed to have no idea what was going on under his feet.
“Wath a villwain??” (What’s a villain?)
“It means a bad person.”
“Then ith Cithewo a bad pewson?” (Then is Cissero a bad person?)
“I could be, I could not be.”
“Then can’ you be a gwood pewson?” (Then can’t you be a good person?)
“I wonder.”
Cissero answered without showing any signs of annoyance.
Oscar nervously watched the scene and spoke.
“Cissero. What the h.e.l.l do you want?”
“For now, to kidnap the Emperor.”
All his friendly acting was a simple kidnapping strategy. A new realization flashed through my mind.
Oscar’s fists turned white.
“For now, does that mean you have other plans?”
“Hm. It sounds pretty cruel. Will you be okay?”
“Say it.”
“To kill the Emperor in front of the stand-in-Emperor was my priority. I didn’t know I would be caught like this. You see, I’m pretty good with babies.”
Cissero’s quiet voice gave me chills and gooseb.u.mps.
‘You’re going to kill me?’
I speculated that the person behind the scene was probably someone who had a grudge against the stand-in-Emperor.
When I heard that he would kill me in front of him, I felt the willingness to stop seeing the stand-in-Emperor, so I wouldn’t have to see him suffer.
There’s no way the Holy Father would want to kill me, so there was one person left.
‘Devlin.’
It was the moment when speculation turned into conviction.
Now that I had heard that you’re going to kill me, I can’t wait any longer.
‘Son of a b*tch. I won’t let you go.‘
Hu. As soon as I gave a short breath, a strange change began to occur in the forest.
The sight of all kinds of bugs living throughout the forest gathered to one place.
“Euak!”
“B-bugs!”
The bugs had separate destinations. Crawling ants, centipedes, spiders, as well as flying insects, such as mosquitoes and beetles. I tried to call the predators, but maybe because all the animals ran away from the explosion, none came.
All I can call were bugs.
‘Go, bug!’
They heeded my orders without hesitation.
“What, what is this! Euuuk!”
No matter how unafraid of bugs one is, you can’t help but be shocked by the rush of hundreds of insects at one time.
I only called bugs, but I felt my body losing strength. It was evidence that I had run out of power.
‘One last shot from now on.’
I clenched my fists and closed my eyes. At that moment, tree trunks broke through the ground and caught Cissero’s legs.
“What the! What is this?”
The bugs had already covered Cissero’s face. But he didn’t let me go even in that situation.
‘But his hold is much weaker.’
I shook of Cissero’s arm with all my might. In that storm, a sharp dagger cut off the hem of my clothes.
“Sh*t. Where are you going!”
His long arm seemed like it would s.n.a.t.c.h me at any moment. In every step I took, the bugs made way for me.
I ran with difficulty, exhaling short breaths. But.
“Caught you!”
As I turned my head, I saw Cissero smiling brightly.
His crazy eyes, he was out of his mind.
Even thought the baby’s body was held by worms and plants, it wasn’t enough to escape an adult man’s grasp.
“Mabel!!”
As I turned my head in the direction of the voice, I could see Oscar running toward me.
‘Am I going to die?’
The sunlight reflected from a sword shone in my eyes.
I didn’t close my eyes though.
‘I can’t accept this as my death…!’
I gathered all my remaining power.
Once again, I tried to tie Cissero’s feet with the plants, but they only grew a little bit.
“Ha. I was going to kill you nicely because you’re cute.”
Cissero smiled wildly as if he had lost his mind and swung his sword. And.
Stab-.
I heard a cruel sound penetrating my body. Of course, I thought the pain would follow.
‘Huh?’
…it didn’t hurt at all.
No, it’s rather warm. Warmth covered my body.
It wasn’t until a very short time that I understood the situation.
I wasn’t the one who got stabbed by the sword.
“…Mabel.”
He was pretending to be okay, but his friendly voice was shaking.
“It’s okay, Mabel.”
The stand-in-Emperor smiled.
“Dad is here.”
He was smiling like he was trying to rea.s.sure me.
“Why, why…!”
I saw it clearly in my eyes.
Cissero’s sword was mercilessly stuck in the stand-in-Emperor’s back.
Cissero looked fl.u.s.tered by the unexpected situation.
“…is this better?”
Cissero smiled and pulled out the sword.
“Cough-!”
The blood that the stand-in-Emperor threw up colored my clothes red. At the same time, my eyes seemed to be turning red.
“Royal Father… Royal Father!”
“Your Majesty!”
Oscar and the knights came running. Cissero, who was alternating his eyes between me and the sword, sighed and ran away.
“The traitor is running away. Go after him!”
Half of the knights left to chase Cissero.
In the meantime, the stand-in-Emperor’s breathing was weak.
“Ma-bel.”
His breathing was short, and it seemed difficult for him. His blue eyes, which lost its light, gently looked up at me.
Suddenly, I realized that my hands were wet. When I looked at my shaky hands, they were full of blood.
I couldn’t understand the stand-in-Emperor’s behavior. No matter how rushed you were, how could you throw your body to get stabbed instead?
“Wha did you do thwat, sthupid…” (Why did you do that, stupid…)
“Haha… that’s the question…”
“Wha did you do thwat!” (Why did you do that!)
The stand-in-Emperor’s hand, that struggled to lift to my face, fell helplessly.
He frowned for a moment and then smiled again.
“Since you’re my daughter.”
“…wat?” (…what?)
“Because you’re the one I love the most, my daughter.”
The one I love the most, daughter. Those words have never touched my heart this much.
The love that I once believed to be true was diluted at some point and turned into neglect and abuse. The unforgettable experience that made me determine that all fathers in the world would be like that.
‘So this guy shouldn’t be different.’
But I was blind until the end. Unbelievably.
“Don’t cry…Mabel.”
“Huh…?”
Hot tears fell from my eyes and fell on the stand-in-Emperor’s cheeks.
I didn’t know. I didn’t know that I was crying.
“Dad…is okay…”
The stand-in-Emperor’s shaking hands fell to the floor without a pulse.
‘What’s happening right now?’
As I blinked, Oscar cried out, holding onto the stand-in-Emperor.
“You can’t, Royal Father. Wake up!”
“Your Majesty…!”
The nanny and Lalima began to cry.
“…Rowal Fawthe?”
There was no answer. I could see his slowly rising chest fall.
His flames of life were about to go out.
I felt this before.
My memory as Yoon Gyeo-Ul. It was winter, when I was four. On a winter night with heavy snow, I desperately held onto someone leaving.
“Dwon’t go…” (Don’t go…)
“Ah’ll lithen to you well…” (I’ll listen to you well…)
“Ah won’t eat a wot. Ah’ll do the dithes and laundwy.” (I won’t eat a lot. I’ll do the dishes and laundry.)
“Dwon’t thwow me away, Mom.” (Don’t throw me away, Mom.)
I could never forget the emaciated back that turned around coldly.
Like a stigma, it was engraved and left a scar.
In the end, I was left alone, and I had been alone ever since. I set up a fence and didn’t go out so that no one could abandon me again.
‘After breaking that fence and coming in.’
You’re leaving after doing that?
“How coul you dwo thith…” (How could you do this…)
I grabbed the stand-in-Emperor’s hem with my little hand.
“Dwon’t go. Dwon’t thwow me away.” (Don’t go. Don’t throw me away.)
“…Mabel?”
Oscar’s surprised voice was heard, but I didn’t care. I smeared my face on the stand-in-Emperor’s arm, shedding tears.
“Dwon’t leave me awone…!” (Don’t leave me alone…!)
It was that moment.
I felt like I was being released from a trap. I slipped my body out and raised my head. I saw a powder of light falling from the sky.
And there was a subtle glow from my body.
“…Mabel.”
A clean appearance without a scratch.
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***
On that day, a miracle was witnessed.
The brilliant rain of light covering the whole procession. The warmth fell on the bodies of the injured. The light healed the people’s wounds. Even the wounds on those, who became just bodies, had disappeared.
The rain of light that poured down for a long time stopped after covering the land warmly.
It was like a dream.