Chapter 30: Viviane - Catherine

Chapter 30: Viviane - Catherine"So useless..." "That’s right, she’s so useless." "A Baron’s daughter with no magical talent. It seems they can only count on the eldest son." "She’s just like the Prince, both of them are useless." Countless voices echoed in Selvia’s mind. She couldn’t see anyone; before her was only darkness. "Who?! Who’s talking?" Selvia tried to speak, but she couldn’t make a sound. Her body felt as if it were turning to stone, a coldness slowly creeping in that terrified her. "The Prince has been assassinated!" "Your husband was assassinated, and you couldn’t do anything but cry. Calling you useless is being too kind." "Useless thing." "Foolish, what can you do besides cry?" "Who?!" Selvia tried to speak again, but it was no use. It seemed her voice could only be heard by herself. In the dark space, a figure appeared. Seeing the figure, Selvia immediately recognized who it was. "Lathel! You...AGH!" Before Selvia could even think, her mind screamed as Lathel slowly turned around. His body was covered in blood, his eyes had turned a milky white, and his once-warm face was now cold and expressionless. Blood cascaded from his head like a waterfall, making Lathel as terrifying as a ghost from a horror movie. "Because of you..." Lathel suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse and choked as if something was stuck in his throat. His face began to twist with rage, confusing Selvia. "Lathel... Lathel, you... what’s wrong with you? Don’t scare me!" Selvia tried to say, but only she could hear her own words. She could only tremble, watching Lathel limp towards her, one step at a time. Fear overwhelmed her mind, and tears streamed down her face like two rivers. As he walked, Lathel pointed a finger at Selvia, roaring in anger, "It’s because you’re useless that I died." "Because of you... because of you... you useless thing... you damn bastard!" "No!" Selvia screamed in fear, her lips trembling violently. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, her mouth also turned to stone, unable to utter a word. "You... it’s because of you that I’m dead," Lathel continued to roar like a wild beast. "I hate you! I despise you!" Roaring, Lathel lunged towards Selvia. However, Selvia had no thought of dodging. Even if her body hadn’t been frozen, she still wouldn’t have avoided it. She whispered through her tears, knowing full well that Lathel couldn’t hear these words, but she still wanted to say them. "I’m sorry... Lathel... I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you." "But... at least... I can die with you. You won’t be alone." Then, she slowly closed her eyes. ... "Ah!" Selvia gasped, her eyes flying open to find she was still lying in her bedroom. Her face was still streaked with tears, and she was drenched in sweat, soaking the nightgown she wore. Beads of sweat, large as peas, still clung to her forehead. "Your Highness! Are you awake?" At that moment, a feminine voice called out. Beside her was a blonde-haired maid, Lina, along with a woman in a gray robe. The woman in the gray robe hurried over to check on Selvia. However, Selvia scrambled out of bed, her face etched with grief, tears still streaming down as she muttered, "I have to find him... Lathel, I have to find him." "Your Highness! Calm down!" Lina and the woman in the gray robe quickly restrained Selvia. Lina held Selvia tightly and said loudly, "Your Highness! The Prince is safe, please don’t be distressed." "What?!" Selvia was startled by Lina’s words. She stopped struggling, her body trembling as she stared at Lina in astonishment. It was as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard, so she trembled her lips, mustering what little courage she had to ask again, "You... are you telling the truth?" A flicker of hope appeared in Selvia’s eyes, like finding a long-lost light. "You’re saying... the Prince... he... he’s still alive?" Selvia stammered, her body shaking violently. Lina nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. The Prince is still alive, it’s just... he’s somewhat heavily injured, so he needs treatment from a high-ranking pharmacist." "Ah!" Selvia bit her lip, about to say something, but the woman in the gray robe spoke first. "Princess Consort, do not worry. The Prince is a kind man; he will surely be protected by the gods and live a long, safe life." "Right now, the most important thing is for you to calm your emotions. If you are calm, you won’t cause the Prince any further worry, and he can recover in peace." "I... I understand." Selvia quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve, clenching her jaw, revealing her courage and determination. "As long as he’s alive, I... I can do anything." Although Selvia tried to be calm, her voice still trembled, and tears continued to stream down. Lina and the other woman looked at each other, then the latter said, "Princess Consort, you should rest well first. Once the Prince’s condition has stabilized, I will let you see him." Selvia bit her lip and nodded lightly. Besides waiting, she didn’t know what else to do anyway. Lina and the other woman left the room, and it grew quieter inside. Selvia clutched the blanket so tightly her knuckles turned white. Tears fell onto the blanket like raindrops, soaking a patch of the fabric. She tried to control herself, but her body still trembled uncontrollably. She bit her lip so hard that her white teeth sank into it, drawing blood. Her gaze trembled and became unfocused as she looked down at the tears falling onto the blanket. "Why?" she muttered. "Why am I so useless?" "Why?!" It seemed the question needed no answer from others, for she herself knew the answer better than anyone. Just then, without her noticing, her tears suddenly flashed with a strange light. However, the light lasted only for a brief moment before vanishing, existing no more. ... Noon, at the Church. Viviane had now regained consciousness, her face was pale, and her breath was weak as she stared into the distance. The maid from before was still by her side, taking care of her. Viviane lay on the hard, cold ground, but she felt an even deeper cold in her heart. She trembled, trying to recall what had happened. Someone among the believers had assassinated Lathel, and then... Lathel was lying in a pool of blood. The assassin had disappeared, but what about her believers? Viviane hastily sat up. Seeing this, the maid said worriedly, "Saintess, you are still very weak, please don’t..." "Shut up!" Viviane, no longer wanting to maintain her dignity or her Saintess mask, immediately shouted, startling the maid into silence. She supported herself against the wall, trying to push her trembling body upright as she looked ahead. "No!" Viviane screamed at the sight before her, her heart like a pile of cold ashes in winter, her eyes trembling as if refusing to believe it was real. In the middle of the courtyard, a group of believers huddled together. Among them were even the elderly, women, and children. The children cried in fear, but they tried to stifle their sobs into whimpers, afraid of angering the surrounding knights. In the distance, at the feet of the Royal Knights who had surrounded the area, lay the corpses of the believers who had tried to resist. Of course, everyone here had witnessed their fate. Although not too many had died, it was enough to create a horrifying scene, terrifying the remaining believers into submission. "My believers..." Viviane was so overwhelmed with anger and despair that her head spun, and she almost fainted. However, her last bit of courage and determination helped her regain some clarity. She gritted her teeth, looked at the scene before her, and shouted, "Do you have any idea that your actions have angered the Church?" "Your hands are stained with the blood of my faithful believers. The gods will judge you!" Viviane spoke through her tears, which flowed like two streams. Her face was red with anger, her body trembled violently, and her hands were clenched so tightly they turned white. Her eyes, now bloodshot as if about to burst, were filled with hatred and rage. Her voice, cold and filled with killing intent, rang out again, "You will pay the price, you will..." "You talk too much, Saintess Viviane." Just then, a voice even colder than Viviane’s cut through the air. The moment that voice sounded, the space seemed to be crushed by an immense pressure, and a cold, terrifying killing intent enveloped her entire body. Viviane trembled violently and fell to the ground, her eyes staring into the distance. Her pupils quaked as if she had just seen something utterly horrifying. Viviane stammered, "Ca... Cathe... Catherine..."