The Baddest Villainess Is Back
Chapter 50
The condition for using the Seven Luminaries Stone’s red stone was simple.
As long as the stone was tossed into the heart of a raging blaze, this Seven Luminaries Stone would devour every ounce of heat in the space to consume the fire demon.
Of course, since the Seven Luminaries Stone consumed only the fire itself, no people or furniture would be swallowed by it.
“You truly are a curious one. I didn’t think you possessed such a self-sacrificial nature.”
Gerran walked leisurely beside her, drawing the blade hidden in his cane to swat away flying embers.
‘I really have no idea what he’s thinking,’ Roselyn thought, stealing a glance at him.
‘Earlier, all that talk about being his daughter and whatnot.’
She clicked her tongue.
She had perfectly fine parents; she couldn’t understand why he kept prattling on about this parent-child nonsense.
“I find you curious as well. I have no idea what goes on in that head of yours.”
“I don’t have many thoughts. Though I am constantly pondering how to soothe my boredom.”
“Is that why you tracked me down so tenaciously, captured me, and forced me to kneel before the Emperor? Because you wanted to torture me to death?”
At Roselyn’s accusatory tone, Gerran paused and narrowed his eyes.
Then, he let out a low laugh, a characteristic habit of his.
“That was a game, wasn’t it? A game of hide-and-seek between you and me.”
“……Bullsh*t. If you’re going to talk nonsense, get lost.”
“You continue to be so cold; it hurts my feelings.”
When Roselyn glared at him with a scowl, Geron Wilbrid merely shrugged.
“I’m only telling you this now, but there were quite a few factions targeting you.”
“……Me?”
Roselyn looked up, slightly surprised by this revelation.
Sweat poured down her cheeks and neck as she pushed toward the source of the massive inferno.
After walking a bit further, Roselyn seemed to decide she couldn’t go on like this. She stopped, took the Blue Stone from her bracelet, and gripped it in her hand.
The Blue Stone was the stone that governed water.
Simply holding it allowed one to breathe underwater and provided protection against heat.
An invisibly thin, faint barrier spread around Roselyn.
It wasn’t a one-time use item that vanished after a single application; it could be used until the power dwelling within the stone was exhausted and the stone shrunk away to nothing.
“Indeed. The man who had just become Emperor was after you, and the new ‘King’ of ‘Makruksa’ was after you as well. And, of course, so was I.”
Roselyn frowned.
No wonder the pursuit had been so swift.
‘They weren't all the same people.’
She scowled, her face etched with exhaustion.
“I thought it better that I be the one to catch you rather than anyone else. Playing with you was quite entertaining, after all. Did I make the wrong choice?”
“……Who knows,” Roselyn replied curtly.
“I’m not even that remarkable of a person; it’s just strange.”
“You were quite remarkable. You turned the entire country upside down all by yourself, didn’t you?”
Gerran added that it had been enjoyable to watch her play the various nobles against each other and deliver a blow to them.
“The ones who fell for it were the idiots.”
“I agree.”
At Gerran’s seconding, Roselyn gave him a dissatisfied look and fell silent.
She continued to advance toward the origin of the fire.
It was the place where the greatest flames swirled. To Roselyn, it felt only slightly warm.
Even in this level of heat, Gerran looked perfectly fine. He was a strange man.
Sometimes, Roselyn found it more comfortable to be pushed to extreme situations.
“So, have you considered my proposal?”
“There’s nothing to consider; the answer is no. In the first place, I don’t see why I should replace my perfectly fine family.”
“I thought we were close enough to share life and death, but you are cold-hearted.”
I’m heartbroken, he added, though not a shred of heartbreak could be heard in his voice.
When Roselyn didn’t respond, he continued leisurely, his voice tinged with a faint trace of amusement.
“Roselyn, the world has changed.”
He suddenly stopped walking as he spoke.
Despite holding the Blue Stone of the Seven Luminaries Stone, the heat scorching her limbs and cheeks caused Roselyn to slowly come to a halt.
“……I suppose.”
“From my perspective, you seem to have changed as well. I don't recall you being this kind of person.”
“…….”
“Have you decided on the direction you will take?”
At Gerran’s question, Roselyn began to move her stopped feet again, slowly.
“I believe I gave you my answer before.”
“Is it still ‘no’?”
“…….”
Roselyn remained silent, but Gerran could read the affirmation within that silence.
“Someone once said this.”
“…….”
“That the things of this world are not mine in the end. It's true. No matter how desperately I act, in the end……”
Roselyn’s arms, exposed outside her clothes, began to turn red from the heat. It seemed the barrier had reached its limit in completely blocking the temperature.
Gerran narrowed his eyes as if he had noticed.
“In the end, the things I turned a blind eye to do not return. Just as……”
Roselyn slowly closed and opened her eyes.
“The Marchioness you missed so much that you traveled to a parallel world will not come back to life.”
Gerran stiffened.
“Roselyn, you—”
His lips quivered before he let out a low click of his tongue.
“Fine, let’s stop here. Throw the stone. We’re going back.”
Gerran forcibly took the stone from Roselyn’s hand and threw it into the fire, which was now too intense to even approach.
Sizzle.
The moment the bead entered, the flames flickered violently.
Simultaneously, the mounds of earth that had risen to block all sides now completely obscured even the sky.
A tightly sealed dome of earth was completed. And beneath it, a translucent red veil enveloped the entire city.
With nowhere for the heat to escape, the air became suffocating.
Roselyn hurriedly covered her mouth.
“We’re retreating. Take hold.”
“Don’t bullsh*t me, Gerran. I can still walk.”
Roselyn spoke fiercely, wiping her cheek with her sleeve.
“…….”
Geron Wilbrid’s eyes widened slightly.
He broke into a thin smile.
The bead began to greedily devour the burning heat.
Watching the flames being sucked into the bead, Roselyn slowly lowered her head.
‘They said the bead that swallowed the flames can be recovered.’
Since it hadn’t been discharged. She had heard that the bead would continue to crave fire until it eventually perished.
Drips of sweat left dark marks on the ground before instantly evaporating and vanishing.
“You truly never cease to surprise and bewilder me.”
“Hey, Gerran.”
“What is it?”
“If I recall correctly, wasn’t there one survivor in this village? A child……”
At Roselyn’s words, Gerran slowly nodded.
“……I believe there was.”
“I have to go find them. And……”
The heat began to subside. It was because the bead had nibbled away at every last flame.
As the flames vanished, she could breathe again, but her vision was stolen away. A darkness so thick one couldn't see an inch ahead had settled over the city.
The raised earth had created a forced enclosure that blocked out the moonlight, and the flames that once lit the city had died out.
Dizzy—.
Whether from a lack of oxygen or a throbbing headache, Roselyn was staggering and reaching out toward Gerran when it happened.
Boom—!
A thunderous roar echoed from somewhere.
When Roselyn turned her gaze toward the sound, she saw it. In the middle of the pitch-black darkness, a single small, vibrant blue sky floating in the air.
A blue moon, draped in stygian darkness, looking down with a hardened expression.
“……Arma?”
As Roselyn murmured softly, the two blue moons reached her.
Arma, who had rushed over with a grim face, pulled Roselyn into his arms. Simultaneously, his eyes widened as he spoke.
“……Roselyn? Your body is far too hot……”
“Ah, somehow I felt a little……”
Roselyn spoke with flickering eyes.
“Warm……”
No sooner had she finished her sentence than Roselyn’s vision went dark.
‘Damn this fragile body…….’
That was Roselyn’s final thought.
As she lost consciousness, Arma, who had rushed to her side, urgently pulled her into his embrace.
At that, Geron Wilbrid gave a low laugh and tilted his head.
“My word…… it seems you’ve finally decided to take off the mask.”
Geron Wilbrid smiled as he slowly stroked the gem at the end of his cane.
“3rd Prince-nim.”
At that leisurely voice, Arma’s lips hardened slightly.
‘……I thought my heart was going to stop.’
The moment he realized Roselyn had disappeared, his mind went blank.
The thought that he had to maintain the act he had performed naturally his entire life vanished.
‘Why on earth am I…….’
What was she to him?
He was even bewildered by his own current actions.
‘……Since when.’
He looked blankly at Roselyn, who had collapsed in his arms, as if he couldn't believe it.
“Shut up.”
Unable to suppress his surging irritation, Arma barked in a chilling voice and pulled her even closer.
“……We are returning.”
The darkness sharpened like a spear, then suddenly shot out in all directions, shattering the earthen dome in a single blow.
And slowly, the gentle moonlight began to pour down upon the hell that had seemed eternal.
Geron Wilbrid picked up the red bead rolling on the ground and followed behind Arma, who was carrying Roselyn.
