The Frost Witch, intoxicated by madness, mocked her enemies.

She deliberately left Uriel's child to suffer in agony by means of a curse.

It was the reason Uriel died, and it was what Uriel cherished most.

If she herself could not have her, then of course, she would not let anyone else have her either.

"I cannot understand. What is going on here?"

"... It seems she has turned the curse back on itself. She's tied her own life to the curse."

"Was this her intention from the very beginning?!"

Alraune looked down at the Frost Witch in considerable shock.

He had never expected the Frost Witch would intertwine her life with the curse.

If Alter Radiant were to die, she herself would also lose her life—what could have driven her to such recklessness?

"You'll regret this for the rest of your life. Driven by revenge, you've sent that child to their death! Hehehe... kekeke..."

"She's completely mad. Holy priest! Is there no way to save her?"

"Monsters aren't like humans. Holy arts don't work on them. And if the heart's been struck, treating her is no easy feat."

"......"

Alraune, engulfed in silence, tried to think of a countermeasure.

If the Frost Witch could be saved, Alter Radiant would not die.

But since the Frost Witch was willing to throw away her own life at any moment, the result would ultimately be the same.

Besides, in this current situation, it hardly seemed possible to heal the Frost Witch at all.

"Uriel belongs to me alone! That child ruined everything. If it weren't for that child, Uriel could have lived as she was!"

"Listen to that lunatic. If this absurdity hadn't happened, I'd have cut her down on the spot."

"This is troubling. If what she says is true, then Uriel's child will certainly die."

"... Are you saying you'll give up your life just to kill Uriel's child?"

"I wanted to die at the same time as Uriel, but who could have guessed it would become so convoluted? Thanks to that, you all labored in vain, and you'll never truly defeat me!"

Even as she was slowly dying, the Frost Witch spoke calmly.

Having become a monster, she had greater survivability than a human.

Thus, even if her heart was pierced, she could endure for a time.

"This isn't some trick, is it? Monsters usually have their hearts in different places."

"That's not the case. She's growing weaker. Her form is similar to a human's, so the heart was likely struck accurately."

"Was she waiting for this day to come?"

"I could have killed that child at any time. I just wanted him to suffer a bit more. I have no idea why he wasted time with things like removal ritual."

"Can't we just kill her now? I want to tear her mouth open all the way."

Megarex glared intensely at the Frost Witch, but ultimately could not act.

He had joined this mission because of his bond with Uriel, but if their goal was achieved, Alter Radiant would die.

Moreover, the Frost Witch's life was ebbing steadily—there was nothing he could do.

"You're the ones who forced this. When the time comes, you'll all—ugh—"

The Frost Witch could say no more, and simply crumbled away.

Her entire body seemed to freeze, then shattered completely.

The shards of ice turned to dust and vanished completely, but none felt joy.

"I am sorry to say this, but we should return quickly. I want to check Alter Radiant's condition first."

"Why waste words? Let's go right now."

"Hm... It will take some time, though..."

The three of them immediately turned to head back to the castle.

The Frost Witch had left a firm testament, even at the cost of her own life.

If it had only been a ruse, they might have let it go, but none could accept the end result.

'Did I... did I hasten Alter Radiant's death?'

* * *

Brillie remained in her room for a while, lost in thought.

Even if all went smoothly, it would take at least two or three months to set a wedding date.

Of course, if she used the duke's authority and connections, it might be possible within a month.

But she couldn't quite make up her mind, and her hesitation only grew.

'If Father gave a warning... this isn't something to take lightly.'

It was likely her father had sensed considerable danger from the crown prince's words and actions.

Normally, considering the crown prince's dignity and decorum, he wouldn't be on guard so readily.

But if the crown prince said he would take his betrothed away, he must be planning something truly reckless.

'Just aiming my sword at the crown prince is high treason. If he were even scratched, the emperor would never forgive me.'

Of course, the present emperor might understand and show mercy, once circumstances were explained.

But in the end, Brillie would have to either refuse the crown prince or accept him unwillingly.

Either way, it would lead to a disgraceful ending, so she needed to hold the wedding as soon as possible.

'Should I leave the capital until the wedding? Or should I spend the night with him now...?'

Brillie, gripped by a vague anxiety, fell into deep contemplation.

No one in their right mind would say such a thing to their father.

She could report this to the emperor, but from that moment, the authority of the royal family would be damaged.

Even if they took action outwardly, relations with the royal family would inevitably suffer.

'No. I must do everything. That's the right choice.'

Though Brillie strove to always follow her own will, she couldn't help but compromise with reality.

Stubbornness for its own sake would not only hurt her but shake her whole family as well.

If it was inevitable, perhaps she should end it right away, here and now.

'If I just do it tonight...'

Brillie immediately got up and flung open her door.

Then, moving slowly, she headed toward Alter's room.

'I have to do this anyway. We're engaged, so it's okay to do it now, right?'

It seemed far too urgent to care about what others thought.

Of course, she was contemplating only the worst-case scenario, so in reality, there might be some leeway.

But reality was always harsh and cruel—everything could become entangled at any moment.

'How should I say it? Will he think I'm strange?'

Standing in front of the door, Brillie began to string together plausible words.

She would first start with a casual greeting and then bring up the subject of marriage.

If she presented enough reasons and approached him first, maybe he would understand at least a little.

"Hoo..."

Brillie let out a deep sigh and slowly knocked on the door.

Then, holding the doorknob, she stepped inside.

"...?"

Brillie stopped in her tracks and stared at the scene before her.

A chilling silence filled the room, and a reddish light had spread.

Why was the one who was supposed to greet her slumped there in vain?

"Why... is it like this...?"

Brillie immediately ran to Alter and propped him up.

Alter, seized by faint pain, belatedly came to his senses.

"Haa... It seems a little problem... has occurred."

"What do you mean? Just hold on a moment, I'll get someone right away..."

"I'm holding on better... than before. Maybe it's because the curse has weakened."

Alter looked up at Brillie and spoke with difficulty.

He had gone through a similar situation before, after the battle with the vampires.

At that time, the instinctive fear of death had flashed through his mind, but now at least he could move his body.

It must have been that the Frost Witch had played some trick, or aftereffects from the curse had resurfaced.

"But you coughed up blood..."

"I didn't lose that much. I should still be fine for now."

"Let's go to the cathedral, at least. Alright?"

Without waiting for an answer, Brillie supported Alter's body.

Then she quickly hoisted him up and began to dash away.

His heartbeat had not faded, and his magic power still coursed, however faintly.

Just as Alter said, it was probably only hemoptysis, but from her position, she simply couldn't take any chances.

"There's no need to rush so much..."

"How can I just stand by when someone's dying?"

"I won't die. I'm just a bit weak... Haa..."

Breathing heavily, Alter felt the warmth of Brillie enveloping him.

He figured he might feel better after getting some rest.

But since he wasn't sure, he couldn't help but depend on Brillie for now.

"Prepare a carriage! Hurry!"

"Yes? Ah... yes!"

At Brillie's shout, the butler and maids began moving quickly.

Brillie dashed with her betrothed in her arms, his lips and clothes stained with blood.

It was such a shocking sight that everyone acted purely on instinct.

"Lady Brillie..."

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

"I think I must sleep a little. I can't... hold on any longer..."

Absentmindedly muttering, Alter closed his eyes.

Brillie gasped in fright and stopped in her tracks.

Could it be that he died before even receiving treatment from a priest?

'His heart's still beating. His magic power hasn't faded either...'

With belated relief, Brillie resumed moving.

It seemed he had temporarily fainted from coughing up blood.

Maybe he wouldn't awaken for several days, but that was better than fading away in vain.

'He won't die, right? Who collapses before their wedding?'

* * *

"In the end... it came to this. Should I not have transferred the curse? But if not for that..."

Alter, hearing a familiar voice, slowly regained consciousness.

A pure white space spread before him, with no real objects to be found.

Yet in the center of the background stood a woman, white-haired, her hair flowing down.

"Am I... dead?"

"My residual consciousness is watching over you. You've simply stepped outside your body for a moment—think of it like that."

"...?"

Alter immediately stood up and approached the woman.

She wore a gentle smile and cautiously stepped toward him.

"Can you guess who I am?"

"I have some idea... I..."

Alter had already sensed the woman's identity.

But she was not personally related to him, only connected to this body by bloodline.

How could he possibly speak such a name aloud?

"Oh, that's right. I implanted the memory of the original work in you... I almost forgot."

"...?"

"To put it simply, I created a reason so your body wouldn't reject you. If you suddenly saw the future, wouldn't you find it odd?"

"... Excuse me?"

"You haven't transmigrated into the original work. You are truly Alter Radiant... and my son."

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=Wait, what?【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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