The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 154

“- Kyaa~ Nice to meet you! My name is Kirin! I’m the guardian who protects the Transparent Crystal! You called me, so you must be on the run? Kyaruruk!”

It seemed I had made a contract with someone quite cheerful.

Seeing Kirin, still so bright after all these years, brought a smile to my face, even though I knew this was no laughing matter.

Kirin was in the form of a white snake. Its small, slender body was incredibly cute.

The hissing tongue was split at the end, resembling a heart shape.

The reason I contracted with Kirin first was that the ‘Transparent Crystal’ had the ability to make the body transparent, literally.

Currently, I was an illegal intruder in Hebel. If I just wandered around, I risked being caught by Hebel’s priests.

As someone who shouldn’t be here, it was too dangerous for the Butterfly Squad to discover my presence.

So, I had no choice but to hide like a ghost.

However, after actually making the contract and seeing Kirin jumping around, I was a little unsure if it was the right choice. I couldn’t help but look at Kirin with unease, like a child setting a paper boat out on the water.

Regardless of my personal worries, the guardian’s abilities were undeniable. Making full use of Kirin’s abilities, I began searching for the place where Ella was imprisoned.

Already, throughout Hebel, there were rumors that Ella, the Saintess, would be sacrificed.

The rumors that had been spreading secretly were now accepted as fact.

Soon, the date for the ceremony was set, and time was running out.

As expected, the executor was Naaman. And until then, the role of monitoring the Saintess was assigned to his youngest disciple, Isaac.

I immediately began tailing Isaac. After a long pursuit, I was finally able to find the place where Ella was imprisoned.

It was because Isaac had visited her the night before the ceremony.

I followed Isaac secretly, using my invisibility.

The Ella I encountered was even more miserable than I had imagined.

Ella was staring out of the small window in the prison, completely still.

She had been imprisoned for quite some time, her whole body covered in dust, and beside her were dried-up bread and soup that she hadn’t touched.

It was as if she refused to eat the food they gave her.

Isaac clicked his tongue as he looked at the untouched food.

“Tsk! Is she trying to starve herself to death?”

Ella didn’t answer. Seeing this, Isaac placed the newly brought bread and soup on the floor and said,

“No matter how long you wait, Page’s Overlord won’t come. So, don’t be stubborn and eat.”

At that moment, Ella’s eyes wavered. Ella’s gaze, which had been fixed on the window, turned to Isaac for the first time.

Seeing this, Isaac gave a sly smile.

“Now you’re looking. Yes, Page’s Overlord will never come.”

“I won’t be fooled by such words…….”

“He agreed to take over the Northern Tribe in exchange for handing you over.”

With those words, Isaac shook a document containing Heathcliff’s pheromone signature in front of Ella’s eyes.

Ella’s gaze went to Heathcliff’s signature. Pheromone signatures couldn’t be forged, so it was definitely Heathcliff’s.

“T-That can’t be. Heath…….”

“This is why blind love is dangerous.”

“…….”

“Give up your useless hope. After all, no one can get you out of here.”

Isaac threw the document on the floor and left.

Ella stared at the document for a long time with trembling hands. It was Heathcliff’s pheromone signature, no matter how many times she looked at it.

“흑!”

Soon, her sorrowful cries filled the underground prison. I stayed by her side as she cried. I couldn’t bring myself to speak to her.

After witnessing his betrayal with my own eyes, I had many thoughts.

Ella touched the mark engraved below her right ear. As she scratched it hard with her fingernails, a red line was drawn.

As if wanting to erase it, Ella scratched the spot repeatedly. Seeing the red blood finally flowing, I was horrified and revealed myself to her.

“Don’t do that, Ella.”

“!”

I hurriedly stopped Ella from screaming in surprise.

“Shh.”

Fortunately, Ella swallowed the scream that was about to burst out. After a moment, she murmured in a small voice.

“……Who are you?”

“Hmm, it’s complicated to explain.”

I scratched my cheek and smiled awkwardly. First of all, her wounds were too deep. I thought it would be better to heal her wounds first and then talk, so I was about to use pheromones.

“Huh?”

Strangely, I couldn’t heal Ella’s wounds. I couldn’t believe it and kept trying to use my power, but someone started nagging beside me.

― You idiot. Ella has that pheromone here.

“Huh? Is that so?”

― What do you mean, ‘Is that so?’! Then you didn’t know that until now?

I gave an awkward smile at Tabi’s scolding. Come to think of it, Tabi was right.

In this world, Ella hadn’t discarded my pheromones yet, so it was impossible to use healing pheromones.

I only realized that now.

Until then, I hadn’t felt any discomfort in my body.

That was probably because this place was under the influence of the White Door.

‘So my pheromones really belonged to Ella.’

After confirming it properly before my eyes, I became more certain about what would happen in the future.

I took out a handkerchief from my pocket and applied pressure to her neck to stop the bleeding. I just couldn’t bear to watch.

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

“It’s okay…….”

Ella began to heal the wound on her neck with a bitter expression.

The wound disappeared in an instant.

But she couldn’t heal the wounds in her heart, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Ella, facing death, seemed to have given up on her will to live. Her blue eyes, which had always shone brightly, felt like an empty field.

I impulsively asked Ella, who was like that.

“Hey. Do you want to run away with me?”

“…….”

“I can take you and run away from here.”

At the word ‘run away,’ Ella shook her head.

“What’s the point of running away? The Amitaras Continent is already over.”

“Still, you can save your life. Do you know that they’re making a fuss about sacrificing you now?”

“……I know.”

Ella bit her lower lip and bowed her head. After a moment, she murmured with empty eyes.

“I don’t want to go.”

“…….”

“As long as I have this power, I can’t be free anywhere.”

Indeed, Ella had been the target of countless demi-humans because she had healing pheromones.

Ella had to live a life befitting the title of 『Ella’s Kingdom』.

With Heathcliff, her only shield, betraying her, Ella had no hope left.

The heart that had persevered through any ordeal had completely collapsed due to the betrayal of her loved one.

I smiled bitterly at Ella’s refusal, which was exactly as expected.

I guess there’s no other way.

I expected her refusal, but I felt even more sorry for Ella. Ella was too kind, and this world was too bad to embrace her.

I opened my mouth with a different attitude than before.

“Then I’ll tell you another way.”

“Yes?”

“If that power is too much to bear, there’s also a way to discard it. To have someone else take on your destiny instead.”

* * *

Ella suspiciously looked at the woman who had suddenly appeared, telling her to run away, and even muttering incomprehensible things.

From the fact that she suddenly appeared out of thin air, she seemed suspicious, and her mental state seemed strange.

‘Is she a mentally ill demi-human?’

But why would such a person be in this underground prison?

So far, Isaac was the only demi-human who came in and out of the prison, except for the guards. Even if it wasn’t him, there were several demi-humans guarding this prison.

The delicate woman in front of her didn’t seem strong enough to break through the heavy security. Because I couldn’t feel any pheromones.

To be exact, it was because of Tabi’s power, but there was no way Ella could know that.