The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 64

#64.

“What?”

“Do you really want to kill Father? With your own hands?”

Touching his forbidden spot [likely a sensitive area due to his powers or a past trauma], Zerachiel clenched his fist. His voice became sharper and more strained than usual.

“Then what do you want me to do?”

“…….”

“Isn’t that what everyone wants anyway?”

The cold expression, like a mask on Zerachiel, crumbled. He frowned deeply, lowered his head, and muttered.

“That’s all I’ve been given.”

“No.”

Zerachiel raised his head at Chelsia’s firm rebuttal. And the moment he gazed into her pink eyes, he couldn’t help but widen his own.

It was because he felt the intense will within them. He couldn’t understand how such force could come from that small body.

Chelsia said.

“You don’t have to live the way others want you to.”

“…….”

“You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. And if you want to, I’ll fight with you. In this ridiculously messed-up world.”

Suddenly, his vision blurred. In the distorted world, only Chelsia, looking at him with concern, was clearly visible.

Zerachiel realized a little later that it was because of the tears in his eyes.

He had never cried in front of anyone in his life. Not even when his mother left, nor when his arm was broken during training.

Why does Chelsia keep disarming him?

Why does she, who is smaller than him, seem so big?

In the end, Zerachiel had no choice but to reveal the true feelings he had been hiding all along.

“I, don’t want to kill, Father.”

The true feelings he could not tell anyone. The will that had endured, repeating only the destiny he had to fulfill, collapsed in an instant.

Zerachiel trembled, bowing his head deeply. It was a statement that could be considered irresponsible by others.

The thought that Chelsia might think so too made him unable to raise his head.

It was at that moment. A soft touch reached Zerachiel’s cheek. Following that, Chelsia, who gently lifted his head, smiled brightly.

“I knew it.”

“…….”

“I also wished that Zachari hadn’t died.”

He thought everyone hated Javisi [likely referring to Zachari, perhaps a title or family name]. He secretly wished he would disappear, thinking they were just submitting to his strength.

But the moment Zerachiel heard those words from Chelsia, he realized. That it was his own arrogance.

Chelsia held his hand tightly and said.

“So, no matter what happens, I’ll save Zachari. Instead, Zerachiel, you cover me.”

A white weasel ordering a black lion as if it were natural.

The incongruity made Zerachiel burst into laughter without realizing it.

He didn’t know how she was going to stop him, but he just wanted to believe it. With the miracle she had just shown, it seemed like she could save his father.

“Let’s go!”

With those words, Chelsia approached Zachari with light steps. Her bobbed hair, swaying with each step, seemed to emit a brilliant light.

Zerachiel followed her back as if possessed. Following that, he tightly restrained Zachari with his pheromones to prevent him from harming Chelsia.

Zachari, bound by silver chains and black pheromones, let out an animalistic cry.

Following that, even more intense pheromones enveloped the three of them.

“!”

At that moment, Zerachiel widened his eyes as he noticed Chelsia’s eyes momentarily turning golden. The sacred golden light began to spread as if swallowing the clear pink eyes.

While Zerachiel was staring blankly at the sight, Chelsia frowned, feeling something strange in her body. She was more breathless and dizzy than usual. Chelsia’s face turned white in an instant.

Thud―

Chelsia blinked in bewilderment as she heard a sound like a fortress collapsing within her.

She didn’t know exactly what it was, but it was definitely a warning sign. Nevertheless, she couldn’t stop because she felt more powerful than before at that moment.

‘Just a little more……!’

Chelsia began to endure, gritting her teeth.

At this rate, it seemed like she could stop Zachari’s rampage. Soon after, as expected, she felt the ominous energy swirling around Zachari subside in an instant.

She was about to gather her last strength to stop Zachari.

With a clear sound of waves, familiar silver fish appeared around her.

Taebi, who seemed to have grown an inch more than when she first saw him, sighed softly.

― That’s enough. You can’t handle any more than this. Leave it to me.

With those words, Chelsia felt her pheromones being eaten by Taebi and subsiding. To be exact, Taebi, who had swallowed her pheromones, was growing bigger and bigger.

At that moment, the color of Chelsia’s eyes returned to their original light.

What are you doing?

Chelsia gaped at Taebi’s sudden interference. Zerachiel, who was guarding her side, was equally surprised.

“What is that……?”

Taebi, who had already become a giant whale, began to swallow the black pillars created by Zachari without hesitation.

* * *

If a fish evolves, it becomes a whale?

This was something that would make a science student say it doesn’t make sense, but it was unfolding before my eyes.

Boo-woo-woo-woo―

The sound of a whale crying echoed quietly in the sky.

Taebi, who had become a whale from a fish, swam in the sky as if it were the sea, eating away the pheromone poison emitted by Zachari.

As a guardian in charge of the Pearl of Purification [likely a magical artifact or concept], she quickly began to restore the dark sky to its clear state.

The sight of Taebi swimming in the sky as if it were the sea was shocking in itself.

I stared at the sky with a dazed expression at this absurd situation.

The moment I felt something snap inside me, Taebi appeared. And as soon as Taebi appeared, my chest felt stuffy again, as if my pheromones were blocked.

It wasn’t completely blocked. Because the healing pheromones were still swirling around me.

I couldn’t be sure, but I had a feeling that Taebi had saved me.

Most of all, the good thing was that Zachari had come to his senses.

“Ugh.”

Zachari groaned, then felt the pain in his shoulder and frowned. He muttered irritably, as he usually did.

“What? What crazy bastard dared to stick a sword in me?”

That crazy bastard is your son.

And the person who was crazy until just now is your father.

As soon as I confirmed that Zachari had come to his senses, I felt relieved and my legs gave way.

Zerachiel easily held me in his arms, still aiming at Zachari with his sword.

Zerachiel asked in a suspicious voice.

“Have you returned?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you remember?”

Zachari frowned at Zerachiel’s repeated questions. Then, Zachari, who looked at the sky that had become somewhat clear thanks to Taebi, opened his mouth.

“Why is my pheromone over there…….”

“…….”

“Don’t tell me I was rampaging?”

When Zerachiel nodded instead of answering, he frowned and asked.

“But why am I still alive?”

Zachari looked down at his hand as if he couldn’t believe it. It was a natural reaction since the only way to go after rampaging was death.

“And what is that whale?”

Zachari pointed to the whale that was diligently eating away his pheromones until the very end. Then Zerachiel looked at me.

Naturally, Zachari’s gaze was also fixed on me. Two pairs of golden eyes demanded an explanation from me.

“Did you summon it?”

“That’s…….”

It was the moment I was about to confess everything.

“G, Guardian! Th, that’s definitely a guardian!”

When I turned my head at the sudden shout, I saw that the beastmen had already gathered around me.

Among them was Heathcliff. He was staring at me with a blank face.

Since when has he been here?