The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 95

#95.

The moment arrived, and the patterns on the altar seemed to shimmer. The statue of the Divine Beast began to spread its folded wings wide, as if coming alive.

*Whoosh!*

A strong golden light erupted from the altar and stretched upwards. Before I knew it, I was enveloped in a cloud of light, and my eyes met those of the Divine Beast statue.

The instant our eyes met, I suddenly found myself in an unfamiliar place.

Where am I?

The Mishir River in front of me was clearly the same, but the surroundings were vastly different from what I knew. The magnificent temple was gone, replaced by a vast forest stretching out across Hebel.

I instinctively realized that I was experiencing the memory of the Divine Beast, engraved on the altar.

My pheromones must have been accepted as an offering, allowing me to access the Divine Beast’s memory.

‘So, this is what it feels like.’

I was reading the Divine Beast’s memory right after taking the Elado Saintess test. Surely, the first memory would be the contract between the Divine Beast and the first Saintess.

‘Why is no one here?’

I walked aimlessly through the thick fog of Hebel. Being within the Divine Beast’s memory, I couldn’t speak.

No matter how far I walked, I couldn’t find the Divine Beast or the Saintess, which puzzled me.

Suddenly, I saw a black lion lying wounded in front of me.

It was a huge black lion, but I felt more puzzled than intimidated.

‘Hmm?’

Why a black lion of all things?

The Saintess and the Divine Beast aren’t showing up, so what’s going on? I’ve never seen anything normal happen when black lions are involved, so I naturally became tense.

Hesitating, I kept my distance when I saw a woman approaching the black lion from afar.

The woman’s silver hair reflected the sunlight, shimmering. Her clear, glass-like golden eyes looked at the black lion with pity.

“You’re hurt again. I told you to be careful.”

“Woof.”

The black lion let out a perfunctory bark and licked the woman’s cheek. It was a languid response, telling her to hurry up and heal him. The woman smiled and stroked his mane.

“You’re so strong, so why do you keep getting hurt? You’re so careless.”

The black lion purred at the woman’s gentle touch. The moment the woman placed her hand on the black lion’s wound, her pheromones seemed to envelop him, and the deep wound disappeared in an instant.

“There, all done. Now stop acting spoiled.”

“Grrr.”

The black lion scratched the perfectly healed spot with his paw and then pounced on the woman.

“Ah!”

The woman was overwhelmed by the black lion hugging her and fell backward. She burst into laughter at his affection.

“Hahaha! Stop it. It tickles.”

The more she laughed, the more the black lion clung to her. They wrestled playfully for a while.

“So, you were here.”

“Divine Beast.”

“You’re with that creature again.”

The man called Divine Beast looked at the black lion with a cold, mineral-like gaze.

Tying half of his sun-like golden hair back made him look like a deity. When his golden eyes glared at the black lion, the woman awkwardly pulled the black lion away.

“He keeps getting hurt.”

“He’s doing it on purpose. He wants your attention.”

“Oh, I don’t think so.”

The Divine Beast’s expression hardened as the woman defended the black lion.

“Don’t trust beasts.”

“But I’m a beastman too.”

“You’re an exception. Because you’re the child I chose.”

“You’re too cold sometimes, Divine Beast. It would be nice if you were a little warmer.”

“Why bother caring about a mere creature? You’re all I need.”

The Divine Beast coldly spat out the words ‘mere creature’ and glanced at the black lion.

In response, the black lion bristled and leaned against the woman. She hugged him and gently chided the Divine Beast.

“I appreciate the special treatment, but please don’t push Bobby too hard. He’s getting scared.”

“As if.”

“Divine Beast.”

The Divine Beast sighed deeply at the woman’s hardened expression.

“That creature is doing it on purpose. Don’t you know that he comes here despite the fog that blocks the beastmen?”

“But—”

“I know you’re aware that he’s doing it on purpose, and you’re accepting it.”

The woman only smiled at the Divine Beast’s words and didn’t deny it. She seemed to know that Bobby was getting hurt on purpose.

I quietly watched the three of them. It seems that the woman is Larien, the first Saintess.

The Divine Beast’s memory that Ella saw in the original story was clearly the first meeting between Larien and the Divine Beast.

The story unfolding before me now seemed to be a story long after they had already made a contract.

Moreover, the appearance of a black lion that didn’t even appear in the original story.

‘The name Bobby doesn’t suit such a fierce black lion at all.’

Isn’t the name Bobby more suitable for someone who is doll-like and delicate?

On the other hand, the black lion in front of me was the epitome of majesty. Even a bird passing by would faint if he just shook his mane.

I was thinking that when suddenly the scene changed, and Larien was holding Bobby in her arms, crying.

Bobby was slumped over, bleeding. Unlike last time, the wound was very deep.

When the Divine Beast saw this and approached, Larien said.

“Bobby isn’t breathing.”

“Your power won’t work on a creature that’s already dead.”

“Please, Divine Beast. Please save Bobby.”

Larien looked up at the Divine Beast, shedding crystal-like tears.

The Divine Beast’s eyes, looking down at Bobby, were still mineral-like. His cold eyes, which showed no mercy, easily crumbled in front of Larien.

After a moment of silence, the Divine Beast said quietly.

“You’re asking me to save that creature? Do you really not know what that means?”

“I know. That’s why I’m sorry.”

Larien lowered her head. At her gloomy reaction, the Divine Beast said.

“If I save that creature, your connection with me will be severed. Is that creature so precious that you’re willing to lose your immortality and return to being an ordinary beastman?”

At the Divine Beast’s question, Larien bit her lip and said firmly.

“Yes. He’s precious.”

“……”

“So, please.”

As Larien reverently lowered her head, the Divine Beast let out a faint sigh. It was like a father looking at a child left out in the cold.

“You’re an inevitable child.”

“……”

“I told you not to give your heart away. You’re finally giving your heart away and breaking your promise with me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s done. The choice is yours. Don’t forget that the consequences are entirely yours.”

At that moment, the Divine Beast reached out his hand to Larien’s forehead. Larien clasped her hands together as if praying and waited for the Divine Beast’s judgment.

Soon after, Larien’s power was transferred to Bobby along with a strong beam of light. A stream of tears fell below Larien’s closed eyes.

In the extremely solemn atmosphere, I held my breath and watched the three of them.

Soon after, Larien and the black lion were kicked out of Hebel and left alone in the forest.

When Larien looked up at the sky, the Divine Beast’s voice echoed in the air.

“Farewell, my child.”

With this, Larien, whose connection with the Divine Beast was severed, quietly looked down at the black lion, who was panting.

Soon after, the revived black lion opened his eyes and began to transform into a human. It seemed that it was always difficult to handle power in the fog of Hebel, so he was always in animal form.

The black lion, who boasted a huge physique even when he was an animal, stood by Larien’s side in the form of a handsome man.

“Larien.”

The moment he called her name for the first time, Larien felt an overwhelming emotion and smiled brightly.

Larien, who couldn’t go outside Hebel, must be seeing his appearance for the first time.

Bobby’s jet-black hair fluttered in the breeze. His golden eyes, resembling the Divine Beast, sparkled with a radiant light.

On the other hand, Larien’s eyes lost the power of the Divine Beast and took on a dull light. Nevertheless, Larien was not discouraged.

Rather, she gently stroked Bobby’s cheek and said kindly.

“Did you sleep well?”

Bobby’s face contorted at her calm words, as if asking if he had a good dream. He opened his mouth as if blaming her.

“Why did you do that?”

“……”

“You should have just left someone like me to die.”

Larien just smiled at Bobby’s rebuke. After a suffocating silence, Larien opened her mouth.

“Because I……”