NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 103
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I don’t know the reason.
But I could tell.
The Disaster of Innocence had descended.
A monster disguised as a beautiful maiden was right in front of me.
“L-Ludmilla! Let’s solve this with words…!”
Edanant stretched out both hands and waved them.
But despite his desperate persuasion, Ludmilla’s fist struck Edanant’s face. The punch wrapped in black flames made a KABOOM as it landed, sounding like steel being crushed.
THWOOOM!!!
The helmet contorted.
At the same time, blood poured from the cracks in the helmet.
A punishment had come down on the womanizing brat who had strung along three women. Edanant, caught off guard by the sudden surprise attack, momentarily lost his balance and knelt.
“Are you going to make excuses again? This time, you intend to deceive me with your wicked tongue, don’t you?”
“…….”
Maybe it was from the blow to the head.
His mind was clouding, and his vision was swaying. Edanant spat out blood pooling in his mouth as he faced Ludmilla.
‘No way, is she losing control and going on a rampage? No, it’s too coherent for that… It must be the anger directed at me that’s the cause.’
By compiling Ludmilla’s statements, it was easy to grasp the reason.
The cause was me.
She thought I eloped with Zebeline.
She probably thought the fiancé she had promised to marry ran away. How angry she must be! Moreover, Ludmilla was a spinster who had completely missed her marriageable age, so it must have been even worse. She must have thought the saintess stole the last chance of her life.
“It’s a misunderstanding! I’m not some Maximilian to elope! If I backtrack on the marriage now, my family would be ruined!”
“Lying while putting your family on the line…! Truly a scoundrel who has deceived the Imperial Princesses.”
Our conversation wasn’t getting through.
Was my usual distrust of her this deep?
A sense of despair welled up.
To think my past misdeeds in front of Ludmilla would come back to haunt me like this.
I tried to persuade her again and again, but Ludmilla maintained an attitude of ‘no dialogue’. To prove it, black flames began to unfold one after another.
“Please create a barrier so the damage doesn’t spread!”
“I’ll do whatever I can, but stop that spinster hysteria!”
Zebeline stepped back with a desperate shout.
And Edanant, steeling himself, took a step forward.
“I don’t care what happens to me. I’ve hurt Ludmilla every time. But if this doesn’t stop now… the citizens of the Marquisate of Hohenberg will be swept away. Is that really what you want?”
“Shut up, Edanant! You always talked about sacrifice to deceive me!”
Something felt off.
While continuing the conversation with Ludmilla, Edanant harbored suspicious doubts.
Logic wasn’t working.
No words reached the Ludmilla of now.
She must be in a state where reason was overpowered by madness. The Disaster of Innocence was purposefully inciting Ludmilla’s fury.
“Die!”
Ludmilla spread her hands.
Countless fireballs rained down from the air. Confronted with the fiercely burning flames, Edanant ultimately chose to counterattack. Dark particles formed in unison, and many firearms emerged.
BOOM!
BLAM!!!
Flames and bullets clashed with a resounding KABOOM!
Tyranny and war.
An unprecedented clash of the Disaster of Innocence unfolded.
Ludmilla drew the short sword at her waist. In response, Edanant drew Aldebaran and engaged in a fierce battle.
‘The Disasters of Tyranny will be consumed by Aldebaran’s divine essence just like other divine statuses. But…’
If consumed by Aldebaran’s sacredness, death was inevitable. Even if I miraculously survived, I would be crippled.
I must not activate the Holy Sword.
Edanant suppressed Aldebaran’s divinity as he stared at the mad Ludmilla.
“Ugh!”
He hesitated.
The price of hesitation always resulted in critical injuries.
The sharp tip of Ludmilla’s blade pierced through his arm. If he hadn’t reflexively raised a hand, his head would have been severed.
“Edanant!!!!”
If he just took the beating, would Ludmilla’s anger subside? It was a naive assumption.
It was the opposite.
Instead, it backfired.
Seeing the blood drip down, Ludmilla only grew more furious. Her crimson eyes sparkled like fresh blood, revealing her emotions.
“Does it hurt? Is it very painful? I felt much worse! Every time you had an affectionate rendezvous with the saintess… it felt like my heart was burning with pain!!”
“…….”
“Moreover, I can still smell other women on you. How dare you ask for forgiveness? Your audacity knows no bounds, Edanant!!”
“It’s a misunderstanding! It’s really a misunderstanding!”
It must be Ariel’s scent.
Being suspected of infidelity because of that damned vampire was infuriating.
This was truly unfair.
Edanant protested with an excited voice, but Ludmilla didn’t listen. Years of betrayal had led her to shut him out.
“Edanant!!”
The flames erupted.
Fueled by the explosion, Ludmilla closed the distance in an instant and pounced on Edanant.
With swings of her fists, she shattered his armor.
Then, a flaming kick struck Edanant in the side.
Faced with Ludmilla, Edanant had no choice but to allow the attacks, overwhelmed by a sense of guilt for having inflicted many wounds on her.
“You’ve always made me miserable! As if I was the only one who ever was sincere!”
The sky, filled with scattered embers, was quickly painted a deep red.
A torrential downpour of flames.
The Disaster of Tyranny emerged, denying the world.
Witnessing the overwhelming rain of flames that could cover the sky, Edanant realized that if this Disaster of Tyranny landed on the ground, the Marquisate of Hohenberg would vanish from the map.
He had to stop it.
He had to stop it at all costs.
Edanant opened his eyes wide and gasped.
“Please come to your senses, Ludmilla! If this continues to escalate… I might have to go all out!”
“All out? That’s my line.”
The Apostle of Tyranny spoke with a chilling sneer.
An overwhelming pressure overflowed.
The absolute power granted to the seven strongmen representing the continent surged like a natural disaster.
I might die.
He watched as pillars of fire erupted from the ground, the earth splitting apart.
When saving the Pug Kingdom, he had taken down thousands of magical beasts in one blow. The disparity in power he felt from Ludmilla was almost despair-inducing.
“I’m sorry, Ludmilla. What can I do to be forgiven?”
“…….”
Was there a desperate wish within her?
Ludmilla’s gaze began to waver at Edanant’s words.
Atone with your life.
The grim words he had predicted did not come out.
Ludmilla remained silent, seemingly waiting for the answer she desired to come from Edanant’s mouth. Edanant anxiously watched for any sign from her.
‘What is it? What exactly does Ludmilla intend? It can’t just be my life she wants… Should I go right now and submit a marriage registration form?’
Should he run to the government office and file that marriage registration form?
That was the only way.
He had to calm the rampaging Red Dragon somehow.
Edanant cautiously backed away like a traveler facing a wild beast. But as soon as he created distance, Ludmilla’s condition began to spiral downwards.
Witnessing the flames boiling like an imminent volcanic explosion, Edanant returned to his place and continued to deliberate.
“…Ring.”
“Pardon?”
As the strange standoff continued,
Ludmilla, unable to hold back her frustration, spoke first.
“Hand over the wedding ring. And swear me unwavering love. If you refuse, I’ll kill you.”
“…….”
Ludmilla’s coercive demand was reminiscent of a tyrant.
If he refused, she would kill him.
Extending her fist wrapped in flames, she coerced him for a wedding ring.
Was there a more sinister and chilling proposal on this earth? The result of postponing the proposal may have led to today’s disaster. Edanant felt the terrifying weight of causation as he slipped a hand into his pocket.
CLINK-.
His fingertips brushed against the ring box.
Edanant swallowed hard, glancing at Ludmilla’s eager gaze fixated on his pocket.
“I did receive the family wedding ring from my father, but… I actually planned to return it to Beatrice and Maximilian.”
“So, you mean you can’t give it to me?”
“A, ah, no! My damned brother can have just the candy rings the Luinongs have.”
“…A wise choice.”
He took out the ring box.
Then, as the lid of the box opened, the wedding ring emerged.
Perhaps it was because of the flames around him.
The diamond cube embedded in the wedding ring shone even more brilliantly.
The wedding ring that the previous heads of the Hohenberc Family had gifted to their partners during their confessions. The coveted wedding ring was now in front of Ludmilla’s eyes, greed began to surface within them.
Hand it over.
Quickly, hand it over.
If you go back on your word now, I’ll kill you.
Muttering as she breathed fire, Ludmilla’s face twisted menacingly.
All those who interrupted the proposal will die!