Chapter 122.1

Yurina glanced at Betsy, trying to look casual.  Her freckled nose and cheeks, neatly braided brown hair, and a kind smile. Looking at her face alone, the woman in front of her was undoubtedly Betsy.

‘But…’

Yurina looked down and examined the shape of the teacup once more.

Betsy put the teacup’s handle on Yurina’s right side no matter what. Even when she made a mistake because she was preoccupied with the news that her nephew was ill, she kept that one thing in mind. It was something she had been doing for a long time, so it was ingrained in her body like a habit, so it was the result of her body reacting first rather than her head.

But in a situation where her nephew’s condition has improved a lot, is this a mistake?

‘It can’t be.’

Then there was only one answer. This woman is not Betsy. Instinct was telling her so.

Then, where is the real Betsy? Why didn’t she contact Yurina to make this situation happen? What were the escort knights doing?

Could this be the work of Marquis De Flon? Did he kidnap Betsy? Is he trying to kidnap Yurina through Betsy?

Yurina pushed the cup away, trying to brush off the choking questions. If it wasn’t the real Betsy, Yurina couldn’t drink the tea that Betsy brought her.

“Milady?”

“Betsy, could you bring me a cold drink? It’s a hot day, so I don’t want to drink hot tea.”

“It is hot today. I’ll bring it right away.”

“Yeah, thank you. Sorry to bother you.”

“No. I should have brought a cool drink from the beginning.”

Yurina looked at Betsy’s back as she left and took the necklace in her hand. This was the moment she was about to call Reynard.

“Are you very quick-witted?”

Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind and grabbed her by the wrist. It was definitely Betsy’s voice that she heard every day. Now it contained something terrible. Goosebumps ran down Yurina’s spine from the approaching fear.

Yurina tried to pour out mana through her fingertips, but the black mana from the hand holding her wrist stopped all movement.

Please, please, please.

Yurina bit her lips so hard that they turned white and tried to move mana by force, but whenever she did it, her hands burned as hot as if they had been touched by fire. A moan leaked involuntarily through the tightly closed teeth.

Please. Please. Please. I can’t lose like this, please!

“I was told that you are much into such tricks. I’ve heard that it won’t be easy, but you’re not very compliant. Still, such a rebellious prey is more fun to hunt… Oh you!”

At that moment, a white light shot out from Yurina’s hand and hit the back of ‘Betsy’s’ hand. At the same time, the black mana from ‘Betsy’s’ hand cut the string of the necklace hanging from Yurina’s neck. The necklace bounced off and fell into the middle of the room.

Yurina looked at the coiled necklace and quickly stood up. But suddenly, a heavy aura engulfed her back. She couldn’t even take a few steps and fell to the ground.

This time, Yurina tried to gather mana with the bracelet she wore around her wrist, but in vain. ‘Betsy’ had already stepped on her wrist.

“Even a mouse bites the hand when cornered, so it’s quite good.”

As if to shatter Yurina’s wrist bones, ‘Betsy’ twisted her ankle and crushed her wrist. Yurina bit her lip tightly to hold back her groan that burst out of her.

“But that’s all for looking after…”

‘Betsy’ couldn’t finish her words. Before she had a chance, there was an explosion, and ‘Betsy’s’ body flew off and crashed into the wall.

Like an insect caught in a web, ‘Betsy’s’ body was now fixed, suspended in the center of the wall. The explosion was so strong that she vomited blood.

Not knowing what happened, Yurina looked up with a puzzled face and found Reynard approaching her at high speed.

“Ray?”

“Yurina.”

He carefully lifted Yurina up and placed her on the couch. In an instant, his face was contorted mercilessly as he looked down at her red, swollen and bruised wrist.

After healing Yurina’s wounds, he stared at ‘Betsy’, who was still floundering on the wall.  His eyes were bloody, as if her eyes alone could tear her apart and kill her. Yurina had never seen him so cold.

“How did you know?”

“I came running because the flow of mana was strange. However…”

Raynard got up from his seat and walked towards ‘Betsy’. His large hand tightened around her neck. ‘Betsy’ scratched his arm and yelped, but he didn’t care. He just squeezed her neck a little tighter.

“How dare you stick that filthy mug in here?”

His voice was lower and calmer than ever, but he raised his voice and showed more anger than screaming.

“Who ordered you? Marquis De Flon, is that bastard?”

‘Betsy’ looked at him with wide, bulging eyes, not answering. In an instant, there was another bang, and her body sank into the wall a little more.

“It’s obvious even if you don’t say anything. What is your purpose? Did you even try to kidnap Yurina? What were you going to do with her?”

‘Betsy’ giggled, looking at Reynard, whose hands were trembling with anger. The way she smiled through her vomit-stained lips was very strange.

“Judging by your face, it looks like you want to tear me apart…”

“That’s right.”

“But seeing that you can’t do that, you must be concerned about the maid’s whereabouts?”

Reynard collected mana at his fingertips without affirmation or denial. The light that burst from his hand permeated ‘Betsy’s’ body. ‘Betsy’ let out an ear-piercing scream and twisted her body in agony.

There were cracks all over Betsy’s face, like cracked ground from a drought, and something like crumbs fell down. Starting with the cheeks, all debris from the nose, chin, and forehead fell off, and the face of a boy younger than expected appeared.

“Tell me where Betsy is.”

“If you want to find that maid…”

The boy flicked his tongue like a snake and licked the blood from the corners of his mouth.

“Look at this woman and tell her to come alone. And then the maid will return whole.”

The boy laughed with an eerie sound. A black mist that suddenly appeared wrapped around the boy’s feet and slowly began to disappear from the tips of his toes.