CH 248

When Cecile regained her senses, she blinked a few times and then confidently announced, “This must be a dream.” It had to be a dream—there was no other way to explain where she was standing.

Cecile clearly remembered the events up to the point where she lost consciousness. She had succeeded in dumping all the water on top of Ruin’s head, but after that everything went blank. ‘Then, I must have fainted?’ she thought.

However, if she had fainted at that moment, then she should’ve woken up to see Estian and Richard at her side. Neither man was anywhere in sight. Moreover, the place she had woken up in was another mystery too. “Where is this?” she muttered.

Initially, she thought she had been gazing up at the night sky, but as her eyes adjusted, she realized what lay above her was a black, empty void without a single twinkling star. When she looked around her, something seemed to catch in her hand. Glancing down, she muttered in a puzzled tone, “Leaves?” Suddenly, she realized that she was perched atop a set of densely intertwined branches, and not solid ground as she’d thought.

“But why do all the leaves look so random?” After a little more observation, she noticed another thing strange about the tree. Wasn’t it normal for tree leaves to have a uniform shape? However, every single leaf attached to the branches surrounding her boasted a different shape of their own. Moreover… “The leaves are shining?”

Even in the darkness, she could perceive her surroundings easily because the tree itself was emitting a soft glow. It was an utterly strange and fantastical sight, yet Cecile wasn’t frightened at all.

“Still, I should find out where this is.” Settling on a plan, she began to climb over branches. Thankfully, they sturdily supported her weight. After taking a few steps, Cecile’s eyes widened in surprise and she cried, “It’s fruit!”

She’d never considered that she might be on a fruit tree. Hanging on the branch before her was a large, red fruit. Reaching out to grab it, she scrutinized the fruit for a long time. As empress, she thought she had tasted all the fruits in the world, yet this was the first time she’d seen such a fruit.

When she brought it close to her face, her nose was tickled by a completely unfamiliar yet enticingly sweet scent. Gulping involuntarily, she began to salivate to the point that her jaws ached and her belly began to growl. She had been convinced this was all a dream, but why did it feel so vivid in moments like these?

“Is there anyone there?!” she shouted, turning to her head to look around. How spacious was this place? Not even an echo could be heard. When no answer came, Cecile continued, “If there’s no owner here, then I’ll just help myself!”

She had counted to ten the first time round, but this time she only counted to three. When no reply came, she proceeded to take a large bite out of the fruit. A satisfyingly crisp crunch rang out and her eyes widened. “It’s really delicious!” she exclaimed. A sweet freshness incomparable to any fruit that she’d ever tasted lingered on the tip of her tongue.

Munching and swallowing what was in her mouth, she opened wide to take a second bite, when a voice filled with fury suddenly rang out in her head.

[You. Came. Again.]