CH 64

“Ugh, the perfume smells vibrating.” 

Jasmine, who followed me to the lake, frowned and said. 

“I think you can wash your hands here now.”

Jasmine led me towards the mud-free ground. After following her calmly, I bent down and dipped my hand in the lake. 

“Earlier,” I said while washing my hands. “Wasn’t it weird?”

“About what?” Jasmine replied. 

“It’s like she intentionally dropped a perfume bottle in front of me.” 

“Ey. There’s no way!”

Jasmine shook her hand, frowning her nose.

“Even if she does, what’s the benefit for the Countess? It seemed like an expensive perfume.”

“Right?”

I said with one eye slightly closed. 

“I’m overreacting, right?” 

“It’s just being careful, but I think so.”

Jasmine said the same thing, but I couldn’t be more suspicious. Like I said, it could be an overreaction. 

So I nodded and answered. 

“Okay. I should just ignore it.”

“Good idea.”

Jasmine smiled and patted me. Then, she looked around saying, ‘Ah!’

“Ah, right, I forgot my handkerchief. I’ll be right back! Stay here!” 

Jasmine left, and I raised my head with my wet hands in the air. The smell of perfume still hasn’t disappeared. My nose hurts. 

Why did she bring such a strong perfume?

‘Is not a perfume that Fleur usually uses.’

Come to think of it, Fleur always had a subtle scent of flowers. However, this perfume is so strong that it makes her frown. She said that Fleur brought these things? 

‘It’s uncomfortable.’

However, there is nothing I can do unless I have physical evidence right now. So I calmly waited for Jasmine to come, and I had no choice but to wait for the smell to go away. 

The lake was quiet.

It’s natural that people won’t come this far. Beyond the bushes in the distance, I could see a point that was getting dark. It seems that that is the monster forest. 

The atmosphere was hideous, and just looking at it was scary. How did Fleur get in there in the original work? She has such a scaredy-cat personality.

‘Come to think of it, we have to prevent Fleur from entering.’ 

I roughly wiped my wet hands on a dress and looked around. She can’t go directly into the forest where there were people before. 

Because there are many people. 

In other words, if Fleur wants to sneak into the forest of magic, she must pass through this lake. 

So I think I just have to look here carefully—.

“Huh?”

Over the bushes, I saw a white dress. Wasn’t the dress Fleur was wearing white?

“Countess!”

I shouted at her. To prevent her from entering the forest. But the dress disappeared into the darkness. 

“Tsk.”

I bit my lips hard.

“Fleur!”

Once the idea of keeping Fleur out of the forest got ahead of me, I ran into the forest. 

******

“Where did she go—”

Apparently, this is where Fleur is going, but I didn’t see her. 

Did she go deeper into the forest?

“I’m scared.” 

I looked beyond the dark forest and swallowed my dry saliva. Of course, since this is the edge of the forest, there must be no monsters. But still, scary things are scary.

Monsters appear quite often in the original work. 

As I said earlier, a monster appears in the hunting contest episode, which solidifies the relationship between Callian and Fleur, and the second Prince returns after winning the battle against the monster, shaking Callian’s position. 

In addition, something else will happen later because of the monsters—.

And at that time, there were reports that the monsters looked scary. It was described in such detail that I never wanted to face the monster. And by any chance, the monster might harm me.

It was scary. 

Thinking so, I stopped walking for now. I thought it would be really dangerous if I walked further from here. 

“Tsk. I don’t know. It might not be Fleur.”

I tried to deny the reality and turned my foot. I wanted to escape from this scary place as soon as possible. 

But it was then—.

“Kyaaak!”

I screamed without realizing it. 

This is because dozens of red eyes were rushing together and looking at me.

“W, what is that?”

I hesitated and took a back step. But soon the steps were blocked. Because I felt something right behind me.

I turn my head slowly—.

Looking at me, I saw a monster with its mouth open as if it were licking its mouth. My saliva dropped from my open mouth.

“Oh my, crazy!”

I looked at the other side to run away. But there were also monsters. On the side, too! All of them! The monsters were completely surrounding me!

When did they come all the way? 

No, and didn’t they say that monsters travel alone in the first place? But why did they all come to me like this?

“Rwaaaar!”

The cry of the monsters pierced my ears painfully. My legs trembled. I felt like I was about to faint because I was dizzy. But if I collapse here, the monsters will bite my body. 

I don’t want to die like this. What should I do? 

“Rwaaar!”

A monster came running to me. 

“Oh my!”

I rolled the floor and barely avoided the claws of the monsters. However, I was lucky this time, and it was unclear whether I could avoid it like this next time.

Let’s think. Think.

Think about how to escape this situation—Huh? 

“Wait. I know how to use black magic.”

I got a little nauseous.

I was scared before, right? But I’m strong. The emotions I’m feeling now are fear and anger. I was going to use this emotion to use black magic. 

“Rawwwwr!”

“What are you barking at?” 

I reached out to the monster with my mouth open. Black energy rose from the tip of my hand, and soon turned into an arrow and flew away to the monster. 

Shoot! The power hit by the monster’s head immediately engulfed the entire body of the monster.

“Oh my—”

One monster disappeared in an instant. Without a trace!

“Huh? Was I always this strong?”

While I was muttering, the cry of a monster was heard from behind. 

“Kkkkik!”

The monster’s feet swung towards me. I hurriedly opened my palms. 

Crack! 

The black energy that rose from my hand blew away the monster’s face, and the monster gradually turned to powder and began to crumble.

“Wow—”

I clenched and opened both hands repeatedly.

This—.

“It’s fun?”

I smiled and turned toward the monsters. And nodded my head. 

“Bring it on.”

Rawwwr! The monsters rushed in. 

******

“Ophelia!”

Sylvester ran through the bushes. 

The cry of a monster was heard from not far away. Ophelia seemed to be there too. 

The monsters were nowhere to be seen, so were they all gathered here? If so, why?

The questioned Sylvester realized the reason for the smell of perfume that poked his nose from a distance. This smell is definitely the scent of Kerban flowers. 

The scent of Kerban flowers is very liked by the monsters, so it is used to lure the monsters in the battle against them.

But why the hell is this smell coming out now?

Sylvester was confused, but the priority was to save Ophelia for now.

“Ophelia! Answer me!”

He ran with all his might. And when he went through the last bush, he saw a tremendous sight. And that’s—.

“Go away!”

It was the appearance of Ophelia using black magic to kill the monsters. Sylvester had never seen anyone use black magic like that in his life. And it was the first time he’d ever seen monsters crumble into powder like that. 

Ophelia, who runs freely using black magic, really looked more beautiful than ever. 

Her messy hair and her torn dress were dazzling, and her sweat was so beautiful that admiration came out.

“Ha—”

Sylvester grabbed the sword he was holding hard. 

Slash! 

And behind Ophelia, he cut the body of the monster who was trying to attack her with a single stroke.

“Huh?”

Ophelia looked back only then. 

“Ah, why are you so late?! I had a hard time alone!”

As soon as she saw Sylvester, she shouted. Sylvester smiled in vain and pulled Ophelia behind him. 

Push!

And the sword was planted in the heart of the last remaining monster. 

Whew! The monster falling. 

Sylvester lifted his sword and raised his chin. Look at Ophelia.  

“Did you get hurt?”

“My eyes hurt. My eyes hurt because I saw something so gross.” 

Sylvester let out another absurd laugh. In fact, he had imagined a picture of himself saving Ophelia. However, the reality was the opposite. 

Ophelia was a strong woman who knew how to do her job on her own. 

“Ophelia.”

He slowly opened his mouth, looking down at Ophelia. 

Why he has been annoyed with Ophelia, Why he paid attention to her every move, now he knows the reason.

All phenomena resulted in one answer. 

It was because he liked her.