CH 146

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“Another prince will be born today!”

“Ah, he must be a precious baby who looks just like His Majesty the Emperor and inherited the power of Her Majesty the Empress, right?”

“…I want to see him as soon as possible. I’m so looking forward to it!”

Today, in the Imperial Palace of El Dorado,, it was full of hopes that were soft and sweet, like pink cotton candy

The maids were busy chatting about the prince who was to be born today.

“Oh, let’s go to the labor room quickly!”

“Yes. We’re late—”

The maids, who were excitedly discussing what color of socks would suit the newly born prince, realized the time was running out and moved on.

Everyone’s cheeks were red.

“Hello, Prince!”

The first prince of El Dorado, Gerard von Axelferion, realized the moment he was greeted by the maids.

‘I succeeded. I’m back to the past!’

A feeling of pleasure like a thunderbolt spread across his spine, making his tiny hairs standing upright.

Gerard hurriedly looked out the window in the hallway.

“……!”

The reflection in the window was unfamiliar.

He had healthy skin and a bright complexion, far from rotting.

The young face was still unfamiliar.

It wasn’t a dying body. From head to toe, strength ran all over his body. As if newly born.

The second act of a new life has begun!

Then, the first thing he should do to commemorate his new life is… 

“…….”

Kill his brother.

There was something that he regretted from a very long time ago.

That’s right, bribing the maid to treat the child as a stillborn.

He was unaware of the fact that the weak-hearted maid eventually rescued Sislin and sent him away.

‘It’s a mistake that will never happen again.’

The second opportunity had to be used wisely, so Gerard decided to use a more vicious method.

‘This time, I will kill him myself.’

Gerard asked to enter the labor room.

“Her Majesty the Empress has given permission. Please enter, Prince.”

“Okay.”

Gerard forcefully held back his laughter as he entered the labor room.

‘It’s a shame, isn’t it, Sislin?’

‘It’s a life that dies as soon as it’s born. You’ll die as soon as you take your first breath.’

‘In the first place, a trivial life like a fleeting dream is what suits you.’

‘Give me all your glory and die.’

“Gerard. My son.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Empress Sansil appeared emaciated due to the labor, but she was still dignified.

Although she sometimes shouted that Gerard was not her son, Gerard was basically a prince. 

As long as she wasn’t indulged in that delusion (though true), she was still generous to young Gerard.

“Your brother will be born today.”

“…….”

“Are you here because you want to see him quickly too?”

“Yes, Mother.”

She didn’t even know that the cuckoo chick hiding in the Imperial Palace had come to push the other eggs out of the nest.

The average good person…

…could only imagine how evil other people could be.

From a villain’s point of view, it seemed really stupid.

Gerard smiled brightly. Looking at the empress’s round belly.

“When my younger brother is born, I will protect him by becoming a kinder and more reliable older brother than anyone else, Mother.”

“—Gerard.”

The empress seemed a little moved.

‘Stupid bitch.’

Early that morning, it was announced that a new prince had been born to the world.

Gerard hid himself in the labor room, hiding himself with the magic tool that would have been given to the maid.

More stealthily than the moonlight.

“…….”

From the cradle, the eyes of the small life resting on the blanket shone eerily.

Gerrard walked out with the child in his arms.

And into the dark forest outside the Imperial Palace, he went deeper and deeper.

Tak, tak, tak!

As he ran while stepping on the morning dew, he laughed out loud in excitement.

‘It’s today! It’s today!’

The day of revenge.

The starting point for his future, in which there’s no Sislin and he would rise to a higher position than anyone else.

“Poor bastard.”

Gerard held the child in his arms and smiled.

“You’re born with a fate that you couldn’t avoid, and it looks like you’re about to get killed.”

The living creature in his arms was disgusting.

“It can’t be helped. God has thrown your soul into the abyss, so you have no choice but to accept—”

Gerard then slowly peeled off the sack covering the child.

But something was a bit strange.

It was a child, not a newborn.

Although born today, the child had hair, and the shape of the features was quite clear.

Like a child who was a few months old.

And the boy had the same silver hair as his, and his eyes were red.

“……!!!”

At that moment, he realized.

Who was the target that he held and cursed?

It was himself.

To be precise, his past self.

“This… This is nonsense! What happened?”

Gerard stammered, flustered.

That was then.

The imperfect past slowly began to melt away.

There were goosebumps on his spine.

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The day Gerard spent in the past was a fleeting moment in reality.

As soon as he opened his eyes, I saw Annette’s smiling face.

The dark sky with the Acra.

And, right next to him, Heinrich, who he had caught, remained the same.

“……!!!”

‘It failed. Damn it, I’m back!’

“Recéptus!”

Was that a ‘recovery’ spell, not ‘amplification’?

‘No way.’

‘It can’t be possible. I told her that I had put a curse on the damn wizard beforehand.’

Besides, it was true.

‘Does that mean it doesn’t matter if the wizard dies?’

“……?”

Gerard looked at Heinrich, waiting for the curse to kick in.

But then.

An amazing thing happened.

At his feet, a silhouette of a man appeared and folded his arms leisurely.

―Clearly, that was Heinrich.

“…Two wizards?!”

“Ah, that’s why you’re an idiot.”

Not the tied-up wizard, but the one with his arms folded in a relaxed manner, narrowed his arrogant eyes.

“Would there be two genius wizards like me? Use your head a little!”

Gerard’s face contorted badly.

‘How did this happen?!’

—The night before…

“Let’s take some precautions, Heinrich.”

“…What precautions?”

Heinrich and Annette discussed a lot, all night long.

It was about how to stop Gerard, who would soon start acting up.

A few good (but pretty evil ways) came out of Annette’s head.

“…You seem to have a talent for doing bad things, worse than me.”

“Oh, thanks for the compliment. Heinri!”

Another story emerged in the flow of that conversation.

“Heinrich, you must be careful. Gerard could use you again to get me.”

“Did you say ‘again’…?”

Annette revealed what had happened in the past. Heinrich had some guesses, but these were the things that he did not know in detail.

The girl who left him in the Forest ultimately did so to protect him.

Heinrich’s eyes became a little red.

He vaguely guessed that she would not have abandoned him and left.

But he didn’t know the actual details until now.

“Besides, you are weakened now. You should be more careful.”

“…If he were to use me to threaten you, he would have to take my freedom. Is he going to kidnap me?”

“It could happen.”

Heinrich thought deeply for a while, and then smiled.

“That’s something I can prepare well for.”

“How?”

“There is a way.”

Heinrich was excited and explained the ‘doll manufacturing process’ he had developed.

He spoke with much eagerness, like a mad scientist who had succeeded in an experiment, but even the clever Annette didn’t understand half what he was talking about.

“…Uh, that’s great, but Heinrich, can you make a doll just like you as soon as possible?”

“Ah, don’t worry. Once the method is found, production is straightforward.”

“Say, how did you come up with the idea of making such a scary doll?”

“……!”

Heinrich, who was talking animatedly, suddenly coughed and pretended not to know.

Then, he replied that even a genius wizard needed to keep some things secret, and did not speak about it further.

—Well, back to the present.

Agitated, Gerard urged.

“Explain it now! Did you use replication or something?”

Almost immediately, the pre-casted spell activated, and the cursed Heinrich doll turned into butterflies and dispersed in an instant.

Dun.

Gerard’s face turned pale in shock.

‘I was deceived.’

‘Is this a failure?’

Nothing was gained?

Obviously, he was about to eliminate Sislin and implement his plan. Was he failing again, when it’s right in front of his nose?

‘…Because of that bitch, no, Annette.’

Then, Annette said with a serene face.

“I told you, you’ll be ruined soon.”

Jaaaaaak!

The Acra, who lost ownership of its power, created a strong wave.

Without delay, Gerard’s soldiers and the mercenaries gathered for slaughter rushed at Sislin, Kyle, and the imperial soldiers.

“This girl…!”

Gerard also stretched out his hand towards Annette.

Right at that moment.

Annette knew what she had to do.

The source of power that completely and perfectly resonated with her was telling her— how to use this power that was in full ‘bloom’.

Annette held the Acra with both hands and muttered quietly.

“Exórdĭum.”

The light drove out the darkness and slowly penetrated inside.

The Acra, which was making waves, became quiet for a moment, then cracked, and light slowly leaked through the cracks.

Krrrrrr—

A cracking sound echoed through the sky. Pieces of the Acra shattered in the air.

“No, no!!!”

The screaming Gerard fell to the floor when the Acra, which supported him, disappeared.

The light of Exordium leaking from the Acra covered the whole earth and illuminated the world.

Everyone had no choice but to stop fighting and cover their eyes.

“…….”

Everyone became quiet.

As if the world ended in an instant.

—

The first sound I heard was the song of a bird.

The clear chirping of birds flapping their wings in the newly brightened sky.

One by one, people opened their eyes.

Gerard’s soldiers, who were only trying to kill the opponent by order, and the imperial troops.

Sislin, Heinrich, and Kyle—

We were all watching the sunlight pouring down from the clear sky once again.

‘How bright and beautiful is this light.’

The moment when everyone was captivated by the strange sense of exhaltation.

“…The battle is finally over.”

One soldier said.

At the end of the sentence, there were enthusiastic shouts from all over the place. The battle was finally over, and it was our victory.

The shouts of the people resounded in the sky, and the losers threw away their swords.

“Annette.”

In the heated atmosphere, Sislin approached and hugged me tightly without delay.

“Well done.”

“…Sislin.”

Belatedly, Heinrich and Kyle came running.

“Sister!”

“Miss Annette!”

Surrounded by the three men, I laughed out loud. At ease for the first time, without any anxiety.

—The radiant beams of the sun shone down.

Ame: did the author planned to use the dolls in this way all along, or were they really originally written just to make heinri look crazy/obsessive? guess i’ll never know~ And, 3 more chapters to the end of the main story!