Chapter 111: Romance of the black-haired Saintess (3)

Saintess Bianca's 20th birthday was approaching.

The Empire held its largest banquet to commemorate her birthday.

The glamorous chandelier was embedded with colorful jewels and spirits orbited around it, and magic lamps floating in the air, lighting the night sky. This magnificent stage unfolded in iridescent lights, dazzling everyone who saw this. 

All the nobles of the empire gathered to see the face of the Saintess.

“It's really gorgeous. I've never seen a banquet like this since I was born. Moreover, this banquet is held for only one person.”

“Was the rumor about His Majesty yearning for the Saintess true?” 

“Hey, this guy, what if someone hears you?”

“Why? It's a fact that everyone knows.”

“Is that so?”

Even the royal family from other countries couldn’t help but be in awe in front of this banquet which was more luxurious than the Emperor's birthday banquet itself. Just how much was the budget for this banquet? And, all this was held only for one woman, how much does the Emperor love her?

Tuk!!

Suddenly, the festive hall became dead silent. All of them couldn’t help but to do that because of one presence.

Step!! Step!!

It was Saintess Bianca. She entered the hall wrapped in a dress with a beautiful harmony of white and gold. It was a dress which could only be worn by the priestesses of Goddess of Time and Season.

Even though she wore no jewelry, she glowed more than anyone else.

Even though she wasn't dressed up nicely, she was more glamorous than anyone else. 

It was as if all the bright lights in the world were focused on her.

As she walked with a gracious step towards the center of the banquet hall, three priestesses followed closely behind her

"Your Majesty."

“You are here, Bianca.”

Bianca smiled at the Emperor.

“It's a banquet for you.”

The ruler of the empire, Serael. He was a very obsessive man. He had everything Bianca wanted inside the Imperial Palace. It was something he did in order to somehow hold Bianca to himself.

The most beautiful jewelry? The coolest statue? The most brilliant lighting? The most expensive trinket? The most romantic picture? The most, the most, the most!

Everything that had ‘the most’ attached to its name in the whole empire was shipped to the Imperial Palace for the sole purpose of Saintess Bianca. Every time she liked it, every time she was happy, Serael was happy too.

However, even after all that, Bianca still didn't show any reaction. Serael’s heart felt more and more stuffy with every passing day. He really longed for her. All he could think every day was a way to make Bianca his own. 

“Let’s dance to one song.”

“Your Majesty, shouldn’t you say something like ‘Lady, would you please dance with me?'”

“…I can't say that.”

"Then I won't dance with you, Your Majesty.”

She had the nerve to say something that could have her sentenced to death in an instant, but for ‘Female Protagonist’ it was okay. That was the thought Yoo Seodam had while silently watching her from the corner of the hall.

‘You're really shaking the shit out of this world.'

While shoving a fried corn to his mouth, Yoo Seodam glanced over towards Princess Sahar Serenity who stood alone in the balcony. Her figure was really pitiful.

It was really an unfortunate turn of events.

Princess Sahar Serenity and Saintess Bianca’s birthday overlapped.

Originally, she might have been the protagonist who danced in the middle of the banquet, blessed by everyone, holding the hand of her beloved Emperor and dancing with a beautiful smile like a flower.

However, despite her appearance, or being one of the most famous figures in the whole empire, no one paid any attention to her.

However, in Yoo Seodam’s eye, it was only natural, because,

[The protagonist, Bianca, was using the passive skill ‘Attraction Monopoly (SSS)'.]

A skill that slightly surpassed Supreme Dharma’s ‘Bewitch(SS)’ which radiated his charm. She was using a skill given by ‘Protagonist Correction’ to absorb all charms around her and make it her own. No matter how beautiful Princess Sahar was, in the end, she was only a shabby weed in front of the protagonist.

“Princess. Are you okay?”

“I’m not okay.”

“….”

She was trying to avoid looking at the Emperor.

She had dedicated her life to the Emperor and decided to live for him again in her second life. But what was the point of all that?

She felt skeptical about her own life.

However, Yoo Seodam didn’t have time to comfort her. In the first place he didn't have any confidence to comfort her.

Yoo Seodam values efficiency the most, he only moves for the sake of hunting.

‘But I'm glad to hear about what's going on here.'

Princess Sahar was a regressor, she knew about the events that would take place at this banquet.

However, a regressor would always be one step behind the ‘Reader.’ A reader would unconditionally know about any information that the regressor didn’t know. But that's not a problem.

‘Basically, Bianca’s behavior is similar to me. She would use any kind of information for her own gain.'

Bianca, who had already finished dancing with the Emperor, was now dancing with Harayun, the best mage of the empire as well as the Magic Tower Master of the empire.

“Hoohoo, it looks like you’ve got the entire galaxy in your eyes today, Bianca.”

“You are really cheesy.”

“Am I that soft? I want to be your own oil.”

Yoo Seodam overheard their conversation, and he stumbled in the air.

‘You crazy bastards!!’

Harayun continued, without considering the rotten ears of the eavesdropper in the corner.

“By the way, when is your next activity?”

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Haha. You don’t have to pretend in front of me. I know that ‘black lady wizard’ who appears whenever a crisis hits the empire, and solves it before disappearing once again, is you.”

"I told you, it’s not me."

“Huhu, don’t you know that everyone in the empire knows that it’s you?”

The black lady wizard. Probably, it was Aracelli's nickname. She had black hair, and she always appeared with a mask whenever an incident occurred. And then she would disappear after solving the incident with brilliant magic.

However, there was a problem, Bianca was also always in the scene when the incident occurs. She also had a black hair, and her ‘attractive monopoly’ skills would always attract everyone's attention.

That's why people misunderstood Aracelli’s action as Bianca's.

“I’m really not~”

Bianca enjoyed such subtle interests from others, so she didn’t deny it clearly.

‘It wasn't in the original story. Huh, it doesn’t matter!’

Suddenly, her partner had changed once again. This time, it was Sodier, the World's Best Swordsman.

Having wandered around the world carrying his regrets, he accidentally met Bianca and fell in love at first sight.

“I picked it up. Have it.”

“Oh, this is the second heart of the Phoenix……!”

‘…. Seems like that guy is crazy too.’

Yoo Seodam looked closely at those four ‘male leads’.

A Holy Knight, Pope Cain (Tanker) he had a great balance of both offense and defense

Emperor Serael (All-rounder) he had mastered the empire's swordsmanship as well as the empire's magic and had both wealth and fame.

Chief Wizard of the Imperial Palace, Harayun (Long range dealer.)

World's Strongest Swordsman, Sodier (Damage dealer)

They were the characters that could be moved by Bianca through ‘Probability’.

Bianca’s way of doing things resembled Yoo Seodam’s a lot. She was using other people's knowledge against themselves, and leading them to their own ruin.

However, while Yoo Seodam executed all the plans by himself, Bianca was passively standing still, the ‘male leads’ were the one who would move because of the probability.

In other words, the four male leads were the ‘Protagonist Correction’ itself.

But, what will happen if Yoo Seodam cancels that effect?

In order to do so, Yoo Seodam had told Princess Sahar beforehand that he had to go to meet Aracelli.

“Princess. As I said, I will be gone for a while.”

"Okay…."

Yoo Seodam felt that everything that could be figured out had already been figured out.

‘The best way to deal with a regressor was to use the information they had against them.'

But what if the other person has more information than himself? what should he do?

Yoo Seodam thought that this quest could be quite dangerous. But he couldn't just go back. It took one year of lifeforce to tear down the dimension wall for a few seconds, he didn’t think all of his remaining lifeforce would be enough if he decided to give up this quest and return.

‘Anyway, from the moment I received the very first quest… No, from the day I debuted as a Hunter 16 years ago, I was prepared to fight for all of my life.'

Yoo Seodam calmed his nervous heart. He had never fought with full certainty that he could win. So, this tension was similar to what he always felt.

‘If the transmigrator knows everything about the regressor.'

He should simply create an event that even the regressor does not know.

Yoo Seo-dam pulled out ‘E-4 composite bombs’ from his inventory.

* * *

Princess Sahar was sipping on her champagne and looking outside the terrace. In the garden, under the grace of snow, man and woman were roaming in pairs

“······.”

Her heart felt empty, after Yoo Seodam, who always told her some story or listened to her own story, left, Princess Sahar thought to herself that she didn't need someone else's affection anymore, but now loneliness was filling her again.

‘I haven't been able to come to my senses yet….'

There were some people who called her lunatic.

There were some people who called her witch.

There were some people who called her serial killer.

There were also some people who called her the reincarnation of the devil.

All of it in the span of one year. But all she did was try to prevent so many incidents from occurring and hurting others, in the end she was blamed and falsely accused. She was now the number one public enemy for the empire's people.

The reason she was able to attend this banquet was because of the Emperor's consideration.

That was why she still couldn't get rid of her regrets.

In the corner of her thoughts, she had a hope that maybe the Emperor remembered her. And he might suddenly start to look at her once again.

“To think you were really coming here, how shameless.”

"…..Your Majesty. Thank you for inviting me to this banquet.”

Princess Sahar still remembered, in her previous life, this banquet was held exclusively for her. The Emperor at that time touched Princess Sahar's cheek with a warm smile, and pleaded for her eternal love.

But when she returned to the past, and came to this banquet again, the Emperor was not the man she remembered.

‘Ah… haha.'

Those cold eyes, that gaze as if he was seeing a disgusting bug.

She only realized it only then.

‘Yes, His Majesty still remembers me.'

Perhaps, in his memory, he only remembered her as a crazy bitch who tried to undermine and murder ‘Saintess Bianca’. Somehow, a bleak laughter escaped her mouth.

Princess Sahar questioned herself about which Emperor did she love. Was it the Emperor before she regressed? Or the Emperor in front of him? Or both?

And then after those question, another doubt bloomed. Did she still love the same man?

Or maybe she was in love with someone else? If her feeling for the Emperor was nothing but an illusion, just why did she feel this miserable?

She thought maybe everything had gone wrong from the moment she regressed.

“Huhu…”

“Even the sound of your laughter is disgusting. What's so funny?”

“Your Majesty is still the same as before. Your Majesty resembles His Majesty the Emperor in my memory.”

“You're talking nonsense.”

“You always treated the woman you love terribly. That's right…. You have always been like that.”

Sahar waved champagne in her hand and narrowed her purple eyes.

“Because you resemble the man I loved in my memory a little bit too much, I was mistaken for a while. My life has been ruined in return for that illusion, so wouldn't it be better to stop now?”

“What the hell is this crazy girl talking about-”

Right then,

The earth shook and a tremendous roar struck the Imperial Palace.

Kugugugung…!!

bang!!

"What’s happening!"

One of the buildings behind the place where princess Sahar stood suddenly collapsed! In an instant, the face of Emperor Serael turned pale.

"Damn it!"

Serael hurriedly turned his head, and thanks to that, he could not hear Sahar's last words. 

‘Yes, you have to run to the arms of the woman you love. Just like what you did at that time' 

A self-mocking laughter escaped Princess Sahar’s mouth, but no one in this place heard it.

‘Terrorism…!'

As Harayun panicked and ran towards the center of the banquet hall, he pondered about what was going on. If this terrorism was caused by magic, he, the Master of Magic Tower, would have noticed. But he didn’t feel anything.

And in the center of the banquet hall, where all the male lead gathered, of course, Saintess Bianca was sitting there.

‘Wh..what the hell is going on?!'

It was an event she didn't know at all. Although something was going to happen at the banquet, the terrorism incident wasn’t the one.

‘What the hell, what…….’

There’s one thing that both regressors and transmigator share.

It was the fact that when the future they knew started to twist, they couldn't do anything.

Right at this moment, Yoo Seodam was deliberately changing the future. He did that to cause a difference in the future information that the transmigator held. He was going to confuse her and make her suspicious of her own knowledge.

‘The original work has changed…?’

“Bianca! You have to get up! Hurry!”

“No, wait! I shouldn’t leave this place now-”

Kugugugung!!

An explosion erupted, once, twice, thrice, it kept erupting. Different buildings were destroyed with each and every explosion.

While everyone was confused, the Emperor shouted.

“Everyone! Don’t leave the banquet hall!”

Everyone stopped in their trails.

“I will go ahead and solve it. This banquet hall is protected by seven layers of magic, so it is safe. Please stay here and wait patiently!”

“Oh, His Majesty is resolving the situation in person!”

“Long live Your Majesty!”

After the Emperor said that, he twisted his body and walked away from the banquet hall. Then, Harayun spoke to Bianca, there’s no trace of his easy going self on his face.

“Bianca, I need to go too. So, please stay here and protect the people.”

“Uh, huh? Me, me?”

“Now is not the time to hide your magic, Bianca. got it? Your magic is greater than me. So you obviously can do it!”

“I don’t know how to use magic…!”

“Are there at least five … or six terrorists? How could they use magic that I cannot detect at the same time… Ugh, Mister Swordsman, go north!”

"I got it."

“Let’s start quickly.”

The male leads began to rush to stop terrorism.

This phenomenon itself was based on probability.

There are so many wizards, guards, knights, and soldiers in this world, so why were the ‘male leads' always the one who solved everything? Why are the others always helpless?

Of course, it was to give the male leads a chance to show off their powers.

And again, the male protagonists move for Bianca.

“Still, wait a minute……!”

All the male leads scattered. Bianca, who was left inside the banquet hall, looked around with bleak eyes.

"No, you can't go…!"

She had never expected that a sudden terrorist attack would take place. However, she was aware to some extent that there was one more incident that would happen here.

‘Demon summoning ceremony.’

By now, a demon summoning ceremony would have taken place in the basement of the imperial palace. However, even if Bianca had knowledge of the future, there was nothing she could do by yourself.

But, Bianca herself was okay with that.

Because just like in the original story, Princess Sahar would make her move.

━

Even today, I drew a sword for His Majesty's sake.

The place was painted with the blood of a black demon that had become pale under the moonlight.

Ah, His Majesty the Emperor. Thank you for congratulating me on my birthday.

But I have work to do.

For your happiness and for the happiness of the empire.

Because that was also my happiness.

━

Bianca was sure that this time too, Princess Sahar would do that.

However.

"What’s happening?"

Bianca stared at Princess Sahar Serenity, who was still sipping on her champagne even in the midst of this chaos.

‘Don’t tell me, di-di-did she notice something?'

Bianca couldn't believe it. She was sure that Princess Sahar wouldn't know anything about the [Original]. But why doesn't she move?

"Ah-"

Bianca thought, what if Princess Sahar didn't make her move here?

The four male leads weren't here to protect her.

Besides, she’s not even the ‘black lady magician' they believe in.

"ru, run away…"

Bianca rushed towards the door. In her mind, there was nothing else but the thought about getting out from this place. Or else…

“Saintess-nim! Please calm down. His Majesty has ordered that Saintess-nim would never be allowed to leave the banquet hall.”

However, the guards and knights did not let her through. The door was tightly blocked.

Then, Bianca said with a pale face.

“Move, get out of my way. I have to go out too!”

"No! This is also His Majesty order. We will try our best to protect Saintess-nim. We will never let Saintes-”

“Move!! The demon, the demon woke up!”

"…Pardon?"

At the same time as Bianca’s cry, the floor of the banquet hall began to crack and,

Boom!!

It started to crumble.

“That’s why, just shut up and move!”

When Bianca was busy trying to pass through the confused guard.

Princess Sahar Serenity finally drew her sword with a faint smile on her face.

‘So, it has become like this.’

Originally, she intended to hunt the demon as quietly as possible so that no one would notice it, but Yoo Seodam refrained her from doing so.

‘As late as possible, very, very late! Wait until everyone is aware of the existence of the demon, okay? Understand?’

‘How can I do something like that when I know what will happen in advance… fyuuh, I'm not sure, but I'll do it.'

And right at this moment,

Princess Sahar was able to realize Yoo Seodam’s importance.

‘It seems like you want to push the Saintess to the extreme.'

If that's the case, she would happily adhere to his words.