Chapter 44
The robed man removed his hood and hung it on a coat hook. His face was covered in gruesome burn scars. Slowly, he approached Icel, crouched down, and locked eyes with her.
“Know this—I have no grudge against you. I only move for one thing.”
He took out a gold coin and spun it in his hand with a sly smile.
“Mmmph!”
Icel shook her head violently, clearly wanting to speak.
“Looks like you have something to say, young lady.”
He removed her gag. Icel, trying to sound calm, began speaking.
“I don’t know how much they paid you, but I have Pereshte blood in me. If you don’t kill me and instead ransom me to House Pereshte, you could get far more.”
“Pereshte?”
Even a magic hermit would know of their vast wealth.
“Yes. At least five times more. Maybe even ten.”
She hid her anxiety and spoke as coolly as possible.
As she spoke, she focused mana into her bound hands behind her back, forming a shard of ice sharp enough to cut through the ropes. It was her first time shaping mana into a weapon.
“Done!”
She masked the sound of slicing cloth by continuing the negotiation.
“So? Doesn’t that sound like a better deal?”
“You must know who sent me, then.”
“…Yes. It’s obvious.”
She completely severed the rope around her wrists and moved to cut the ones around her ankles. As blood returned to her limbs, she prepared to strike.
When the man leaned closer—
Snap! “Ugh!”
He suddenly grabbed her wrist and snapped it with magically enhanced strength.
“You never planned to pay, did you?”
“Let go…!”
He dropped her wrist, now broken and limp.
Icel knew she couldn’t overpower him. But she refused to die doing nothing.
With her other hand, she lunged at his face with the ice shard.
“Hrk!”
He easily caught her hand mid-strike. The shard fell from her weakening grip. She tried to freeze his hand with a last surge of mana—
“Don’t waste your strength. Be still.”
Her magic shattered against his shield like sand.
But Icel didn’t stop.
She bit his hand.
“Why you…!”
He slapped her across the face. Icel’s head whipped to the side, and her cheek swelled instantly.
“I’ll never die easily…!”
She bit his leg this time. He shook her off and stomped her face with his boot.
Her face bruised further, but Icel refused to let go.
“I won’t die in a place like this…!”
She wasn’t afraid of death—she feared what would happen to her mother if she were gone.
“It’s for her. Always for her.”
She fought, bloodied and broken, not for survival’s sake, but for Diana. For love.
Even the pain was nothing compared to:
— Being pierced by dozens of arrows.
— Dying without speaking to her father.
— Watching her mother wither away helplessly.
That thought gave her strength.
She forced out a burst of mana, pushed the man back, and staggered to her feet.
Their eyes met.
Despite everything, her eyes burned with life.
He hesitated—shocked by her will.
She hurled a final mana blast at his face.
But—
It fizzled out mid-air.
She clutched her body and backed away, refusing to surrender.
“I will survive this.”
The man wasn’t letting her go. His identity was already exposed.
His mana whipped around her throat.
“I don’t know what drives your resistance…”
Icel floated into the air, feet kicking helplessly.
“I’ll grant you mercy. A quick death.”
He hadn’t wanted to use magic—it left traces—but now he had no choice.
His wind magic began to constrict her throat like a snake.
Icel clawed at it with her hands, but she had no strength left.
“So this is the end…”
Her vision blurred. A single tear fell.
“Mother… I’m sorry…”
Then—
“Icel!”
Her name echoed in the haze.
She opened her eyes with effort.
Diana was running toward her.
“M… other…?”
“Icel!”
Luery’s flame magic flared—breaking the assassin’s concentration.
The spell broke, and Icel collapsed into Diana’s arms.
“Oh, Icel…”
Diana stroked her battered face. Her lips were cracked, head bleeding, her skin purple with bruises.
“How can anyone do this to a child?”
Tears threatened, but Diana held them back—for now.
Mana erupted around her, freezing the hut.
She walked toward the man.
His feet froze solid.
“What the—?!”
He had deflected Luery’s attacks earlier. But Diana’s magic… he couldn’t stop it.
“She’s stronger than me…?!”
“Die.”
Her once warm gaze turned ice-cold.
A massive ice pillar rose behind him—
—and pierced straight through his heart.
His blood dripped from the frozen blade.
Luery stared in disbelief.
Gentle Diana had just killed a man.
He always thought the dirty work was his to bear.
But she… did it without hesitation.
The man slumped forward—dead.
Diana turned away coldly, returning to Icel.
“Icel…”
Only now did Diana allow herself to weep.
“If only I could take your pain instead…”
She squeezed Icel’s hand.
“Why us…?”
“What did we ever do wrong?”
“Why Alicia, Calypso, Catherine… Why are they so cruel to us?”
Diana bit her lip hard—blood trickled down.
She was shaking with fury.
But first, Icel needed care.
“Let’s go home, Icel… Let’s go home.”
“Yes…”
Icel mumbled in her sleep, nestling into her mother’s arms.
