Chapter 63
“Mother…?”
As soon as she saw Diana, the ice pillar threatening Alicia instantly melted away. At the same time, the frozen floor disappeared without a trace of moisture.
“Mother! Are you okay?”
Isel rushed to Diana, checking her complexion with worry. Though Diana looked a bit worn out, thankfully she didn’t seem to be in pain or discomfort.
“Yes, I’m fine. You were worried, weren’t you?”
Diana smiled faintly and gently stroked Isel’s head, who was looking at her with teary eyes.
“Of course I was…!”
“Thanks to Rueeri, I feel much better. Earlier, it was really close.”
“It would’ve been a disaster if I came any later. It wasn’t poison… it was the food.”
Rueeri’s cold gaze slowly turned toward Alicia. She clutched her throat, as if to protect it, and gulped.
Alicia’s mind spun frantically. That damned mage was ruining everything. She took a deep breath to calm herself.
She had to stay focused. If it was revealed that she had intentionally used such ingredients, not only would she be thrown out, but she would also lose Diana—the only asset she had left.
Yes, there was still hope. If Diana truly intended to cut her off, she wouldn’t have stopped Isel’s attack.
She had come too far for it all to end now.
Determined, Alicia clenched her fists. Putting on a face full of concern, she suddenly dropped to her knees in front of Diana.
“Your Highness, I’m so sorry! I really didn’t know…! I’ve never cooked before…! I just wanted to make you a nice meal with all my heart…!”
Diana stared down at Alicia, who shamelessly lied through her teeth.
No matter how hard she tried, Diana couldn’t forget that moment of death from her previous life. The memory of poison seeping into her with every breath, the constriction and pain—it was enough to make her hair stand on end with fear.
And now Alicia had tried to kill her again. Diana’s eyes unintentionally filled with a deadly chill.
She never expected Alicia to strike so soon—using food, poison, anything. She must truly be desperate now.
Foolish woman. In times like this, she should’ve clung to me even more, Alicia.
Her eyes chilled with an unmistakable frost. Alicia, sensing the cold atmosphere, forced an awkward smile.
“I mean it, truly. Please believe me, Your Highness. Why would I do something like that to you? I have no reason to!”
Yes, no reason—if you were truly my friend. But you were my husband’s mistress.
So many words Diana wanted to say swirled in her chest, but she pressed her lips tightly shut.
An oppressive silence filled the room. Tension made Alicia’s throat bob noiselessly.
Then, Diana placed a hand on Alicia’s shoulder and lifted her to her feet.
A flicker of hope lit in Alicia’s eyes. Yes, Diana was the saint of Pereshte. Just as she forgave her after that party incident, she would surely forgive her again.
She was naively generous to a fault.
A small smirk played on Alicia’s lips as she lowered her head.
“Your knees…” Diana finally spoke. “…must be awfully cheap.”
Alicia looked up, shocked by the obvious ridicule in Diana’s tone.
The expression on Diana’s face was ice cold.
No… no way…! That was the moment hope snapped.
Alicia shook her head, cold sweat running down her back.
“Y-Your Highness…! No, you don’t actually think I did it on purpose, do you…?!”
Her voice trembled as she desperately pleaded her innocence.
“Did you really not do it on purpose?”
“Of course not! Why would I?! Why would I ever do something like that to Your Highness? We’re friends!”
At the mention of “friends,” Diana’s expression softened slightly. Alicia swallowed hard, watching her face carefully.
Then, Diana opened her mouth again.
“I see. So it was just a mistake, huh.”
Her sudden acceptance surprised both Rueeri and Isel, who stared at her in disbelief.
“But Mother…! That doctor used medicine.”
“What medicine?”
It was Rueeri, not Diana, who asked.
Rueeri narrowed his eyes at Alicia, then turned to Isel.
Isel answered in a low voice.
“Even if the ingredients didn’t go well together, it normally wouldn’t cause someone to collapse like that.”
“Yes. It wasn’t poison, but medicine. Medicine that amplifies food effects.”
Rueeri raised a hand. Immediately, wind began to swirl in the room—despite the windows being closed. His magic stirred the books and items on Alicia’s desk.
“As long as we know what we’re looking for, it won’t take long to find.”
And then, an empty vial flew into Rueeri’s hand as if magnetized.
Though it was mostly empty, a small amount of liquid clung to the bottom.
“This must be it.”
Rueeri handed the vial to Diana.
With that solid piece of evidence, Isel’s voice rose in strength as she accused Alicia.
“Why else would she use that kind of medicine in cooking? She was trying to harm Mother.”
She had a point. Diana stared at the vial in silence, seemingly lost in thought.
“Why did you use that, Alicia?”
“…It was a nutritious stew, so I wanted to boost its restorative effect.”
Alicia tried her best to remain composed, answering with feigned innocence.
“Yes… Alicia would never do something like that on purpose. I need to rest. I’m tired.”
Leaving only those words, Diana turned and left the room.
Isel and Rueeri exchanged puzzled glances before quickly following her out.
Once everyone had gone, the heavy atmosphere in the room lightened. Alicia let out a long breath of relief.
“I thought it would work this time…!”
Because of that damn girl and the mage, everything was ruined. Alicia ground her teeth and glared at the door.
As long as they remained by Diana’s side, it would be difficult to take her down.
But I won’t back down easily either.
Though her body trembled, Alicia’s face twisted into a vile smile, burning with desire.
“What? Are you just going to forgive her, Sister? That woman tried to…!”
Rueeri was still fuming. Diana patted his shoulder and calmly replied.
“I’m not trying to forgive her.”
“Then what?”
“It’s simply not the time yet. Don’t worry, Rueeri.”
Diana’s gentle eyes met his, hinting that she had a plan. Rueeri clenched his jaw but remained silent.
“…By the way, how did you even know to come?”
When she had woken up, she immediately ran to find Isel and hadn’t thanked Rueeri or asked how he had come to care for her.
Diana looked up at him with her jewel-like eyes sparkling.
“Here, the little lady sent a letter to the Magic Tower.”
“Isel did….”
She must’ve believed that a grand magician like him would find a way. Thanks to her quick thinking, Diana was safe.
Instead of saying thank you, Diana simply hugged Isel tightly. Isel, glowing with joy at saving her mother, warmly clasped Diana’s hand in return.
They smiled at each other softly.
Then, Diana turned her gaze back to Rueeri.
“Thank you, Rueeri. For coming to me like this.”
She hadn’t expected him to drop everything and rush over just because of Isel’s letter.
“You must be busy, yet you always make time for me.”
Rueeri looked into her eyes in silence, then slowly opened his mouth.
“Because you’re precious to me, Sister.”
Unlike the eyes of Calypso, Alicia, or Catherine—clouded by lies and desire—Rueeri’s red eyes were filled only with sincerity.
He looked far more serious than usual. That single word, precious, made Diana’s heart pound wildly.
Blushing, she quickly lowered her gaze.
Rueeri had already returned to his usual playful self.
“You’re my first disciple. Of course I care.”
Something inside her began to cool. She couldn’t explain exactly what, but one thing was clear:
What she felt for Rueeri was different from what he felt for her.
What had she been expecting?
Feeling awkward and slightly embarrassed, Diana avoided his gaze.
Rueeri looked at her with a bittersweet smile, then gently patted her shoulder.
“I’ll be going now. I’ll send some medicine—make sure you take it, okay?”
“…Yes. Thank you. Truly.”
With a grin, Rueeri vanished through teleportation.
“Mother.”
“Yes, Isel.”
“Are you really going to leave things like this?”
“Of course not.”
“…Then?”
“You can’t drive someone like her out with just this.”
The serene expression on Diana’s face faded, a shadow falling over her features.
“Only when she becomes truly desperate, truly hopeless—”
Isel’s eyes widened in shock. Her mother was seeing a much bigger picture. The angelic warmth was gone without a trace.
Diana continued in a cold, low voice.
“It must be by my daughter’s hand, not mine.”
She walked to the desk where a glass vase Alicia had once gifted her sat. Diana swept it to the floor with one hand.
The vase shattered with a loud crash, fragments scattering everywhere.
The roses inside spilled onto the floor, wilted and pathetic. They looked like a person who had fallen from grace.
“She should be abandoned, wounded and shattered.”
Diana crushed the roses beneath her foot. As if declaring an oath, she whispered:
“Only then will the rage between us—between who you were, and who I was—be satisfied.”
Her lashes trembled as she looked at Isel, but her eyes sparkled sharply.
Like the blade of revenge, ready to sever Alicia’s throat in one clean strike.
