Chapter 60
“Take him.”
Elysia spoke firmly to Pii.
No.
With a defiant flick of her head, Pii turned away like a stubborn cat that couldn’t talk.
A deeper frown creased Elysia’s brow.
“Even with things like this, you’re still being stubborn?”
To emphasize her point, she ran a hand through her disheveled hair. Pii, who had been sitting on the floor with her bottom planted firmly down, let her ears droop.
‘…Is she seriously having a conversation with a cat?’
Lisbeth tried not to pay attention, deliberately looking elsewhere—but her gaze kept drifting back to Elysia.
She had always thought of Pii as a clever feline, but to think they could communicate like this?
Or maybe… it wasn’t a cat at all.
‘A mage?’
But a mage capable of transforming into a living creature? That was nearly impossible.
It was one thing to alter objects—but to transform a living body required rewriting its entire anatomy. The complexity of it was said to be nearly insurmountable.
‘Unless… it’s someone like Delphir….’
Lisbeth’s gaze slowly settled on the reddish fur.
Now that she noticed, the color was exactly the same as Delphir’s hair.
‘No way.’
Why would someone like him go through all that trouble, turning into a cat and sneaking into the Partine Duchy?
Dismissing her suspicions as wild imagination, Lisbeth quietly shook her head.
“…If this keeps up, next time it might be Ariel.”
That couldn’t happen.
When Elysia’s hair had been cut, she’d felt terror—but also relief.
She was scared, yes. But she was also grateful that it was her who’d encountered the berserk Eden, not Ariel.
If Eden had seen Ariel instead, he would’ve given away—consciously or not—that the two knew each other. And Ariel might’ve reacted too.
If the Duke of Partine had discovered the connection between them, things would have escalated far worse.
And in that case, the duke’s gaze would’ve shifted from Elysia to Ariel.
Elysia could no longer afford to fear for her own life.
She had to get Eden out—and protect Ariel.
“You died to save Ariel too, didn’t you?”
Pii gave her a sideways glance. The amber eyes that met hers were now vertically slit, unlike when she had been human.
“Please. If you came back to the duchy for revenge against Mother’s death…”
Her voice caught in her throat.
Saying this aloud meant she had to live with the weight of it.
“I’ll do it.”
Pii finally turned her head to look at Elysia directly.
At last, those eyes met hers without deflection.
“I’ll kill the duke. I can do it. I think I can.”
Even if the path was longer and harder—
Elysia had chosen the difficult road, even when there were easier ones in sight.
It would take time.
But she believed that even with the detour, she wouldn’t stray too far from the original story.
“Before Ariel blooms… I’ll kill him.”
She had been selfish long enough.
She couldn’t rely on Eden anymore.
Elysia had come to realize that expecting anything from him was worse than murder.
The air thickened.
Pii lowered her head—and turned to ash.
Startled, Lisbeth shifted and steadied herself, but Elysia simply raised a hand to signal she was fine.
As the black dust swirled and gathered, Pii’s true form emerged.
“Then what about me?”
Her voice was low, tinged with hurt and anger.
Elysia waited for her to continue.
“Ariel! Ariel! Ariel!!”
Pii shouted, her fists clenched in rage.
A dam of emotion she had long held back was finally bursting.
“Even Heonis! You too!”
Pii glared at Elysia like a child throwing a tantrum.
Elysia didn’t flinch.
“I tried for Ariel. Even now, I’m not turning my back—I came back to this damn house!”
Even if that effort hadn’t come from a sense of sisterly duty—
Even if it had been purely for her mother—
“Then shouldn’t at least you two worry about me?”
“……”
“Why doesn’t anyone care about me? My safety?”
“……”
“I’m being pushed aside again, first by Ariel, now Eden?! You knew I’d die if I brought him back, and you still told me to do it?!”
“Pii.”
To calm her down, Elysia finally called her name.
“…Don’t be manipulative, Elysia.”
Pii was out of breath, as if she hadn’t inhaled once while pouring everything out.
She’d begged for her name to be acknowledged before—but was ignored.
Yet now, when it suited Elysia, she used it—as if that alone would convince her.
Pii anxiously gripped and released the hem of her clothes.
The calm, confident demeanor she’d shown when they first met—gone.
No wonder.
Pii had planned to use Eden to kill the duke, never imagining the aftermath would spill onto Elysia.
Elysia tilted her head and stared quietly.
“How could you and Eden possibly be the same?”
They had shared completely different lives.
Faced with a hard truth, Pii bit her lower lip.
“Heonis…”
Heonis had loved Ariel. That’s why he had ignored her, hated Elysia for insulting the emperor and mocking Ariel.
But whenever she was in danger, he would appear, acting as if he had no choice but to care.
“The affection you wanted from him—is it the same kind you expect from me?”
“……”
“You said it yourself. It was all my fault.”
Elysia nodded, echoing the words Pii had once told her.
“You’re right. So I know—I have no right to blame you, no matter what Father did to me.”
She didn’t blame Pii for her hair being cut.
She saw it as the consequence of stepping outside the story’s path.
“So whatever I say or do to you from now on… don’t blame me either.”
Her emotions simmered like a kettle about to boil.
She could feel her pulse thumping under her collarbone.
Elysia took a deep breath, massaging her wrist, before speaking the words she’d prepared.
“Do you still love Heonis?”
“……”
“I thought so.”
How could you forget the man you died trying to protect—just because you were born again?
Just like you still haven’t escaped the shadow of your mother.
Seeing Pii’s face go cold, Elysia continued.
“If Eden kills Father like you want, then it’s all over, right?”
But you said it yourself—
That Eden doesn’t resent anyone.
“Do you really think he can do it?”
That sweet boy—could he really kill his father?
Elysia shot a glance at Lisbeth, who had fallen behind in the conversation.
Snapping back to attention, Lisbeth caught on and quickly responded with what Elysia wanted.
“As soon as he saw your hair, he stopped struggling.”
Just as expected.
Elysia let out a bitter laugh.
What had she been thinking, trying to use that kind soul?
The guilt weighed on her like chains.
“If Father delivers my and Ariel’s heads to Eden, maybe he’ll kill him then.”
But no one here wanted it to end that way.
“This is the last time I’ll ask, Pii. Take Eden.”
“……”
“This isn’t like before. This isn’t a plea—it’s a threat.”
“A threat?”
Pii blinked, confused.
“What for?”
“The same kind Eden once used on you.”
“…Elysia.”
Pii glared at her with fury. Elysia stared back, unflinching.
“If you won’t take him, I’ll report to the Kingdom of Saiman that Eden is imprisoned in our estate.”
“You’ll be…!”
“I’m dead either way.”
“You can’t be serious….”
“The moment I expose Eden’s location, that war you’re so afraid of will start.”
“……”
“Actually, the war’s already begun. It’s more accurate to say Saiman will ally with our enemies.”
If that happened, would the Empire really win?
Would Heonis even survive?
“Are you trying to get us all killed?”
Pii’s voice trembled.
“Then what? Just die quietly?”
Knowing that Ariel would be next, I’m supposed to just sit still?
No. Never.
Cornered, Elysia would fight with every last card she had.
And today—she discarded the card named Eden.
The strongest chance at killing the Duke of Partine.
For Eden’s sake. For Ariel’s.
“I’m sorry, Pii.”
Her short-cropped hair made Pii’s nerves bristle.
There was no warmth left in Elysia’s crimson eyes.
She looked at her like a tool—cold and detached.
Pii inhaled shakily.
She’d always thought Elysia was different from her—unbroken.
But the world had stained her black all the same.
Even while being threatened, what pained Pii most was seeing Elysia lose the warmth that reminded her of their mother.
‘If this is how it ends, maybe I should’ve just…’
She almost wished she’d agreed from the start.
Then at least it wouldn’t feel like losing her mother twice.
But it was too late for regrets.
“…I’m sorry I couldn’t be kinder to you.”
It was unbearable.
To Elysia, Pii, Ariel, and Eden were all the same.
Beasts starving for affection.
Her mouth went dry, like she’d swallowed dust.
At last, Pii spoke.
“…Even if I take him, I can’t restore Eden’s memories.”
Elysia had been hoping for that.
So Pii confessed first—she simply didn’t know how.
Elysia’s eyes narrowed.
Afraid of being misunderstood, Pii rushed to add:
“I don’t mean I won’t—I mean I can’t. To be precise… I don’t know how. I can do everything else the same, but that—just that—I keep failing.”
Why do I have to explain myself?
The unfairness stung—but still, she kept glancing at Elysia, begging with that familiar face.
Don’t deny me.
Don’t erase me.
Not you.
