Episode 178
“I don't know.”
While Lucerne answered her like that. In that short span of time, she suffered thousands of agonies.
“Whether you break or change. I thought it would be mine However…….”
“…….”
He was contained in Elisha's transparent eyes.
“I probably won't. Even if you crumble just a little, my world shakes.”
Lucerne is the first to admit that she has put her downfall in her relationship with Elisha. That was a very big change. He was born and never once failed on his own fault.
Lucerne lifted Elisha's hair. Her eyes twitched. Lucerne kissed Elisha's hair.
“I want you to laugh. And I want you to look into my eyes.”
She has been like that for the past few days. She was just a doll, like an illusion. She embraces it, and her feeling of living…….
'I think you'll disappear somewhere.'
The desire and thirst that seemed to be relieved by holding him in his arms and restraining him only grew as if he were drinking sea water.
Lucerne's hand fell. Elisha's long blonde hair fluttered gently in the air. Her eyes were stained with confusion.
“I……. Now, I don't know what you want.”
Lucerne wrapped Elisha's palm. He put it on the back of his neck. The height difference between them was so great that Elisha's toes spontaneously became tiptoe.
“Poke here.”
“…….”
“I can't do anything to remove the tattoo off your neck. I will set you free Get a tattoo on me instead. Scrape the nape of my neck with your hand and say whatever you want. I will engrave it as it is.”
“…….”
“Then you will be able to find me wherever you are. And you know what? You can use this tattoo to inflict pain on the other person.”
Elisha's eyes wavered.
“Lucerne, I don't know what you're talking about.”
“I cannot free you.”
Lucerne said.
“So that's all I can do for you.”
Elisha felt her hands tremble.
'Why, come now?'
Elisha was confused.
'You hurt me like that. Why are you saying this now?'
“Lucerne. You don't have to. That's too big of a weakness for you. It is absurdly stupid for someone like you.”
Elisha barely spoke calmly.
“As you say, we cannot trust each other.”
Lucerne said gravely.
“So I give you the right to destroy me.”
“…….”
“That is my love. Elisha.”
Lucerne said. Elisha closed her eyes. Ah, her legs seemed to lose their strength.
After all, his love was black, and it made her shake until the end of her life.
* * *
Deng, Deng, Deng, Deng.
The clear sound of bells flowed throughout the Great Hall. Elisha headed to the first row of royal seats with Lucerne.
'Is there a ghost in faith?'
Elisha thought indifferently. She looked to the side and saw that Gaju was entering another box seat. Gajoo and Lucerne only greeted each other. For some reason, the householder looked tired and was drowsy while looking at Elisha.
“Where is the head of the family sick?”
Elisha asked. I didn't have any hope that the head of household would help, but I didn't know that he would openly turn away from me.
“Marco is dead.”
Lucerne replied. Elisha's hand trembled.
“That……. How are you?”
“My information is faster than the family head. The family know that Marco is in critical condition in the hospital due to drug addiction. I was thinking of going after watching the irrigation opening ceremony today. I just got an urgent notice.”
“…….”
“The head of the family will find out soon. The family's aides will only report after seeing the irrigation opening ceremony.”
“Marco's death was someone's…… Is it your work?”
“Well. What you imagine is correct.”
Lucerne said briefly.
“Mostly Jacob's work. Jacob must have been nervous these days. I killed Carola, but the head of state didn't do anything against me.”
Elisha imagined many things without difficulty.
'It seems that Jacob was at odds with the family head over Carola's death.'
Being estranged from the family head means, in other words, that the successor's seat is getting farther away. So Jacob must have been anxious. No matter how ruined Marco is, he is the only official candidate for successor who will threaten him. Jacob would have turned Marco into a drug addict.
'Wouldn't Lucerne have been involved in that process at all? Didn't he stir up Jacob's insecurities and feelings of inferiority?'
Marco died after living a dissolute life today, having become a dead man. Maybe he was murdered If so, there is a high probability that Jacob will be behind him.
'If the family head finds out, it's the end. Looks like Jacob has really been pushed to the limit.'
The Cartier family's malice has always been this clear.
'Nothing can surprise people as much as the news of a funeral.'
Elisha wanted to be cynical about her incredible timing and coincidence.
* * *
The seats behind the box seats were also full. The hall became more tumultuous.
The box seat itself was like a symbol of privileged class. Small boxes were covered like a curtain, and on higher steps stood nobles and finally the public who entered for free.
At least Rosaria was on the fair side. The first line is the distinguished guests, and the second line is the nobles who bought tickets. This is because in the third row, commoners were invited by lottery.
“Bless the saintess!”
“Undine-nim's holy power is with you!”
People were waving their fists and screaming.
'At this rate, everyone in this empire must have come.'
Coincidentally, noble ladies passing by the box seats behind Elisha were whispering.
“Guardians of the Temple Knights. You must have come for Undine-nim, right?”
“You must be busy looking for a new saintess.”
Guardians of the Temple Knights were standing around her coffin. Unlike the normal members of the Templar Order, they wore her insignia with the pattern of a saint on her shoulders. Their main duty was to protect the life of her saint.
It was Merha's role to protect saints, saints, and prophets. Now that Merha was gone, Elisha wondered who would control them.
'I'm going to make people forget their sorrow for Ristralpo with this event.'
Rosaria said. Elisha hoped that Rosaria's intention would come true.
'But is that possible? I don't think there's anything more secular than this.'
Elisha thought cynically.
“What is that behind me?”
Elisha asked the priest who was standing to wait on her. Lucerne glanced at Elisha, but she didn't stop talking.
“That's Undine-nim's portrait. A famous artist painted it over many years. After he passed away, it took two years to complete. It is a beautiful work that is painted on silk fabric with special magical power and preserved forever. When the saintess' coffin is opened, the cloth will be turned inside out and the saintess' picture will be revealed. It was also the will of the saintess.”
“Okay? It's a great show.”
Elisha said calmly.
“Yes, it is. Everyone will cheer.”
The priest smiled brightly. However, at the sight of Lucerne's eyes, the priest quickly became serious. Elisha tried to remind Lucerne that her opponent was a boy priest.
Anyway, she was in a position where she had to pay attention to Lucerne even when she was talking to someone.
'I'll give you the right to destroy me.'
Lucerne's words kept coming back to her as if they were stuck in her ears. Elisha was just nervous and opened and closed her hand.
Little children dressed in priestly uniforms came out and sang a divine chant. Those immature voices seemed to come from heaven.
Next, Rosaria gave a congratulatory speech in honor of her saintess Undine.
It is said that Saint Undine was very weak and suffered from kidney disease. However, she was the most beautiful of all saints, and compared to the time she was active, she gained immense popularity. She heard that her holy power was also the most outstanding among all saints.
“The noble saintess is revealing herself!”
Elisha bent over and looked at her glass coffin containing her saint. Inside her glass coffin lay the well-embalmed corpse of a woman.
The organ played wildly fast and graceful chants spread.
One, two, three!
People shouted Nobles, royalty, no matter who they were, people shouted in unison. Dreuk. The coffin was opened.
Undine's corpse was so beautiful. Dozens of golden butterflies spread from her body.
“This is the saintess's miracle!”
Someone shouted. The cheers grew and the public chanted her saintly name.
“The saintess will come back to us! A new saintess will come too!”
Even the priests were moved and shouted.
At that moment it started. When it started, people were staring straight ahead, not knowing what was going on.
Behind the saintess' coffin, a long piece of silk hung in the air. The face of a beautiful blonde woman was revealed through the cloth.
Elisha took a closer look at it. Looking closely, a bluish light was shining from the coffin of the saintess. When the light touched the silk cloth, the saintess's face appeared as if it were being penetrated.
The beautiful blonde woman's face was huge, innocent as if from another world, and on the one hand, it seemed to bear the sorrow of the world's most miserable place. Although it was a face beyond a thousand, Elisha had never seen such a beautiful woman.
“That…….”
“Isn't it Undine?”
The woman's face revealed through the silk cloth smiled.
-Thank you for coming to see my body. Everyone.
Saint Undine opened her mouth and said.
-The reason why I, who died today, left her last message.
It was a stage designed to resonate loudly with the organist's music. Thanks to that, Undine's beautiful voice fell loudly over the people's heads.
-I want to expose all the evil deeds of the Cartier family that killed me.
Elisha raised her head. She slowly tried to raise her body. Lucerne squeezed her hand. He was looking at her with her questioning expression on her face, as she had ever been.
'Are you suspicious of me in this matter too?'
Elisha thought.
You are really quick-witted and quick-witted. Elisha smiled a little, barely visible.
She hoped that Lucerne would enjoy the show. 'Cause you're going to be the star in this dead man's show.
That's why you shouldn't be vigilant, Elisha wanted to advise Lucerne.
At least the return of a dead prophet or saint in this family,
Because it was all too common.
Alas, I have waited so long for this moment.
Elisha thought.