The Impact Of The Villainess’ Fake Marriage On The Ending - Chapter 116

Chapter 116

“The mercenaries won’t come here. Maybe they’ll meet you in that place after you die.”

Jeffrey’s eyes shook when he mentioned that he had gotten rid of the entire mercenary guild.

The fact that he had dealt with them meant that he had figured out Jeffrey’s entire operation. He never told anyone, nor did he mention anything to the mercenaries except that it was about fighting the Corrupted, so he couldn’t figure out where he heard it from or how he came to know about it.

“Curious? About how I know this?”

Kael laughed at Jeffrey, who was confused.

“Aaaargh!”

However, what came to Jeffrey was not an answer, but pain.

After getting off the horse and approaching Jeffrey, Kael pulled out a longsword and thrust it into Jeffrey’s shoulder.

It was the same place where the curse of darkness left its mark on Kael.

Jeffrey had no chance to resist. He was not someone who had the skills needed to confront Kael. He was too busy screaming to hold a sword.

“Is it painful?”

“…”

“It’s a mild pain when you compare it to the pain I felt when the curse engraved on my body trapped me. Even when compared to the pain Adeline felt after going back in time without knowing anything and ending up losing her parents in vain.”

Kael applied more strength to the sword piercing his shoulder. Jeffrey’s face was stained with pain, and a louder scream echoed in front of the wall.

“You seem to think it’s unfair. It wasn’t enough to ruin me and Adeline, you wanted to see the North and even the entire Empire become a sea of fire. But you missed your chance.”

He pulled out the sword, and at the same time, he said something creepy and aimed it at Jeffrey’s leg. He was in agony as he twisted his entire body because of the sword embedded in him, aiming precisely for the tendon.

“This is also a mild pain. Compared to the pain of being forced to face the cold corpse of a loved one. And compared to the pain that hell would have inflicted on you if you couldn’t control your madness and brought it down on the Empire.”

Kael merely looked down at Jeffrey with a calm face. No pity, no mercy.

As he pulled out his sword again, Jeffrey stepped back and tried to move away from Kael. However, the knights surrounded him, and with the northern wall behind him, no matter how he tried to run away, he was like a rat inside a barrel.

Kael slowly approached Jeffrey, who was trembling against the wall. Walking right in front of him, he leaned down and met Jeffrey’s gaze.

“I genuinely trusted you. I really believed in the time you showed me.”

“…”

“It must be all my fault. If I had filtered you out, this disaster wouldn’t have hit Adeline and me.”

A harsh, bitter voice echoed. Kael let out a long sigh and gripped his sword.

There was fear in Jeffrey’s eyes as he did. Fear that Kael’s sword might pierce him again.

“So I have to end it. It’s my role to pass judgement on you.”

“No! Spare me! Please! Please spare me. Please spare me, Your Grace.”

Would he have felt a little better if he kept the high attitude until the end?

Kael’s heart sank even more as he watched him beg for his life without realizing how humiliating it was when his death was already on the horizon.

It was miserable. The fact that Kael and Adeline were in so much pain because of one piece of garbage like this. The fact that even the child they were blessed with was lost.

“Ugh!”

Without hesitation, Kael thrust his sword into Jeffrey’s stomach. When he removed it, Jeffrey vomited blood.

“I avoided your vital points, so you won’t die easily. I’ll throw you over the wall. After that, the Corrupted will take care of you themselves.”

The Corrupted were known for their cruelty and would not easily kill their prey. Kael wanted Jeffrey to pay for his sin.

Death at once was a blessing. Kael had no intention of granting him that blessing.

“I want all the pain you feel until the moment you die to be engraved straight into your bones. So that at the very least, the price you’ll pay when you fall into hell will be lighter.”

Kael swallowed a long sigh as he caught a glimpse of Jeffrey’s end, who was being dragged away while screaming in anger.

Jeffrey was not a man with a strong natural magic power, so he could not use black magic unless he cast it on himself by drawing a magic circle or using magic tools. Besides, he couldn’t resist the Corrupted who had captured him because he was stabbed by the sword.

It was hopeless. Even if he pushed Jeffrey into such pain, it could not compensate Kael and Adeline for everything they had been through.

“Vero.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Flare the blue smoke. Adeline will be waiting.”

“Yes. I’ll do it right away.”

Kael closed his eyes tightly and prayed quietly.

He prayed for Jeffrey’s death to please be the end of all suffering.

And he prayed for no more pain to come to him and Adeline.

***

“Your Grace! The blue smoke!”

Adeline, who was waiting for Kael’s signal, let out a sigh, visibly relieved.

However, she could only feel relieved for a short moment. Adeline’s eyes shone again as she looked at the magic tool in front of her.

“Your Grace. It’s not too late. You can stop. You are already purifying His Grace’s curse. Even if you don’t venture into destroying the magic tool like this, His Grace’s curse can disappear over time.”

Herma tried to convince Adeline once more. Destroying the magic tool was a huge risk.

“He always hides because I get upset, but Kael is still anxious every moment. He always wonders if the curse he has won’t hurt me, or if something will happen to me because of him.”

“…”

“I don’t want to see him worried as if the world had collapsed if I look the slightest bit unwell, and afraid like a child that I might leave at any time.”

“…”

“Over time, it may heal naturally. But no one knows how long that will take. I want to reduce that time somehow. Whether it’s His Grace or me… I don’t want us to be anxious anymore.”

Adeline firmly stated her intentions.

In the end, Herma took a step back at her unshakably resolute voice.

‘May nothing happen, may our theory be correct, and may Kael be completely freed from the curse.’

She had no choice but to pray earnestly again and again.

“You can cut your hand with the sword and drip the blood where the potion was. Then, the magic tool will shine.”

“…”

“The moment that light turns red, you can use all your strength to stick the sword you hold in the center of the magic tool,” Herma slowly explained how to do it. “A tremendous shock will overtake you. It can be excruciatingly painful, and you can even lose your consciousness.”

“…”

“But I will protect you no matter what. To the best of my ability,” Herma said, holding Adeline’s hand tightly.

Adeline smiled and nodded.

Herma couldn’t remember at all, but Adeline remembered it clearly. She ran to save Adeline, fought with Jeffrey, and eventually lost her life. Her braveness was still vivid in her memory.

“Thank you, Herma. And I’m sorry.”

Herma’s eyes trembled greatly when she said she was sorry. She had no reason to apologize to her, but tears welled up in her eyes as soon as she heard that.

It was as if there was something Herma didn’t know, as if something locked under her consciousness was moving her body.

However, Herma stepped back without asking for a further reason. From now on, it was Adeline’s turn.

“Whew…”

Adeline closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

If her prediction was correct, if Herma’s theory was correct, Kael would be free from the curse the moment this magic tool that turns time was destroyed.

‘You can do it, Adeline. This should be right. You’re the only one who can break Kael’s curse.’

Arranging her thoughts, Adeline cleared her mind once again and clenched the palm of her hand around the magic sword.

The stinging pain was accompanied by blood. Adeline immediately filled the empty glass of the magic tool with her blood.

A white light emanated from it as soon as the blood touched it, just as Herma had said. Shortly thereafter, the color of the light changed to red.

“Now, Your Grace!”

Adeline immediately gripped the magic sword firmly with both hands and shoved the sharp blade into the center of the magic tool.

“Aaaaah!”

“Your Grace!”

The moment the magic sword was inserted into the magic tool, there was a tremendous wave that shook the land. Adeline tumbled down as she lost consciousness.

“Your Grace!”

Herma and Melissa, who hadn’t collapsed, immediately ran to her. Melissa held Adeline in her arms and checked up on her, and Herma immediately looked around the magic sword.

“It’s destroyed. Completely destroyed.”

The magic tool that turned back time lost its form and power and disappeared.

At that moment, a response also came to Kael, who was returning to the northern castle.

“Ugh!”

“Your Grace!”

Black blood. Kael continuously vomited the black blood that looked like ink.

It was the moment when the terrible curse of darkness finally disappeared from his body.