Seijo ni Narunode Nidoume no Jinsei wa Katte ni Sasetemoraimasu ~Outaihi wa, Zensei de Watashi wo Fu

     The small room above the spiral staircase of the east tower. When Keefa he often played adventure games there when he was young.

     The floor and the walls are bare stones and at the corner of the room are broken spinning wheels and empty barrels piled up covered with dust. Only a few people got to the room, it isn’t even a storage room.

　Armed priests ran up the spiral staircase to catch Liz, who had escaped from prison.

     They were ordered by the saint, “Sheena told me that Liz is in a small room at the east tower. She heard Prince Keefa and his aides talk about it.”

     An armed priest struck at the door of the small room. The door opens with a crash and the priests rushed swiftly into the room—

* * * * *

     In Kepha’s room.

     “Then, I’ll go to the East Tower to see Liz. I am quite worried.” Eric said.

     “Ah, please.”

     Once Eric left, Keefa let out a breath. When he got up from his chair his vision suddenly blurred. He quickly placed his hand on the table, and supported himself.

     “What……What?” He was horrified. Words don’t come out well and his mouth didn’t move as he expected.

     He didn’t know why, but he brought his right foot forward anyway. Again, his vision shook and almost fell down. His body doesn’t listen. His arms struggled supporting him on the table.

     He heard the door open and raised his sweaty face.

     It was Sheena who opened the door. She went in and thinly smiled, “The medicine seems to have taken effect.”

     ‘medicine?’

     He noticed that the back of his neck was numb. He was aghast at the realization, it was when Sheena put her hands around him.

     “No way…”

     “I have made up my mind, I will be the Crown Princess at all costs.” Sheena said, looking at him. Madness and insanity swirled in her black eyes.

     She drugged the crown prince. I wouldn’t be enough when it’s discovered.

     Sheena smiled at the panting Keefa, “It’s alright. Your life won’t be in danger. However, my body will be numb and you can’t move with your own will. It’s the work of that medicine and it isn’t well known to the public. Unfortunately, Your Highness has fallen ill and you don’t have to worry about anything from now on. I’ll be your wife and I’ll support you all my life.”

     Keefa’s back became cold. Sheena’s serious. She slowly approached him and Keefa tried to run away, but his body wouldn’t move.

     “His Highness has counseled me and are now friends with me. The Prime Minister will testify that you are in love with me rather than Liz.”

     ‘Stop it!’ He wanted to say but he couldn’t let out his voice.

     Sheena laughed. She was satisfied with what she had done. She placed her hands on his body. As if he was the prey, she traced a finger from his belly to his chest. She laughed at him as he desperately tried to escape.

     “—What!?” Sheena suddenly screamed. She was suddenly seized from behind. 

     Soon after, her hands were at her back and her body was pressed against the floor.

     “Are you alright, Prince Keefa?”

      It was Eric. He quickly tied Sheena up with a rope, anxiously looking at Keefa.

     “It was unexpected for Sheena to go this far. I had thought that you would come back to this room after what we spoke, but I never thought you’d drug Prince Keefa..”

     “…But…On the contrary, you will be arrested for harming the prince…We’ve arrested the criminal” Eric grinned and Keefa wanted to laugh though he couldn’t move the muscles on his face and made a weird face.

     Sheena, who was kneeling and tied up, blankly stared at Keefa.

     “Why is the aide here!? He was off to the east tower to see Liz…!”

     “No, it’s not just me, but also her.”

     “…!”

     Liz walked out from the bathroom to see Sheena. 

     Sheena looked up with a pale face.

     ‘to end it.’

     Liz saw Keefa being supported by Eric. He was breathing hard as he gave a strong gaze. 

     Liz turned to Sheena and confronted her, ” Sheena, you told me earlier that you had seen Emilia, who had escaped in front of Blyde Monastery, but that’s not true. It’s said that the former head of the monastery where Emilia was testified that she has been escorted out by a man under Duke Igner.”

     “The chief of the monastery where Emilia lived was. The present head was someone under the hands of Duke Igner, so we looked for the former head. However, his whereabouts were hidden, and it seems it took quite a hard time finding them. The former chief, who was at last found, kept his mouth shut at first.  When Eric showed him the royal insignia, he told him that he had no idea. He said that A messenger of the duke came to pick her up, but the reason was kept to the duke himself.”

     Sheena laughed, “Then Emilia must have fled from the duke. It’s not me who’s involved with the duke, but Emilia.”

     “A local who had been talking to Sheena in the Colorado district and told me that he had been hired by the duke. I had caught one of his men. It’s a matter of time for him to tell everything. For him, he’d defend the duke to the end and you will be first to be cut off.” Eric said in a low voice.

     Sheena doesn’t answer. She just stared at him in silence, her eyes were full of anger.

     Liz squarely said, “You appeared when Emilia was gone. You deny it, but I know well that you’re Emilia. I know her pretty well. I was falsely charged by you because I became a saint candidate. I might have been killed at that time and I can’t ever forget about it.”

     Sheena laughed dryly, “I really wish you had been killed.”

     ‘Emilia’

     Her heart chilled, she was convinced. In her native village, Emilia’s at home, but Liz on the contrary, is lying on the floor. Emilia looked down on her coldly, laughing. If Liz had been killed by Emilia’s lies, she would’ve laughed as well similar to that time. They were just born in different ranks. Still, Emilia hasn’t changed.

     Her heart was cold. What did she do? She was just trying to live. She shouldn’t be harmed just for Emilia’s pride—

     Liz’s red eyes widened. “I know. Your true original form—!” Her body glowed, it was a pure white light. It enveloped Liz which gave her a divine glow. Her deep red eyes seem to suck one in if one looks at it. One point, deep in the red, and with a keen, inscrutable glance at it, glowed fiercely.

     Sheena was stiff. In the past when Emilia was still living in her old home, she was overwhelmed by Liz, it was the same intimidating feeling. No, it was much stronger than that time.

     Her cheeks paled. Keefa and Eric silently watched Liz.

     White light enveloped the surroundings. Including Keefa, Eric, and Emilia. At that moment—

     “…What!?” Sheena cried out. Her cheeks began to tarnish and discolor. Both her forehead and eyes color also faded and are being peeled off.

     “What is this!?” She screamed, with her hands tied. She wasn’t hurting, but was shocked. It was like her face was melting and it couldn’t stop,”No! what’s going on?”

     “…!” Both Keefa and Eric were shocked. 

     Her face was gone, the one behind it wasn’t Sheena’s face. It belonged to a completely different person. She had more flashy features than Sheena had.

     Both men don’t know what Emilia’s face looks like. Still, they could clearly see whose face it was. Even if she didn’t look into the mirror, based on their reaction, she realized that her original face has returned.

     “Why…Why?”

     The magician told her that she would never be able to return to her former face. Her face twisted and she screamed

     The white light that was surrounding the area suddenly faded. At the same time Liz’s eyes lost its glow, the light in her red eyes slowly faded, and Liz fell down, exhausted.

     “Liz!” Keefa tried to rush over her, but he still couldn’t properly move due to the medicine. He bit his lips in regret and Eric caught Liz in his arms.

     “Liz, are you all right?”

     Moments before he tried to catch her, he hesitated. It was because of Liz’s strange power. His voice sounded stiff.

     Then, Eric saw a frightened Sheena. She had a familiar face. She was pale with shock, but her skin wasn’t peeling off, and there was no trace of the face of the other person.

     “…what was that?” Eric murmured. Is it an illusion? It was a little creepy.

     At that moment there was a loud noise from the hallway behind the narrow open door. It was the sound of something bumping. Eric quickly headed over to the door and opened it wide. There were two elderly ladies and a young soldier.

     The two maids were sitting on the floor, hugging each other in a pale, frightened state. The soldier stood blankly, his face pallid.

     ‘Those maids are familiar…’ Liz thought, dazed.

     It was those maids in the second temple. One of them was the one who blindly supported Sheena when she lied and accused her of stealing the medal. She has always stood beside her, protecting Sheena.

     ‘I’m sure she’s from the neighborhood next to Colorado, or something…’

     Liz heard that  her relatives were involved in the civil war in Colorado and were saved by Sheena. That’s why she adored her. The soldier was probably a guard of the palace, who was suspicious of those maids in the palace. But why are the maids in the temple here?

     A maid said, trembling, 

     “Sh-Sheena looked differently today than usual, it was scary. I was worried about her. Then…she took the medicine out of the Temple’s dispensing room. It’s a very strong medicine, and it can be a poison…I went straight to the royal palace.”

     “I heard about it from her and was also worried, so we both secretly followed her. Then, Miss Sheena gave the medicine to His Highness Keefa…! And…What is that? Why does Miss Sheena’s face look like a different person?” the maid suddenly screamed.

     “I’m afraid…This is what Sheena’s true appearance is. That’s what she really looks like. Also, she was the one who gave me the drug. ” Keefa said leaning against the table, heavily breathing.

     “No! It’s not!” Sheena shouted, her eyes wide and burning. It’s obvious. Not only Keefa and Eric were on Liz’s side, but she was seen by the maids who were supposed to be on her side.

     “This is a mistake, a misunderstanding! Hey, you guys understand, right? Because I’m the saint of Colorado. Was it your relative? I saved him!?” Her eyes were wide as she was desperately pleading to them, but they did not answer. Their frightened face denied her.

     “Hey, you know!” Sheena hysterically screamed.

     Liz suddenly realized.

     “Why did the duke hire a man from Colorado? He was talking to Sheena…No way…”

     Keefa nodded bitterly.

     As expected, the royal family seems to be  somewhat accustomed to poison. He was able to speak slowly though his complexion is still bad. has come to speak slowly, but he is still pale.

     “Perhaps the duke helped or caused the Colorado conflict in the first place to make Sheena a saint of Colorado so that she’ll approach and get closer to me. It’s an area where there has been no fight for hundreds of years.”

     “Oh,” Liz gasped. Impossible. What did he mean by that? She tightly squeezed her hands.

     Sheena turned pale, but the maids grew even more pale. The expressions on the maids faces distorted as if they were going to collapse. Their look towards Sheena changed into seeing her as a devil.

     “Such a thing!”

     “This person!”

     “No! No!” she frantically pleaded, but the way the maids looked at Sheena didn’t change. It’s no wonder since they saw her poison the Crown Prince.

     Liz stood before Sheena and took the silver key off from her neck. 

     Sheena suspiciously looked at her and incredulously raised her eyebrow. Even if she couldn’t see it, she realized that it was the key that’s evident of her candidacy.

     She stared at her and grinded her teeth.

     Liz looked straight back at Sheena and said, “I can see this key yet you can’t see anything. I know that you had help in the cause of the trouble in Colorado. And that is absolutely unforgivable. However, it’s true isn’t it? Even if you were a fake, it was a real act that you have saved the lives of those injured, right?”

     Liz turned back. The maid who protected Sheena broke down in tears.

     “The respect, the smiles, and the gratitude of the people of the Colorado region must have been real and genuine. But, you don’t see it. Nothing. Just like this key, I can’t see this key for such a person.” Liz clearly declared. She looked proud and dignified. It’s not about one’s status, it’s her pride.

     She must have understood. She momentarily opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth and can’t help but shut it.

     She glanced at Liz again and saw the strong gazes of the maids and faintly looked away. With a chagrined groan, she crouched down on the spot.

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