Fakes Don’t Want To Be Real - Chapter 95

FAKES DON’T WANT TO BE REAL

~ 95 ~

 

“Yes, but it was not coming out.”

 

Upon arriving in the North, she lost the ability to use it.

Given that she can still use Blue Flame, it doesn’t seem like she’s lost the ability, just that she can’t use it while in the North.

 

‘Is this why it’s taboo to invite Silkisia to the North?’

 

Yes, it was truly weird. She thought she was just too weak because of her mere phobia of the eyes. Even so, when asked if her ability could be used in the competition, it can’t come out.

 

‘I guess it can’t be used even in competition.’

 

Verndia let out a light breath.

His complexion grew darker than a moment ago at her negative reply.

 

“It’s okay. It’s more comfortable to use swords than with power.”

After holding the sword for so long, she often forgot that she could use ice.

Psychke reassured him that it was okay if she was banned.

 

“More than that, I have a question: does the castle have a balcony that leads off a long hallway? Arched, with light blue sheer curtains.”

“Well, I don’t know much. Did you ask the butler?”

 

Verndia answered immediately.

There were not one or two long corridors and balconies connected, and the management of the interior of the castle was entirely up to the subordinates.

 

“The butler said there was no such place, so I asked if the Duke knew.”

“I do not know. Why?”

“Nothing.”

 

It was too vivid to be a dream, so she only asked after remembering it.

It didn’t matter if it wasn’t a real place, therefore she erased it from her mind.

 

* * *

That night Psychke had another strange dream.

It was a dream she had often had since coming to the North.

In her dream, she was walking down an empty hallway. She was walking with her bare feet, wearing only her nightgown, only that. The feeling of coldness of the ground was surreal.

The moonlight streaming in through the window of her hallway cast a bleak shadow.

 

‘Silkisia, Silkisia….’

 

Not far from her, she heard a voice calling her name. But she couldn’t tell whether, as it sounded both woman and a man’s voice. The voice came to her with the passing of the wind, as if a whistle that seemed not owned by a person…

In front of ten steps, she saw a light blue curtain.

The curtains swayed whenever the wind blew, giving a glimpse of the figures behind her.

 

‘Would ‘he’ come today as well?’

 

Not knowing what she was thinking, Psychke, in daze, continued walking.

Bruised clouded her skin. Small footsteps echoed through the dark hallway.

Just like that, when she reached the curtain before her, she reached out her hand however, before she could do so, a man from the inside appeared.

With burning red hair and gray eyes, an arrogant expression was intimidating…

 

‘The Emperor?’

 

The light of the moon cast his unfocused eyes a shimmer of sight and astonished as she was, she tried to take her body away from here. However, the emperor was quicker to pull her inside with him.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

He was wearing a bedroom gown, and his body was strangely opaque.

Psychke’s pupils, drawn in unexpectedly, captured the scenery outside.

Fluttering snowflakes against the background of the full moon in the night sky. The snow-covered white garden nestled beneath it…

 

“….”

 

The light in his blue eyes disappeared.

Psychke, whose expression had become hazy again, froze in place.

Without blinking an eye or avoiding the touch that stroked her cheek, she just stood there; blank.

The Emperor, who took her into his hands as he wished, smiled contentedly.

 

“Sia.”

“… Hng.”

“If I had known it would be like this, I would have sent it to the North a long time ago. You said you were still afraid of the snow, so I thought it would be impossible.”

 

His long fingers caressed her silver hair that was blowing in the wind.

 

“I would never have thought that something that was hung a few hundred years ago would still be there. Even Evergreen wouldn’t have known this.”

“…”

“Has your Authority not yet manifested?”

“Hng…”

“Well, that can’t be helped.”

 

The emperor, who was looking at her pretty face from which her soul had been drained, stood behind her. He put his chin on Psychke’s head and hugged her tightly.

Then, in an instant, Psychke’s eyes changed. She regained her senses, gasping for her breath while shuddering greatly. Her face had been colored with horror.

 

“A, Adelheid.”

 

She twisted her body as if she wanted to get out of his grip.

 

“Don’t do… this. Let me go…”

“Think of what you did.”

 

The chatter of her lips stopped.

Tears welled up in Psychke’s eyes and fell.

The emperor smiled and whispered.

 

“If I knew what you did, would Lestir meet you then?”

“…”

“If you want to keep meeting Lestir, Shia. Do what I say quietly.”

 

The tremors in her body subsided. Her turbulent eyes also calmed down, yet her tears failed her.

 

“What a shame…”

 

The emperor, saying that he felt sorry for her, wiped her eyes with his thumb but her tears was licked on his thumb with his pointed-like tongue.

The bitter and salty taste filled his whole body with a strange feeling of satisfaction.

 

“Sooner or later, demons will appear on the blizzard hill.”

“Blizzard Hill…”

 

Psychke followed his words.

The emperor said ‘well done’ and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

 

“There must be a small stream there, but there is a mark buried near it. Activate it.”

“Hng…”

 

She had no doubts about what the mark was, why she was told to activate it, or what would happen if she activated it.

Psychke only nodded her head, like a machine giving out her set answer.

The emperor, who was very happy with it, kissed her hair lightly.

 

“Good.”

 

It wasn’t long before they had a tryst using the curse they had placed hundreds of years ago to avoid Lestir’s eyes.

Soon she will be completely his.

 

“I will go pick you up soon.”

 

* * *

 

‘What kind of dream was that?’

 

Awakened with a slightly surprised expression, Psychke blinked her eyes.

She recalled walking down an empty hallway, and then meeting a man behind a curtain. However, she had no memories of afterwards.

She counted that she had the same dream for the fourth time already.

 

‘I’m tired.’

 

She rubbed her sore eyes. The first day she had this dream, she didn’t get to sleep well. The occurrence was so real that she couldn’t get a wink of sleep. he day I had this dream, I didn’t seem to have slept at all.

However, there was no such place in Lestir Castle.

Besides, her current self was in a small state without a brooch.

So, she couldn’t wander the hallways or meet people with her enlarged body like in her dream.

 

‘But why does it feel uneasy?’

 

“Princess- are you awake?”

 

As she was clearing out my complicated thoughts, the door was opened.

Through the gap, Miya stuck her face out.

 

“The Duke is looking for you. Shall I tell you that you are still sleeping?”

 

The word ‘Duke’ reminded her of Verndia’s offer to introduce her to someone yesterday.

Psychke looked at her watch. God, it’s already noon.

 

“No, I’m leaving.”

 

She scrambled out of her bed and grabbed the brooch.

 

* * *

 

“This is Eric Ruan.”

 

She nodded and sat down. The man sat oppose from Psychke but next to Verndia.

Eric, with his ultramarine blue hair and bright yellow eyes, was quiet and decent, that reminded her of a scholar.

Psychke had seen him before. Right in the conference hall.

When the Marquis of Esland accused her of having another man, the man who claimed to be a witness saying he saw me and the duke on the lakeside.

Even if it wasn’t so, after the meeting, she asked the Duke if Count Ruan and Lestir weren’t on good terms.

 

‘He said he would introduce him later.’

 

And it was today. She doesn’t know what kind of relationship he had with Duke, but his help didn’t change.

Somehow, feeling welcome, Psychke lowered her head slightly.

 

“This is Glorielle Silkisia.”

“Yes.”

 

The look in his eyes as he said that was just like the cold.

He didn’t expect rhetoric such as nice to meet you or a favor, but this wasn’t blunt, it was the level of pushing away because he didn’t want to talk.

Psychke was a little shaken.

On the other hand, Verndia, like someone who hadn’t seen that coldness, spoke to Eric casually.

 

“Starting today, assist the Princess.”

“Pardon?”

“What?”

 

It was too sudden.

Psychke and Ruan’s eyes looked at him at the same time after hearing him. but Verndia still took a time to leisure sipping his tea.

 

“Do you need more explanation?”

“Yes.”

“Why me?”

 

At the same time, her words broke out.

Putting down the teacup, Verndia stared at his fiancée across from him.

 

“Don’t you need someone while you’re on battlefield, Princess?”

 

Psychke became the second-in-command of the punitive force.

The commander-in-chief was, of course, Verndia.

Most of the commanders had seen Psychke and Verndia fight, so there was no opposition.

However, even if she had excellent swordsmanship skills, she had no subjugation experience, and she had become a second-in-command without going to the battlefield. Thereby, she needed someone to tell her about the battles she will fight, the strategies she would use, and the advantageous terrain.

It’s okay for Verndia to inform her, but since he can’t stick with the deputy commander all the time putting off the work of the commander-in-chief, he will delegate it to Eric.

 

But Psychke didn’t ask that.

 

“Why…”

 

With Eric in front of her, she couldn’t even finish the sentence.

Psychke asked with her eyes.

 

‘Why is it that person?’

 

Although Ruan was a northern noble like Lestir, he had a bad relationship with Lestir.

He was also diametrically opposed to the faction and was rather close to Silkisia.

 

‘I heard that he participated in the subjugation party to prevent monsters from coming over because his territory was in the northern part of the country.’

 

One day, she had seen Eric come to Silkisia to meet Yzhar. She heard the two of them were close friends, so why was he here? She couldn’t understand why he was taking over as her aide.

 

“It takes a long time to explain.”

 

Understanding her question, Verndia frowned.

He said it wasn’t because he was in a bad mood or anything like that, but because he was thinking about how to sum it up.

 

“In conclusion, Ruan is not on the side of Silkisia. How long have we been like this?”

“Five years.”

 

Psychke’s eyes widened at the answer that came out without interruption.

5 years, it’s been 5 years since he secretly held hands with Lestir while being friendly with Silkisia on the outside?

 

“I guess the Princess needs an explanation.”

 

His gaze moved to Eric this time, and he bluntly responded.

 

“Don’t you know my circumstances?”