A tombstone should not have been erected. Kurzina should not have been laid to rest within it. Kurzina could have lived. She could have lived to follow the will of Lutea and look after her followers.

The black butterfly should not have been allowed to perch. Murjana's ivory eyes should have remained clear. She could have cultivated her white magi, trained to be a warrior of Lutea. She could have befriended Kurzina.

Edulis felt hot inside. Embers of rage fell upon his mind and burned brightly. The fire spread, threatening to consume his very soul. It was clear who had violated Kurzina, and Murjana.

"I…I don't know much, I swear! It's impossible to understand what's going on inside Leaf's head... Anyway, you shouldn't get involved with her, even the rest of us are afraid of her and avoid her, and I'm not the only one who tried to get rid of her..."

Bowing her head in front of Edulis, Ayresha spoke with a shudder.

"I'm already involved. And so are you, who possess my heart. I cannot tolerate that person being alive. They must disappear first for Lutea's world to come. So tell me, where is that person now?"

"I don't know... I really don't..." Ayresha sulked. Then, behind her, Laotou muttered.

"Leaf...that's really weird."

Shamash nodded in agreement. Ayresha looked at them and asked.

"What is it?"

Shamash answered. "We were born of Lutea's blood, and we have watched Granadilla's every move since we were born, and we know all about her minions. But who is this Leaf? Perhaps the newest member of Granadilla's forces while we slept?"

"No... Leaf has lived for thousands of years."

"Hmm..."

Shamash did not press further. It was unlikely she was lying. As one of the witch's minions, it would take many years to nurture an ego to the point where it could move freely without Granadilla's will. So how could the apostles not know about her?

Edulis threatened Ayresha again. "Tell me. Even if what you know is of little consequence, spit out what you know. I'll kill you if you show a hint that you're holding back."

"Eeek!"

Then Ayresha began to speak.

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Before the Kingdom of Astania unified the continent, there was a kingdom in the west called Bronadi. Neketmut was a princess of the kingdom of Bronadi.

Bronadi was a weak nation whose people made their living from fishing. To survive, they needed to maintain alliances with other nations, and marriage was one of the ways they did that. For Bronadi, a princess was merely a diplomatic tool.

"Rashid, can't you run away with me? I would be happy to live in a hut made of straws, catching fish and seaweed, as long as I'm with you."

Neketmut said. Rashid was the general in charge of the army of the Kingdom of Bronadi. Upon hearing Neketmut's words, Rashid shook his head.

"My Lady, I have heard that Prince Kasim of the Amura Empire is a respectable brave man. He is ambitious but gentle with his people, and I believe that life with him will not be unhappy. To continue the glory of the Bronadi, your Highness, please consider your role."

"Rashid... don't you love me?"

Rashid bowed his head, avoiding her eyes. "I'll pretend I didn't hear you right now."

Neketmut was eventually married to Prince Kasim. It was the ceremony that was the problem. Prince Kasim had hidden troops at the venue and launched a surprise attack. All Bronadi's dignitaries were assassinated, except for Neketmut.

"I love you, Neketmut. But you are the only one I love. I do not love Bronadi."

With those words, Prince Kasim forcibly took Neketmut. As the wife of Kasim, who had killed her parents and relatives, Neketmut had to watch the destruction of Bronadi.

One day, after years of despair, Neketmut was visited by Granadilla. Neketmut said to her

"My mother is dead, my father is dead, Rashid and everyone is dead...why do people in the world live happily ever after?"

Then a black butterfly landed on Neketmut's heart.

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"Neketmut, I know her, that crazy bitch!" Laotou said.

"It was her hobby to make ornaments out of the corpses lovers, though she hasn't been seen in a while..."

At the words of the two apostles, Ayresha nodded. "Neketmut died at the hands of the Leaf."

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Neketmut had become a general in the Witch's army, leading a battalion. After the Black Butterfly perched on her, Neketmut's first act was to destroy the Amura Empire. Even after its destruction, she did not stop killing humans. She cursed all humans in the world.

Then Leaf appeared and said. "Princess Neketmut, is there no love in your heart anymore?"

Neketmut replied. "Yes, indeed. All I have in my heart is hatred."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"I see," Leaf turned away. A few days later, an army showed up. An army to destroy Neketmut.

Neketmut cursed them all. They all writhed in terrible pain. But there was one among them who kept stepping forward, step by step, desperately. Neketmut cursed him to die in agony for three days and three nights. Nevertheless, he did not stop walking. Neketmut soon realized that someone had placed an immortality curse on him. A curse that would not let him die, even as his throat burned and his flesh rotted.

"Leaf, did you do this?" As Neketmut spoke, a veiled woman appeared from behind her back. Then Leaf echoed her question before.

"Princess Neketmut, is there really no love in your heart?"

"I told you there was none!"

Then Leaf chuckled and removed the helmet from the man suffering from the curse. Then he asked once more.

"I ask you one last time, Neketmut. Truly, is there no love in your heart?"

Neketmut's face hardened. "You were alive? How..."

The man in pain, the man whom she cursed to suffer, was none other than Rashid. Rashid opened his mouth. His voice came out like a rusty wheel turning.

"I apologize, my princess."

"Leaf... Leaf...! I do not know the spell. I was told you know it. Break the curse, now!"

Leaf laughed. "You lied to me, Neketmut. Didn't you say you had no love in your heart?"

Neketmut fell to her knees and begged. "Leaf, I'll do anything. I will give you everything I have, so that you may break this man's curse."

"I have nothing I want from you, and I don't want this man's curse lifted."

"What?"

Rashid dragged his heavy feet and approached Neketmut. As he approached, he held his sword to her throat.

"I love you, my princess, and I have for a very long time."

Neketmut froze in place, a frozen expression on his face. She could not muster the will to dodge the sword.

"Rashid... Why... only now..."

Rashid's sword sank into Neketmut's throat. Rashid lay down beside the fallen Neketmut.

"My queen, I will be with you forever." With those words, Rashid plunged his sword into his own chest. But even so, the cursed heart did not stop beating.

Upon seeing them, Leaf clapped her hands.

"Wonderful. I've been wanting to see something like this."

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"What kind of crazy bitch is that?" Laotou said, shuddering. "The motives of other witches' subordinates were relatively clear…"

"It's strange that we didn't know of her existence. Didn't she join the witch's army?"

At Shamas's words, Laotao tilted her head and said. "Maybe we should go after Akale first? We don't even know where Leaf is, nor do we understand what she's thinking…"

Shamash nodded.

"I think that's the right decision too."

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At the edge of Astania's northeast, in the royal family's tomb, a man was prostrate on the ground, his hand pressed against the earth. Tears fell from his expressionless face as he stood and swung his sword. He refined his magik, wrapped it around his sword, and used it to cut through trees and rocks, all while still shedding tears.

Eventually, someone approached him.

"Sir Raghad, you need to rest, this will end badly,"

"I'm resting, Enri. I just got up from resting."

"Are you saying lying in front of the tomb counts as resting?"

Lagard was in a terrible state. His eyes were sunken, dark shadows under them, and his ribs were visible through the gaps in his thin robes.

"Raghad, we understand your heart. We're ashamed that we couldn't recover Methena's body and that we couldn't inflict even a scratch on Edulis, staying up for ten nights straight. We spent another ten nights thinking about how to avenge her. We must grow stronger and to grow stronger, we must eat."

"I'm eating enough not to die."

"But Sir Raghad..."

"He killed Kurzina too. The only reason I'm still alive is Edulis. After I kill him, I'll die too. So, there's no need to eat more than necessary."

Hidden in the tomb of the imperial family, Ygraine's descendants began to train systematically. None of them could forgive Edulis. Why did Methena have to die? To behead an innocent child, and not even give them a chance to recover her body?

Only Edulis' parents denied what they had heard.

"There's no way our Ed would do that...that sweet child..." They eventually left the royal family tomb. They could no longer listen to the accusations against their child.

From the time the people there awoke until they fell asleep, they thought only of Edulis's death. Then one night.

It was a night with a full moon, so bright that the ruins' flowers glowed softly in its light. Most people were asleep, but Lagard was awake alone, muttering various thoughts in front of Metena's tombstone.

He wanted to see that face again, to hear that voice again, to look into those calm eyes and pursed lips and tell her that he loved her. He wanted to build a villa for the Fey family, to let them live without persecution. ...

He was just thinking about it when he heard someone stomping on the dirt. There shouldn't be anyone wandering around at this hour...Raghad raised his sword and turned around.

"Who is it?"

A figure stepped out of the bushes, and at the sight of her, Raghad was speechless.

"It's been a long time, Sir Raghad," she said.

Raghad raised his sword and shouted. "Who are you, and how dare you desecrate Methena's death by taking her form?"

"You've had a long night, have you eaten? "

"Are you a servant of the witch? Have you come to mock my sorrow?"

Raghad's sword flared with red magick. Then she said. "I told you that just as joy does not last forever, neither does sorrow or despair... Sir Raghad, you seem sad every time I see you."

Raghad's pupils dilated. The magick in his sword faded. He had heard such words from Methena before. And that calm voice, that grown-up way of speaking, that warmth in her words and expression...

"You are..."

"Sir Raghad. Lutea has given me her blessing, and she has asked me to speak to you. She does not want us to be consumed by anger and hatred. Lutea wants us to return to our true selves."

Could she really be Methena? Had Methena come back to life? No, no, that can't be right, no one can bring back the dead, but... the people who were eaten by Tibea were brought back to life...could it be that, like then, Lutea herself has manifested and worked a miracle?

"Along with Lutea... I too hope, Lord Lagard. I don't want to see you with such a face. I wish you could smile, talk with others, and live healthily."

Would the witch's minions say this? No, they don't understand Lord Lutea's words. To say something like this... could it really be…

"Sir Raghad, are you not pleased to see me?"

With a grunt, Raghad dropped his sword to the ground.

"Methena…"

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"Is it really you?"

"Enri, your face has become so gaunt. Look at those hollow cheeks."

A furrowed brow. A voice full of concern and love. Warm eyes...It was Methena, no doubt, but Enri was still wary.

When Methena reached out to stroke his cheek, he jerked back.

"Well, it's only natural you can't trust me."

Enri watched Methena shake her head, and his heart ached. What if this was the real Methena? Despite appearing mature, Methena was sensitive inside...

It was then.

"I'm back! Finally back! Ah... I thought I was going to die!" A mouse scurried out of Methena's arms. It was Aruru. "I've missed you, descendants of Ygraine! Do you have anything to eat? I could use some sunflower seeds!"

"It's Aruru! Aruru, the talking mouse, then…"

"It's Methena, the real Methena!"

There wasn't a dry eye in the room. Mari ran over and hugged Methena tightly.

"Too tight, Mari. Move aside."

"Woah…it's confirmed. She's really Methena because she hates hugs."

The atmosphere became festive. Everyone with silver hair flocked to Methena.

"You've grown taller, Harsh. Shumi, are you still carrying a lot of food, and can you share any of it with Aruru?"

Sweet Methena, sweet Methena. They all clasped their hands in prayer before her.

"Thank you, Lutea. For bringing our loved ones back to us..."