[Vol. 8] Chapter 2: Fate Has Never Left Us
“I see…”
The priestess’s smile slowly deepened, and she gave a small, satisfied nod.
“Hearing you say that makes me feel better. If you can stay calm in front of such a power that goes beyond human understanding, then I don’t think you’ll use it recklessly.”
She casually placed the silver [Lion’s Ring] on the table in front of her, but didn’t push it toward the princess sitting across from her. Instead, she left it within easy reach, like a quiet temptation, while secretly watching how the princess reacted.
“But for now, I think it’s better if I hold onto this. The reason is… well, first of all, you still can’t fully control the power inside you. Giving something that works like a natural disaster starter to a newbie like you is just too risky, in many ways.”
“Also, I’m sure you already know a little about it. The power behind this ring hides a huge secret. The backlash from the [Wheel of Fate] has been quiet for now, but that doesn’t mean it won’t come back. Your understanding of beings at that higher level is still limited, so for now it’s safer if you don’t mess with it. This is for your own good.”
Seeing the girl in front of her looking so serious, nodding repeatedly like she was trying hard to agree with everything, the priestess lightly tapped the table and ended the topic with a vague joke.
“That’s all. Maybe I talked a bit too much, hope Her Highness the Princess doesn’t think I’m being too nosy~”
“Huh? No, no, not at all! I understand Miss Violet’s good intentions and will definitely be extra careful and cautious! I promise!”
“I already told you, don’t be so stiff around me…”
With the serious conversation basically finished, the black-haired girl seemed to remember something. She picked up the [Lion’s Ring] from the table and brought up a topic she had been curious about for a while but hadn’t had the chance to ask.
“By the way, how’s your friend Orluk doing lately?”
“Orluk, huh…”
At the mention of that name, the princess rubbed her temple with a troubled look and answered honestly.
“I think Miss Violet already knows what she did. Even though she was tricked by a servant of an evil god, and she acted out of a desire to protect me, what she did still happened. The damage and casualties that followed can’t be excused no matter the reason.”
“"The fact that I almost died because of that incident seems to have been a huge blow to her. Even though you saved my life, Miss Violet, Orluk became really depressed. She shut herself away in the room where she’s under house arrest, and even though the people from Sainz have been investigating, she’s just quietly cooperating. It’s like she’s lost all purpose in life.”
“Orluk has always been a quiet and lonely person, though she used to talk with a few of us. But after what happened, things between her and the other heroines became awkward. They’ve tried visiting her, but she always turns them away in silence. It’s been really hard to deal with.”
“I want to do something to help, but she refuses to even meet with me…”
“Ugh~ what a troublesome personality.”
Violet said bluntly, without holding back.
Thankfully, she didn’t have to clean up this mess. People who like collecting a bunch of lovers and building harems always run into messy situations like this. Even if it’s an all-girls harem, it’s still the same. Just thinking about it gives her a headache.
“Tell me more about it,” the princess sighed.
The princess didn’t deny it, but she gave a helpless shake of her head and quickly continued.
“The people from Sainz want to keep her locked up and keep investigating, to make sure the evil god’s power doesn’t return in Orluk. But since Miss Violet said that the [Nightmare] has already completely separated from her, I’ve decided to bring Orluk back to the Capital, Frederick City. I want to slowly rebuild our relationship over time and find ways to fix all the problems caused by this whole thing.”
"Of course I'm not that naive, there will definitely be rejection from many people about that. I also have to look at it from society’s point of view. I can't selfishly ignore thousands or even millions of people just for the sake of one person. That's why this relationship will never be the same as it was in the beginning."
“The people who died can’t be brought back, but those of us still alive have to carry on. Even though all this happened, I still hope that one day, Orluk can live like a normal person. I’ll do everything I can to help her make up for her mistakes…”
As she spoke, her voice became less confident. Carefully, she lifted her head to check the black-haired girl’s expression, worried that she might suddenly scold her harshly.
“Um… Do you think I’m just protecting her too much? That I’m being unfair? If only Orluk gets a second chance, isn’t that unfair to the people who died?”
“I don’t really care.”
“...Huh?”
As the princess stared in surprise, the girl with mismatched eyes, Violet, gave a shrug with no expression.
“To borrow someone else’s words: many bad things in this world, and the things that were meant to happen, won’t just stop because one person is gone. Even if your Orluk had resisted the [Nightmare]’s temptation, it would have just gone to find someone else. And maybe that person would’ve been even worse, causing even more death and pain. That’s totally possible.”
“To put it simply, someone was going to take the blame for this. Your little girlfriend just happened to be unlucky and got chosen. The power of the [Five Reversed Gods] isn’t something normal people can resist easily. Who can say they don’t have any dark thoughts or desires in their heart?”
“That girl never used the [Nightmare]’s power on you. And she never attacked anyone who wasn’t involved either. If she had, things wouldn’t have calmed down so quickly after it all happened. I think just based on those two things, it already shows she’s pretty amazing, self-controlled and strong-willed.”
“Miss Violet…”
The princess looked at her with a complicated expression, but the priestess just waved her hand again.
“I don’t care what others think, this is how I see it. As for the feelings between you two lovebirds, I don’t want to get involved. I won’t help, but I won’t stop you either. Whether you want to leave her behind or share the burden with her is up to you. I’m just talking based on what happened.”
“But, if you really want to help that girl get past what’s troubling her… I can give you a little hint.”
The princess instantly perked up, sitting up straight again.
“A hint!?”
Violet smiled lightly, taking her time.
“If I’m right, Orluk’s real inner demon didn’t come from you. Like the saying goes, ‘Only the person who tied the knot can untie it.’ Right now… there’s a girl traveling this land who comes from the same hometown as her and even carries the same legacy.”
“Her name is Le Qiaoqiao, and she’s also a thief. If I’m not mistaken, she should currently be somewhere in the Holy Empire. If you can find her, you’ll naturally come to understand a lot of things. You’ll learn about Orluk’s past. And then, maybe everything will start to change~”