That child is not the Emperor.
It was difficult to understand what it meant.
Certainly, the compass Louis had given clearly indicated that this place was the Emperor’s hometown.
Given the circumstances, it was undoubtedly true that the Emperor was born and raised here. Yet, the fact remained that the child was not the Emperor.
Exactly what did it mean?
The old woman pulled a handkerchief from her bosom and wiped the blood streaming down her cheek. Despite the handkerchief becoming soaked with blood, the flow showed no sign of stopping.
Seeing this, I extended my hand and cast a hemostatic spell.
A red magic circle spread around the old woman, and the blood flowing from her eyes finally ceased.
At this sight, the old woman looked at me slightly surprised and then smiled faintly.
“Thank you. Now that I’m old, all I seem to do is cry..”
Those clear streaks of blood were undoubtedly not tears, yet I couldn’t ask anything more.
I couldn’t delve deeper, fearing the price the old woman might have to pay.
This made me careful in choosing my words.
Watching my cautious face, she muttered, “Well,” and seemed to have something on her mind. Slowly, she began to speak.
“Upon reflecting, there is something left at home after all.”
She laboriously stood up and picked up the cane resting on the table.
Seeing this, Lily quickly followed the old woman. Blocking her path, Lily smiled awkwardly and said,
“If you just tell me where it is, I’ll fetch it for you.”
“Hm? There’s no need for that. A host must personally offer hospitality to their guests.”
“No, it’s fine since I’m a maid.”
To this, the old woman firmly shook her head.
“Nonsense. Before being a maid, you’re a guest in my house.”
Faced with her stubborn refusal, Lily had no choice but to step aside.
Leaning on her cane, the old woman slowly approached the cabinet. Both Lily and I grew anxious due to her unsteady movements.
Arriving in what appeared to be the kitchen, she opened a drawer. Rifling through it, she pulled out a handful of tea leaves.
“A rare find, brought with great difficulty from the East. It’s a little old though..”
“Hold.”
Interrupting her, Evan’s hand moved towards his sword sheath.
His sharp eyes had caught something and paused on a single point.
His pupils enlarged, and Evan sighed deeply.
“We’re under attack.”
With a sharp sound, he drew his sword. At the sight, Lily moved closer to me, perhaps trembling slightly, as her shaking was transmitted through the arm she was holding.
In contrast, the old woman’s expression was extraordinarily calm, as if waiting for an inevitable event.
Her face held a slightly bitter expression.
“To think you won’t even give me time to entertain my guests..”
“Do you know what these attackers are?”
“If they’ve come this far, I imagine even the young ones know by now.”
The Emperor’s Hands.
The term flashed sharply in my mind.
Involuntarily, I clenched my fists tightly, memories of dying to those men in the library flashing through my mind like a procession.
My body trembled, but through repeated deep breaths, I managed to calm down. The trembling through Lily, standing next to me, seemed to have worsened.
Her fearful demeanor prompted me to gently stroke her head.
“Adelle?”
“Don’t worry. Evan and I will handle it.”
“Miss, please stay as close to me as possible. You too, Grandma.”
Nodding, I approached Evan.
The old woman seemed to contemplate for a moment, sighed, and then also moved to Evan’s back.
clang.
At least five windows shattered in unison. Beyond them, a crowd of glowing red eyes stared predatorily in our direction.
The intense killing intent emanating from their gazes made me instinctively swallow my saliva.
Were they bred solely as killing machines since birth? The mere eye contact sent a chill up my spine.
whoosh.
Raising his sword in front of me, Evan muttered with determination.
“I won’t let them pass.”
Soon, a blue aura flared up. His eyes flashed, and a blue flash of death cut through the air.
The attackers’ necks were easily severed by the aura-filled strike, and blood erupted like a fountain, splashing everywhere.
The decapitated bodies fell on their knees.
“Hmmph.”
With another breath, Evan’s blade flashed. Every swing killed at least five of them.
Yet, despite the carnage, the relentless charge by these nameless entities felt grotesque.
“..Where to?”
I stacked a shield spell only on my fist, using the method from the library to send one attacker flying who had attempted to slip through the gaps.
The creature that hit the wall merely coughed up some blood before standing up again. Resembling zombies, Lily gasped and hid behind me.
grrr..
The assailants rushed forward while emitting animalistic howls.
Evan swung his blade serenely, not blinking even as blood splattered his face, continuing the fight as if nothing happened.
Observing this scene, I suddenly felt a sense of discordance.
‘What is it?’
My instincts warned me.
I wasn’t sure what it was warning against, I only knew it signaled impending death.
No matter how frantically I turned my head, I couldn’t find anything unusual.
“Miss Adelle?”
Ignoring Lily’s questioning tone, I continued looking around.
There was definitely something wrong. Though I couldn’t describe it in words, I was certain of it.
‘Why aren’t they attacking from the back?’
The wall might be a barrier, but this is a humble cottage.
The walls of logs tied together wouldn’t stand a chance against the “Emperor’s Hands,” even with one hand.
Then why aren’t they doing so?
Just as this question arose, a magic circle started forming on the floor. The moment I was about to shout out…
I was pushed.
“Huh?”
Thud.
The sound of steel slicing through flesh.
Yet, I felt no pain. No sensation, no hurt, not even the slightest touch.
Someone had pushed me, and I tumbled a few times on the ground.
‘What…?’
Lifting my head, I saw a red blade piercing the old woman’s shoulder. She grimaced in pain, struggling to catch her breath.
“Ah!”
Lily’s sharp scream made Evan turn his head. Quickly understanding the situation, he instantly launched a sword strike.
Blood spurted from the attacker’s back, and he crumpled to the ground.
As soon as I saw this, I hurriedly rose from the floor and rushed toward the old woman.
“Huff, cough…”
Her condition was grave.
The cloth around her shoulder penetrated by the sword was stained crimson. The blood flowing down her arm formed a small puddle on the floor.
Seeing this made me feel slightly dizzy.
Raising my head slightly, I noticed the old woman’s eyes clouding.
‘Ah.’
I was familiar with death.
Because I could always revert to previous times, even if I died without realizing it, I could return automatically.
However, someone else’s death was alien to me.
Especially when it was someone sacrificing themselves to protect me.
Suddenly, Lily’s first death flashed through my mind.
She had taken the assassin sent by the Crown Prince’s attack for me. Desperately, she had bitten their leg off so I could escape.
That image overlapped with the old woman’s face.
It was the same expression she had worn in her final moments.
Accepting her fate, ready to meet death.
‘I can’t let her die.’
As soon as this realization struck me, I hurriedly pulled out a healing magic scroll from my bosom. It was expensive, but that didn’t matter.
Nothing was more important than a human life.
Holding the scroll, I attempted to rip it open without hesitation.
However, my hurried hands kept slipping.
‘Calm down, Adelle!’
What nonsense was I doing right now?
I gnawed at the paper with my teeth and ripped open the scroll. A sensation of mana being drained accompanied the formation of a red magic circle in the air.
The old woman’s bleeding began to slow gradually.
Third-tier healing magic. A spell that could heal injuries just short of death.
Yet, despite the healing magic, her condition continued to worsen.
Though she was bleeding less than before, the flow wouldn’t stop.
Woom..
Even after casting several rounds of hemostatic spells, the blood kept flowing. Despite her labored breathing, the old woman still managed to speak.
“Hm… what a good girl.. That child, he used to be like that..”
“Be quiet! Your bleeding won’t stop if you keep talking!”
“You’re quite rude too, just like him..”
Even as she winced, the old woman chuckled. I bit my lip and cast the hemostatic spell again.
“Young woman, may I ask a favor..?”
Her voice trembled.
Even as she coughed up blood, she strained to continue her words.
“Do you… would you save… the child..?”
Her halting speech cut off midway.
‘A.’
She couldn’t be saved.
I knew it clearly in my mind but couldn’t stop casting the magic.
Was it panic? My arms trembled uncontrollably. Most of my mana was almost depleted.
“Stop! Please stop!”
Lily cried out, hugging me tightly from behind.
I felt her warm body heat.
Only then did I fully take in the image of the old woman in my sight.
Her face was peaceful, eyes closed as if she had fallen into a deep sleep.
“Again.”
Tick. Tock.
The familiar sound of a clock rang in my ears. I heard Louis’ voice reminding me of the cost of regression, but I ignored it.
If I didn’t use this ability now, I would undoubtedly regret it later.
Time began to rewind.
