Chapter 107

I had thought about it before. If I, who had built quite a position in the social circle, suddenly went missing one day, even if it wasn’t an urgent matter, it would have at least caused quite a stir. But strangely, no news came. It seemed as if no one cared about my disappearance at all. And today, I clearly understood why.

“The main culprit who tried to poison the Saintess is none other than you, Tina, isn’t it?” A young lady I didn’t even know glared at me with sharp eyes and said that. Her words, like a dagger, pierced my mind and wouldn’t leave.

“No, no! The poisoning of the Saintess was Mardian—” “Enough with the filthy excuses. Mardian and the Saintess have already testified, and the truth has been revealed. Evidence has come out too.” “W-what?” Mardian’s testimony? I thought Viviana had taken care of Mardian. Could it be… Viviana deceived me?

If rumors had spread that I poisoned the Saintess, everything made sense now. No one cared about my disappearance, the commoners who beat me up in the alley earlier, and this young lady looking at me with eyes full of hatred. Poisoning the Saintess—that’s a crime so severe that execution wouldn’t be enough. Surely, Lillian must have used it as an excuse to control my life or put a collar around my neck in a similar way.

If that’s the case, then standing here on the Empire’s streets, I must be the target of contempt from both commoners and nobles alike. My heart tightened. My eyes trembled with anxiety. I took a few steps back and looked around. I hadn’t noticed until now, but the gazes of the people passing through the Empire’s streets were slowly turning toward me.

“Huh? That young lady…” “Honey, isn’t that her?” “It seems so.” Normally, my striking appearance would have drawn attention, but at this moment, it became poison. The contemptuous gazes slowly closing in. Their eyes were filled with sharp accusations and disgust. I shrank under the weight, curling up and feeling infinitely small.

‘Run, I have to run.’ That was the only thought flashing through my mind. I was wrong. Now, in this Empire, there’s no one left to help me. Even Sharrione and Bersha, who once cared for me, wouldn’t welcome me now.

People were gathering one by one, watching me like a spectacle. Some looked at me with curious eyes, as if witnessing an interesting scene, while others glared at me with eyes full of contempt. I had to run. Without hesitation, I turned to flee, but the path was already blocked by people. They watched me, whispering, keeping their distance but clearly throwing unwanted attention my way.

Anxious, I looked around, but people had already surrounded me completely. Their gazes were like those of predators trapping their prey, tightening around me. “Huff… sob…” Surrounded by so many people, my breathing grew heavier. A sense of helplessness pressed down on my chest. Like a monkey in a zoo, their gazes and mockery crushed my existence.

“What, is she really that murderer?” “How can she walk around the streets so shamelessly?” “Did she… escape? Shouldn’t we report her to the guards?” The more the accusations poured in, the more my heart trembled. I didn’t want to hear it. I wanted to cover my ears, or even tear them off, to block out this noise.

I struggled to find an answer in my mind, but only anger and resentment tangled together, burning in my chest. ‘If it were the old days, these people would’ve been desperate for my attention…!’ Those who once blindly believed the rumors I spread about Lillian and harshly criticized the Saintess were now praising Lillian and trying to drive me away. Their flip-flopping attitudes disgusted me. I felt like I could vomit at any moment from the rising disgust.

But I held it in. There’s no entertainment more enjoyable to the masses than watching someone fall from grace. No matter how cornered I was, I had no intention of giving these people that kind of pleasure.

“Excuse me.” A rough voice cut through the crowd. A man who appeared to be a guard pushed through the crowd and approached me. His gaze was already filled with wariness and distrust. He stared at me intently, then reached out his hand and said, “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to come with me to the guard station—”

“Don’t touch me!” I slapped his hand away and stepped back. His eyes narrowed. A gaze mixed with contempt and wariness pierced me. Not just him—the people surrounding me were also glaring at me with faces full of displeasure. Standing at the edge of a cliff, they were pushing me with endless scorn.

“Y-you game characters…!” I couldn’t breathe. Why do I have to suffer like this? I just wanted to see my mother. Unlike you, consumed by lust and desire, she’s the only one who treats me like family.

Yes, I should just ask these people to kill me. Since they seem to despise me, they’d probably gladly do it if I asked them to remove this collar and kill me. Then I wouldn’t have to endure this humiliation anymore—

*Thud—* “Agh?!” A sharp pain and a ringing impact hit me. I fell backward helplessly, rolling on the ground. Something warm flowed from my head, wetting the ground. A fist-sized rock lay in front of my collapsed vision. I blinked blankly, staring at the pool of my blood on the ground.

Who threw it? It was pointless to look for the culprit among the crowd surrounding me. “Ah… it hurts.” I muttered softly, carefully holding the bleeding spot. But ironically, a faint light seeped from the collar around my neck, instantly healing the wound on my head.

“This witch!” “Take her away quickly. I can’t stand the sight of her.” “Don’t resist and come along.” The guard looked down at me with mocking eyes. Aren’t you the Empire’s guard, responsible for maintaining order? Someone threw a rock at me, yet you just mock me.

“Gasp… sob… gasp…” I couldn’t breathe. The collar tightened around my neck, not even allowing me to breathe. As oxygen grew scarce, my mind began to numb. The jeers and laughter of the people beyond my fading vision stabbed coldly at my chest.

Even the thought of wanting to die disappeared. Now, I just wanted to escape this place. “D-don’t come… don’t come closer!” I desperately waved my hands at the air, shouting. It was the pitiful last resistance of someone powerless, with nothing left.

The guard looked down at me with pity and reached out a hand. As the rough hand approached, I instinctively closed my eyes and curled up.

*Grab—* But what embraced me wasn’t a cold, rough hand. Instead, it was a warm embrace, carrying the faint scent of jasmine. The soft touch, like a cushion, wrapped around my face, and my eyes widened without realizing it. In my blurred vision, a familiar figure stood.

“Have you all gone mad?!” A sharp, resolute voice cut through the air, silencing the murmuring crowd. The moment that voice reached my ears, my heart instinctively raced. A voice I couldn’t possibly mistake.

I quickly lifted my face from her chest and looked at the owner of the voice. There stood a face familiar yet long confined to distant memories. Hair as pure white as mine, a dignified presence unchanged by time. Someone so familiar yet so distant.

She had grown much thinner. The moment I saw her haggard face, I instinctively grabbed her hand. “M-mom… Ah, Artasha…” I don’t know how much effort it took to utter those few words.

“Do you think it’s okay to do this in the middle of the Empire?” Artasha pulled me closer, glaring sharply at the people. The guard, flustered, quickly spoke to her. “Are you perhaps a foreigner? That young lady is a criminal who committed a grave crime. There’s no need for you to intervene—”

“She’s a child under the Saintess’s care. No matter what happened, you can’t treat her so carelessly.” Artasha’s cold voice cut off the guard’s words. The guard frowned, scratching his head awkwardly, and stepped back.

“It’s also true that she’s a criminal who deserves execution. I can’t understand why you’re protecting her.” His words were met with nods from the crowd.

“May I ask if you know this criminal?” It was a question with no gain. Being acquainted with a criminal who poisoned the Saintess would be enough to ruin one’s reputation.

But Artasha showed no hesitation, burying my face deeper into her chest. As if telling me not to see or hear this spectacle anymore. Then, holding me, she slowly stood up and looked at the people.

“She’s my daughter.” A voice without a hint of hesitation. My heart began to race violently.

“So, everyone, step back.” Artasha’s blue eyes were still as beautiful as ever.