Chapter 71

“Phew…”

Kyle, who had finished preparing the party all by himself, sat in a rocking chair and looked out the window at the festivities. From the tables to the decorations, tableware, and food—nothing was done half-heartedly. Even though he was exhausted from losing sleep for a week, he couldn’t afford to cut corners.

After all, it was the last birthday of his boss and mentor, someone he saw as a father figure.

“Damn, this is driving me crazy.”

Still, catering to Camilla’s ridiculously picky tastes and Rizel’s preferences, who had just arrived yesterday, was no easy task. From dawn, he had been deboning fish, marinating meat in wine, preparing sauces days in advance, and letting dough ferment… After going through such a complicated process, he finally managed to create dishes worthy of the party.

On top of that, he also kept an eye on that woman called Sharia. Today, she didn’t do anything particularly suspicious, and he even confirmed that she went into the forest to gather herbs.

Since most of the work was done, he figured it was okay to catch a quick nap.

“Hey, kid. Go out and eat something, then take a break.”

After sending the little maid who served Raul to rest, Kyle decided to close his eyes for a bit.

—

Meanwhile, Raul sighed as he looked at the gift the Empress had sent, which Rizel had brought.

The Empress had sent a massive white tiger pelt, apparently purchased from an Eastern merchant for a hefty sum.

“Where am I even supposed to use this…?”

Though usually frugal, the Empress was an exception when it came to sending useless gifts like this. It must have cost a fortune, more than some precious gems.

For Raul, who had little interest in such things, the large pelt was nothing but a nuisance, and he felt no joy in receiving it.

“I heard the Eastern white tiger has a sacred aura.”

“…If they skinned something sacred, wouldn’t that make it an ominous object?”

“That might be true.”

Though it was indeed a bizarre item, Raul decided to accept it as a gesture of goodwill from his friend.

“Um… Brother…”

Rizel hesitated before handing Raul a small box.

Inside was a pair of plain leather gloves, nothing particularly expensive or special.

“I picked them out myself… Since you often get cold…”

Perhaps due to their long-standing conflict, Rizel struggled to even form a proper sentence while giving the gift.

“I’m happy.”

But Raul found her awkwardness endearing.

Even though they had different fathers and their connection with their mother had been severed, Rizel was still his younger sister.

“This gift makes me happier than any other.”

Whether noble or not, any older brother would cherish their younger sister.

“Thank you, Rizel. Thanks to you, I’ll stay warm this winter.”

Raul took Kyle’s advice and tried to express his gratitude as directly and simply as possible.

Kyle’s advice that failing to properly express gratitude would ruin relationships seemed to hold true, as Rizel looked like she was about to cry upon hearing Raul’s thanks.

“Don’t jump to conclusions so quickly. Especially when it’s something chosen by that clueless young lady’s taste.”

Provoked by Camilla, Rizel glared at her but quickly shrank back under Camilla’s sharp gaze.

Of course, Raul didn’t have high expectations for Camilla’s gift. At best, it would be expensive wine or some rare book she had acquired.

Though it perfectly matched Raul’s tastes, it felt a bit stale. Getting the same gift every year had made it somewhat predictable.

“My gift is…”

Camilla whispered something into Raul’s ear, and Raul made a face as if he couldn’t understand.

“How is that a gift?”

“Wait a minute…”

“How does tearing up all the marriage proposals sent to you and burning all the ones sent to me have anything to do with my birthday…”

“…If you keep talking, I’ll kill you.”

Raul genuinely couldn’t comprehend the meaning behind Camilla’s statement.

And Camilla was annoyed that Raul was about to blurt it out in front of everyone.

Unlike those distracted by the food, a few people who had been listening turned red and tried to clap in celebration but had to stop under Camilla’s glare.

“Later. After this party is over, I’ll explain what I meant. What my words really meant.”

“…No.”

At that moment, Raul, recalling unsettling memories from the past, grabbed Camilla’s wrist and spoke in a trembling voice filled with anxiety.

“Tell me now…”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“I can’t let that happen again… That… That’s really something you shouldn’t say…”

Even Raul’s usually calm eyes were shaking violently from anxiety.

The fear born from past experiences, not ignorance, was more sinister and intense than anything else.

“That means…!”

Just as Raul’s anxiety was about to take shape, cold raindrops began to fall on everyone’s heads.

The raindrops fell on the carefully prepared food, and people’s clothes started to get wet. Everyone tried to grab the untouched food and head back into the lord’s mansion before they got soaked.

“What is this… this unpleasant feeling…”

And with those words, all sounds disappeared into the rain.

—

How much time had passed? Kyle, Raul’s adjutant, stretched and got up from his seat.

“Ugh… What’s with this rain sound…”

As soon as he heard the rain pouring outside, he lamented how troublesome the cleanup would be.

“By the way, where did everyone go in this rain?”

As he scratched his head and looked out the window, he immediately grabbed his weapon and rushed outside upon seeing the scene.

The villagers, as well as Raul, Camilla, and even Rizel, had all collapsed unconscious.

“Damn it…!”

He grabbed Raul and Rizel’s bodies and started shaking them.

“Lord Raul. Rizel. Say something. What the hell happened?!”

There was no way the food was poisoned. Kyle himself had prepared it, and someone as sensitive as Camilla or Rizel would have noticed poison in the food immediately.

“What the hell is going on…”

At that moment, Kyle also felt his vision distort and lost his balance. A sticky, uncomfortable sensation and the pleasant heaviness of his eyelids. And finally, the strange taste of rainwater.

“Damn… Could this rain be…”

—

From afar, a purple-haired alchemist watched the scene while dancing gracefully in the forest, creating clouds. Her movements continuously formed clouds that rose into the sky, spreading a gloomy rain.

“Now…”

The rain washed away the dye in her hair and the makeup that altered her facial features.

What was revealed was pure white hair, silver-white eyes, and skin as pale as white jade. A single wing on her back and a sinister dragon’s tail strongly proved her existence.

Though no one was there to witness her beauty, it didn’t diminish.

Draped in a barely-there Eastern garment, she looked almost like a fallen angel, but no one could point out her flaws.

After all, she was stronger than any creature in the world, except for the Demon King.

The Emperor, the Empress, and even Camilla had all been defeated by her. Even Layla, despite having a favorable matchup, had suffered a crushing defeat at her hands.

The only ones who had ever defeated her were the Demon King and Raul, and the only one who had ever made her feel pain was Raul.

“Show me the grand finale… my husband…”

After paying a massive amount of lifespan through sorcery, she regenerated her arm and spread a special poisonous rain.

Even though she had paid an enormous price, she felt no regret. Instead, she eagerly awaited the man’s rage that would come with death.

To her, lifespan was just boredom, and if she could spend it to gain love, it was a bargain.

“Come and give me pain. Break this monotony and show me joy. Like before, shatter my expectations and show me the unknown. You’re the one who caught my interest. Don’t be so irresponsible as to leave me alone.”

The Dragon Queen remembered.

The day they first clashed, when Raul had inflicted vivid pain on her body.

The day when the world turned upside down, and indescribable pleasure dominated her entire being.

The beautiful face of the only man who could bring her pain.

“You’d better come quickly… Otherwise, the rain clouds I create will cover the entire continent…”

The poison in the rain clouds created by the Dragon Queen had a unique property.

It was highly effective but didn’t immediately take lives.

Instead, it was a hallucinogenic poison that showed people their deepest desires, slowly consuming their minds and souls.

In simple terms, it granted wishes in dreams at the cost of life.

“Will you die in happiness… or fight in misery…? You, of all people, would surely…”