May Every Wound Be Fatal - Chapter 43.1
Elizer, who had visited Reyna’s bedroom as a matter of habit, felt his heart drop when he saw the empty bed.
He searched the palace like a madman. It was likely the first time he had sought God with such desperation.
As if his earnest voice had been heard, Elizer found Reyna before it was too late. However, he found it difficult to believe the sight before his eyes.
Reyna was strangling Priscilla. Elizer realized then what Priscilla’s words had truly meant.
“Do not worry. I will not be the one to kill the Queen.”
Priscilla had no intention of killing Reyna.
She intended to die by Reyna’s hand, turning her into a murderer. In doing so, Elizer would have no choice but to execute Reyna.
Elizer called out to her.
“Reyna!”
But Reyna was not in her right mind at that moment.
“Die!”
Elizer roughly pulled Reyna’s arm as she gripped Priscilla’s neck. Lacking strength, she was easily pulled away. Yet, she refused to give up and tried to lunge at Priscilla again.
Elizer held Reyna with his whole body, enduring her struggle.
Her fragile frame quickly lost its strength. She wept without being able to make a sound.
Elizer held Reyna a little tighter. He was terrified that if he loosened his grip even slightly, she might vanish from the world right then and there.
***
Reyna believed that Priscilla had killed Karla. While this was the truth, everyone else thought Reyna had gone mad.
“I must punish Priscilla myself, so move aside.”
As the disturbances in the Queen’s palace repeated daily, talk of executing the Queen began to resurface.
“If I can kill Priscilla, I do not care if I die.”
Whether she knew of the consequences or not, Reyna continued to insist on seeking revenge against Priscilla.
Elizer did not know what to do.
He had to protect Priscilla, yet he wanted to keep Reyna alive. Therefore, he wanted Reyna to give up her revenge against Priscilla.
“…No one can kill Priscilla.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I will not allow it.”
If Reyna killed Priscilla, then he truly would not be able to keep her alive.
Elizer wanted Reyna to understand that fact. He desperately hoped that, just this once, she would set aside her stubbornness and act according to his will.
“…”
Whatever she was thinking, Reyna did not answer for a long time.
“Then… then Elizer.”
Eventually, she parted her dry, withered lips and whispered.
“Just kill me.”
Elizer knew at that moment that something had come to an end. His face slowly distorted.
From that point on, Reyna crumbled at a speed that was beyond control.
Elizer could not keep up with that pace.
Rumors that the Queen was mad and that she was not actually pregnant spread throughout Elmaril. The voices demanding the Queen’s execution reached even Reyna’s bedroom. The whole world wanted Reyna’s death.
And even Reyna herself wished for her death.
“…That happened because the Queen approached the assassin herself…”
Reyna had not avoided the assassin.
Elizer found that fact hard to accept. This was true even as he looked with his own eyes at the black stitches densely packed into her long, gashed wrist.
Reyna suddenly twisted her body in agony. It seemed she could feel the pain.
The wound was being mangled by her movement. Elizer grabbed her arm to make her lie straight. Then, Reyna opened her eyes.
Their eyes met, and her brow furrowed slightly.
Elizer could tell that she recognized him. He also knew that Reyna closed her eyes because she did not want to look at him.
Anxiety rushed over him at her avoidance.
“…Why are you doing this? Do you truly intend to die?”
Reyna only frowned a bit more and gave no answer.
“You said you wanted to save your subordinates.”
Elizer wanted her to respond to his voice, no matter what it took.
“Do you think you could even stand properly before an executioner holding an axe?”
He felt it would be a hundred times better if she screamed and struggled rather than acting like a person who was already dead.
At that, Reyna seemed to flinch, then blinked her eyes as if flustered. It seemed she remembered what she had done.
Elizer hoped she would regret the fact that she had tried to die. However, Reyna only let out a faint sigh, as if she were disappointed that she had failed to perish.
Elizer shouted at her in a desperate voice, almost reflexively.
“Get a hold of yourself. You cannot die.”
“…”
“Survive, no matter what.”
It was then that Reyna, who had been silent the whole time, murmured softly.
“…I have no reason to live any longer.”
“…No reason?”
Then what about me?
Elizer asked that internally without thinking, then clamped his mouth shut.
In truth, he was more accustomed to her waiting than her avoidance.
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