I will not die a Villainess's death

"Give me a break. Why did you have to choose the most revealing robe for Elysia? I cannot concentrate."

Eve complained as she walked a little way away from the grand pool with Adam. There were some things she needed to prepare before offering her part in the ceremony.

"I know I made a mistake but I am not sorry. I always wanted to see Elysia in something like this but I had a feeling she would not comply with me under normal circumstances. You should be thanking me for this opportunity."

Adam seemed not to be even a little concerned about his actions. If anything, he looked a lot more pleased than guilty about what had happened with Elysia before.

It was not like Eve did not understand why he behaved like this. Because dressing Elysia like this was something Eve also wanted to do.

But there was a time and place for everything.

'Elysia doesn't even have our bitemarks to show off. What is the use of just exploding her like this? What if someone accidentally saw her like that without our claim and-'

"Turn the gears in your brain down. There is no way I would ever allow anyone else to see Elysia in that condition. And if they do, then they would end up dead so it is not a problem."

Adam's words might sound crude but Eve had confidence that he was not lying. It was something he was capable of doing and weirdly enough, Eve was sure that she would help him out.

'Spending this much time with a psychopath like Adam is not good for my mental health. I should find some alone time with Elysia.'

Eve had a lot she wanted to do with Elysia alone and she would finally have time once this ceremony was over and she would be appointed as the Saintess.

And then she would also have enough power to protect Elysia from the unnecessary slander that she was forced to endure.

"Elysia, are you done with your part in the-"

Eve turned around but Elysia was nowhere to be found. Neither she nor the other sacrifices and offerings were in the palace where they had been left.

Adam's tense form behind her told Eve that something had gone wrong. Growls were coming out of his mouth that Eve had never heard before.

They were not only loud but frustrated. His eyes had turned into slits as well which showed his draconic nature.

"Something was just here. Something powerful and otherworldly dragged Elysia into the pool. I can no longer sense her presence in this world."

The ground felt like it was breaking apart underneath Eve's feet. She could no longer maintain her balance upright and collapsed on her knees.

When and how did this happen? Elysia had just been there, right in front of Eve and now she was no longer there?

"What do you mean not in this world? When did that happen?"

Eve asked as he took Adam's collar in her hand and yanked him closer to her face.

She could accept that she had missed the chance to save Elysia but how could Adam miss that change as well?

He was the one who had always boasted about being close to Elysia and having a 'bond' with her. So how could he not sense when some 'other-worldly' things came in and snatched Elysia away?

"I don't know. I did not sense anything. Even now I cannot feel the part where Elysia is in my connection net. It's not a gaping hole like last time but feels as if it never existed. I cannot even remember what that bond feels like."

To be fair, Adam looked even more shaken up than Eve at the news. His hands were shaking quite badly.

Eve did not look at Adam because she wanted to blame him for what happened here and his incompetence in protecting Elysia. She knew that if she looked at Adam in the face then she would lose it as well.

She would be forced to admit that it was not Adam at fault for losing Elysia but herself as well. She was the one who chose to look away from Elysia.

"Fuck. Lucas is going to kill us. How do we even report it back to him?"

"You idiot! Now is not the time to be thinking about it. We need to find Elysia before we get killed off. We own her this much."

__________________________

"Brother Lucas, calm down. Why are you in such a hurry?"

Chrome followed after Lucas who had started running at a speed that a sick man should not have been possible.

He was still coughing and all this running would likely make his lungs much worse than before. But Lucas did not slow down or stop despite knowing this.

The feeling in his heart was getting worse and worse.

"Y-You felt that energy as well, right? It was the same as what was felt that day. It was the same force as way back then."

Most people would have called Lucas a fool for chasing after a power that had not been seen for so long but Lucas knew what he was doing.

"I k-know what you mean but you need to calm down. Even if this power feels like the same one who killed off the Dirac family, what can you do against it? Are you even confident in making it out alive in your condition? Your lungs would collapse at this rate."

Chrome's words had some truth in them. No matter how hard Lucas tried to push himself, even he could not fight against this curse that was eating him from the inside.

But even when he knew all that, he still did not want to give up.

"Look, you are worried about Elysia, right? But she has those two 'chosen ones' with her so she should be alright. I am sure the world will not allow anything to happen to her."

Chrome was trying to make Lucas feel better but somehow his words seemed to have backfired.

If Lucas had looked afraid before, he looked downright terrified right now. His steps that had stopped to take a short rest started moving again as he ran toward the ceremonial forest.

"M-My lord Dirac. You cannot head in there right now. The ceremonial grounds are not free for visiting-"

The servants tried to stop Lucas but they were no match for his might. He was like a hurricane that was blowing everyone away.

And it was not like he had no right to be on the ceremonial grounds since he was the Dirac head. They were the representatives this time around.

"What is with all this noise? Lucas Dirac, what are you-"

"Not now your majesty. I have some things to take care of and I won't stop even if it's for your sake."

Lucas managed to avoid all the guards that tried to hold him down. His only goal was to reach the central pool and ensure himself that all his fears were for nothing.

He reached the forest gates and held on to them just as they opened from the inside.

"Lucas Dirac, stop causing such panic for no reason. I am sure everything is-"

But even the king felt his words stop short in his throat as he watched the worried and pissed-off expressions of Adam and Eve on the other side of the door.

They looked startled to see Lucas on the other side and then their expressions turned uncomfortable and even guilty.

But there was a noticeable difference between them then and how they had walked inside. There was a feeling of loss surrounding the pair.

"What is wrong? You both are late and also filthy. Hurry up and take a bath before….Eve, is something wrong?"

Eve could no longer contain her tears from falling. Crystalline drops fell from her eyes as Eve's body shook. But despite that, Crown Prince Adam did not attempt to help her out.

His expression looked like he was heartbroken and everyone had a faint feeling that something big had happened.

"Eve, is everything alright my child? You can tell me what happened and I will help you out. Was it someone who bullied you? Did you get hurt? I asked Elysia to take care of you but I see that she did not do a good job with her-"

"Don't speak her name with your mouth or you will end up dying. You have no right to say her name with your filthy lips."

The hall fell silent as Adam's words resonated in the empty space of the hallway they were in.

"Adam, what kind of tone are you-"

The king tried to scold Adam but he flinched and took a step back as soon as he saw the anger that was aimed his way. He had never seen his son look at him or anyone else in such a wild way.

It was a madness that a human was incapable of. It was only possible because of the dragon blood that was carried by the Royal family.

For a second, no one knew what to say. But it was Lucas who finally stepped in and asked the important question.

"Where is Elysia? What happened to her and why is she not here with both of you?"