Chapter 233

“Iona!”

Eris remembered what that meant and quickly put her finger under Iona’s nose. Her breathing got a lot weaker. Eris felt a chill down her spine.

“No.”

There was no time to hesitate anymore. At this rate, Iona will die from bleeding too much. She put the necklace near Iona’s wound and used the healing magic.

‘Please! Don’t die!’

“Jenta.”

White light burst out of the necklace. Iona’s wound absorbed that pure light, and soon Iona’s breathing got more comfortable.

But the wound was so big, and the divine power in the necklace was so little so Iona still was unconscious. At least the bleeding stopped. Eris sat down thinking she was over the hump.

‘Her wound is too big so it’s not enough. I need at least a couple more bottles of holy water.’

Eris grabbed Iona’s cold hand. She said Ridrian is here, so he’ll come down soon using his power. She was hoping he would have at least one bottle of holy water.

Eris suddenly realized.

‘Now that I’ve become the same as everyone else. I wouldn’t remember anything upon my return.’

*Return- Living again from the beginning of the story which repeats in a loop.

It was such a futile ending. She tried hard but ended up using her only hope to escape from this circling hell on Iona, who experienced the same number of deaths as her.

‘But Iona means that much to me.’

Eris used the clean water from the cave wall to wipe off Iona’s cold sweat. She couldn’t use fire so she couldn’t see well, but Iona still looked unwell as the divine magic’s side effect seemed to be affecting her.

“Why did you do that, Iona? Even though you knew I’ll just return if I die, why did you get hurt trying to save me again?”

When she was about to give up and live in the endless cycle of life, it wasn’t Ridrian that lifted her up, but Iona. She almost died to the emperor, but Iona saved her and died instead many times. Her dying words to her were always shocking.

‘Please be happy.’

Even though Iona lost her happiness in misfortune and despair, she encouraged Eris even while she died. She was kind and strong. Since then, it was hard for Eris to see Iona dying every time she first met her.

But this time was different. Iona ended up with Ridrian and was alive, and she also found her emotion.

It was something she always failed to have whenever she returned.

‘Why is this return different? Iona never recovered her emotion in the past loops.’

There was only one thing different. In this return, Eris definitely tried to kill Ridrian. But Recaldo already knew about Iona, and thanks to that her plan failed. If she knew about that fact already, she would’ve just gotten on Ridrian’s good side and tried everything else.

“Ah.”

Eris realized that moment.

‘I see why Theres chose Iona.’

Why Theres has given up on her this time, Eris had goosebumps as her theory was closest to the answer. It really was all because of her. Eris couldn’t even look at Iona.

“Theres realized that I couldn’t love Ridrian anymore. So that’s why she chose Iona instead…”

“What are you saying?”

At that moment, she heard a familiar voice by the entrance. The shadow seemed familiar.

“How did you…”

“I followed Iona’s aura. It was harder than I thought. Darn Magalia.”

She thought Ridrian would be happy to find Iona, but he looked very serious.

“Your Majesty.”

Eris realized that he was looking behind her. He quickly got closer, went to Iona, and kneeled.

“Iona.”

It looked like he couldn’t touch Iona as she was very pale, so he instead rolled his fist. His hands were shaking.

“What you just said, I’ll ask later. Iona looked like she’s in a more dire situation.”

He checked Iona’s status very carefully then sighed a little. He took out a glass bottle and put it on the floor. It was holy water.

“It seemed like we can’t use holy water on her yet. Her symptoms from divine magic’s side effect is still there.”

“But her bleeding is too much. Her temperature is dropping too.” Eris persisted.

“I’ll do something about it.” Ridrian took off the cape that was covering Iona. Then he started to take her thick top off. Eris jumped.

“What are you—

“This is the best way to raise temperature right now. You go on your watch.”

“Don’t you think you’re better off doing that?”

Eris couldn’t leave as she thought he might do something weird. But he laid down beside Iona while looking very serious and hugged her, ensuring her body wasn’t moving.

His voice was calmer than usual.

“There’s a lot of demon power so my aura is all messed up. But it’ll be the same for demons. So go and watch.”

“… Okay.”

Eris no longer argued and nodded. His temperature would be higher than hers for sure.

Ridrian hurriedly put his skin over hers. She was colder than he thought.

‘Iona.’

He kissed her forehead lightly like he was holding onto a precious jewel. He was praying that she will be all right.

Eris just looked at them while feeling odd. Even though she no longer had any love for him, she’s known him for so long. But she’s never seen that face. He’s never shown her that affectionate and defenseless face.

‘What he showed me was almost an obsession.’

Eris turned completely.

‘There’s no point anymore. The Ridrian I knew is no longer in this world.’

There was familiar silence between them. But it was Ridrian who spoke first.

“By the way, what were you saying before? That Iona became your replacement?”

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