Chapter 215. World and Mabel2022.02.22.
The run wasn’t smooth. Her clothes, which were fine, got caught in a bush and were torn and tattered, and her body was full of wounds here and there. Still, they couldn’t stop. Enrique, who took out the magic tool that Mabel had given him, sighed and said,
“I can’t use the mobile magic tool because it’s blocking the magic wave.”
“…”
“Oscar. Are you listening?”
“okay.”
The atmosphere was downright grim. Even as they fled, Mabel did not wake up. Aidan followed Shinsoo and moved while looking at Mabel.
[I used my energy to take measures as a temporary measure, but it’s dangerous at this rate.]
Even Shinsoo was pessimistic. They barely escaped Devlin’s tenacious pursuit, as if they would never let go, and arrived at the border of Ermano exhausted. The men of Ermano, who found them coming from Devlin, were greatly agitated, and when they found Oscar, they drew their weapons. After a while, the commander in charge of the border appeared.
“Meet Your Highness the Prince. However, His Majesty the Emperor…”
Soon the commander’s gaze reached the Emperor who was sitting on the back of the divine beast. Oscar struggled to keep his mouth shut.
“…Please contact His Majesty the Situation.”
With a miserable heart, I wished I hadn’t listened to my father, but it was unavoidable. They returned to carry out a covert operation. With half a defeat.
***
“Mabel….”
The daughter, who was expected to return safely, returned in a coma. Esteban, who was half insane, summoned the imperial physician and dispatched priests and ordered them to wake Mabel. But Mabel didn’t wake up. All I could do was barely breathe.
“I have no face to see the emperor. It’s all my fault.”
“…Unable to carry out Your Majesty’s orders. Please punish me.”
Oscar and Enrique wished to be punished, but Esteban could not say anything. He had warned Mabel that he would be severely punished if even one of her hairs were injured, but Mabel was in a critical condition and could not wake up. Esteban, who stopped eating and drinking, clung to Mabel all day long. Mabel had a calm face, as if asleep. Esteban held the child’s hand and pressed his cheek.
‘why. Mabel you…’
This time Esteban was pessimistic about the world and God. Isn’t that too harsh? The baby, who couldn’t even speak properly, was given a goddamn oracle to save the world, and then made it impossible for him to wake up.
“He said he would come back safely, isn’t it too much for his father, Mabel?”
Knowing that there would be no answer, Esteban spoke and despaired over and over again.
“If I went with you… No, Mabel, I wasn’t sending you. Stupid guy…”
Esteban was corroded in the endless regrets. The feelings of the people around him watching the situation were also heartbreaking. Lisandro, who went to work early in the morning, immediately looked for Gustaf.
“What about His Majesty?”
“You are still there. A glass of water drunk at dawn is the end.”
“…driving me crazy.”
The Emperor, who shows no sign of waking up, and Hwang Sang-je, who has completely stopped eating and drinking. There was no way out of the situation other than Mabel waking up. The imperial castle, which was agitated by Mabel’s indefinite absence, quickly turned into a silent tomb.
***
Michael Abelardo, God King, offered an informal visit. Michael, who looked at the emperor’s condition with the permission of the emperor, was silent.
‘What the hell…’
It was a much more serious condition than what was reported. The body is fine with no injuries, but Mabel’s foundation is a mess.
‘It’s almost a miracle that he didn’t die instantly.’
The fact that he is still alive must be thanks to the power of the Shinsoo he killed in time. Michael wiped his mouth with his big hand and managed to hold back a sigh that almost burst out.
“God King. How about Mabel?”
“Um…”
“I’ll be able to wake up soon. Isn’t it?”
Michael couldn’t give Esteban the answer he was looking for. Because that answer would be deception of the opponent. At Michael’s unusual reaction, Esteban denied the reality and held onto his shoulder.
“Please save my daughter, God-King.”
“…”
“Please.”
Esteban begged for his daughter’s life, as if he would get down on his knees if he could. The assimilation target lost its life and the impact of being forcibly ejected caused such strong pain that it could lead to death. Michael avoided Esteban’s gaze.
“It’s all I can do to survive without eating.”
“why! Aren’t you the God King?”
“I know. I never knew I would be so incompetent.”
Esteban lowered his head at Michael’s bitter laugh.
“…under.”
Even the God King, who is said to have the strongest divine power on the continent, can’t wake Mabel. Even Esteban’s last hope was gone.
***
After that day, it was only a long wait. Mabel, who brought Esteban back to life, did not wake up for over a month, but the fact that he eventually opened his eyes was Esteban’s only hope. Arriving at Mabel’s bedroom after dealing with overdue work in the early morning, Esteban found the unkempt Sun In-young. Esteban stared at Aidan, who was guarding Mabel’s door. I don’t remember seeing Aidan absent for days.
“Stop going back, Aidan.”
“…”
“At least put your eyes on it.”
Aidan didn’t get embarrassed even if he couldn’t rest and didn’t eat, but he couldn’t leave it like this. But Aidan was stubborn.
“are you okay.”
“…”
It would be a lie if I said I didn’t resent Aidan. There was a time when the negative flow would have ended if I hadn’t met Aidan. But all was futile.
“Would Mabel be happy to know that you’ve been guarding the door all day?”
“That goes for you too.”
Esteban was momentarily at a loss for words when his bruises returned to him. Like Aidan, he stayed by Mabel’s side without sleeping or eating properly.
“okay. … Mabel wouldn’t like it either.”
After that conversation, Esteban let go of his obsession very little.
***
Those who came and went in and out of the imperial castle used to keep quiet about the emperor, but it was after rumors that Emperor Mabel was in grave danger had already spread throughout the continent. As each day passed, the international situation went in an unexpected direction. Devlin, who had been sticking to the seclusion policy, broke the silence and invaded Ioleca Kingdom. The kingdom of Ioleca, which had been helplessly attacked by the Devlin Empire’s massive magic army, requested reinforcements from Ermano without any expectations.
“The situation in Ermano is also not good, so it’s better to let go of expectations.”
“I heard that the emperor is in the middle of death.”
However, contrary to the prediction, Ermano personally dispatched troops. Aidan Aserad, the son of the God King and the hero of Ermano, took the lead. Devlin, who had invaded Ioleca’s capital with fearsome momentum, was brutally stopped by Aidan. War clouds hung over the continent.
***
Emily took some books and left the room when she bumped into Enrique.
“Are you going to Hwangseong?”
“huh. shall we go together?”
After thinking about Emily’s proposal for a while, Enrique shook his head.
“no. Have a good day, Emily.”
Emily, who was still looking at Enrique, who smiled lightly as usual, nodded.
“I will be back.”
Emily was one of the few people allowed into Mabel’s bedroom with Esteban’s permission. Since he is his best same-sex friend, he asked to be Mabel’s companion. So even on a day without a meeting, I entered the palace. Emily got off the carriage and headed straight for Mabel’s bedroom. Emily, passing by the corridor leading to the main castle, spotted someone standing on the road.
“Long Donovan?”
Even on days when there were no meetings, Duke Donovan was at the imperial castle. It was quite rare, and Emily was surprised inside.
“It must be Duke Javier.”
“Are you waiting for someone?”
“well.”
Emily tilted her head at the ambiguous answer. Duke Donovan’s gaze fell on the books Emily was holding. Emily, who noticed that gaze, answered first.
“Ah, it’s a collection of poems.”
“divan?”
“I was afraid that His Majesty the Emperor hates poetry so much that if I read it aloud, he might wake up in a fit of rage. As a kind of shock therapy…”
Emily’s voice, which had been cheerful as usual, finally got wet. Duke Donovan stood by her silently. It was a day when many people felt empty due to the absence of just one person.
***
A year has passed and it is January 1st. The emperor’s coming-of-age ceremony, which had to be held in a row, went quietly as usual. The preparations for the coming-of-age banquet, which had been prepared before, had long since stopped. As if it were an unwritten rule, no one could say anything about the emperor. Mabel, who turned 16 today, was still asleep.
“Congratulations on becoming an adult, Mabel.”
Oscar smiled bitterly and placed two gift boxes on top of a drawer.
“This is what Enrique asked me to deliver. I didn’t want to give it to you, but I brought it once. If you don’t like it, throw it away.”
Oscar carefully covered Mabel’s hand, which was outside the blanket, and slowly stood up.
“I’ll come again.”
After leaving the bedroom, Oscar greeted Aidan, who was guarding the door, and left. Not long after, Esteban finished the meeting and arrived in front of Mabel’s bedroom. Esteban went straight inside without paying attention to Aidan. It’s been a long time since I gave up because he didn’t listen even when I told him to go back and rest. Esteban, who was looking disapprovingly at the new gift box while he was away, sat down next to Mabel.
“Oscar took the lead.”
A friendly hand stroked Mabel’s hair. I couldn’t believe that Mabel had come of age.
“I think I’ll open my eyes and call you dad.”
I remember the day I first called you daddy. I was so happy that the kid I always called father was calling me ‘Daddy’. When I recalled the memories once, I remembered all the incidents and accidents that Mabel had been through since she was born.
“You sleep well. Like a sleepyhead.”
It was at that time that Esteban was caressing Mabel’s cheek. The divine beast that rose up by the fireside and approached Esteban after becoming gigantic.
[Human.]
Shinsura Esteban, who rarely spoke to her first, was a little surprised. But nothing was more surprising than what followed.
[There is a way to wake up Mabel.]
“…!”
Knock knock! As she jumped up, the chair Esteban was sitting on fell violently. My heart started beating like crazy.
“What is it?”
[The risk is high.]
“It doesn’t matter.”
Yang pondered for a moment at the answer, which contained a willingness to sacrifice anything.
‘Is this really what I’m good at.’
However, after thinking about it for the past few months, it was also the right thing to do. She let out a small sigh and began to explain calmly.
[Mabel’s assimilation was forcibly lifted, so her body is intact, but her soul is shattered. So, in order to wake up Mabel, it’s important to match the spirit that wanders in Mabel’s unconscious.]
“What should I do? What should I do-.”
What the sheep asked for was something Esteban was familiar with.
“This is what Mabel always carried…”
[The core of the tree of creation. With the life force contained in it, it would be possible to awaken Mabel. Dan.]
“…?”
[Using it will destroy the balance of the world.]
“….”
[It is impossible to collect other essences to maintain balance. Since Veron has already absorbed everything, he won’t be able to find more.]
Shinsoo’s straight gaze stared at Esteban.
[A disaster might strike this unbalanced world. I can’t even use my hands.]
A warning that the disaster that Mabel was trying to prevent will come.
[Choose human.]
Shinsoo solemnly presented two options.
[Is this world or Mabel?]
Esteban replied without hesitation.
“world.”
Even if it was a selfish choice, it didn’t matter.
“I will save Mabel, my world.”
A father’s heart toward his children was more selfish than anything else.
