NOVEL NEXT Chapter 118
✦ Chapter 118 – Ellie (3) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝
“…Edda… wait outside…”
“Yes… My Lady…”
Ellie’s voice was weak, barely a whisper. Ada seemed reluctant to leave, but she bowed her head and obeyed.
As she backed out of the room and closed the door, an impenetrable darkness enveloped us.
“Despite everything… she’s still so loyal… Cough… cough…!”
Ellie’s coughs were punctuated by a strange, gurgling sound, as if something was lodged in her throat. Her words were slurred, difficult to decipher.
At the same time, a foul stench hung in the air, a sickly sweet odor I’d encountered before.
In that village where the necromancer had been hiding, emanating from the decaying corpse hanging upside down from the rafters.
“…Hello, Ed.”
“…Hello.”
Ellie greeted me belatedly. The once lively voice was now dry and lifeless like a parched riverbed. I barely managed to respond, forcing open my reluctant mouth.
“It’s a bit dark, isn’t it? Sorry… I’m not in good condition right now… I didn’t want to show you this unseemly side of me…”
Her words twisted a bitter smile onto my lips. Even in this life-threatening situation, that was her concern?
“…I don’t mind…”
“I knew you’d say that… But… I can’t… It’s embarrassing…”
“……….…”
I couldn’t tell her the truth. That my Night Vision allowed me to see perfectly in this pitch-black room.
Ellie was propped up against the headboard, her legs covered by the blanket. And her condition… it was far worse than I had imagined.
She was wearing a sleeveless nightgown, her arms fully exposed. But their color… it was like night and day. Her left arm was pristine, unblemished, while her right arm was blackened, as if struck by lightning.
The darkness that had invaded her body wasn’t confined to her arm. It had spread to her shoulder, her neck, even creeping down the right side of her face.
Pus oozed from cracks in her skin, and half her face seemed paralyzed. The basilisk’s venom was ravaging her body, spreading like a plague.
Seeing her like this… it sent a jolt of pain through me. And a surge of anger. Why hadn’t she told me? Why had she suffered in silence?
“…Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I… I didn’t want to worry you… And I thought I’d get better soon… hehe…”
“…Enough. More importantly, Ellie, for now…”
“Did you… hear about my condition?”
“…I did.”
“…I see…”
Hearing my answer, Ellie seemed to relax, a flicker of relief crossing her face.
“Ellie, I brought medicine. Here, take this—”
“Thank you… But it’s alright. I’ve tried all kinds of medicine… but there’s no cure… even holy power doesn’t work…”
This wasn’t the kind of conversation I wanted. I wanted to quickly give Ellie the elixir and bring her back to her normal self. However, Ellie wasn’t listening to me at all. She straightened her posture and resolutely looked in my direction.
“Ed, there’s… something I need to tell you.”
“…What is it?”
She hesitated, then spoke, her voice barely a whisper, as if she were making a confession.
“I don’t… like you. I’ve never thought of you as a friend… not even once.”
“…………….”
“I… I used you. I thought you’d be… convenient to have around. You’re… not bad looking, and your family and abilities… they’re… not bad either.”
Like those who sense the end is near, Ellie wanted to spill all the words she had held back. She continued speaking.
“And… those strange things you pulled out of thin air… they intrigued me. I wanted to… use them for myself, before anyone else could… but… well… this happened… cough…”
“Then… why did you call me today?”
“…Just… a little… deathbed confession. I thought… you’d be sad… if I just… disappeared. It seemed… so unfair… to you… You think we’re friends… but I never did.”
Despite her labored breathing, she finished her sentence, her eyes pleading with me to believe her. But Ellie had overlooked one crucial detail. In the time we’d spent together, I’d learned a great deal about her.
Her little habits, her tells…
“Ellie, why are you lying?”
“Ha! You think this is a lie? You’re so… clueless… cough! I knew it… I’m glad I called you…”
Despite her words, she flinched slightly, as if I’d struck a nerve.
“You were just… a useful pawn, Edwin. Nothing more, nothing less…”
“Ellie, did you know… your voice always goes up at the end of a sentence when you’re lying?”
“What… that’s nonsense…”
“…See? You’re doing it again…”
“That’s not… not true…”
Ellie’s voice trailed off, the lie crumbling before her. There was no need for me to say anything more.
The tears welling up in her eyes as she spoke… those told me everything I needed to know.
“Sniff… sniff…“
A silence descended, broken only by the soft sound of her whimpering.
“Sniff… Ed… Sob…”
“Ellie…”
“Ed… I don’t want to die… I’m so scared… waah…”
Her whimpers transformed into gut-wrenching sobs.
“Hic… What is this… I don’t want to die like this… Sob… It’s too soon… I… I haven’t even had my first kiss…”
Ellie continued to shed tears, unable to deceive herself any longer; they flowed endlessly, as if a dam had burst.
“Sob… Waaaah…”
She wept for what seemed like an eternity, her sobs only gradually subsiding after several minutes.
Once she regained her composure, she spoke in an embarrassed voice.
“…Sorry. You had to see me like this… Crying… it actually helped…”
“…You can live, Ellie.”
“It’s fine. You don’t have to comfort me. Really…”
“I’m not trying to comfort you. The medicine I brought… it can really save you.”
I couldn’t bear to see her consumed by grief any longer. Once she took the Elixir, she would see the change for herself.
But Ellie, as if drained by her earlier tears, seemed resigned to her fate.
“…No, I can’t.”
“Ellie…”
“You idiot!! I can’t be saved!! Cough… Cough…!”
Cutting me off, she muttered a short incantation. Candles flickered to life throughout the room, illuminating the darkness that clung to her. She looked at me, her expression tinged with surprise.
“…Aren’t you… shocked?”
“It’s not really… that shocking.”
“…Idiot…”
Ellie sighed, a bitter smile twisting her lips.
“…Can you see it, Ed? Can you see how my body is rotting… while I’m still alive?”
“………..…”
“…I haven’t been able to feel my arm for days. I can barely see out of my right eye. Closing the door feels like being stabbed with needles. The softest silk feels like sandpaper against my skin. Do you see this? Yesterday, it was only up to my neck… Today… it’s reached my face.”
She shifted painfully, turning so I could see the full extent of the damage.
“Even Tespira Eldin couldn’t do anything. Ten high priests exhausted themselves, pouring holy power into me. But not a single inch of skin healed! What makes you think… you… a mere country noble… can do anything?!”
“Ellie…”
“You idiot… just give up… The longer you hold on, the harder it will be for you… cough…”
“Sigh…”
I didn’t want to waste any more time. Even with three days left, things rarely went according to plan. And her emotional outburst had undoubtedly sapped her already dwindling energy.
But Ellie was more stubborn than I’d anticipated. Reasoning with her seemed… impossible.
If that’s the case, then I’ll have to force her to take the elixir. I could always ask for forgiveness later. Right now, nothing was more important than Ellie getting better.
I steeled myself and walked toward Ellie. She flinched and made a motion to back away, but there was nowhere for her to escape in this room.
“Wha… what are you doing…?”
“Stay still. This elixir… it’s incredibly valuable.”
I reached the bedside and retrieved the vial containing the Elixir.
“I told you… to give up…”
“I can’t. Don’t move. If you keep resisting, I’ll have no choice but to make you take it by force.”
“…Force…?”
She finally hesitated, lowering her head and mumbling incoherently. Had I misjudged her all along? Was she secretly weak to displays of dominance? I should have done this sooner…
“…What kind of medicine is it…?”
“That’s… a secret. But it can cure basilisk venom in an instant.”
“…………”
Ellie fell silent. After a moment, she opened her mouth and spoke in a barely audible voice.
“…I’ll… take it. But… do me a favor…”
“What is it?”
“My… mouth…”
“Your mouth?”
“Could you… feed it to me… mouth-to-mouth…?”
“…Sigh…”
Hearing my sigh, Ellie seemed to become flustered.
“…It’s my last wish…! It’s so unfair to die… without having experienced a kiss… So… I thought… maybe… you… you could…”
“Ellie, I told you. You’re going to get better. What are you going to do when you’re healed… and you remember this?”
“…Then at least feed it to me with your finger… your finger… directly…”
“……….”
“Why… What… Cough…!”
Even as she coughed, her jaw remained stubbornly clenched shut. I considered forcing her mouth open but… fine. If all she wanted was to be fed with my fingers…
I would grant her this small wish. Anything to get her to take the medicine.
I uncorked the vial and carefully tipped it, allowing a single drop of the Elixir to form on my fingertip, careful not to spill any.
The golden liquid, slightly viscous, formed a perfect bead on my finger. I held it out to Ellie.
Her eyes widened as she saw the drop.
“Are you… are you serious…?”
“Open your mouth, Ellie. Before I drop it.”
“Ah… Ahh…”
She parted her lips slightly, just enough for me to slip my finger in. A warm, wet sensation enveloped my fingertip as her cat-like tongue darted out, licking at the Elixir.
“………….”
Seeing her like this, savoring the Elixir from my finger… a strange heat surged through me. I pushed down the inappropriate thoughts, reminding myself of the gravity of the situation.
It was only because she was overwhelmed by the fear of death, but Ellie would soon realize the implications of her request.
Our… unusual interaction continued for several minutes. Feeding her with my fingertip was a slow process, and the vial was only half empty.
When the elixir bottle was half empty, Ellie finally stopped licking my finger and looked at me. There was a serene, almost enlightened smile on her face.
“…I guess it’s okay now… I was hoping for a kiss, but this wasn’t too bad either…”
“…………”
“It was… a nice… last gift. Thank you, Ed. I… I’ll never forget…”
“Ellie, turn your head and look at your right arm.”
“…You idiot. I’m talking to you… Why are you bringing up that… monstrosity? I’d rather look at your face for as long as… Huh…?”
Her gaze had been fixated on my finger, so she hadn’t noticed the changes happening to her body.
She pouted, but turned her head as I’d asked. And then… she saw it. The miracle unfolding before her very eyes.
Hiss…
“…My arm… My arm… What…?”
She stared at it in disbelief, her fingers tracing the smooth, healthy skin. The black venom that had been devouring her body was… gone. Not a single trace remained. Her skin, once oozing and cracked, was now flawlessly smooth, its elasticity restored.
Even her lifeless eye and the paralyzed corner of her mouth were back to normal. The only evidence of the poison’s existence was the faint hissing sound coming from my fingertip, as the last vestiges of the venom evaporated into nothingness.
“My eyes… I can see… my fingers move… the cough is gone… and speaking…”
“See? I told you you’d be alright. Do you believe me now?”
“…Am I… dead? Is this… heaven?”
“Sigh…”
“It must be… I mean, it didn’t make any sense…”
“Ellie.”
“Huh…?”
“Look at me. If you were dead, would I be here?”
“………..…”
Ellie couldn’t respond. She just stared at the floor, her small shoulders beginning to shake.
“…So… it’s real…”
“Yes. It’s real.”
“Sob… really…?”
“…Yes, really…”
“Sob… waah… Ed… Ed…”
“Ellie… stop crying…”
“Sob… but…”
“…Hold on. Let me call your maid…”
THUD—!
Before I could react, Ellie lunged at me, throwing her arms around me. I managed to catch her, but the rickety wooden chair couldn’t handle the combined weight of our bodies.
We crashed to the floor, the ornate, slightly dusty ceiling panels filling my vision. Ellie’s weight pressed against me, her warmth radiating through her thin nightgown.
“…Ellie, be careful! Even though you’re healed—“
I turned to look at her, but the words died in my throat. For a moment, I forgot we were in a dingy inn room. An aura of nobility, of otherworldly beauty, surrounded her.
“…It’s nice to hear you say my name, Ed. But… I’d prefer it if you called me by another name from now on…”
The brown-haired, green-eyed girl was gone. In her place was a breathtaking vision framed by a cascade of golden hair. Her eyes, two luminous pools of molten gold, gazed into mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.
“…Call me… Alkmene.”
— End of Chapter —
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