To the Love Born in the Lowest Place

How long had it been since they departed? While Liv was spending time thinking about Emmett, the ship shook violently.

“Ah!”

Startled, Liv hurriedly grabbed the bed. She almost hit her body against the wall. After quickly regaining her balance on the bed, Liv looked at Hayden standing calmly on the floor.

“Wh-What’s happening?”

“It’s probably nothing. Well, that’s how the sea is.”

“That’s why it’s even scarier…”

For Liv, the sea was an object of fear. It was a complete domain of the gods, a space where everything beyond human common sense could happen. A dark and deep water that she dared not understand.

“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry… Hmm.”

However, as the ship continued to shake, Hayden had to close his mouth. The luggage placed on one side of the floor spilled over to the opposite tilted floor.

“I’ll go check and come back.”

Hayden said that and left the room. After Hayden disappeared, the ship began to rock even more violently. It was clear that something was happening to this ship. Now even the voices of people screaming could be heard from outside the room. Liv anxiously gripped the bed.

‘No, it’ll be okay. I can meet Emmett…’

At that moment, Hayden, with a rarely flustered face, opened the door.

“Master, you should come out and see this.”

“What?”

Liv followed his guidance to the ship’s deck. On the way to the deck, Liv could see people running around in confusion. And the scene Liv encountered on the deck was…

“Ah!”

The sea was raging violently. Huge waves came rushing as if to swallow the ship. A massive whirlpool in the middle of the sea was sucking in the ship. Rain was pouring down from the darkened sky, and lightning was striking.

Crash!

“Aaaaah!”

Every time lightning struck, people screamed as if sensing the future of the ship sinking. Seeing this, Liv’s face also turned pale.

“What is this…”

No matter how changeable the weather at sea might be, the scene before her eyes was by no means natural. For such things beyond common sense to be possible…

“Did the gods do this?”

Soon, their answer came.

Child, we didn’t do anything.

The most powerful ancient magic has been activated.

Based on human resentment.

“Did August use magic?”

Wrong. It was his daughter who used the magic.

His daughter took her own life. As a result, my magic was activated.

I’m sorry for you, child.

“She took her own life…?”

Although she didn’t know what had happened, it seemed Louisa had taken her own life. As a result, this powerful magic had been activated, doing everything in its power to prevent Liv from returning to the Holy Hilysid Empire.

When Liv’s face became flustered after hearing the gods’ words, Hayden grabbed Liv as she swayed on the deck and asked.

“Master, what’s wrong?”

“…The gods say Princess Louisa took her own life.”

“What?”

“As a result, the most powerful ancient magic was activated…”

“It seems August must have forced her to commit suicide…”

“I think so too.”

Liv, leaning on Hayden, looked at the bubbling sea with a pale face. The sea now looked as if it could easily destroy a single ship. It was a miracle that the ship she was on was still holding up. No, in fact, it couldn’t be said to be holding up completely. The ship had already started to tilt heavily to one side.

“Kyaaaah!”

Screams could be heard from all directions. It was as if hell had arrived. On the ship full of nothing but despair, Liv squeezed her eyes shut.

* * *

“Caught you!”

As a strong hand grabbed her arm, Hildegard fell to the ground. Walter, who had been running ahead, turned to look at Hildegard and ran towards her.

Two men chasing them drew their swords and put them to Hildegard’s neck.

“Don’t move if you don’t want to die!”

It was over. They had finally been caught.

However, the pursuers would soon realize that what they had caught was not Liv. Also, as soon as Hildegard and Walter were discovered to be the heirs of the Hamelsvoort family, they would be dragged to the Holy Hilysid Empire. And eventually, they would…

‘No.’

Hildegard shook her head while holding back tears. They had to survive, if only for the sake of the Hamelsvoort couple who had gone before them.

Hildegard raised her head with a dignified face. And trying not to let her voice tremble, she opened her mouth.

“Didn’t the person who sent you say not to kill me?”

As if that were true, the pupils of those holding swords to Hildegard’s neck shook.

“You can’t kill me anyway. Because that was an absolute order.”

“How dare you…!”

They snorted with angry faces, but they still couldn’t kill Hildegard right away. The Emperor knew that Liv couldn’t die anyway, so he must have ordered not to kill her, if only to avoid incurring the wrath of the gods.

Seeming to have grasped the situation, Walter approached Hildegard and helped her up. Yet they couldn’t do anything.

Soon, one of their swords moved to Walter.

“Walter Hamelsvoort. There was no order not to kill you.”

“Well, that doesn’t seem like a wise idea. You’ll have to execute me in front of all the imperial citizens for the crime of preparing rebellion.”

“Even if we just bring your head, our master won’t blame us!”

Because those words were true, Hildegard couldn’t resist anymore. If she provoked them further, Walter might die.

The sword dug into Walter’s neck, making a wound. Despite the red mark from which blood flowed, Walter remained calm and unperturbed.

“Hey, put the handcuffs on.”

“Yeah, we should.”

As one of them approached Hildegard, he frowned upon seeing her eye color.

“What’s this?”

“What? Is there a problem?”

“Her eyes are blue?”

“What?”

At those words, the other man’s face contorted, and he pulled Hildegard’s hair. Soon the white wig came off, revealing dazzling blonde hair.

“Damn it! It’s Hildegard Hamelsvoort!”

“What? Then…”

“That woman escaped!”

“Damn it!”

They spat out curses, then glared at Hildegard and Walter with fierce eyes. They looked as if they would raise their swords and cut off their heads at any moment.

‘So this is how it ends.’

Sensing her own death, Hildegard closed her eyes. Yes, it wasn’t bad to lose one’s life honorably. For a life lived without firm principles, it wouldn’t be bad to sacrifice one’s life for something she wanted to protect. Liv would probably remember her death for a long time.

But at that moment…

Rumble, crash!

“Wh-What’s that?”

Everyone’s gaze turned to the sea.

The sea was churning. Huge waves rushed dizzily towards the port, and suddenly a storm began to pour down. Terrified people got off the ships and moved to tie them securely to the port.

While Hildegard and Walter were dumbfounded by the sight they had never seen before, the pursuers calmly exchanged words.

“Ah, so that’s it.”

“Yes, it’s what His Majesty mentioned. With this, that woman will surely die.”

Hearing that conversation, Hildegard realized. The Emperor had pulled some kind of trick.

Ah, Hildegard’s world crumbled once again. At this rate, Liv would be caught. She herself would also be captured by the soldiers and die, and nothing would change. In the midst of despair crushing her entire body, just as Hildegard was about to give up everything and submit to fate…

“Grab on!”

Someone extended their hand in front of her eyes. When Hildegard reflexively grabbed it, her body soon floated in the air. When she came to her senses, Hildegard was riding on a horse.

“Who…”

When Hildegard said that to the man who had pulled her up, he answered while spurring the horse.

“He sent us to help Lady Gracia!”

Hildegard noticed that ‘he’ meant Dante. Looking to the side, she saw that Walter was also escaping on a horse with another man. Behind them, the pursuers hurriedly mounted horses and began to chase them, but the gap between them was already widening.

“Phew…”

At the thought that she could still live, Hildegard could finally breathe. Hoping that these people would shake off the pursuers and save them, Hildegard thought of Liv. Could Liv’s ship really be safe in such a situation?

‘Sister Liv…’

Somehow, she had an ominous feeling.