Fearlessly (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 13
“So it won’t work just by looking, then.”
“That’s right.”
Lakrahan stroked his chin thoughtfully before speaking.
“Have you ever heard of people with ice affinity?”
Though this was exactly what she’d been waiting for inwardly, Bercheria pretended not to know.
She still didn’t fully understand his intentions.
“A very long time ago, Bercheria and the ice-affinity clans lived in close relationship, staying near each other out of mutual need.”
By chance, those with ice affinity discovered that their mana could restore Bercheria.
They asked the goddess of weather for favorable conditions and helped Bercheria recover.
“Could you perhaps be a descendant of the ice affinity?”
At Bercheria’s question, Lakrahan nodded curtly.
“Maybe that affinity is why your strength returned.”
It was a perfectly plausible reason.
Lakrahan wore a peculiar expression.
“Bercheria.”
“Yes.”
“Do you happen to know how exactly that restoration works?”
“No.”
Lakrahan turned his head and cast his gaze pointlessly into the air.
“Contact.”
“…What?”
“As far as I know, mana flows best when bodies are close together. In urgent situations, a kiss is said to be the most effective.”
“Is that really true?”
“Do I have any reason to lie?”
“Then let’s do it.”
Bercheria tugged at Lakrahan’s collar.
At that very moment, Lakrahan’s gaze—fixed near the tip of Bercheria’s nose—froze.
“You mean right now?”
Bercheria blinked once.
“Yes.”
“Cough.”
Lakrahan suddenly coughed and pulled his body as far away from Bercheria as possible.
“Are you alright?”
Seeing him cough so violently, she moved closer to check on him, but he raised a hand to stop her.
“I’m fine. I just choked unexpectedly. Really, I’m alright.”
Lakrahan spoke in a voice hoarse from coughing.
“What about the kiss, then?”
“Guh.”
Lakrahan burst into another fit of coughing.
Just moments ago, he’d been resolved to do anything.
But now that Bercheria was being proactive, he found himself flustered without even realizing it.
“Hem hem.”
Lakrahan cleared his throat.
“Let me clarify something first. This is purely speculative. Though I was born into an ice-affinity family, I don’t actually know how to use or draw out mana.”
At Lakrahan’s firm tone, Bercheria nodded.
“Even if it fails, it’s better than not trying at all.”
“…”
When the nation of Periat was first founded on this land, the Emperor’s foremost concern was creating the portal.
At that time, the Emperor believed that alone would make Periat the most prestigious empire on the continent.
Creating the portal required many materials, but most crucial was gathering mages possessing each elemental affinity.
Fire and ice, poison and holy, darkness and light.
The Emperor brought those bearing these traits to his continent and granted them the empire’s most honorable titles and five territories.
Only one territory required no such arrangement.
Because the ice clan—the Edkins family—had already settled here long before Periat existed.
The irony came afterward.
Though the portal was successfully built, the Emperor, fearing their power, later fabricated absurd excuses to seal their abilities so they could never use magic again.
Even now, centuries later, Emperors continue relentlessly capturing mages and witches to imprison them in underground dungeons.
“What should we do? Try it or not?”
At Lakrahan’s question, Bercheria nodded decisively.
“I’ll do it.”
“Huh.”
He grasped her arm with a solemn expression.
As Bercheria leaned her face closer, Lakrahan quickly thrust his palm flat before his face.
Then he lifted her hand and slapped it firmly onto his own palm.
To the bewildered Bercheria, Lakrahan declared firmly,
“Let’s start with hands. This counts as discreet contact too.”
“I…”
Before she could fully grasp his meaning, their palms were already pressed together.
“Wait, hold on!”
Bercheria instinctively tightened her fingers and scratched his palm, causing Lakrahan’s eyes to narrow slightly.
“I’m helping you right now, Bercheria. What matters is escaping this tower. As for my racing heart…”
Lakrahan tilted his chin up slightly and lowered his eyes.
His own heart was pounding as if about to burst.
It had been so long since he’d touched a woman that his reason and instinct seemed to move separately.
“My heart’s racing…”
Afraid Bercheria might notice his state, Lakrahan blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“…because you like me.”
“…What?”
He instantly realized he’d made an absurd mistake, but there was no taking back the words already spoken.
Bercheria took a deep breath and opened her eyes wide.
“Me?”
“…”
“Why would I possibly like—!”
“Is that really important right now? Isn’t regaining your strength what matters?”
She had to admit he was right.
“Alright. Let’s focus.”
Bercheria closed her eyes, palms still pressed against Lakrahan’s.
Lakrahan inwardly cursed himself.
What nonsense had he just spouted at such a moment?
He’d originally kept women at a distance by his own will, but so much time had passed that he’d seemingly forgotten how to behave around them.
Bercheria, who’d spent her entire life alone in this tower, seemed similarly awkward.
‘Just focus on restoring Bercheria’s power—for the people.’
Remembering the days of suffering from drought, his mind instantly calmed.
Lakrahan also closed his eyes and focused on the contact.
The touch of another’s skin, the sound of breathing nearby, even the voice close to his ear—
It still felt strange.
As if he kept receiving small shocks without preparation.
“Well? Do you feel your strength returning?”
“No. I don’t feel anything.”
“Hmm.”
“Guess this method isn’t working.”
When Bercheria pulled her hand away, a cold breeze touched the spot.
Lakrahan awkwardly tucked his hands under his armpits, pretending to feel cold, and turned his head aside.
Bercheria muttered something about searching for Muhha and scanned the area below the tower.
Unlike the awkward, bustling atmosphere inside the tower, the midnight forest was profoundly quiet.
So still that even the movement of tiny insects was visible.
After gazing downward for a long while, Bercheria’s eyes suddenly stopped at a particular spot.
“…?”
Something resembling a human form lay haphazardly on the ground.
Its limbs looked unnatural, and its skin was dry and shriveled.
Though the face was obscured by hair, Bercheria knew exactly who it was.
There was no mistaking it.
“What on earth is that…”
Every day.
Once a day, she’d climbed this tower to toss her a piece of dry bread.
“Mother…?”
Bercheria rose from the railing and leaned outward. Lakrahan stood as well, looking where she did.
“What’s wrong?”
“M-Mother.”
Bercheria stumbled backward as if in shock.
Her face had gone pale, and her hands trembled.
Lakrahan also leaned over to peer below the tower, but saw nothing.
“Bercheria.”
Even as he called her name, she kept stumbling backward like someone who couldn’t understand speech.
Her eyes had already lost focus.
“Hey!”
She walked all the way to the opposite end of the tower.
She didn’t even seem to notice when her waist hit the railing on the other side.
“Oh.”
As her body swayed backward, Lakrahan reached out and caught Bercheria by the waist.
Her curved form pressed against him, their confused gazes meeting.
His eyes darted over Bercheria’s pale face.
“What’s going on? Why are you like this!”
Only upon hearing his shout did Bercheria finally look at him.
“Mother.”
“Go on, tell me.”
“Mother is dead down there.”
“What?”
Bercheria shook her head vigorously as if denying her own thoughts.
Her face trembled, overwhelmed by fear.
“No, Mother—I mean…”
She bit her parched lips.
“That corpse looks like Mother, but it isn’t her.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. It clearly has Mother’s face, yet I feel it isn’t her. That thing.”
Bercheria gently pushed Lakrahan away and steadied herself alone.
“I don’t know why I feel this way, but that isn’t Mother.”
Lakrahan stroked his sharp chin.
“It looks like Mother but isn’t Mother…”
He repeated Bercheria’s words under his breath.
Was someone perfectly imitating another person?
And if it was only superficial?
He lifted his head with an uncertain expression.
“Only the Parallel Butterfly could do that.”
The Parallel Butterfly.
Bercheria’s lips parted slightly as she recalled a memory buried deep in her mind.
The Parallel Butterfly remained in Bercheria’s oldest memory.
When humans first discovered the butterfly, the mysterious creature rested on a flower with its wings pressed together.
When people were captivated by its beauty, the butterfly spread its wings wide.
The perfectly symmetrical patterns were enough to enchant onlookers, and years later, when a divine artifact capable of replicating humans appeared,
People immediately and unanimously named it the Parallel Butterfly.
It was among the rarest of the few known divine artifacts in the world.
“But that artifact hasn’t been seen in an extremely long time. It’s practically impossible for it to appear here suddenly…”
Bercheria interrupted Lakrahan with a deeply frightened expression.
“It’s because you don’t know Mother. She’s the kind of person who can do anything she desires.”
The woman who’d shown no fear even before Lakrahan was now visibly trembling.
He turned his head toward the spot below the tower Bercheria had just been staring at.
Then, in a slowed voice, he asked,
“What was the reason?”
“The reason for what?”
“The reason this tower exists at all.”
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
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I have a inkling that Lione is probably Berche’s ‘Mother’?