“No one knows the existence of the Ice Wall, or the reason for the annual waves that erupt,” Haley interrupted suddenly. Suddenly, Haley’s hand touched Bianca’s eyes.

Unbeknownst to her, Bianca was crying. She couldn’t even wipe her cheeks, and thick teardrops fell like heavy rain.

“I, I came here, and……”

Should I have died? I wanted to live, but was it right to die that day?

Her mind went blank.

‘Balroc, who has been forgiven, will be freed by Terminus.’ Is she truly devoted to being stationed here to liberate Balroc through death?

Her mind was so tangled that she couldn’t think straight.

“Madam.”

“Haley.”

“Ice walls, demons, no one knows the reason behind all this. Was it because Julian Balroc lacked the qualities?”

“No!”

Bianca shouted impulsively.

“Who dares! Who dares to doubt Balroc! If not for him, they would be nothing more than ordinary people who couldn’t even face demons!”

“The princess is an ordinary person.”

Haley’s rough and tough fingertips carefully scanned Bianca’s eyes wet with tears.

“Can Balroc, who only faces demons, grow and extract strength when faced with an ordinary person like the princess?”

“Have you forgotten? Haley. I was born after devouring my mother.”

“It’s a common occurrence.”

“What?”

Wiping her wet hands with a handkerchief, Haley answered with a casual tone.

It even seemed like she had smiled a little.

“Childbirth is not an easy thing. Many women lose their lives during childbirth. It’s a tragedy, but it’s a very common occurrence.”

Haley wiped her hands cleanly, then carefully held Bianca’s chin with her index finger and closed the open mouth.

“May I be a bit more explicit? If we must blame that as a curse, it might as well be on the late Empress Hye-nari.”

“Armor.”

Perhaps thinking the conversation had gone too far, Raphine, who had been silently waiting on the side, cautiously tried to dissuade Haley.

However, Haley gestured as if to tell him not to interfere, and continued her speech.

“After sending her parents away one by one, she married a man against her family’s wishes and divorced after only three years of marriage. She got married again in a hurry during the process of mourning her late husband. I heard it was an unwanted marriage. However, even though the emperor sincerely cared, it wasn’t enough, and she died after giving birth without filling the void of the moon.”

“That……”

“Isn’t a cursed life like this? Isn’t Bianca just a pitiful daughter entangled in that? Compared to Empress Hye-nari, she hasn’t been cursed, has she?”

Haley, who finished speaking, brought her face directly in front of Bianca.

“Now, strike me as much as you want. Although I said it with determination to offer my neck, please strike me. I want to cut and die more demons for the Balroc territory. But until then, you might feel frustrated just waiting.”

“Strike?”

“Please strike.”

Was it a meaning to slap her face with her upturned face?

It was an unexpected and rough idea.

Avoiding the face being thrust toward her, Bianca stumbled back, and even Haley, who had been holding her cheek, and Juli, who had been quietly waiting, and Raphine, who had been waiting beside him, all reached out their hands to hold Bianca.

“Are you okay?”

“I… I……”

She hadn’t even fallen badly.
Everyone reached out to hold Bianca.

“Are you okay?”

“…I…”

It wasn’t a serious fall.

Her buttocks just felt a bit sore.

“What am I saying?”

Why am I making a fuss as if the sky is falling!

Every time, stirring my emotions so intensely!

How can I calmly say that everyone else is cursed and pointed fingers at me? Countless untold stories boiled inside her chest, and Bianca bit down on her molars, holding it in.

It seemed like everything might burst out randomly.

“What am I saying…”

“You’re the only madam.”

“The lady who swore her oath.”

With a gentle answer without hesitation, tears that had stopped threatened to burst out again, and Bianca did her best to open her eyes and hold them back.

Even though her eyeballs were stingy and her nose was irritated, she managed.

After a while.

Bianca exhaled a wet breath.

“Still, Julie can’t, don’t participate in the battle.”

“What?”

“What we were talking about earlier. Dressing Julie in armor. That’s why you wanted to take her with you, right, Armor?”

Bianca stared straight at Haley.

“According to the calculations of the Northern Stronghold, I know she’s an adult and a respectable knight who has already received the knighthood. But Julie…”

“Dressing Julie in armor wasn’t to send her out to battle.”

Haley effortlessly lifted Bianca, who was leaning on her arms.

“To explain a little more, the situation is too unfavorable, and it seems I have to join as well. It won’t take long.”

Haley casually hinted at the impending collapse of the rest of the castle.

“I’ll have to ask Madame Raphine for a favor until I return to my true nature, and it’s not safe for Julie to be without armor.”

If that’s the reason, then I agree.

“But why did Julie get hurt like this?”

“…I was careless.”

“Where does it hurt?”

“I hurt my side a bit.”

Perhaps Juli felt embarrassed about being so hurt because she couldn’t even meet Bianca’s eyes properly.

Helping Julie, Haley strengthened her arm that was holding Bianca and lifted her lightly.

“By the way, would you like to try it on while you’re here?”

“Armor?”

Haley’s expression became strange.

“What are you talking about?”

Eventually, Bianca was shocked by what Haley picked up this time.

“What on earth…!”