CH 20

Chapter 3. Rule Breaker

Episode 20

I was so surprised that the accident stopped.

So I belatedly checked the timeout number at the bottom of the options window.

Since I didn’t do anything, number 2 was automatically selected.

“Why? Are you so scared that you lost your words?”

Saying that, Raymond smiled contentedly.

Moreover, the favorability above his head rose a little, filling the first of the ten-divided columns.

‘What will change now that I have increased his favorability?

Now that my life was in danger, I unknowingly hoped for an aberration. But unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

Raymond, who looked as if he was trying to kill me, just stepped back.

“Well, fine. I’ll be watching you here, so hang in there.”

Having said that, Raymond’s body disappeared from my sight.

“Ahhh.”

I came back to my senses from the sound of crying behind me.

There was no time to think about the status window or favorability right now. It was a moment when my life was in danger.

“Come this way. Nivea.”

I took Nivea’s hand, found the stone pillar of the building, and hid under it.

Even if the wall collapses in a fire, this area would not easily collapse.

“Hold on a little bit and the wizard will come to our rescue.”

I reassured her and waited for the wizard to be summoned by Lily.

But it wasn’t long before I realized that the heat and smoke weren’t the problem.

I was starting to get short of breath.

There was not enough air for me and Nivea to breathe as the place was burning the oxygen in an enclosed space.

“Leave me and leave, princess.”

Nivea rubbed her eyes and said to me.

She ripped off the hem of her skirt, wrapped her notebook around it, and put it in my hand and said,

“Lela has a lot more to learn, but she is a much more talented kid than I was. She’ll help.”

“Nivea.”

“And tell her that her mom is sorry.”

Tears welled up in Nivea’s eyes and it ran down.

She did her best to protect this store. This store was her everything.

She just wanted to hand over this little boutique to her own daughter.

I didn’t want to lose her here.

“Don’t be weak. I’m definitely going out with you.”

Holding her hand tight, I began to concentrate once more. Perfectly imagine the form of magic.

Reflecting on my mother’s words, I imagined a round, transparent dome near me and Nivea.

The magic that I thought would be easy with one movement moved slower than I thought.

‘More, more focus.’

To shake off my distractions, I grabbed the bracelet my mother gave me.

Gradually, my magical power began to grow in the shape I wanted.

The magical dome that could barely protect the two of us began to push the flame away little by little.

As the flames subsided, it became easier to breathe.

“Oh my god. That’s great.”

Nivea stared blankly at the marvelous sight.

The magic flame was burning red with great momentum.

‘The small princess is blocking the flames. She looks like an angel fighting the demons of hell.’

Nivea didn’t believe in god, but she was so reverent that she unwittingly put her hands together.

“Gee, what did that old woman teach you?”

I opened my closed eyes at Raymond’s disgusting voice.

“You’re praying? Damn, what do you think of wizards?”

Raymond’s eyes widened.

I felt the fire grow stronger behind his back.

‘I’m at the limit.’

I felt my concentration run out quickly.

The threshold of death was near.

The past began to come to mind one by one.

The day I first met Daniel, and the day I met Tatiana and realized that this world was inside a game.

The day Daniel broke the marriage and Tatiana apologized to me.

The day Raymond compared me to Tatiana and wanted to break up.

And the day I first met Andrew.

Until the day when the world-changing experiences passed by and I told Tatiana that I was shaken by her.

Most of them were a series of loneliness and pain.

And it was Aster who came to mind at the end.

The image of him smiling at me and telling me to use him.

He got down on his knees and asked for his first dance.

Showing the garden and even blushing.

‘I must have liked him more than I thought.’

It had been a long time since I had received warm words and consideration from someone other than my family.

All those who once gave them to me have turned their backs on me and hurt me.

They tore my heart apart with their sharp words, and scratched my whole body with their frozen eyes.

Was that why?

All the time spent with Aster was shining like a precious jewel.

‘I wish I had known him a little earlier.’

My body tumbled back.

It was no longer possible

Nivea in the back looked like she had already collapsed and lost consciousness.

It was Raymond who looked nervous now.

He got down on his knees, growled and asked me.

“You still don’t want to turn over the recipe book?”

As he said that, an option window appeared in front of my head.

1.) I’ll hand it over, so please save me.

2.) Get lost.

There was plenty of time in the time limit, but I chose an option without hesitation for even a second.

“Get lost, Raymond.”

And I blacked out.

~*~

(3rd person pov)

Raymond felt absurd.

“I didn’t think you’d reach out to death.”

Maybe she was crazy even though she wasn’t strong enough.

At first, he thought he’d give it a try.

One finger was enough for a kid who could handle some magic now.

“Without ability, her stubbornness is filthy.”

That was why he didn’t like Karina.

He didn’t like the way she held her head proudly without bending over to others.

He turned his gaze away from Karina, who had lost consciousness, to find Nivea.

She didn’t budge, clutching the recipe book.

She probably fainted with that look.

He threatened not to save her, but he couldn’t leave the two women who had completely passed out like that.

Besides, the kid saw his face, so he might have trouble later.

“You’re a real crazy woman.”

Raymond used magic to lift Nivea and Karina into the air.

Raymond simply cast a spell and took the recipe book from her hand.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t give it to me. I can still take it from you.”

If Karina refused in the end, he was going to do this.

Raymond hummed and took the two women across the fire.

It was as if he had come to hell inside, burning with vigor.

“Ah, the threat didn’t work as well as I thought, so I made a mess. What if Titi gets mad?”

He remembered Tatiana, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Still cute and lovable, she was like a slender princess captured by a vicious man named Andrew.

It would be better if she would leave such a less bastard and come to him instead.

‘We should talk about it this time.’

As Raymond made his way through the fire, he remembered the moment he first met Tatiana. Read only at pm tl.

Their first meeting was during her academy days when he saw her running into a fire to save a little child.

Tatiana was different from the nobles he knew.

Unlike other people who had a hard time with him, she approached him casually and spoke to him cheerfully.

The moment Tatiana spoke to him, he found a bright light in the monotonous world.

Like magic.

Raymond opened the door, locked in his memories.

“Huh?”

No, the door was open.

He looked back at the chilling sensation he felt behind his back.

“Who are you?”

But there was no one behind him.

There were only a handful of people who could hide their presence even from a mage himself.

“Come out now. I don’t like to play hide and seek.”

“Really? Well, I guess you’ll have to get hit first.”

Puck-

Raymond passed out.

~*~

(Karina’s pov)

I opened my eyes to the cold energy falling on my body.

‘Rain?’

Did the wizard Lily summoned arrive on time?

I couldn’t breathe for a long time, so my vision was dark and my ears were ringing.

“Ka–, are you okay—?”

“Lily?”

I reached out and fumbled where the sound was coming from.

A firm man’s body was touched.

Then, at least slightly, the purple eyes that were full of worries came in.

I couldn’t believe that the man I had been thinking about before dying was in front of me.

Maybe I’m dreaming?

But I thought it didn’t matter either way.

I reached out and grabbed his clothes.

“I didn’t expect you to come.”

“…”

“Thank you. Aster.”

And I fainted again.