CHAPTER 63…………………………………….
Bang—
“Uwaaah!”
Adrian stormed into the cabin where Sierra was staying, nervously rubbing his arm.
“You!”
She couldn’t help but be shocked.
It was because he had the same face as hers.
“Ah! Sierra!”
Adrian rushed forward and hugged her.
He was hugging her with her own face.
“Ugh…”
He even pressed his forehead to her shoulder, whining as if he were upset.
“Why… do you look like me?”
It was slightly less awkward since it was the same female body, but this was still Adrian.
Sierra froze, unable to do anything in this absurd situation.
“Ashur’s back… ugh, that bastard. Waaah!”
He couldn’t finish his sentence and let out a distressed scream instead.
“What? Did you do something to Ashur?”
Sierra frowned and pushed him away from her arms.
“Do something? He did it to me! Ugh!”
Adrian stomped on the empty floor, unable to contain his anger.
“…What did Ashur do?”
“That bastard hugged me! He even kissed me!”
“…….”
Sierra stared at Adrian, who had her face, with utter disbelief.
“Well, you and Ashur are lovers. You should have expected something like that… but he kissed your lips?”
She felt a bit hurt that Ashur didn’t realize it wasn’t her—but it was mutual.
Seeing through Adrian’s underhanded tactics would be difficult for anyone except a prophet.
“Absolutely not! But still… ugh! Gross!”
Watching him throw a tantrum like a child, a crooked smile slipped from her lips.
“Ha… so that’s what happened. You’ve been imitating me, huh?”
“Ugh… I didn’t expect you to barge in like that. At least you didn’t come inside the house.”
Adrian muttered irritably, not even looking at her.
It took him a while of sulking before he finally calmed down.
Sierra led him to the sofa, sat him down, and gently coaxed him.
“So… how long are you going to stay here?”
“Haa… I’ve almost finished what I needed to do.”
Adrian spoke slowly, looking exhausted.
“I just have to go out one last time. But if I run into that Ashur guy again… ugh, it’ll be terrible.”
“What’s left to do?”
He lowered his hand that had been covering his face, looking tired, and had returned to his own appearance.
“I’m not going to tell you.”
Then, as if he had snapped out of his exhaustion, mischief immediately appeared in his eyes.
“…So, after you’re done, you’ll let me go?”
“Of course. Sierra, you need to go with me to the kingdom. Close your eyes for just a moment, and we’ll be there. Don’t worry!”
This was the worst.
If she stayed still like this, she might leave without even meeting Ashur.
“Huh… I don’t want to go out.”
Adrian flopped against the back of the sofa, whining.
“To think I have to do all this… even if Emily had done it properly… haa…”
It had been a while since she’d heard that name.
“What happened to Emily?”
“What happened? She’s probably causing chaos in the kingdom again. She said she liked you or something… but she can’t do anything right, that one.”
From Adrian’s grumbling, it seemed Emily wasn’t dead.
Anyway, it was clear they were on the same side.
If she got out of here, maybe they could meet.
With careless Emily, maybe Sierra could persuade her to release her, one way or another.
“This is the last time. Just hold on a little. I’ll come to get you soon.”
Now in a better mood, he spoke with exaggerated kindness again.
‘What is this kidnapper even saying?’
Sierra’s eyes sharpened from the mounting fatigue of dealing with his nonsense.
Ignoring her, Adrian placed his hand on her head and immediately transformed back into her appearance.
“Stay still.”
Thud—
His disappearing figure was visible.
At that moment, something caught her eye.
‘That is…’
Through the torn gap Adrian had slipped through, she noticed a thin ripple of mana.
Sierra desperately reached for it.
Immediately after, the tiny crack split open.
The next morning, Ashur brought a medicinal tea and knocked on Sierra’s cabin door.
But there was no response.
‘Where could she have gone so early in the morning?’
Tap, tap—
Hearing movement behind him, he turned around.
In the distance, he saw her running toward him with childlike excitement.
“Sierra…?”
Ashur tilted his head, puzzled.
Sierra wasn’t behaving like her usual calm self.
When their eyes met, she froze, then abruptly turned and ran away.
“……”
Ashur stood frozen, unable to react.
‘Sierra ran from me… why? How?’
He couldn’t imagine anyone using magic to imitate her.
Yet, he could clearly sense something was off about her.
Ashur’s expression darkened.
“Lukan.”
- “Here.”
He immediately mounted the divine beast as it appeared.
“Sierra’s acting weird. Something must have happened.”
Sensing Ashur’s intention, Lukan swiftly chased after the suspicious girl.
“Eek!”
Seeing him catch up so quickly, Sierra gasped as if she had seen something shocking.
“Sierra! Stop!”
“Don’t come!”
For some reason, she was just as fast as Lukan.
It seemed she had used magic to escape.
‘She said she wasn’t feeling well… did she catch some serious illness? Why is she running like this?’
Still, she was eventually caught not far from there.
“Sierra, it’s dangerous!”
“Ugh.”
Behind her was a cliff.
Cornered, Sierra’s face twisted with frustration.
“Why are you doing this? Tell me.”
“Persistent, aren’t you.”
“What?”
Ashur flinched at her cold words.
‘Why would she say that?’
Then, from behind, he heard Sierra’s voice.
“Ashur!”
She was right in front of him. So why…?
Ashur slowly turned his head.
He saw her running toward him in a hurry.
“Sierra…?”
Blinking rapidly, he looked back and forth between the two of them in disbelief.
“That one’s fake!”
“Tch, how did it escape?”
The Sierra in front of the cliff spoke roughly.
Another Sierra approached from behind Ashur.
“Come here, Ashur! That one’s a dark mage.”
“Oh.”
Still dazed, Ashur stepped back as she guided him.
Sierra hid him behind her.
“Adrian! What are you doing, running around using my face?”
He shrugged and laughed lightly.
“Hmm, nothing much. Oh, a kiss with her? Ew.”
Even as he spoke, Adrian shivered as if he was creeped out.
Despite being annoyed, he couldn’t resist teasing Sierra.
“It would’ve been better if I’d kissed you too, such a shame.”
He ran his hand through his hair, naturally transforming into Ashur’s form and speaking lazily.
“Isn’t that right, Sierra? We had fun, didn’t we?”
“Huh…?”
Ashur’s stunned sigh faded.
“What on earth is going on….”
Sierra grabbed his hand tightly.
“Focus, Ashur.”
Adrian’s gaze lingered on their joined hands.
“You two are really close… it makes me jealous.”
His tone was slightly subdued.
Then he slowly returned to his own appearance, wearing a cold expression he had never shown before.
“Useless words.”
But Sierra cut off his complaint coldly.
Mana swirled violently around her.
“Eek, scary.”
Witnessing this, Adrian playfully covered his mouth.
Just as Sierra’s magic was about to activate, Adrian blew a hand kiss.
“Too bad, but it’s time to part ways.”
Holding up two fingers near his eyebrow, he winked playfully.
“Adieu—!”
“Hey!”
Infuriated, Sierra immediately attacked, but her spell only sliced through empty air.
His frivolous laughter echoed.
“Sierra, it’s dangerous.”
Ashur grabbed her as she angrily tried to chase Adrian.
“There’s a cliff.”
He wrapped his arms firmly around her waist and glanced downward.
But below the sheer drop, only black mist drifted.
