Living As the Villainess Queen (Web Novel KR)-Chapter 417.2

Flora, on the other hand, had felt overwhelming shame the moment she regained consciousness. She could almost have wished for death, the humiliation far too much to bear. Running naked through the streets seemed a more dignified option than facing this reality.

Every memory of when she had activated the spell remained crystal clear. She knew it was something she had done willingly. She couldn’t blame anyone but herself.

What terrified her even more, however, was the realization that deep down, she still wanted to cast that spell again—to feel the same rush of freedom she had once experienced. It was like the withdrawal of a drug addict, pulling her with an insidious longing.

In that moment, Flora understood why the end of every sorcerer who had used that spell had been so tragic. The past sorcerers must have been unable to escape its grip. They likely repeated the same mistake again and again, until death was the only escape.

Flora had been dragged away, not caring where they were taking her, even if it led to the execution grounds. Once seated in a chair, her hands and feet bound, she thought bitterly, They don’t even need to tie me up. I won’t do anything. She felt so powerless, so drained, that even breathing seemed like a burden.

It was then that she heard a familiar voice—Jin’s voice—cutting through her fog of despair. It was enough to snap her from her stupor. But even then, she didn’t want to lift her head. Her mind was empty, incapable of focusing, and yet, Jin’s words drifted in and out of her consciousness.

But gradually, something changed. As the conversation unfolded, strange and incomprehensible as it was, it became strangely compelling. Without even realizing it, Flora found herself lifting her head, her gaze locking on Eugene. She listened in quiet attention, her curiosity piqued despite the confusion swirling inside her.

When Eugene’s long story finally came to an end, Flora studied her with an expression full of conflicting emotions.

"…This feels like a lie," Flora said, her voice thick with skepticism.

Eugene didn’t respond immediately, simply watching her.

"But it's not a lie," Flora added after a pause, her gaze narrowing as she scrutinized Eugene more closely. "Yeah, I thought something was off. You’re… too different."

Flora had spent much of her childhood observing Jin more than she ever had her own family, carefully watching her expressions and trying to anticipate her words. She could read her emotions just by the look in her eyes or the way her face shifted. But after her marriage, when they left the capital and reunited, Jin had continually defied her expectations.

Now, Flora found herself believing the impossible—that the woman sitting before her was not who she appeared to be. The thought of her soul having switched bodies seemed absurd, but Flora understood better than anyone just how powerful the magic could be.

"You’re not Jin… the Jin I knew, are you?" Flora asked quietly, her voice almost fragile.

Eugene nodded, her expression solemn.

"Where did she go?" Flora’s voice wavered slightly.

"I don’t know," Eugene answered softly. "She could be dead, or maybe she returned to her own body."

Flora’s eyes darkened as she processed the words. "She used a spell to take Ramita from you… Yeah, that sounds like something she would do."

Flora let out a bitter laugh, the sound filled with both disbelief and understanding. She could almost feel Jin's emotions—the deprivation and inferiority Jin must have felt without Ramita.

Flora had once thought that what she lacked was Ramita. But in hindsight, she realized that nothing had ever truly belonged to her in the first place.

"So, she’s not in this world anymore? Even if her soul somehow entered the body of the maid who disappeared in the desert, she can never be Anika Jin again?" Flora asked, her voice tinged with an odd sense of finality.

"That’s probably it," Eugene confirmed softly.

Flora's eyes hardened, a surge of something breaking within her. It was a mix of anger and exhilaration, but it felt hollow at the same time.

Now that she knew the woman sitting before her, who looked so much like Jin, wasn’t actually Jin, the lingering bitterness she had felt from simply seeing her face evaporated. She had spent so much time envying and hating the things Jin had. But was that really the reason she hated Jin? How many precious things had she squandered, sinking into despair simply because she had clung to such foolish emotions?

"I'm sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner," Eugene said quietly, breaking the silence.

You probably couldn’t trust me. I might have ruined things,” Flora muttered, a bitter smile playing on her lips, but then it quickly dissolved as she let out a laugh—bitter and empty. As tears welled up in her reddened eyes, her face shifted with a mix of conflicting emotions. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel✶fire.net

Eugene watched her in silence, her heart aching for Flora, but she didn’t interrupt. It seemed that Flora needed some time to herself, away from all the confusion and pain. Slowly, Eugene stood up, her movements gentle, and she quietly exited the room, leaving Flora to process everything in her own way. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

***

The kings were in a state of panic. Every time the ground beneath them crumbled, they leapt into the air, desperately searching for somewhere else to stand. The earth continued to shake and sink beneath them.

They had miscalculated. The kings had thought they had positioned themselves strategically to encircle the monster, but it was far larger than they had anticipated.

Akil swallowed dryly as he felt the oppressive energy of the lark approaching. He couldn't help but let out a frustrated laugh. To be nervous about someone like the lark… It stung his pride.

If it’s someone like him, I suppose it makes sense that he could mimic humans, Akil thought, grimacing.

He caught a glimpse of flickering light deep within the earth, unmistakably the core of the lark. Focusing on the sword in his hand, Akil channeled Praz's energy into it. The moment the dark green aura enveloped the blade, something shot up from the ground, lashing out at him with terrifying speed.

Akil twisted his body just in time, barely avoiding the attack. The sharp strike grazed past him, missing by mere inches, and crashed into a half-collapsed building with a deafening roar, shattering it into pieces.

The creature quickly withdrew, its tail snapping back with the precision of a predator's fangs. At the tip, a scorpion-like stinger gleamed with malevolent intent. Akil frowned as he spotted the darkened spot where the massive thorn had struck. Poison.

Was it not a snake? Akil wondered, his mind racing.

Anika Katie had mentioned seeing scales, so Akil had assumed the monster’s true form was a snake or something similar to a lizard. But now, seeing the stinger, his mind reeled.

The lark had copied the traits of the creatures it imitated. The snake version had poisonous fangs, and the turtle version had a powerful bite. That was why the kings and warriors had spent so much time studying the different types of creatures and their deadly traits.

But he had never heard of a snake with a poisonous stinger at the end of its tail.