I Abandoned the Male Lead Who Cheated with the Villainess - Chapter 59
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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In fact, Arnold had been troubled for quite some time about how to deal with Herix.
‘Tsk, how on earth did he break the curse of turning into a lowly beast?’
Surprisingly, in the past, Arnold himself had cursed his own son, Herix. It was the curse of turning into a foolish fox found in the founding myth of the Sortenic Empire, the ‘Novnie Myth’.
The Novnie Myth is so well-known within the Sortenic Empire that even children speak of it in their sleep. In brief, the myth goes as follows:
In the beginning, there was only chaos and disorder on this land. However, this pitiable land received love from someone, Novnie, the principal deity of the Novnie religion, the state religion of the Sortenic Empire.
The goddess Novnie descended upon this barren land and transformed it into a paradise. Yet, this newly formed paradise seemed lonely.
As Novnie pondered what was missing from this beautiful paradise, a purple fox appeared.
– It is life. Imagine, goddess, adorable and affectionate animals frolicking without the fear of death or the desire for survival.
Taking the fox’s advice, Novnie opened the paradise to animals. Naturally, with the animals receiving the blessing of immortality, their numbers soared. Chaos and disorder, which had been holding their breath at Novnie’s arrival, now allied to invade and plunder Novnie’s paradise.
While Novnie had enough power to overcome chaos and disorder, she could not afford to fight them and rule over the animals within the paradise. As Novnie fretted over this dilemma, the purple fox whispered cunningly to her again.
— Goddess, oh goddess, grant me power. I wish to become your sole servant, to lighten your burden. I love the goddess. I am the only animal that loves the goddess.
Thus, Novnie naively fell in love with the fox who whispered love to her and granted it kingly authority. However, once Novnie had completely defeated chaos and disorder, the fox had become the laziest and most arrogant of all animals.
The fox declared to the animals:
— I am the master of this paradise. Thus, I am akin to a god. Only I can stand beside Novnie.
Feeling betrayed by the fox’s change of heart, Novnie realized she had been played by the fox all along. Novnie, who had trusted and loved the fox, imposed a sorrowful punishment known as ‘the first ending of the eternal paradise’.
Thus, death was born into this world, and from Novnie’s deep sorrow, love came to include pain.
Novnie, collecting wisdom and intelligence from the animals, created humans and married one, bearing offspring. These descendants became the royal family of the Sortenic Empire. Novnie, pleased with the prosperity of the empire, then rested within a divine object.
Thus, in the Novnie Myth, the fox appears to gain power with its cunning tongue from the true ruler but ultimately faces death when all truths are revealed. Hence, in the Sortenic Empire, the name ‘Fox of Novnie’ carries meanings such as traitor, the doomed, and the petty.
‘Or it refers to those born to govern in Novnie’s stead while she quelled chaos and disorder, only to be discarded.’
Arnold had no intention of passing the throne to Herix, who bore the emperor’s mark, so he cursed him to become a fox, to toil away and be disposed of like the fox in the myth— a warning against harboring any thoughts of rebellion.
‘Yet, somehow, Herix one day suddenly broke the curse of turning into a lowly beast, a fox.’
The entity known as Herix, with the titles like the blood-crazed war devil, the soul-seller to slaughter, and the demon king who killed ten thousand beasts, was a double-edged sword. He was useful to wield in the throes of war, but its edge turned towards Arnold himself brought him one step closer to death.
Arnold, having shamefully lost the control that the curse provided, found himself without a means to defeat Herix. It was a situation both lamentable and frightening. Yet, perhaps at this very moment, a sword capable of piercing Herix had appeared in the form of Ivonne, the first commoner maid to achieve perfect scores. The woman was strikingly beautiful.
‘Stupid, son. What is precious becomes a vulnerability, and a vulnerability becomes a critical point,’ Arnold thought bitterly as he rose from his seat.
“Oh, Crown Prince. Have you chosen that woman as your first dance partner?”
Arnold mockingly asked, causing Herix, who had eyes only for Ivonne, to slowly turn his head. Standing on the dais, Arnold, who was bathed in the light beneath the most radiant chandelier, looked down upon Herix.
“Truly fitting of ‘the Emperor’s Mark’. So, the Crown Prince knew. That woman is, in fact, an ancient wizard!”
Arnold announced, stirring the assembly. Ancient wizard, capable of wielding powers said to rival those of gods from the dawn of time, were both the most exalted and feared beings.
Ivonne held her breath.
‘How does he know of the ancient magic I possess?’
