The Runaway Maid is Loved by the Archmage - Chapter 40
Afterwards, Roina talked with Maili for a long time, and before she knew it, she fell asleep. This was because, despite everything, Roina’s body and mind were in a weakened state. After sleeping for a while, she woke up to find it was the middle of the night. The window next to her bed was bathed in soft moonlight, and the dim blue energy of the night filled the room.
Roina sat for a moment, embracing the warm, fluffy feather blanket surrounding her. This was the first time since coming to this strange world that she experienced such comfort. Every day, she had been tormented by the Crown Prince, and if it wasn’t that, she had to sleep uneasily against a cold, hard wall with a chill rising from the stone floor. She felt as though this moment was a dream.
‘Before coming here, I lived a normal life, with friends and family…’
A sharp pain suddenly shot through her head. Roina placed her hand to her temple, feeling her pupils shake aimlessly. Her memories before coming here were blurry. They were unclear, as though shrouded in fog. Roina thought for a while, but the confusion only deepened, and eventually, the nausea overcame her, forcing her to stop thinking.
It was strange. Could this be the effect of the poison? Roina suddenly felt a great sense of unease.
She threw off the blanket and placed her feet on the ground. The cold stone floor made contact with her bare feet. Roina flinched for a moment but then took a step forward. She had to see Lutan, the archmage. She felt that she needed to. The thought swirled in her mind. If he could touch her head with his cool hand, if she could feel that refreshing energy again, she believed she could regain her peace.
What she didn’t realize was that, with each step she took, golden particles crumbled to the floor. Her pupils once again tinted gold, and the corridor she was heading toward shifted on its own, changing direction to guide her to the right place.
Soon enough, she reached a door.
At first glance, it seemed cold, but when she touched it, it was a warm wooden door. Blue mana flowed from within, greeting Roina warmly. Without hesitation, she opened the door.
Inside was an old library. Moonlight from the midnight sky poured in through a tall window, casting its glow on the room, which was filled with bookshelves and old books. A small spirit, glowing with white light, hurriedly moved about, organizing the scattered books. The books seemed to have just been pulled from the shelves, and in the center of them sat Lutan, wearing glasses that hadn’t been there before, seated in a chair.
He, who had been concentrating on a book with a serious expression, tore his gaze away from the pages when he sensed the door opening, and looked at Roina. Perhaps her appearance had been a bit sudden, as he wore a flustered expression.
Roina immediately sprinted toward him. As she met him, she clearly realized something. A black energy was swirling inside her, screaming desperately.
‘You vulgar, lewd woman. You want to cling to a man every day and long for it to the point of death. You were actually enjoying it too, weren’t you? Try begging that man to ravage you just like you did with that knight. You were so good at it. What’s dirty and base? Drown that man in this mess too.’
Roina shuddered at the suffocating feeling. The fog that had been controlling her mind now revealed its true nature, trying to cling to her in a sticky, vile manner. Like a drowning person grasping for a rope, she desperately clung to Lutan. In her fear, she pulled his head toward her, attempting to kiss him as if it were the only way to save herself.
Lutan firmly grabbed her shoulders and forcefully pushed her away.
“Roina.”
Roina was confused by the sinister thoughts that seemed to shake her brain. She could not tell where her thoughts began or ended. In the midst of this, there was a man in front of her, looking at her directly and calling her name, and she felt as though someone had reached out to guide her through the lost path.
The man before her had a pained expression. With long black hair and golden eyes, he seemed to be in the most pain himself.
Roina gasped desperately.
‘What was I thinking…?’
Karine FA
It’s interesting how the author translates, very appropriatelly, s****l abuse and torture’s long-term effects in body and mind as curses that distort and contaminate the victims with actions that aren’t their own.