Chapter 64:《Bastard》 – (1)
(I)
It’s impossible.
“Huff… Huff….”
Maybe it was possible just moments ago, but now—it’s impossible.
“Faster, faster….”
Elzerba’s Skeleton Army had suddenly gone berserk.
They were trampling over each other, flooding every corner of Nevirthol like an unstoppable tide.
How were they supposed to fight against this wave of death, which devoured everything before an archer could even nock an arrow?
They were already at a disadvantage in numbers.
The Fifth Wall had collapsed in an instant.
Even when magic was unleashed to destroy parts of the Skeleton Army, new Skeleton Soldiers immediately filled the gaps.
It was an overwhelming flood.
And now, fueled by rage and increased combat proficiency, there was no stopping them anymore.
They had rejoiced when the Undead Dragon dominating the skies was shot down—
But that had turned out to be a grave mistake.
…Because they had provoked Elzerba’s wrath.
“Li… Lilianel….”
Despite the vow he had made just an hour ago, Vellius Grandius, the Hero, was now running for his life.
There was no point in fighting anymore.
It was doubtful whether any soldier was still alive.
Nevirthol was finished.
The Avilia Kingdom was finished.
The only way for Grandius and his beloved Lilianel to survive was to escape this hellish city and disappear somewhere far away.
Yes, perhaps hiding in the Demon lands wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Elzerba would never suspect that they had fled to demon territory.
…But before that, he had to reach Lilianel in the palace.
“Faster, even faster….”
Grandius pushed his Homunculus body to its absolute limit, sprinting toward the Palace of Nevirthol at full speed.
***
(II)
“Grandius….”
Inside the palace banquet hall, Lilianel sat in wait with her party—Yuna, Daniel, Isera, and Derin.
She had been anxiously drawing the face of Grandius in her mind.
He had stayed behind at the First Wall to observe the battlefield alone—
But outside, all she could hear were the horrifying screams of the dying and the monstrous roars of the enemy.
Was he still alive?
“If you… if you’re not here… I….”
Overcome with worry, she buried her face in her hands.
Warm tears trickled between her fingers.
“….”
Suddenly—
Memories surfaced of her first meeting with Grandius.
No, not Grandius.
With the Hero’s Bastard, Vellius Julius.
***
(III)
…She had always known.
She had always known that she could never replace Elzerba.
After all, the only reason Vellius Varius had accepted her as his lover—
Was because she had been part of his plan to capture Elzerba.
But even knowing this, she hadn’t cared.
In the end, Elzerba had been sealed away—
And she was the one who had remained at Varius’ side.
She had believed that with enough time and devotion,
One day, Varius would come to love her more than Elzerba.
She had no doubts about it.
She had believed that she wasn’t inferior to Elzerba in terms of beauty.
In fact, in terms of body, she was far superior.
So surely, Varius would come to see her differently—
At least, that’s what she had thought.
For the first ten years.
“…Varius? Where are you going this early?”
“The ruins.”
“Again…?”
Varius’ obsession with Elzerba had gone far beyond Lilianel’s imagination.
Even after ten years, he still hadn’t forgotten that ash-haired vampire.
The permanent sealing of Elzerba had been an accident—something Varius hadn’t expected.
What he had wanted was to strip everything away from Elzerba and emerge as her savior.
But somehow, it had ended in eternal imprisonment instead.
It hadn’t gone the way he planned,
But there was no way to undo it now.
Every day, he had regretted his choices, wondering if there had been a better way.
Yet, he kept returning to the ancient ruins where Elzerba was sealed.
He would spend entire days there—
Pouring his twisted desires onto the chained vampire.
“…You’re cruel. Too cruel….”
During that time, Lilianel had been left alone.
For years, from sunrise to sunset,
She had been consumed by loneliness and despair.
Her hatred for Elzerba had only grown.
‘Even after being sealed, why does she still haunt me? Why?!’
She despised her.
She loathed that vampire.
Even before the sealing,
And even now—
Elzerba still stood in her way.
How could she make Varius look at her?
How could she make him forget about Elzerba?
For years, Lilianel had sat in the corner of her chamber, drowning in endless thoughts.
“Varius!”
“What.”
“Let’s… have a child.”
And so, she had reached her final decision—
If she had Varius’ child, he would be forced to devote himself to their family.
Surely then, he would finally love her.
But there was one thing she had overlooked.
…It was never easy for an elf to conceive.
“Why… why… why isn’t it working?!”
Elves were already a low-fertility race by nature.
And for an elf to conceive with a human?
That was something far more difficult.
“Why… why do you keep abandoning me….”
The last hope she had left—her plan to bear a child—had crumbled to nothing.
Lilianel spent her days drowning in tears.
To make things worse, upon realizing that conceiving a child was nearly impossible, Varius had begun to ignore her even more than before.
Everything Lilianel had built was falling apart.
“….”
…And so, decades passed.
During that time, the relationship between Varius and Lilianel had grown cold.
Due to the watchful eyes of those around them, they still maintained the appearance of a married couple, but that was all.
Lilianel spent her days drenched in rage and resentment.
Varius, on the other hand, continued to show no interest in her whatsoever.
His visits to the ruins had become less frequent—
But instead, he had started staying out overnight, disappearing on long outings.
Lilianel could barely see his face anymore.
“….”
Then, on a bright morning, as she sat at the dining table, she finally got a clear look at Varius’ face.
His hair had turned completely white.
His body had swollen with age.
His skin had grown rough, lined with deep wrinkles.
Even his height had shrunk.
“Ah….”
Not even a Hero could escape the passage of time.
The young and radiant Varius—the one she had once loved—
Was nowhere to be found.
Only Lilianel, an immortal elf, remained exactly the same as she had been in those years past.
…She could feel her love fading.
“…Perfume.”
More time passed.
One day, after spending a night away, Varius returned—
And Lilianel noticed the strong scent of roses lingering on his clothes.
She despised the scent of roses.
It had been Elzerba’s signature fragrance.
Which meant—
This was another woman’s perfume.
“Ugh….”
Even though her love for him had long been withering,
A familiar bitterness stirred within her—
Jealousy.
Who was this woman—
Who had managed to steal Varius’ heart, a man who had only ever longed for Elzerba?
Why was she, Lilianel, always cast aside?
Why did he refuse to look at her, no matter what she did?
“….”
That day, Lilianel made up her mind.
The next time Varius went out, she would follow him.
She wanted to see the face of this fox-like woman who had bewitched him.
So, she hid herself completely and trailed him—
‘This can’t be….’
She watched as he entered a modest house.
And waiting inside to welcome him—
Was a young boy with ashen-gray hair,
And a smiling woman with the same hair color.
‘This is insane….’
Lilianel’s breath caught in her throat.
Long, flowing ashen-gray hair.
Crimson-red eyes.
A stunningly well-balanced face.
A petite frame, just small enough to hold in one’s arms.
‘Elzerba…?’
The woman looked exactly like Elzerba, who had been sealed away decades ago.
“Ah….”
Tears streamed down Lilianel’s face.
Was this why?
Did he choose her, just because she looked like Elzerba?
Did Varius even realize she was watching?
He simply smiled—
A warm, radiant smile he hadn’t shown Lilianel in years.
He pulled the Elzerba-look alike woman and their child into a tight embrace.
Then—
He reached down and gently caressed her round belly,
As if cherishing the new life growing inside her.
‘Ah… Ah… Ah….’
…The ordinary, happy family Lilianel had so desperately dreamed of.
The thing she had spent decades working for—
The thing she had ached for but could never have.
And yet, some random woman, whom she knew nothing about, had won it all—
Just because she resembled Elzerba.
Rage swelled within her.
The woman’s Elzerba-like features only intensified Lilianel’s fury and hatred.
“….”
And so, exactly one week later,
Lilianel returned alone to that household.
And she killed the woman.
Brutally.
—
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