Living As the Villainess Queen-Chapter 413.1
When the journey reached its end, an immense, deep-blue tidal wave rose swiftly, surging forward as if to consume everything in its path. People stood paralyzed, watching in awe and dread, convinced they would be swept away by the overwhelming current and its deafening roar.
Instincts took hold in that instant. Some fled, others flailed in an attempt to swim; a few took deep breaths and held them, while others shut their eyes and screamed. Yet, gradually, a bewildered realization dawned on all of them—nothing was happening.
The blue water rippled gently, yet they could breathe without strain. They felt no resistance from the water; even as they moved their arms, there was no sensation of slicing through a current. It was as though they were staring into a vast emptiness, surrounded by a boundless expanse of water, with no horizon in sight.
“Look! The larks!”
At the sound of a shout, everyone turned. The larks were dissolving, disappearing like sandcastles swept away by the tide. For the larks, this water was no illusion.
“Are they… vanishing?”
“They’re… turning into seeds…”
The larks were shrinking, transforming into tiny seeds before their eyes. One by one, the onlookers fell to their knees, their strength sapped. The spaces once filled with terror were now empty, save for the scattered seeds.
Soon, only Eugene remained, standing alone. Awe filled the eyes of those who watched her, with some clasping their hands as if in prayer.
Eugene’s Ramita surged forward, breaking through barriers and streaming into the desert. It raced in all directions, engulfing the royal castle and consuming the capital. The intangible water met no resistance, its relentless advance unstoppable.
In the reception hall, Dana anxiously awaited her daughter’s arrival, only to gasp as she noticed water pooling on the floor. Startled, she lifted her foot instinctively, frowning as she placed it cautiously back down. The water was neither cold nor did it produce any sound.
Maids screamed from various corners of the room, their voices filled with panic.
“Can’t you all stop panicking and be quiet?” Marianne’s sharp command cut through the chaos.
Dana turned toward Marianne, who was quickly making her way to her side. “My lady, this is the queen’s power,” Marianne said. She had witnessed this phenomenon once before, during a visit to the queen’s chamber.
“…Ramita?” Dana repeated.
The nature of Ramita was a carefully guarded secret. However, after giving birth to Jin, Dana had researched Anikas, aiming to understand her daughter’s unique powers. Thus, she knew more than most about the lucid dreams and mysterious abilities tied to Ramita.
Hurrying to the balcony, Dana flung open the window. Everything beyond shimmered like the surface of an immense lake, appearing to rise. Glancing down, she saw the water, which moments ago had only reached her ankles, now lapping at her knees.
Is this… Jin’s Ramita?
She recalled tales of the most powerful Ramita in history, an Anika’s lucid dream of a lake. Yet, no lake, however vast, could account for the scale of this phenomenon. More strangely, she had never heard of a Ramita that manifested visibly to the naked eye.
The capital was in turmoil. Flares had been launched repeatedly, and alarm signals blared, signaling a state of emergency that sent citizens rushing from their tasks to seek refuge in shelters.
Most shelters were underground, yet as the water surged into basements, panic erupted. Scrambling out of the shelters, people found themselves surrounded by water that reached up to their heads.
“What… is this?”
“It’s water. Am I imagining things?”
Disoriented, people glanced around, gradually gathering in the streets. Soon, the once-deserted roads were filled with crowds.
But the tide did not relent. It swept through the capital, engulfing the entire kingdom of Hashi. The desert nation disappeared beneath a boundless sea that even climbed over mountain ranges, advancing without end.
***
Before leaving the palace, Eugene had given Sven a critical warning: never to attack Flora.
“There’s something you need to understand. Flora is protected by a powerful spell. If you attack her, the spell will backfire, and the damage will come back to you.”
“Are you saying this spell’s protection is impenetrable?”
“Perhaps… but His Majesty might be able to break it.”
Sven understood immediately. If only the kings possessed the strength to destroy the spell, then he certainly couldn’t. He imagined an invisible, unbreakable shield surrounding Flora, helping him visualize its power.
But what if the Anika who summoned the larks attacked the queen? The thought of being powerless to protect her in a crisis weighed heavily on Sven, casting a shadow over his thoughts.
While others stood mesmerized, marveling at the miracle unfolding around them, Sven kept his eyes fixed on Flora. Unlike the larks that transformed instantly into seeds upon contact with the water illusion, the lark carrying Flora remained untouched.
But it couldn’t last. Before long, even Flora’s lark turned into a seed, leaving her suddenly suspended in mid-air before she began to fall.
Disoriented, she looked around, flailing her hands as though trying to swim, then stopped, bewildered. She reached out, attempting to touch the water she could see, but moments later, her expression turned blank, her gaze fixed on the empty space above.
Now.
Before he could fully process his thoughts, Sven's instincts took control. Though he had little understanding of magic, his warrior's intuition recognized an opening in his enemy. It was like spotting a weak spot on a creature encased in armor—an opportunity to strike. He felt a rare surge of confidence, as if he might finally be able to make a difference.
In an instant, Sven sprinted toward Flora, and without hesitation, swung his sword at her.
The sound that followed was like glass shattering. Sven felt a sharp impact, as if something had struck him. His body was violently thrown into the air before crashing to the ground.
.
!
Chapter 413.1
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