The flames of the inferno, blocked by a small girl, were nothing more than an illusion.
It was even an unexpected situation that the very person involved could not have foreseen.
The flames that had been rampaging without hesitation paused for a brief moment right then.
However, the silver-haired girl at the center of this wave, without even the slightest movement, stood there, blocking the flames as they approached her.
On the other hand, Yuria, who had been watching Kaya’s back, was also unable to hide her astonishment.
The illusion from the past was moving with its own will.
It was a rare occurrence, something hard to believe easily, but it wasn’t entirely impossible.
Although it wasn’t something common, considering the realm of the subconscious, a reflexive reaction could have been triggered.
If one were to cautiously speculate, this was likely the manifestation of Kaya’s intense subconscious, protecting her.
In the end, the real question was how that could be possible.
‘How could an illusion made of faint memory fragments possibly resist that raging flame?’
Especially when even that terrifying being, who had such overwhelming power that it had decided to retreat when it judged it could not win against her, was present.
Kaya was holding her ground without exerting much effort, standing at an equal level with the flames, making it a scene so absurd that it was almost impossible for Yuria not to be shocked.
However, it didn’t last long.
As she continued observing the standoff between Kaya and the flames, she soon found one decisive clue.
It was the only key that could explain this unbelievable situation unfolding before her eyes.
The fierce flames, filled with endless despair and hatred, burning with a terrifying heat that could be felt on the surface.
The faded illusion of the girl, not only touching the flames but standing her ground and blocking them with her body.
Even so, instead of burning as she was caught in the flames, the contact points between her and the fire were almost invisible, gently flickering without affecting each other.
It was as if they shared the same nature, unable to influence one another.
A meaningless standoff between two beings with different wills and goals, with no winner.
It was only at that point that Yuria finally experienced the sensation of all the pieces of the puzzle she couldn’t understand coming together.
She had never realized Kaya’s intentions deep inside, nor how she had grown such power, nor why she had remained silent all this time without revealing any signs.
There was only one thing that could explain it all.
It was that the soul of the great hero Kaiser had chosen to merge with Kaya’s inner consciousness of its own will.
It was hard to believe that such an arrogant being would make such a choice, but on the other hand, it was also an inevitable, instinctual decision for survival.
If Yuria had to guess, it probably happened around ten years ago, when she lost control of her body for the first time due to her abilities.
Judging that she would never wake up if things continued, she must have slowly started fusing her soul with the new persona of the doll.
She did so secretly and slowly, making sure that the person involved would never notice, while deceiving her eyes on the outside.
As a result, his will and influence gradually weakened, naturally.
Yuria had thought that this was proof that her abilities were working effectively, but she realized that it was half right and half wrong.
Ultimately, the gamble she made in the moment of crisis, the quiet process that had been ongoing for the past ten years, had miraculously succeeded.
Once he judged that the fusion had reached an appropriate level, she must have finally decided that the time had come.
At just the right moment, when Kaya was struggling against a powerful enemy and was on the brink of danger, he must have offered his strength to help her and began setting a trap to eliminate her.
Everything had gone according to his plan, and the perfect opportunity to remove her had finally arrived, but an unexpected variable had appeared, leading to the current situation.
As a result, he had overlooked one simple fact.
It could be argued that attempting a fusion whose success wasn’t even guaranteed was a risky move, but the real issue was that Kaya’s own will had become impossible to ignore.
He had probably assumed that he could easily take control of the newly formed persona of the mechanical doll.
However, contrary to his expectations, over the ten years of fusion, the mechanical doll’s persona, which had developed a strong identity as “the maid who loves her master,” had grown to a level where it could resist and even rebel against the other will that had taken root within her.
Now that things had reached this point, a complete fusion… meaning completely taking control of her body, would no longer be possible, and there would inevitably be restrictions on her actions.
To exaggerate slightly, while the chances were low, there was even a possibility that Kaya might end up gaining the initiative in the fusion instead.
From the perspective of the once-great hero who had shaken the entire continent, this would have been utterly absurd and ridiculous, but at this point, it was a definite possibility that couldn’t be completely ruled out.
Just as Yuria’s hypothesis was being proven, the thick flames, which had been unable to hide their bewilderment for quite some time, continued to struggle to find another way but ultimately could not overcome Kaya’s illusion.
The flames, now visibly weaker and flickering uneasily, exuded emotions close to a scream, sending despair in all directions.
The fury of realizing that such a perfect opportunity was slipping away, the unbelievable reality of being blocked by nothing more than an illusion of this doll.
It was absurd.
Like staring at a rice cake in a painting, the flames between Kaya and the others raged wildly, unable to hide their feelings of injustice.
Meanwhile, Yuria, now certain of her safety, felt her entire body relax, and for a while, she let out a pointless laugh.
It was a bitter mockery of her own twisted fate, that she had somehow survived yet again.
‘How many times had this happened?’
On the other hand, the flames that were watching her closely seemed to interpret her laughter as mocking, and they only grew fiercer, whipping around the small room.
However, instead of mocking the predator that had just missed its prey, Yuria quickly started to think.
For now, her safety was secured, but it was clear that destroying this powerful being with her current strength would be an incredibly difficult task.
Even if it were possible, it would surely take years.
And considering the fact that her mother’s birthday banquet was fast approaching, dealing with the creature before then had always been close to impossible from the start.
Given the current situation, Yuria was left with two choices:
To cancel the current plan or to carry it out as scheduled.
Had she not realized the truth just moments ago, her choice would have been the first, without a second thought.
But now, having seen a glimmer of hope with her own eyes, things were different.
It was no longer an assured failure, but rather a gamble with potential.
This was something she had always excelled at and enjoyed doing, just as she had in the past.
It was a simple decision.
After all, the original plan had been a gamble based on possibility as well, so this was just another gamble added to it.
Failure would likely mean ruin.
Moreover, if the gamble succeeded and Kaya won the battle for control, the rewards she could gain would be beyond imagination.
…As the saying goes, opportunity is hidden in crisis.
As that phrase, which she must have read somewhere, popped into her mind, Yuria calmly focused her eyes on the front.
For now, no matter how much she thought about it, no one could predict the result.
What would happen in the future was an area even her mother, the Demon Queen, could not assert.
All that was left was to trust.
And Yuria chose to believe in her efforts over the past 10 years.
Just as everything began 10 years ago when she first met Kaya, it seemed only natural that this critical turning point would be decided by the hands of this child.
And so, everything once again returned to the starting point.
***
D-Day.
There was probably no other word that could describe today, I thought to myself.
The heat from the event could even be felt all the way at the outermost corners of the Blue Palace, with countless servants moving busily from early morning, and various goods being transported elsewhere.
Under the faintly shining, dim sunlight, I watched from the highest point of the Blue Palace, my eyes sparkling at the unusual sight I’d never seen before.
Not only inside the royal palace but also beyond the city walls, the capital seemed to be bursting with energy, almost like a festival.
The carriages of important guests invited from outside, brightly lighting up the streets, created a beautiful scene, like the Milky Way in the night sky.
The Demon Queen’s birthday banquet was only a few hours away.
As I faced the scenery that made me feel that fact deeply, I steadied my trembling heart once again.
In truth, since Yuria would be the one attending, it had nothing to do with me…
Still, as her only maid, it was only natural to empathize with my mistress and help ease her burden, which was the true mindset of a maid.
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