# 67
---
Howish-
Elinor was pulled back and found herf trapped in Matthias's embrace.
Her astonished eyes flashed.
Her heart was beating very fast.
But the voice was not one, but two.
Matthias looked at her angrily.
"What are you doing now? Why were you heading towards the valley?"
She couldn't move because of his immense strength.
Elinor's heart became filled with anxiety.
This cannot happen. Charles said she had to check my honesty.
Elinor tried to wriggle out of Matthias' grip.
“Leave me.”
"impossible."
Mathias tightened his arms around her waist.
“You tried to fall on purpose.”
“It is a necessary process to complete the matrix.”
“What operation? To throw yourf to death?”
“The Matrix needs the life force to be restored to what it was.”
"prattle."
Matthias replied firmly.
“Is that still your thinking after seeing this sight? Being contaminated with black magic means losing one’s life immediately. Do you think it makes sense to sacrifice one’s life to purify black magic?”
“You know nothing, Your Highness.”
"What don't I know? I'm the one who spent ten years thinking and researching dark magic. I'm the one who created tombs for the knights who died trying to stop the contamination of the territory."
Mathias lowered his voice, mixed with anger and guilt accumulated over the years.
“Did things not go as you planned? If you fail, you can use the holy power of refining. Why would you try to do something so reckless?”
“That's why Charles says she'll help me now.”
Elinor raised her head.
[Sister, prove it now.]
“Don't you hear that sound?”
“Miss Elinor, what are you talking about? What sound do you hear-”
“I have no holy power, Your Highness.”
Afraid of losing the opportunity because Matthias did not let go, Elinor suddenly confessed.
Mathias's eyes widened slightly.
Examine it carefully.
“Why? Did the black magic affect you?”
“No, I didn't have it to begin with.”
"What…?"
“So I must use the life force. To activate the array.”
“What are you talking about? You showed me yourf. In the dueling tournament, that holy power-”
Matthias suddenly stopped in protest.
At that time, the Grand Duchess, Elinor, and the child were on site.
If it was not Elinor who manifested the holy power, then the true owner of this power…
“It was the sacred power of the child.”
“You will help me, Charles.”
Elinor continued to look at the valley.
“Now I understand. How you will help me, Charles, and how we will be together.”
“What does that have to do with your actions now-”
“Charles will come to my funeral.”
Mathias' mouth hardened.
His breathing became ragged, and veins bulged in his neck.
He let out a weak sound with difficulty.
"What?"
"Even if my life cannot complete the Valley Array, Charles will come to meet me in the end. Thus, the child will return to Charles, and you, Your Highness the Duke, will be able to refine the boundaries."
“So… you're saying you tried to fall into the valley to summon Charlotte?”
“Don't worry, Your Highness. There won't be any problem-”
“What problem are you saying there won't be?”
Matthias rose angrily and pushed Elinor away from him.
He wished she would show any reaction, perhaps remorse or injustice.
But Elinor's eyes were blank, as if she had been bewitched.
Were we talking about the dinner menu?
I feel sick from your words, how can you take such a calm attitude?
Mathias controlled his anger with difficulty and said:
“If you die like this, what about your life? You were a promising talent in the academy. Everyone was eager to attract you. Don’t you feel sorry?”
“These things mean nothing to me.”
“Miss Elinor!”
"Your Highness, I don't really care. That fame doesn't get me what I want."
“And what do you want, Miss Elinor?”
“Child’s happiness.”
“What about your happiness? Why don’t you pursue your happiness?”
“The child’s happiness is my happiness.”
Elinor smiled sweetly.
“Charles said she would be with me. So, Your Highness, if I die, hold my funeral at Hilliard. It will be less of a waste of time.”
“You… are not fully conscious now.”
Matthias' voice trembled.
He felt that if he loosened his grip even a little, Elinor would shake his hand and jump into the valley.
He tightened his grip on her and said:
“We have to go back now. It seems that the exposure to black magic caused a problem… Go to a doctor first. We can think about purifying the black magic later.”
“Your Highness, I say that my death will solve everything.”
“Stop saying the word death!”
Mathias couldn't take it anymore, so he shouted angrily.
His eyes were burning like fire.
“Are you trying to imitate a saint now? If you want your sister, I will find her for you. So stop these foolish thoughts.”
"It is not foolishness. I do not speak out of ecstasy in the spirit of noble sacrifice. I think and speak with complete rationality."
"How can your death be a rational idea? Charlotte said she would come to your funeral? A heartless woman who left her baby would certainly come."
Matthias uttered stinging words in his anger.
Elinor, who had been struggling to reach the valley, suddenly stopped moving.
She turned to Matthias and said:
“Charles did not give up the child.”
“She abandoned him.”
"no…!"
Matthias raised an eyebrow.
When it was mentioned that the child had been left behind, Elinor took her eyes away from the valley and stared at him.
Mathias realized a way to keep her, so he deliberately provoked her by talking about the child.
"No, your sister abandoned her baby and ran away. We spent six months searching for Charlotte together. If she was honestly thinking about the baby, she would have shown up long ago."
“No…”
“And now, even the only family left will abandon the child.”
Elinor stopped suddenly.
I looked at Matthias in shock.
“You're saying you're going to bring Charlotte and the baby together for your funeral? No, the baby will be left alone in the end. Without a family, alone and abandoned.”
Matthias spoke in a harsh tone.
“Is this really the happiness you want for the baby?”
Elinor's body trembled, and her face began to pale as if she was going to collapse.
Her grip on Matthias' arm tightened.
“I...I wasn't trying to abandon the baby...”
Big tears gathered in Elinor's eyes.
Seeing her tears, Matthias realized that he had gone too far.
As hot tears streamed down her pale cheeks, he felt like his heart was falling.
Matthias quickly hugged her.
“No, I'm sorry. I spoke the wrong way.”
“Heck, heck…”
“You just want to protect the baby. I know how honest you are with the baby.”
Elinor lowered her head and sobbed.
Matthias blamed himf for being so hasty, and tightened his embrace of her.