<h4>Chapter 142: Maniacal</h4>


    Chapter 142. Maniacal


    Trantor: As / Editor: Regan


    As Leah thought about it, there was a hubbub among the Kurkans.


    “Half a bowl of porridge! Even a one-year-old doesn’t snack on that!”


    “Poor Princess…she was even kidnapped…”


    Comints and reproaches about the cruel abuse rose.


    “Stop,” Ishakan said calmly. “She will break.”


    The murmurs ended instantly, as if they had been an illusion. The Kurkans even covered their mouths with their hands, exchanging nervous nces. They watched her as if cracks might appear in her body.


    At that, Leah couldn’t contain herughter. Sheughed gently even as the Kurkans watched her curiously, a freeugh. Back in Estia, the eyes of others had been overwhelming and stressful, but now she feltfortable.


    Ishakan hugged her gently and lifted her into the air. The Kurkans all lifted their heads with the motion, following her with their eyes, and he ced the date she had dropped back into her hand.


    “Also, from now on she will be called Leah, not Princess,” he said.


    At his words, she clutched the date tightly. Unfamiliar ces, unfamiliar people, even unfamiliar names. Many things had changed. She knew they would continue to change. But in all the turbulence, one thing was certain. –


    Leah was now Leah.


    ***


    In a silent corridor, there was the sound of heavy objects being dragged. The sound of heels tapping on a marble floor, followed immediately by a shuffling sound. The sounds were caused by a woman with an expressionless face. Normally her hair was meticulously groomed, but it was in disarray now.


    As she walked down an aisle, she dragged arge animal in each hand, a billy goat and a ck ram, both with horns. The animals were inert and unmoving.


    It was a grotesque sight, but no one stopped her. The people she encountered were not surprised and did not scream. They only bowed their heads obediently, their faces expressionless.


    Slowly, she came to the Glory Room.


    “……”


    Cerdina looked up at the light falling from the circr window in the ceiling. This ce, steeped in Estia’s history, would suffice.


    Taking a small dagger from her pocket, she cut her palm and used the blood to draw an octagonal star inside arge circle on the marble floor. cing glowing crystal orbs at each of the star’s eight points, she dragged the animals forward.


    In the center of the star, she cut the head off the ck ram. Blood gushed out, pooling. Strangely, the blood filled the magic circle as soon as it touched it, and the crystal orbs slowly filled with ck smoke.


    After emptying the blood from ck ram, she approached the billy goat and opened its chest, extracting its heart. With the heart in her hand, Cerdina smiled.


    Leah had escaped.


    Cerdina wasn’t sorry the princess had run away. She was already ruined. The problem was that in had blindly pursued her. Cerdina had no choice to admit that her son needed Leah. Since it hade to this, she would have to advance one of her unfinished spells, but she could not yet do it alone.


    Sitting in the light from the window overhead, she ate the goat’s heart. As she chewed and swallowed the bloody flesh, the crystal orbs turnedpletely ck. Cerdina licked bloodstained lips and tilted her head back.


    “Ahh…” The strange moan escaped her, almost 0rgasmic. Her eyes shone brightly as she spoke, filled with joy.


    The strange voice, which could not be said to be human, echoed. The eight crystal orbs trembled slightly as if in response. The more Cerdina spoke, the more intense the trembling became.


    Her bloodshot eyes were shining.


    The eight crystal orbs cracked and burst into dust.


    Maniacalughter echoed through the Glory Room.