Volume 2 – Chapter 27: An Unthinkable Possibility

Bilodis drank so much of the laced tea and was completely fine even after more than half an hour—so why would she, Teresa, be the one to suffer?

Most likely, she’d made a mistake and used a non-fatigue-resistance potion instead of an anti-fatigue one, or that bottle had simply been defective.

In any case, they were both Gold Elves. That fat cow demon was fine, so there was no reason she wouldn't be.

Besides—even if something did happen, so what? If Bilodis could hold out this long, why couldn't she?

As her competitive spirit surged, Teresa’s stubborn refusal to lose took over.

Bring it on—let’s hurt each other and see who caves first, who’s the first to call a truce.

With that mindset, Teresa feigned nonchalance to dismiss Bilodis’ suspicions and casually sipped her tea.

The chess match continued.

Laini, watching from the side, tilted her head. She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt the nature of the competition between the two sisters had shifted in a strange way. They were clearly playing chess, yet their focus seemed to be elsewhere, though both were unreasonably obsessed with winning. She had no idea what they were really fighting over.

The match had entered the late game, and the outcome was already clear—Bilodis was going to win by an overwhelming margin. Barring a miracle, Teresa had no chance of turning the tables.

Honestly, given her amnesia, the fact she had managed to play this far against Bilodis was impressive in itself. Still, for some reason, Her Highness Teresa looked... off.

Was it because she realized she was losing and couldn’t figure out a winning strategy? Something just seemed strange.

This fat cow demon...

Teresa tapped a chess piece repeatedly against her fingers, eyes lowered, occasionally stealing glances at Bilodis sitting opposite her.

The golden-haired woman sat poised and elegant, twirling a lock of hair in her fingers, watching her with that ever-present, unreadable smile that made it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Could that devil have figured everything out, playing dumb just to let Teresa walk into her own trap?

If that were true, then this scoundrel was... too cruel!

Unable to tell if Bilodis had really seen through her plan or was merely bluffing, Teresa could only keep up the act.

But...

Looking at Bilodis’ composed, completely unaffected demeanor, Teresa felt a growing sense of despair. There was no hope.

Why the hell wasn’t this woman showing any signs of discomfort?

At first, Teresa had hoped she'd simply used the wrong additive, but the increasingly urgent pressure in her bladder made it clear she hadn’t. She’d absolutely added the right substance.

So why was Bilodis totally fine?!

As the seconds ticked by, Teresa covered her forehead, feigning contemplation, but in truth, the intense urge made it impossible for her to maintain a composed expression. She had to lower her head to keep others from noticing her struggle.

But such a minor trick was laughable in the eyes of Bilodis, who had lived nearly a thousand years. This wasn’t even worth mentioning—every subtle change in Teresa’s expression was completely seen through.

Even Laini, watching from the side, wasn’t fooled.

At this point, if the two of them still hadn’t figured out what Teresa was trying to pull, then their centuries of life had been lived in vain.

Her Highness... seriously...

Laini’s eyes held a trace of helplessness—impressed by Teresa’s persistence, yet also exasperated by her inability to learn from failure.

No doubt Her Majesty Bilodis had already seen through Teresa’s intentions and was simply humoring her.

Judging from her mood, this performance wasn’t going to end any time soon.

It’s impossible...

Teresa couldn’t wrap her head around it. They drank the same drugged tea, and Bilodis even had more—why was she the only one affected?!

No matter how high her Divine Authority, it couldn’t possibly neutralize alchemical side effects. That defied both science and magic.

Could her Domain provide resistance to alchemy?

No, that couldn’t be it—Bilodis hadn’t activated her Domain. How could she possibly nullify alchemical effects?

If she couldn’t fully expel the potion from her system, then it must be working. She had to be enduring it—just really, really good at hiding it to create psychological pressure.

"Little Sha, it's your move," Bilodis said, idly playing with a chess piece, her eyes full of amusement. It was impossible to tell if she saw through everything or was just teasing.

"I know. I don’t need you to remind me." Teresa clenched the chess piece tightly, her palm slightly damp with sweat.

She had to calculate what Bilodis was thinking, how much longer she could endure, and how much longer she herself could last—while also considering the chessboard and how to drag the game out to force a surrender.

But the waves of unbearable pressure broke her concentration again and again.

Her thoughts, once agile, were becoming sluggish, increasingly blocked.

“What’s wrong, Little Sha~?” Bilodis asked with a sweet, overly concerned smile, as if completely unaware of Teresa’s current state.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“No.” That one word from Teresa was practically squeezed out from her throat. She gritted her teeth lightly, head bowed, one hand on her forehead, the other still gripping her piece.

The chessboard in front of her was blurring, turning into the gaping maw of a devil, drooling sickly saliva, forcing her to keep playing.

She was about to lose it…

Should she just… forfeit?

“If you’re not feeling well, maybe you shouldn’t keep playing. Just admit defeat,” Bilodis said kindly.

“No way! How could I ever lose to you?!” Teresa’s wavering resolve was instantly reignited by Bilodis’ seemingly casual suggestion. She pressed on with renewed determination.

Place a piece, think, take a piece, place another.

The clack of chess pieces echoed like raindrops.

But Teresa’s vision began to blur again. Her consciousness turned hazy, unable to process clearly.

Then, suddenly—clarity.

It didn’t feel quite so awful anymore.

Just as she dared to feel relieved, she looked up to see Laini staring at her with a strange expression, like she wanted to say something but couldn’t.

Bilodis, across from her, was smiling even more sweetly than before, clearly wanting to say something—but refrained.

Why were they looking at her like that? Could it be…

Teresa lowered her gaze, and in an instant, her face went deathly pale.

She… she, she, she actually…?!

"Don't—don't you dare look over here!" she shouted.

The shock was too much. Teresa’s eyes spun into dizzy spirals, and with a loud thud, she collapsed onto the chess table.

"As I thought, someone laced her tea." Bilodis didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh.

No wonder Teresa had been acting so strange—she’d obviously had something up her sleeve.

Still, Bilodis felt relieved. It was just Teresa pulling a stunt—not someone else’s soul possessing her.

Teresa had no idea that both yesterday and today, Bilodis had been testing her. If she had failed even one, her identity would have immediately come under suspicion.

Fortunately, Teresa passed all of them.

That was her luck—and Bilodis’ too.

“Then again, it’s not really luck. The truth, once confirmed, can’t be wrong.” Bilodis stood up.

“Your Majesty, Her Highness is in a very weakened state,” said Laini, who had come out of the room after examining Teresa, now with a trace of worry in her eyes.

After Bilodis cleaned Teresa and changed her clothes, they’d returned her to bed for Laini’s treatment.

At first, they’d thought she simply fainted out of pride, unable to bear the embarrassment. But a closer examination revealed something deeper.

“Her Highness Teresa’s condition… is rather serious.” Laini paused.

“No need to sugarcoat it. You could say it’s extremely serious,” Bilodis said, gazing out the window, her usual calm replaced by a trace of heaviness.

“Yes. Her soul has been split in two. A person without a complete soul cannot function normally. The half with self-awareness is here, while the half that controls her authority is still in Kaleburn.”

“A long-term separation of a forcibly split soul will cause irreversible damage—spiritual, mental, and physical.”

“The negative effects… have already begun to show,” Laini said no more. She knew Bilodis understood.

She probably knew from the start.

Laini stayed quiet. This was a matter between sisters—only they could decide what came next.

Bilodis stepped into the room with her usual swan-like grace.

“I’ve been too selfish.” Standing at the bedside, she looked at the peacefully sleeping Teresa, moonlight casting a silvery glow over her flawless features and golden lashes.

“I knew this would happen. But I still wanted to keep her by my side… just a little longer.” She gently brushed the hair from Teresa’s forehead, eyes clouded with longing.

“Maybe… it’s still not time yet.” After a moment, she slowly withdrew her hand and turned away, not lingering any longer.

If the time had yet to come, then she must not cling to her.

Having endured long loneliness, Bilodis knew: attachment made waiting even more unbearable—until it shattered the soul.

“I’ve mended some of Little Sha’s damaged meridians. With the Sacred Tree’s sap, she should be in much better shape than before.” That was all she could do.

The rest… she would have to handle herself.

“Little Sha, whether you want to or not, the path is already beneath your feet.”

“In the end, you will recover all your memories.” No longer looking at her, Bilodis walked out.

“Laini.”

“Your Majesty?”

“Send Little Sha back—to where she’s supposed to be.”

“As you wish.” A spatial ripple shimmered, and Teresa, peacefully asleep, slowly vanished into distortion…

“Your Majesty…” Laini couldn’t help but glance at Bilodis’ back.

She was so alone. After regaining something so precious, the hardest part was losing it again.

“Everything happens for a reason.” Bilodis clearly had no intention of continuing that conversation. Her tone had returned to its usual majesty and frost—like the queen who bore the future of the Elf Tribe.

“How is the Moon Elf King?”

“He follows your word without question. From my observations, he has gone against his own people’s interests many times to obey you. His true motives are unclear, but in terms of sincerity, he’s shown plenty.”

“If you’re worried about Her Highness’ safety, you could share more secrets with him. That might help protect her on that side as well.”

“No.” Bilodis rejected the idea without hesitation.

“I understand.” Laini didn’t ask why. Even if the Moon Elf King was utterly loyal, if the Queen didn’t want him to know, then he wouldn’t.

He was just the head of a subtribe. Bilodis was the true ruler of all Elves. If she wanted him to know, he would know. If not, then he’d remain in the dark forever.

“Laini, do you remember the catastrophe four hundred years ago? Why did the barrier protecting the Elves fail at such a critical time, leaving the forest wide open?” Bilodis asked meaningfully.

“I told you before—it might not have been an external cause.”

“Now, I’m almost certain. The barrier collapse was not the work of the Demon Race.”

“You mean… it was internal?” Laini was shocked. The Elves were peace-loving and valued kin—how could there be a traitor?

But she trusted Bilodis completely.

“So you suspect the Moon Elf King…?”

“I’m not sure yet.” Bilodis shook her head. “It could be him, or another elder. But whoever it is, they must be in a high position.”

“Even if it’s not him, letting him know would do no good. There’s no such thing as a wall that doesn’t leak. No one can keep a secret better than burying it within yourself.”

“Little Sha is currently at Coleman Academy, right? I heard the current principal is a Moon Elf elder.”

“Yes.”

“It doesn’t matter which elder—just as long as she hasn’t revealed her identity to them. Otherwise…”

“If that elder was the very ‘corrupted one’ who planned it all back then…” Bilodis trailed off, unable to imagine the consequences.

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