Judging by Lidio’s clothing, the vision would happen today. From the distinctive shapes of the benches and streetlamps, she quickly identified the location: a park on the outskirts of town, just a few minutes' walk away.
(Today’s the day Lambert is supposed to be transferred to the west…)
Since the graduation party, Lambert had been confined to a royal estate. She had heard that he would begin his transfer to the barren western lands today.
(Did he escape during the transfer?)
If so, his target was undoubtedly her. Lambert was just the type to seek revenge.
He had never shown her love, had twice tried to burn her with flames, had cheated with other women despite being engaged, and had tried to frame her for crimes she didn’t commit.
Alice had been content to let him disappear from her life entirely, but now he was about to destroy the happiness she had fought so hard to achieve.
Dark, seething emotions rose within Alice as she resolved to protect Lidio.
“Lord Mortade, I need to visit the restroom. It might take some time, so could you wait for me at the store?” Alice asked sweetly.
“Of course,” Lidio replied.
Once they parted, Alice quickly slipped into a side alley and headed toward the park.
The narrow, dimly lit path was empty save for faint footsteps behind her. Turning, Alice faced Lambert, now dressed in shabby gray clothing.
He flinched at her sudden movement, summoning flames to his palm in a defensive gesture. But when Alice responded with a serene smile and a graceful curtsy, his flames faltered.
“It’s been a while. And now, goodbye,” Alice said softly, her voice calm.
She didn’t use her wind magic. Instead, she employed the new ability she had recently discovered: the power to project a vision into someone else’s mind.
The endless cycle of pain and death she had foreseen for Lambert now became his reality.
“What is this!? Stop… stop it… AAAAH!” Lambert screamed, clutching his head as he experienced the vision Alice had implanted in his mind.
The sensation of being slashed repeatedly by icy blades, of being stabbed by a dagger, felt all too real. No matter how much he begged for mercy, the cold, unfeeling blue eyes of his tormentor never relented.
“It hurts! Stop! Please stop!” he cried, his voice breaking as he descended into madness.
“That was the future you were meant to face. You should have died twice already, so why are you still alive? Isn’t it strange?” Alice mused aloud, her voice laced with dark amusement. Though he couldn’t hear her, she spoke as if savoring the moment.
She continued to project the vision into Lambert’s mind relentlessly. Over and over again, he experienced the torment of death.
When Lambert finally collapsed unconscious, Alice tilted her head and sighed.
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