"What a pathetic hero," the Queen's voice boomed as a dark figure towered above (sorry Zach from the last volume, now called Joan, thanks for the memory cap replacement)). "Can't even defeat a troll? Failure."
Joan screams and tries to run away from the evil queen. But she couldn't move. Even when the Queen's soldiers arrive and throw firewood beneath her helpless form, Emmeline remains aloft.
She is paralyzed. helpless. Being beaten.
The queen laughed at her. Scream at her. Laughing at her failure. "It's all your fault, hero!" the Queen yelled, echoing in her mind until she swore her skull might crack.
"This is what you deserve. You should never have come here. You should never have been here!" The Queen raised a hand, clasped a flaming torch tightly, and placed it on kindling. Joan moved her foot, trying to kick the flames away.
But she still watched helplessly as the wood was set on fire. The flames spread quickly. They seemed to swirl in the burning mass before transforming once more into the god of hell, whose fire flowed around her flesh and began to melt her drop by drop. Because the god of hell will not only burn you to ashes, but will also slowly torture you.
------
Joan sat up and screamed. She was covered in sweat and everything was dark. Fortunately, the darkness did not last long. A door opened and light flooded into the room. A figure stepped into the room, raised his right hand, and the light condensed, illuminating the room.
She let out another small scream. She recognized this person very well.
Queen Emmeline. He is tall and magnificent, with long golden hair and eyes as pure as the sea. A powerful healer, all who knew her were quickly drawn to her kindness, gentle touch and words. She's actually Hadwin's sister and everyone loves her?
But it was just a lie: this woman was so cruel, how could such a cruel demon learn healing magic. The woman tried to burn her at the stake more than once, imprisoned her, and nearly executed a dozen other people. Joan had managed to keep her meetings with this woman to a minimum in her previous life. Even though Emmeline was her queen, however, it never seemed to be enough for the ruler, no matter how many victories she won or how much she suffered, the queen was always there trying to destroy her. Hadwin, against great odds, endeavored to maintain peace between them, and. . . .
But then she becomes a hero, able to fight back against the cruelty of the Queen, ruler or not.
Every step a woman takes seems to be one step closer to the gallows.
Even when the woman was sitting by the bed, Joan tried to stay as far away from her as possible.
"Please don't hurt me," she said, unable to hide her fear. All she could do at the moment was stare at the woman and pray for mercy. Why did they bring her here?
The woman looked surprised, in fact she stepped away from her and stood up again. "I'm sorry," she said in a gentle, soothing tone
But Joan knew her, and she knew to be afraid of the woman behind those beautiful eyes. When the woman reached out her hand, she took another step back, panic starting inside her at the thought of what this woman was going to do to her. Why are they keeping her with this dirty woman?
The Queen paused, her hands a few feet from hers. Then she sighed softly and slowly extended her hand again. The hand was soft and gentle, caressing her shoulder, reassuringly.
"Joan, is that right?"
"Yes," Joan whispered, unable to control her trembling.
"Everything will be fine, I promise. Nothing can hurt you," Emmeline said, her voice as silky. "I know you've been going through a hard time. Hadwin told me about your battles with trolls. There are no trolls here. There's nothing to harm you here. You're safe, I swear."
Joan stared at the Queen, her mouth agape. This woman seemed to care about her. Almost protective. The warmth and kindness she radiated was like nothing she had ever seen before. Her eyes were filled with concern, not contempt.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Didn't you know? That's weird, I heard you even attended our academy. I'm Queen Emmeline III."
Joan cringed at the name, but the Queen's gentle smile did not disappear, replaced by immense concern.
"Joan?"
"Please don't hurt me," she whispered, looking up, unable to stop shaking. How long does it take for that mask of kindness and sweetness to fade away and the monster within reveal itself? In the name of the gods, she hoped it would be another troll.
The Queen drew Joan into her arms very gently. "I'm sorry," Emmeline soothed softly. "I swear. I will not allow anyone to hurt you. I don't know what danger you encountered to be so scared, but no one here will hurt you. I swear to you, my lovely child. I will never allow anyone to hurt you." Hurt you within these walls. Heck, you're literally my niece."
Regardless, Joan found herself relaxing into the embrace, not sure what to make of the ruler's last words. She couldn't remember the last time someone held her like this. No, even in her previous life, she had almost never received such a hug. Even in this life, she could not remember ever being held so comfortingly, so tenderly. She could almost believe the monarch's words. If she hadn't experienced the Queen's rage, fury, and viciousness firsthand, she might have fallen completely.
She then realized that the woman was using a spell on her. Not to control her mind. Her hands radiated gentle, soothing warmth. A healing spell. "Are you the one who healed me?" Zach Joan asked softly.
"Yes, I have never seen a child become like this." The queen stopped and shook her head. "I know Hadwin can be a little rough sometimes, but I promise you he won't hurt you."
she said with a smile. "Imagine finding you and risking it this way. Being chosen, indeed."
"Thank you," Joan said, eyes lowered. "But why did you do it? Had Hadwin persuaded you?"
“I don’t have that much time,” Joan said.
"Nonsense. After finding his daughter, he won't let you go again, right?"
Joan blinked several times. She counted slowly to ten, then looked up at the Queen. She must have heard wrong. "What about after you find him?"
The queen frowned, looking a little embarrassed. "Oh. Sorry, I'm just too excited. He hasn't told you yet, has he? But please calm down. You have nothing to be afraid of. The reason why Hader spared no effort to raise you is because you are his daughter. Now. You'll be safe. I promise."
Joan just stared at the woman. It would take another thousand years for her to respond appropriately to this. "oh."
The queen smiled softly. "You handled this well."
"Your Highness, there are quite a few messages. I must admit, I don't know how to respond." She wondered whether to laugh now or cry hysterically. At least the hugs make a little more sense.
"It's okay, take as much time as you need. Are you feeling better?"
"Except..." she trailed off, looking down at her hands and legs. In fact, she felt pretty good about herself. No pain whatsoever. What's even more surprising is that she's wearing a rather elegant purple dress. Better than anything she'd ever touched as Zack. "Uh...actually, I feel good."
"It doesn't hurt anymore?"
she asked, reaching up again and gently rubbing her head. "Get some rest, good boy? Hadwin will be back in a few days. Make yourself comfortable. If you feel any pain, call me immediately. Feel free to use the guards outside. Are you hungry?"
"A little," Joan said, looking up at the woman.
"I'll go get ready. Can you-" The Queen's words were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. The door opened, and after a while a man poked his head into the room.
"Your Highness? The king needs you."
Emmeline sighed softly and nodded. "Sorry, Joan. The work is never done." She stood up and smiled a softer smile. "If you need anything, just ask, kid. Until then, rest and recover." She started taking a few steps, then stopped and glanced back. "Yet. I know you're probably feeling fine, but don't overexert yourself. You've been through a rough recovery and your body needs time to recover."
Zach Qiong nodded in astonishment and watched the woman leave. Even with the door closed, she could only stare at it. "What on earth is that?" she finally asked loudly. She still couldn't believe it happened to her. She lay back on the bed and searched through all her memories. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember Emmeline ever smiling at her once, let alone speaking to her in a gentle tone. Most people's first encounters are grim, bitter, and angry, which feels rather unkind considering the lives the hero is saving at the time. However, here, she was treated like a princess. The angry look was almost benevolent compared to the look the Queen usually gave her thereafter. If she wasn't a hero,
If she had tried more to meet the Queen during her lifetime, would she have seen this side of her? She wished she could retain some of her memories between life and death, and maybe then she could find out why the Queen despised her so much. Know which questions to find answers to. But if she was allowed, there would be no need to be Joan.
She glanced around the room and was shocked again. She was not in the infirmary. Although the bed she slept on was comfortable, it was a bit shabby. There is a bell hanging on it, and a small pearl hanging on the bell. There were small bundles of dust in the corners of the room, as if it had been swept hastily and things quickly moved aside.
There is a door, close to the bed. She slowly stood up, opened the door, and looked inside.
Servant tunnel? She was in the servants' room. Why? She was not a servant and had never met the Queen. She is a commoner. Even Joan, the most she had ever seen was a portrait in the academy.
Could it be that this is where Hadwin usually lives? Why did he sleep in the servants' quarters? Why on earth would Hadwin think she was his daughter? Why was it that every time she asked a question, there seemed to be ten more questions? Why doesn't she get some answers?
She walked towards the bed, facing a mirror.
Unable to restrain herself, she walked to the mirror and looked at herself.
This dress is stunning. It's a bit big, but it's made from multiple layers of thin, expensive fabric. She ran a finger over it and shook her head. She's supposed to be silk, why would anyone put her in something so expensive? Even if she was a guest of the Queen, there was absolutely no reason for her to dress so extravagantly.
However, the dress was too big for her and some of the purple dye faded. This is definitely an old piece of clothing. Maybe it's something the Queen herself once wore?
Joan sighed again, even in this life the clothes she wore as a child were more like burlap bags than dresses. Upon entering the academy, she only wore the standard uniform. Even in her previous life, she had never had the opportunity to wear such clothes, especially as a male of noble birth. Not to mention heroic.
The thought made her cheeks turn scarlet and she shook her head.
She slowly stretched out her hand and placed it on the mirror. She felt more and more like herself every moment now, but now it felt almost unreal. This is what she looks like now. Joan, a girl with superb skills, with a little luck, attracted attention in the orphanage, and then became a child prodigy in the academy. She smiled slightly as she recalled those days.
Can pick up almost any weapon, master it in a day, and learn spells after just one or two sightings, though her mana reserves remain low. However, this is not surprising. All the information is hidden in her mind. The only problem now is that her body can no longer keep up with the abilities she once used.
Her smile wavered and she leaned her head against the mirror. Yes, Joan was a prodigy. A girl with a thousand memories of past lives. After all, a hero wouldn't break so many bones with a simple kick from a troll. Or she's still a hero.
She stepped back and stared at her reflection again. "Who are you? Who am I? Wait, what?"
She always kept her hair short, cutting the ends off so they wouldn't get into her eyes. But now, her brown curls sit elegantly on her head, evenly cut and light. She actually blushed again, stared into her green eyes, and spun a little, her skirt swirling around her.
She's almost cute. If there is a hero who is the embodiment of beauty, it is her.
She actually wasted her thoughts on how beautiful she looked. Who cares? If she fails, all life in this world will be burned up, whether it is the Demon King or the God of Hell. How many times had she herself been burned by that hellish flame? She trembled slightly, a flash of pain flashing through her mind.
Unfortunately, her thoughts about past lives didn't seem to be of much help. She has been praised for her incredible abilities and near-infinite reserves of mana. But now the originally simple and weak technique almost destroyed her arm, which made her want to scream. It's as if she has changed from a body of steel to the most exquisite body of glass? !
Is this Zach me? The tragedy of being reborn as a girl?
Well, she had to focus on her spiritual practice and not on trivial thoughts. The world doesn't need Joan. It needs heroes. This is who she has to be.
