Living As the Villainess Queen (Web Novel KR)-Chapter 408.2

Steeling her nerves, she climbed out of the carriage and started running. The deserted, deathly silent streets amplified her fear. It felt like something unseen was chasing her, nipping at her heels. She didn’t stop, even when her lungs burned and her heart throbbed painfully from the strain. Finally, when she could run no longer, she bent over, gasping for breath.

"Aaahhh!"

A scream tore through the air, startling Heather upright. Just ahead, she saw the hulking silhouette of a giant mantis. Beneath a nearby cart, she caught a glimpse of someone cowering in fear.

Ugh… bugs, she thought with a shudder. Insects were, without question, the most revolting creatures in the world to her. Seeing a mantis larger than herself was so horrifying she felt faint just looking at it. The creature was closing in on the trapped person, its red eyes glowing with predatory intent.

I’m an Anika, she reminded herself frantically. Anika…

Heather squeezed her eyes shut, her heart pounding, and then, summoning every ounce of courage, grabbed a nearby stone and hurled it at the mantis. Though it didn’t hit its mark, the stone clattered loudly enough to catch the lark’s attention. The massive insect turned toward her, its glowing eyes locking onto her like a predator on prey.

Fear paralyzed her. Her legs refused to move, stiff with terror. As she stumbled over an uneven stone, she fell to the ground, helpless, and watched in horror as the mantis advanced.

Just as it loomed over her, ready to strike, the creature froze in place. A diagonal red slash appeared across its massive body, and before Heather could comprehend what was happening, the lark split in two and exploded into pieces.

"Are you alright, Anika?"

Heather stared, wide-eyed and dazed, at the red-haired man who had suddenly appeared, standing where the mantis had been only moments before. Dust swirled around him, remnants of the now-destroyed lark.

Most of the larks were being drawn to Flora by the spell, but every so often, a few broke free and attacked people. On his way to the palace, Riner had been swiftly dispatching any rogue larks he encountered. This time, hearing a piercing scream, he rushed over and destroyed the lark’s core in one swift motion. As the creature crumbled, he turned to see a woman lying on the ground, her expression blank with shock. Her black hair caught his attention.

Weren’t all the Anikas supposed to be inside the palace by now? Riner thought, momentarily startled.

He approached the fallen Anika, who seemed frozen in place, too dazed to move. Her wide eyes stared vacantly, as if she hadn’t fully processed what had just happened.

“Are you injured?” he asked, his voice gruff but concerned.

“N-No, I’m fine,” Heather stammered, shaking her head vigorously.

He’s a king. Red hair… that must be the Fire King, she realized. Heather had heard rumors that several kings had attended the banquet at Ars Mansion, though she hadn’t interacted with any of them. This was her first time seeing a king up close. He looked different from what she had imagined—less terrifying than the stories had led her to believe.

“Larks won’t harm an Anika,” Riner said, his tone matter-of-fact. “There’s no need to be too afraid. But avoid going to the palace. I’m in a hurry, so I must leave.”

He turned, ready to continue his mission, but abruptly stopped. Something felt wrong. The air around him seemed to tremble, a strange ripple spreading through the atmosphere. Every instinct in him screamed danger.

Without hesitation, Riner dashed back to Heather’s side, crouching beside her just as a powerful gust of wind roared through the area, sweeping debris and dust into the air.

As the violent wind subsided, Riner lifted his head, scanning the surroundings.

That wasn’t just any ordinary wind.

A moment later, a flare burst in the sky, bright and unmistakable. Blue smoke spread across the horizon like a signal, a warning.

The barrier’s been broken. Riner’s eyes narrowed with satisfaction. Perfect. It’s time to hunt him down!

In a flash, he leaped to his feet and sprinted toward the palace. To boost his speed, he called upon Praz, and a fierce red aura engulfed him as he sped off, leaving a fiery trail behind. Heather, still shaken, watched in awe as he vanished from sight. Her heart pounded in her chest, and without realizing it, she clasped her hands together tightly, unable to tear her eyes away from where he’d been.

***

The true extent of this spell’s power has never been fully revealed.

Flora had always believed in the knowledge passed down by her tribe elders, but it wasn’t until she became a spellcaster herself that she realized how limited their teachings had been. They had spoken only of summoning larks with the spell, never mentioning the deeper intricacies hidden within its layers.

Yes, it was true that larks had to be within a certain range to be affected by the magic. But once they were close enough, the caster could do far more than just summon them. She could command them.

“Go there.”

“Attack.”

“Kill.”

Flora could feel the potential of each command, as if she were linked to the larks by invisible threads. The instructions she gave weren’t spoken aloud—they were simply thought, firmly and with intent, and the larks obeyed. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novᴇlfire.net

Her first command had been simple: “Follow me to the sanctuary.”

When they arrived, she issued her second, more destructive command: “Destroy.”

It was all she needed to think—no words required. The larks responded instantly, their chaotic energy surging as they prepared to carry out her will.

The massive beasts hurled themselves at the walls with reckless abandon. Even the most solidly built structures couldn't withstand the blows of hundreds of these creatures attacking from all sides.

I wish there had been more priests inside, Flora mused. That would have made things neater. Regardless, the destruction of the sanctuary was enough to eliminate the evidence. The priests inside, for their own safety, would likely keep their mouths shut about what had happened.

I should go inside and finish them all off… she thought, but before she could command the larks to kill, she heard someone call her name. She turned to see a man with green hair bounding toward her, leaping across the larks that were clustered so densely there was no space to step.

Akil had hurried to the northern side of the palace upon receiving the warrior's report that larks were gathering and tearing down the walls there. He had sensed something was amiss with the larks' behavior for a while. When he arrived, he spotted Flora. It wasn't difficult to find her—larks encircled her at a respectful distance, like loyal servants guarding their master.

“Your Majesty, the Concord King,” she greeted him.

Akil had been on high alert, but when Flora offered him a slight smile, he relaxed slightly. “Did you not hear the signal flare? The barrier will break soon,” he said, his tone urgent. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"I heard it," Flora replied.

"Then cease the controlling spell now," Akil ordered.

"But the barrier hasn't been completely breached yet. If I stop the spell now, the larks will start attacking people. Wouldn't it be better for me to keep them in check until the barrier is fully down and our forces have entered?" Flora argued.

"That spell is far stronger than we anticipated. It's not just the larks we prepared by cracking the seeds—larks from spontaneously cracked seeds are also pouring into the capital. Even now, more and more larks are coming. It would be better to stop the spell now. The capital is a territory of monsters; once the control spell breaks, most of them will flee outside," Akil explained.

Flora’s eyes widened in shock.

The seeds are cracking on their own?