"When the rotten sack of flowers tarnished the realm granted to dwellers of both heaven and hell, the Gods enjoyed the bliss of beauty while the Devils wept over the accursed sack."- Chapter 1, Verse 19, The Noble Index

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Inana's Pov

Well, one thing was clear. I was not going to get the princess treatment in this world anytime soon. Hff...god mother, can you really not see the plight of your daughter in this world? At least in my old world, people weren't actively trying to kill me. As long as I helped out everyone with the test papers, they used to let me watch the match during sports period.

Here, I have been nothing but compliant to best of my understanding and yet I somehow seem to always aggravate the circumstances. Oh, tell me godmother, how is a girl supposed to mull over even one of her desires, when she is not even assured of one safe night?

After having failingly tried to get up six times, I realized that my body was being restrained with tight jute ropes, crossing over my chest, my waist and my knees to the side of the bed.

Damn it! Did they really have to use jute?

They were going to leave quite a mark even if I do manage to get out of these binds.

"Agh....agh... " I couldn't help but sigh repeatedly in my head, as I tried to register the fact that just weeks after my stupid death, I was back again in some dingy hospital where instead of peace, my ears were constantly being greeted with murmurs of old people and cough.

Didn't they have magic in this world? How are theirs wall thinner and so not soundproof than ours? Also, what kind of medical procedure was this to bind the patient to bed so firmly that they could get additional injuries? Are they hoping for me to die out of impeded blood circulation?

I opened my eyes, suiting myself to the dilapidated ceiling of the small room, so white in colour that its heart must have ached each day for one splash of colour, even if just a residue mark left from muddy water. The room was as small in space as I had for my eraser in geometry box and the heat was so strong without any relief of ounce of air that even if there was a window, it was only for show.

Normally, having an isolated room in a hospital would have been relieving for me. After my frequent visits throughout high school to medical room, the school nurse was also well-acquainted with the uncomfortable staring contest that used to take place between me and fellow bed occupiers.

But that was an entirely different case – something which I didn't want to reminisce over. Here, being alone was as good as being at higher chances of killed.

Well, maybe I didn't need to worry so relentlessly now. I had blindly trusted that Rosesilver's plan, unaware of the extremities that were to follow, but at least I followed through it.

I mean I kept having my reservations about Rosesilver guy's true intent from the very moment he handed me the sword. His immediate refusal to chop off my head was already raising hopes in my heart and that release from chains was the first confirming cue of his benevolence.

I mean, why would my very own executioner hand me a weapon to fight him with? Then as our battle progressed, I was able to understand his thoughts with better clarity. He must have known that if he had simply spared my life, someone else from the village might have stood up to do the same. That is why we had to have a battle showing our strength, and put up a nice façade for the whole crowd.

The way he choreographed our whole battle to make me land in a compromising position before he launched his magical spell was just pure brilliance! He must have known that I was without any magic to even create a fake defensive shield to ward off any of his attack despite him holding back, so he directed his sword deliberately towards the ground, so as to create a smokescreen.

Thus, no one saw that when the snakes were about to reach me, they themselves stopped for the moment and I being quick to strike at hot iron, grabbed both of them. Seeing the crowd's appalled face, a proud smile had naturally crept up my face.

I had expected that to be the ending Prince Rosesilver must have concocted but it seems he had another brilliant continuation of our farce. Him having recognised my sword skills, decided to play around with me until his men could prepare itself for shooting the tranquiliser. Though I did feel a little bad for the snakes, but it was all for sake of presentation.

Then when I saw the bright light shine, outside the field, I knew my cue had come. And how right I was! The dart immediately hit me in the neck with such a strong sensation that I tripped over Prince Rosesilver , taking him to ground.

Gosh! That was so not how I wanted to start our love story.

In any case, he wasn't too mad and got up at once, probably telling everyone off. I couldn't understand his words anyway.

Though, I damn well appreciated him carrying me, as embarrassing as it was. After all, that was very funny tranquiliser. Even now I can feel weird ounces of pain in different areas of my chest and abdomen.

Still, what is taking you so long, Prince Rosesilver? Shouldn't everyone be convinced enough by now by our play? Letting a young maiden like me, tied so harshly to bed without any food or water and burning sensation everywhere without a voice to hear. It is like that arc 3 morgue scene of the manga all over again.

CREAK!

My eyes blinked rapidly, as I tried to raise my head up against the bed rest to get a look at the oncoming visitor who had just opened my door. Was it the nurse or him or someone else? In any case, it would be better than boredom.

Heavens's Pov

Hospital Corridor

"So..." Rynlick rubbed his temple for the third time, as he tried to acclimatize himself to his brother's exposition. "What you are saying is that the witch of calamity..."

"Calamity? Come on, Ryn." Zynlick laughed. "That sounds like such an outlandish word to describe someone sweet like her. "

"S-sweet..." Rynlick repeated, his eyes growing incredulously large. Never in his life, would he have imagined the red-haired witch of calamity, the violent beast of destruction known for causing havoc and chaos, which forced the heavenly guards to lend weapon for sealing her away, as sweet, especially by his simple minded honour-fixated brother.

"Yes..." Zynlick spoke with an air of conviction. "How about the Rose Witch?"

"Surrree." Rynlick nodded his head slowly. "So let me get the story straight, as the council would soon want to hear my report: The witch , having vast magical reserve could have killed you at any moment but as that kid from forest said, is one of defensive nature rather than aggressive."

"Yes." Zynlick nodded at once.

"And then during the entire fight, she was simply testing you out to see your skills and preserve the crowd's trust in your strength. But when you launched the serpent attack, she tried to warn you that using it again could end up badly for you but you instead thought she was mocking you at the moment and did exact opposite."

"Y-yeah..." Zynlick hitched his shoulder, disappointedly.

"And despite you not having paid any heed to her many warnings and show of benevolence whatsoever, when that cowardly assassin...."

"She ran unhesitatingly to take the hit for me. " Zynlick revealed, his face bearing a wistful smile. "Even then, I being a fool, continued to doubt her and thought she used your arrival as a chance to land her attack when in fact she was saving me by pushing me first to ground."

"Well! " Rynlick exhaled softly, seeing the conflicted look on his brother's face. "Don't be too upset, brother. If she saw you moping like this, she would feel sad to see her efforts having gone in vain."

"You are right..." Zynlick admitted, rubbing his eyes to wipe off the tears. "You are damn right, Ryn. " As they turned to next corridor, the witch's room waited just few steps away at the end of it.

"And what about you? " Zynlick turned to his brother with an amused look in his eyes. "How did you know exactly where to throw your sword to get that assassin?"

"I told you my power, didn't I? Zyn, I can hyper sensitize any of my enemy's five senses..." Rynlick smiled. "So once I had figured the assassin by his aura fluctuation, I simply hyper sensitized his sight which lead him to believe far distance as close. So while I was still standing outside the field, in that assassin's mind, I must have been lying as near as on opposite branch. Naturally, any of his attack that he launched couldn't reach me so I had just about enough time to aim for his chest and rest is history..."

"That really is some skill you got there." Zynlick smiled giddily, as he ruffled his brother's hair. "When were you planning to reveal, idiot?"

"I just learned it today myself." Rynlick chuckled, but then stopped as a sudden thought entered his mind. "Damn it, I knew I had forgotten something. Brother, why don't you go ahead. I will be just back in a moment."

Zynlick stopped, giving him a suspicious eye. He knew exactly when his brother used to talk in such sweet voice.

"You didn't take the antidote to poison, did you?" Zynlick sighed, able to guess his thoughts, his eyes looking at Rynlick as if he was little child. "Honestly, when will you learn to take care of yourself....Ryn...?"

"JUST GO Already...." Rynlick pouted, pushing his brother forcefully towards the door. The last thing he wanted right now was another lecture.

Zynlick let out a small smile, watching his brother scamper off in hurry. Despite his little brother already having crossed his twenties, he remains endearing as ever.

After taking a momentary deep breath, Zynlick pushed open the door, instantly meeting the most beautiful eyes that he had tainted with his own imputations not long ago. Even covered in plain doe-white sheet, it was hard to miss the witch's beauty.

The exquisiteness of her scarlet red hair paled in comparison to her jade black eyes, which were staring at him since the moment he had entered the room.

"Already awake..." A sweet smile dressed his lips, as Inana rolled her eyes in response. Walking up to her bed, he pulled up a chair with intent to repose on it. However, just as he had kept the chair by Inana's side, his hand stopped on its own.

Sit? What kind of a man would he be to take a seat nonchalantly by her side after all that had happened? The very reason he was here, because of her grace and he still hoped to put himself on same footing.

Zynlick's mind couldn't accept such an idea and much to Inana's surprise, knelt on the floor, with one of his legs standing upright as he slipped his hand onto hers. She couldn't see him having made any motion to unsheathe his sword but the very moment his palm touched hers, the ropes on her body vanished like they were never there.

Inana's heart could barely keep up with how fast things were moving, her head already revolving in seabed of fantasies she had carved so deeply into her imagination.

"Oh, Rose witch." Zynlick's eyes looked finely drunk with hope and sincerity. "There are many things worth apologising for. Who is to say, if the deeds of recompense in life will be even enough. There are tales which show you in all lights contrary, and yet here, my eyes can't even resonate with one of those kind. Maybe they were all just a bunch of lies or maybe you have just dramatically changed over the eons. Maybe you simply pitied weakling like me ..." His face wore an amused smile, at the idea of thinking himself as weak. 

"I suppose...in a way, you could be like bandit princess after all- insanely strong yet willing to show clemency. Alas! Our words can't seem to reach other as we are. But I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, the homogenous sensation in my pulse – monster or deity, I owe you my life and shall see to it that no one harms even a follicle of your hair, as you continue to stand tall in your clemency."

Zynlick slowly raised his eyes, wondering if his sentiments could make their way into the witch's heart and seeing her dainty smile, he was inclined to believe so.

He hoped so!

Standing a little outside the room, Rynlick witnessed the sight transpire before his eyes, his hands holding his injected arm, with his own questions incessantly boiling in his head.

Just what kind of magic witch had to survive his brother's onslaught? If she truly was a witch, why would she show clemency? If she wasn't a witch, how could she survive the magical attack? If she wasn't a witch, then how could she so easily recover from the poison dart meant to take out Zynlick? Even now, him who could sense everyone's magical prowess, get nothing out of her.

That could only lead him to fall back on same conclusion as his Zynlick had: the witch was insanely strong and able to hide her magical reserve. Rynlick had no qualms in believing in existence of benevolent witch but then it was strange that even when knocked out, she could manage to hide her magical prowess at all times. How could the snakes who feed never-endingly just be stopped by simple hands?

The assassin was long dead and the betrayer who must have a hidden conspirator had already fled. But why now? Were his brother and witch really on same level of thought or weaving their own tales?

Far too many questions were hounding all three in the room but none of them knew the answer just yet. Even the very witch who had become star of whole incident had yet to find out the true skill that had started to bud for her in this new world.

But one thing was lucid, the trio's lives were going to be far too inter-woven to operate in isolated boxes from now on.

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