“Damn it—!”

I quickly weaved magic power. Then, I tried to pierce the head of Eivind’s ‘mother’ with a thin, aggressive, heat ray, but it was repelled by a magical barrier.

He had blocked my attack.

The sound of experimental equipment breaking due to the impact of the redirected heat ray echoed.

At about the same time, Eivind appeared to have managed to remove the hold around his neck. Even though he was coughing heavily, when he spoke to the Killing Doll, his voice was gentle.

“Haha, I see, you must not be accustomed to that body yet, you accidentally used too much force.”

“Eivind, enough already—”

“—Shut up!”

I couldn’t tell him to open his eyes. He wouldn’t let me.

Besides, someone with a brain like him should’ve already realized.

That that wasn’t his real mother.

There was no way he didn’t know that it was nothing more than a homicidal puppet wearing his mother’s face.

Nevertheless, he did his damnedest to resist the urge to yell and tried to speak as kindly as possible to me.

“Leave me be… You should head to bed first. I’ll make sure to arrange a meeting with the officials tomorrow. Just for tonight, please…?”

“…Can you dispose of it yourself?”

“Watch your mouth!”

—Then I guess I have no choice.

Without a word, I once again fired the heat ray I had accumulated in my fingertips at his ‘mother.’

Clicking his tongue, Eivind swiftly repelled it.

“I won’t overlook this as a joke anymore?”

“I am serious.”

Without hesitation, I unleashed the heat that had gathered in my hands as lightning.

Eivind screamed at my ruthless attack.

“—You… villain!”

“Indeed, I’m the Incorrigible Villainess, Nora Noz.”

So, hate me to your heart’s content.

Shouldering endless grudges was normal for me.

He probably didn’t know about joyous cheers the people released when I was sealed away.

Even if the number of those who hated me increased by one or two, it didn’t really matter.

—Therefore, resent me from the bottom of your heart!

Even if that obsession evolved into a thirst for revenge towards me, it didn’t matter at all.

[…Liar.]

Cecily sure is becoming talkative these days.

Even though I was making lighthearted commentary inwardly, I was honestly in an awful situation.

Although I was attacking with all my might, I never succeeded. Eivind had blocked everything perfectly. The inside of the laboratory was already in tatters.

Eivind laughed when I momentarily slowed down.

“Just give up already. No matter how good your senses are, the fact remains that Lady Travasta’s magic is average! You’re simply an ordinary person! Know your place!”

“Hm, well said.”

After hearing that, there was no way I would remain silent. I didn’t have the patience of a saint.

Besides, doesn’t this guy understand?

Even though he’s always there, uninvited, in the journey of my youth?

So, after catching my breath, I raised my hand.

“Come forth, my magic!”

“Ha—!”

…Yet, only Eivind’s sneer could be heard.

No matter how much of Cecily’s magic power I poured into it, there was no sign of my magic coming from far away.

“It’s no use. A barrier surrounds this entire research institute. No matter what kind of magic attack comes from the outside, it will never get past the barrier. It’s futile trying to summon your magic from within. It’ll never reach you!”

When Eivind grinned at me, who was still pathetically raising my hands, I heavily stomped my foot. Immediately, my shadow, illuminated by a small lamp, stretched sharply. The black entity went for his throat.

“Wha—!?”

The Sage of the Modern Era shouldn’t have underestimated me.

After all, 800 years ago, before I was notorious as the Incorrigible Villainess, I was still the Great Sage. Outwitting an 18-year-old brat with just my senses was a simple matter.

Using that split second before Eivind would be fatally injured, I shot a simple heat ray at the doll.

“Eh?”

This time, I was the one who was flabbergasted.

The Killing Doll—the murderous puppet which was only a copy of his mother—threw itself in front of Eivind, and my black shadow pierced the gleaming red crystal on her chest.

---

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***T/N: Pls let us readers bond with his mom a bit more T_T no, not in that way

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