[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-advent-of-the-three-calamities":3,"chapter-advent-of-the-three-calamities-advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-23":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Advent of the Three Calamities",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},758658,1005,"Chapter 23: The one the world rejects [1]","advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-23",23,"\u003Cp>\"It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess. There are a few matters I'd like to discuss.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Princess, it's truly an honor to have you here. May we have a moment to speak...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Princess...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same as usual. Nothing had changed. The lights shone brightest her way, with everyone seeking ways to approach her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gatherings were burdensome to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't that she didn't understand their importance... she did, but... they weren't something she looked forward to. The weight of her role weighed heavily on her shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll do that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aoife lightly massaged her cheeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had grown stiff from the prolonged smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was proper decorum for her to greet everyone with a smile. Outwardly, she had to maintain perfection; there could be no flaws in her appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a thornless rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I'll most certainly find the time later to discuss the matters with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha~ Is that so? Thank you so much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man she was talking to was quite handsome in appearance. With short brown hair and deep green eyes, he stood out from the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he wasn't from a notable household, his magic was strong. He would certainly make for a good connection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'The smell.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aoife felt her nose scrunch up with each breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His entire body was clouded with a thick plume of perfume. A very powerful one at that. The smell was so overbearing that Aoife had a hard time keeping her face straight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....But is it possible to talk about it now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lines were slowly being crossed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unfortunately, I am busy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aoife shook her head and made her rejection clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha, it won't take long. Please hear me out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He insisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It really won't take that much time. I insis—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The son of the third head of the Evenus Barony. A first-year cadet and the Black Star. Julien Dacre Evenus.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A certain name resounded across the hall and the noise inside the venue quieted down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heads turned, and the doors swung open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing a black outfit clothing that perfectly accentuated his appearance, his entrance captured the attention of everyone in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With chiseled features and calm and steady strides, he exuded an air of nobility. His dark, wavy hair framed his perfect features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noble's piercing gaze carried a magnetic allure, leaving an indelible impression on those who settled their gazes on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He's here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't that...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's him, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whispers spread across the hall as people talked about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'He's here...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aoife's expression remained unchanged as he entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, only his presence could garner the attention of all present. However, unlike her, nobody approached him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He too was a rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike her, he was filled with thorns. One that kept those away from him. He could only be admired, but not touched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A trait that made Aoife envious of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she wasn't like the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tak——!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her heels clicked on the marble floor as she advanced. All eyes were on her as she moved forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distance between the two shrank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she was soon standing in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn't much of a change in his expression. He simply stared at her. His gaze felt pressuring, almost intimidating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'As expected of a rose filled with thorns.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just standing next to him felt daunting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That said...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've been waiting for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aoife's lips pulled up and she extended her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".....Would you give me the honor?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mere thorns weren't anything Aoife was worried about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I take the hand...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at the outstretched hand. Feeling the gazes of all those around me, I lifted my gaze to look at Aoife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What is she thinking?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I struggled to understand the motive of her actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was there some sort of secret agenda, or was this some sort of whim? I doubted it to be the latter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'....How troublesome.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't as if I could refuse her in front of so many people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, even though I didn't want to have anything to do with her due to the vision, I knew not to antagonize her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the reason she killed me in the vision was because of the way I behaved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wouldn't do me any good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Distance was good, but not at the cost of them hating me in the process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...It would be my pleasure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I accepted her offer and took her hand. Her expression subtly changed to one of surprise, but she was quick to hide it. With a thin smile, she lowered her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's settled, then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of us walked toward a more secluded area. Though there were still eyes on us, they were significantly less than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of them seemed keen on approaching us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced at her as she walked alongside me. Apparently understanding my gaze, she pursed her lips to reply,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I needed a little break.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh \"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I figured that much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But was that all to it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words seemed to clarify that point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I didn't trust her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...It must be tough being a princess.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Would've been tougher if I was the Black Star.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it just me, or did she sound salty?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised my brow to look at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She frowned,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....I didn't say anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your face says it all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I grabbed a nearby cup and slowly savored the drink. But, just as I took a sip of the drink, I felt my brows crease and my tongue shrivel up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's grape juice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....I figured.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I put the drink down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did I hate grape juice...? No, not really. I didn't mind it. However, there was something about the drink that my body rejected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sweet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was sweet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Way too sweet for my tastes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sweet?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Aoife tried the drink, her eyebrow rose. She looked at me with a gaze that seemed to say, 'What are you talking about?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tilted my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does she not feel the same?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's too much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....Uh. You are weird.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Try this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She proceeded to hand me a small pastry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at her weirdly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Try.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She insisted. I thought about rejecting her, but seeing how insistent she was being, I decided to go along with it and took a small bite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wouldn't hurt anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I took a bite of the pastry, my lips pursed together and I momentarily forgot how to swallow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless of how hard I tried, it just wouldn't go down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".....As expected.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aoife's lips pulled up in realization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You can't take sweets.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I grabbed the nearest tissue and spat out the pastry. When I glanced at Aoife, I noticed a subtle shift in her expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if she found something amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....I guess you aren't as perfect as you make yourself out to be.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What does that even mean...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And, why does she look so satisfied?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mouth had just parted open to say something when I realized that she was already gone.'When did she...'As I glanced around, I found my eyes tracing her back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, staring at her back, her steps seemed lighter than usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Crazy.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden tug of my clothes attracted my attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked around but was left confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wh-ah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lowered my gaze and met two eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stare—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They stared at me with incredible intensity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A child?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They belonged to a child. A little girl with long black hair, and large crystal eyes. Her appearance was extremely cute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'....What is a child doing here?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cuteness aside, I was confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was she doing here? Wasn't this supposed to be a gathering of important people?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps a child of a professor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stare—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her stare turned even more intense. It was as if lasers were shooting at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child didn't reply and merely shifted her gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following her line of sight, I realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I held up my hand. The one that was holding the pastry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You want this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nod. Nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her head bobbed up and down as saliva drooped from the corner of her mouth. She was quick to wipe her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sight was an amusing one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I handed her the pastry which she quickly took and shoved down her mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sight left me momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What sort of situation was this...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That said, staring at her, my lips gently moved up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Clean up your mouth first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking a tissue, I dabbed her mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were crumbs all over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just how are you eating...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She reminded me of my brother a lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stopped when I realized what I was doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She reminded me of him so much that I had acted out of impulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, she didn't seem to have minded as she continued to eat the pastries in peace. I sighed in relief and leaned back on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't know how to feel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was once again reminded of the fact that my brother was no longer next to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That there was a chance I could never see him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A little part of me told me to move on and give up. To forget about my old life and move on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such thoughts haunted me every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But... I couldn't. I just couldn't. Throwing away my past meant rejecting the very existence of my brother... I couldn't do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it meant I was chasing the impossible, I didn't plan on giving up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lowered my head to stare at my hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Why can't I progress?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though two weeks had gone by, and I had been practicing every day... I couldn't grasp my other magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if it rejected me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless of my struggles, I wasn't able to make any progress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was frustrating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haaaa...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew that I had to be patient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That I would one day get there. But... How long did I have to wait for that day to come? My days were running low, and the gravity of my situation was starting to sink in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't have long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That much was true.\u003C\u002Fp>",1702,"2026-06-02T12:40:55.797Z",1,"novelbin.me","330522055ba1b45091fea984c900bcb2b5242ce15c8649474efcdaa63ebbe719","advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-24","advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-22",876,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fadvent-of-the-three-calamities-cover.jpg"]