May Soul Dissonance Bow Before Me

Chapter 40

Since Cale had decided to focus on TCF!Jopis' story the others who craved information and understanding decided to do the same.

"Furthermore, I also realized that my family, the royal court, and even the entire Molden kingdom was being tricked by that motherf**king b***h."
"Are you saying Elisneh the First is showing an illusion to the entire Molden Kingdom?" Choi Han interjected into the conversation.
"No. There was no need to do that. She acted as a benevolent monarch and covered her horrible deed."
"Is that horrible deed the dead mana inside the palace?"
Jopis sighed after hearing Cale's question.
"Oh my, sir, you really know pretty much everything." She nodded her head and sat up straight. "That's right. I saw the dead mana river once I pushed the illusion away. I saw that river that flows in a zigzag pattern. I attempted to stop Elisneh the First ever since that moment."

The 'benevolent monarch' – TBOAH!Litana scowled at that phrase, hearing it right now made her feel even more like a fool. This was because she really had thought and considered Elisneh to be exactly that after hearing all about her and how she acted as the Queen of Molden. Contempt and anger at her own gullible foolishness writhed like a nauseating beast within TBOAH!Litana's chest – Grigori exhaled in quiet relief, she was glad that TBOAH!Litana's emotional state was stabilizing.

"Why didn't you tell other people the truth that you discovered?"
Jopis started to laugh after hearing Choi Han interject again. She looked elegant even as she laughed.
"Everybody in the palace, the royal family, administrators, servants, and maids are under the illusion. Furthermore, Elisneh the First has pretended to be a benevolent monarch to the citizens of the kingdom."
Elisneh had continued to develop the kingdom. Who would realize her inner mask?
"Nobody believed me. Even the people in the village below who followed me until the last moment could not get rid of the brainwashing if they had been in the palace for even a short duration of time."

There was a bitter smile on Jopis's face.

There were a few guests in the hall that could understand Jopis' struggle – TBOAH!Hannah who had sought help and had been betrayed and killed. She grit her teeth and took deep breaths to control her anger and quell the prickling in her eyes. TCF!Hannah reached out and set her hand upon TBOAH!Hannah's shoulder silently supporting her counterpart.

"The reason they chose to follow me was not because they realized Elisneh's true nature, but because they trusted me more and loved me more than the others did."
"Ruff, ruff!"
Jopis petted the puppy that was rubbing its head on her leg.
"Of course, these children believe me."
There was something Cale could not understand as he heard Jopis's story.
"Why did Elisneh keep you alive?"
She was the only person in the palace who had realized the illusion. Why did Elisneh keep such a dangerous person alive? Because she was her younger sister? Because of affection for her family? Cale saw a smile appear on Jopis's face. He could also see the corners of her eyes curl up.

Despite all her feelings toward Elisneh's betrayal, TBOAH!Litana still could not resist the ominous feeling stirring within TBOAH!Litana's chest. She felt like it was going to become hard for her to breath. She drew in an almost desperate gasp for air and braced for whatever was about to hit her.

"She said she wanted to see me go crazy."
Her family was in the palace. The brainwashed people were in Elisneh's hands, pretty much being held hostage in Jopis's eyes. Furthermore, nobody even tried to believe her.
"Elisneh said that death was too easy of a price to pay for hindering her. She told me to live in sorrow without being able to do anything until I go crazy."
There was a sad smile on Jopis's face.
"So I decided to go crazy."