Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part Two]

CHAPTER 244: Babysitting a Bomb

Bubble-Bubble-Bubble~

The gentle sound of boiling broth filled the small kitchen, accompanied by the faint aroma of herbs and simmering vegetables. Marian tilted the pot's lid slightly, letting out a soft plume of steam. The scent that escaped was rich and comforting, clinging to the air like a warm embrace.

She smiled faintly to herself. Almost done.

Her eyes drifted to the old clock on the wall, its ticking unusually loud in the quiet cottage. The hands crept well past noon. Reneal and her husband were supposed to stop by for a late lunch—something about a brief appointment in town, nothing unusual. The stew had taken longer than expected, so it was just as well they hadn't arrived yet.

I hope they haven't spoiled their appetite again with all that snacking, she thought absently, wiping her hands on her apron.

Then, in the distance—

Neigh~

A horse's cry echoed faintly through the trees.

Marian's heart lifted at the sound. "Speak of the devil," she murmured, her lips curling with relief.

She took the pot off the stove and set it aside before hurrying to the door. She stepped outside, combing locks of hair behind her ear as the wind gusted. But as her eyes landed on the path leading to the cottage, something made her stop cold.

There was only one horse.

And it was pulling a cart.

A dull crunch of wooden wheels on dirt scraped against her ears like a cruel whisper. Her breath caught in her throat. The rider pulled back their hood.

It was Reneal.

But it wasn't the boyish smile she had raised, nor the eager wave he always gave. It was a hollow look, one that shouldn't belong to someone so young.

His eyes were red-rimmed, his mouth set in a trembling line. As the cart drew closer, Marian felt something strange settle over the clearing. The breeze stilled. The leaves didn't rustle. The sun seemed colder.

Before the horse even stopped, before Reneal could utter a single word—

She ran.

Her feet pounded against the dirt, skirts billowing behind her. She rounded the back of the cart, and there it was—

A casket.

It was draped in cloth bearing the emblem of the kingdom.

Her knees buckled instantly.

"No—" Her voice cracked, broken by a sob before it could fully form. She collapsed to the ground, hands reaching for the edge of the cart as if touching it might make it untrue. "No, no, no, please... not him... not now..."

Reneal slid down from the horse in a daze. His face crumpled the moment he saw her break. "I'm sorry," he whispered, again and again as he dropped beside her, his own knees digging into the earth. "I'm so sorry, Marian..."

They clung to each other tightly and cried. Grief overtook them, their bodies trembling from the force of it. The forest around them fell completely silent. There were no birds, no breeze.

Just a casket.

Two broken souls.

And a meal that would never be shared.

***

Lumielle's lips quivered in dismay.

At the sight of that, Lyndoria's eyebrows crinkled. "Those monsters," she scoffed. "How could they do something so vile, and in broad daylight?"