PRKE 61

Posted by zahid, Released on February 14, 2026

CHAPTER 61………………………………….

Feeling a little sorry, I grabbed the aquamarine necklace. Just as every time I touched “power,” a refreshing energy soaked my fingers.

“How am I supposed to prove it?”

「…It’s already proven.」

Tairin’s face twisted.

It was such an intense expression that even on his serpent face, it was clearly visible.

“What’s wrong?”

「Ha, why…」

Tairin’s tail trembled. He seemed both unable to contain his anger and confused at the same time.

He glared at me, bewildered.

「Don’t you get it? You’ve already absorbed the power. Just by touching the gem I inhabit. You must have felt the water energy!」

“Huh?”

Water energy? Seeing my expression, Tairin sighed.

「You really don’t know anything. About yourself, nothing at all.」

“…….”

「This is why Leo went so far. I finally understand his judgment. What on earth happened after my physical body died?」

I asked, crossing my arms.

“Can you explain? I don’t understand a single thing.”

「…….」

“Don’t just talk about things only you know.”

「…You really don’t understand at all?」

“Do I?”

Tairin closed his mouth and stared at me with complicated eyes.

Once again, I felt uneasy. His gaze was full of curiosity, confusion… and the most incomprehensible thing:

‘Joy? Anticipation?’

He remained silent for a while. I focused on his tail, which was lazily sprawled on the floor.

It was frustrating, but somehow, I didn’t feel like I could push him.

How much time had passed?

「A human who swallows a spirit can only pass on the power through the bloodline, never consolidate it.」

His heavy voice echoed in my mind.

「The only beings who can share a spirit’s power are other spirits of the same kind.」

I frowned, listening seriously. Only spirits of the same kind can share a spirit’s power?

“Um, I don’t mean to nitpick, but if that’s true, it doesn’t explain my abilities.”

Tairin didn’t answer my question, instead saying something unexpected.

「There was a young one, the last born of the Il tribe. Her name was Hilda.」

“…….”

「She probably survived the longest among the tribe, since Leo was there.」

“Why are you telling me such a weird story now?”

「Weird story?」

Tairin chuckled and stared straight at me.

「It’s not.」

“…….”

「Because I suspect you are Hilda.」

I froze at his firm voice.

“Don’t you see?”

I gestured at myself with my hands.

“I’m human. If my neck is cut, I die. I can’t remain in that form like you.”

I had actually died from my neck being cut. Of course, being alive again like this was strange too.

‘Still a spirit? What nonsense…’

「Whether you believe it or not, I consider you to be her.」

Tairin pulled back from the body that had been so close to me and bowed his head. His sharp head carefully brushed my cheek.

From that gesture, I realized he desperately wished that I was Hilda, that spirit.

The hope stemming from me felt heavy.

But…

‘If I say no, he might cry.’

I couldn’t bring myself to say it to him as he circled around me. Somehow, I felt a little sorry for him.

Thus began a strange cohabitation with Tairin, who claimed to be a spirit.

He followed me wherever I went.

He said he wasn’t following me, but I had to believe that was a lie.

「You sit all day long.」

“I have work. With the heavy rains, the Lord Lorenst’s estate suffered flooding, so there’s a lot to handle.”

「You were born human, yet you live so boringly.」

I glanced at him. Tairin, still sitting on my bed as if it were his own, licked his lips.

I’d noticed before, but in his serpent form, the way he stares like that is actually kind of cute.

‘Let’s just get to work.’

I lowered my eyes to the documents I had been looking at.

The report said that a merchant store invested in by the Lorenst family was flooded, and they needed to recalculate the investment. Numbers floated in my mind.

After a while, I realized it had become too quiet. I looked up.

Tairin had his head resting on his tail, staring out the window.

‘What is he looking at? He wouldn’t be fascinated by the sky all of a sudden.’

「Egrain.」

Suddenly, Tairin lifted his head.

I had been caught staring. I cleared my throat and responded.

“Why?”

「Absorb my power.」

“What?”

Tairin said it seriously, without sarcasm or joking.

「Absorb the power contained in the gem with intention.」

“Why all of a sudden?”

「Meeting you, realizing you are Hilda… you can’t imagine how relieved I am.」

“…….”

「If you absorb the power of all the spirits scattered across this land, we won’t even need to lift a hand. The ungrateful kingdoms will be wiped out.」

Hearing Tairin say ‘wiped out’ was chillingly inhuman.

「To do that, you must absorb all the power as soon as possible. Hurry, before anyone notices your ability and tries to harm you. Fortunately, your guardian seems strong, but you must still be careful. Humans are cunning and sly.」

“My guardian?”

「The human you call the prince.」

“He wouldn’t protect me like a royal guard.”

Tairin glared at me, slightly annoyed.

“Why?”

「Just do as I say.」

“Is it really okay?”

「Nothing about this is a problem.」

I shrugged at his confident answer.

“The High Priest…”

Tairin’s smooth tail twitched.

“If I absorb you, he won’t be able to see the High Priest Urenas, right?”

「…….」

“And he might even be looking for you now.”

Tairin, who had been silent for a moment, scoffed. His tongue flicked sharply in and out.

「He can’t see me.」

“Can’t?”

「Only spirits of the same kind can see a soul-chain spirit.」

“…….”

「Besides, he’s lived enough. He says he waits for Marta to take him away, so dying sooner doesn’t matter. What a fool.」

“He seems kind-hearted.”

「If you’re so worried about him, give the shell gem to him. Do as you wish. I can clearly picture him stomping around, panicking over losing the necklace.」

Tairin’s intensity softened, and I secretly smiled.

I watched him grumble in a strange mood.

‘Spirits seem to like humans.’

Even the High Priest was one of the humans Tairin hated so much.

Though he said it didn’t matter if they died, his concern was obvious, yet he probably didn’t notice.

‘You asked to destroy all humans…’

His affection for the High Priest versus his hatred for humanity was contradictory.

‘Tairin blames humans for their karma, but the kingdoms don’t know what happened in the past. Is it right that they bear the consequences of their ancestors’ sins?’

Jenny, Aiden, Kay, and Chui flashed through my mind.

Not all humans are bad.

Bang!

“Egrain!”

The piercing voice made my ears ache.

Just the frivolous sound of the door opening told me who it was.

‘Aris-gun.’

My heart sank.

Not all humans are bad.

But some humans are wicked beyond measure.

As expected, Aris glared at me in a terrible state. It wasn’t surprising.

Even if she had been absent-minded recently, she would come for me once she regained her senses.

I turned my head with a gentle smile.

“Oh my, miss. What brings you here?”

Aris clenched her teeth, perhaps even angrier at my calm greeting.

“Don’t you know why I came?”

“I don’t know what you mean. But, miss, shouldn’t you take better care of yourself? Was the food unsuitable? I specially sent it to you.”

Her face turned pale at my words.

“What did you do to the food?”

I almost laughed.

“What do you mean, ‘did’ anything?”

Her eyes were full of suspicion, ridiculously so.

‘What did I even do to you?’

Everything that happened to her was the result of her own actions.

“You still don’t feel well. Go back to your room and rest.”

“I won’t go until you reveal what you did to me.”

“Did I do anything to you?”

“Yes! You did it! To me… that…!”

“That…?”

I repeated the word she spat out, tilting my head. Aris couldn’t bring herself to finish her sentence and just hissed in frustration.

I secretly smiled.

‘Of course she can’t say. It’s a secret that her power disappeared.’

She must have been startled by her own state. The power she had since birth had vanished completely.

Trembling with fear, she suspected me, and as soon as doubt arose, she ran over in a fury. Seeing her disheveled appearance, the scene was clear in my mind.

Aris shook her head.

“Everything has been strange since you became princess. If I’m like this, she shouldn’t be like that.”

“Miss, are you feeling unwell?”

She glared at me.

“I’m genuinely worried about you.”

Seeing her appear unhinged felt somewhat unsettling.

How could someone so weak in spirit even try to pin the treason on me?

‘Ah, that’s why she did it. Because she’s weak.’

Unable to bear the fact that she associated with the empire’s spies.

Watching her glare at me like she wanted to kill me, I smiled even more.

I forcibly suppressed the violent urge to grab her hair, make her kneel, and strike her neck like what I went through.

It wasn’t the right time yet.