Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard-Chapter 126: Why did this happen - Part 3

When the ceremony ended, Auriel lingered for a moment, staring at the graves before turning away.

There was still work to be done.

The dark magic that had corrupted this village was still present, clinging to the air, to the ground, to every surface.

Even if it was weakened, it would take weeks—maybe even months—for the land to fully recover. Auriel couldn’t wait that long.

She made her decision.

She would absorb the remaining dark magic herself.

It was dangerous. Even for a goddess, taking in that much corruption could have terrible consequences. But she knew that if she didn’t, the village would suffer longer.

So, without telling anyone, she went into hiding.

She moved to the outskirts of the village, to a secluded place where no one would see what she was about to do.

Sitting down on the ground, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

She reached out, calling to the lingering darkness.

And it responded.

Dark mist swirled around her, drawn to her divine energy like a moth to a flame. It curled around her arms, her legs, slithering up her body before sinking into her skin.

It burned.

Auriel clenched her fists as she felt the corruption enter her, mixing with her own magic.

She focused, forcing the dark energy to be purified within her, turning it into something harmless before releasing it back into the world.

But it took a toll.

Sweat dripped down her forehead. Her breathing grew labored. Her body trembled from the effort.

And no one knew.

While Auriel was hidden away, struggling with the purification process, security around the village weakened.

The remaining warriors and guards had let their guard down, believing the threat to be over.

That was how Nana managed to slip inside.

______

Nana moved quickly, her small frame allowing her to weave through the ruins unnoticed. The village was still recovering, and with everyone focused on the aftermath of the battle, no one was paying attention to a single intruder.

She made her way toward the altar where Minerva had last stood. The area was mostly untouched, though the energy surrounding it was thick and unnatural.

As she scanned the ground, her eyes landed on something small—a tiny ball, black and pulsing faintly.

The villagers must have overlooked it, thinking it was insignificant.

Nana smirked.

"Idiots!"

She muttered under her breath.

She crouched down and picked up the small object, rolling it between her fingers before slipping it into her bag.

She had no idea what it was, but if Lady Victoria wanted it, then it had to be important.

Nana turned to leave, but as she moved through the village, she felt eyes on her.

A few times, people looked in her direction, their expressions puzzled. Some of them might have sensed something was off, but Nana was quick.

Her magic allowed her to blur herself, making it so that people could see her but would quickly forget they had.

By the time they realized something was wrong, she was already gone.

Slipping through the last of the village’s weakened security, she finally made it out, vanishing into the night.

The mansion was as grand as ever, its dark silhouette standing against the night sky. Nana moved through the halls with practiced ease, finally reaching Lady Victoria’s chambers.

She pushed the door open without knocking.

"You better appreciate this. I had to do all this sneaking around for this? What even is it?"

Nana grumbled as she strode in, pulling the small black ball from her bag and tossing it onto the table.

Lady Victoria was seated by the window, sipping tea. She turned her head slightly, her lips curling into a knowing smile.

"Patience, Nana. You’ll understand soon enough."

She said in a soft, melodic voice.

Nana groaned, flopping onto one of the chairs.

"I don’t get why I have to do all this work. I’m not cut out for sneaking around and running errands like some servant."

Lady Victoria chuckled.

"And yet, you did it so well."

Nana shot her a glare.

"Whatever."

The noblewoman stood, walking over to the table and picking up the small black ball. She held it up to the candlelight, her eyes glinting with something unreadable.

"You’ve proven yourself, Nana."

She murmured.

Nana blinked.

"What?"

"You’ve done well. And because of that, our master has taken notice of you."

Lady Victoria continued, turning her gaze back to Nana.

Nana stiffened.

"Your master?"

Lady Victoria smiled.

"You will meet them soon."

Nana crossed her arms, pretending to look disinterested.

"Pfft. Whatever. Not like I care or anything."

But the curiosity in her eyes betrayed her words.

Lady Victoria merely smiled, setting the black ball down gently on the table.

Everything was falling into place.

And soon, their master would make their move.

______

Auriel sat in the secluded corner of the room, her back resting against a crumbling stone wall. Her breathing was uneven, and a feverish heat coursed through her veins.

Sweat beaded on her forehead, and she clenched her fists, trying to steady herself.

She knew what this was—a side effect of absorbing too much dark magic.

The corruption was clashing with her divine essence, struggling to take hold. Her body burned, aching from the effort of purifying it all.

But she had no regrets.

She had done what was necessary to protect the village, to cleanse the land faster than time alone could.

If she hadn’t acted, the lingering darkness would have continued to harm the people.

She wasn’t ashamed.

The gods might frown upon her methods, but she had always believed that true divinity wasn’t about rigid rules—it was about doing what was right, even if it meant using forbidden power.

Still, she knew she couldn’t stay like this for long. If she let the corruption fester, it would consume her.

Taking a deep breath, Auriel closed her eyes and focused on suppressing the fever, forcing the darkness within her to bend to her will.

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