In the depths of the darkness, a chilling laugh escaped from twisted lips. The sound was like a cruel scream, yet it carried the terror hidden within the silent void.
“Ah, finally…!”
Its smile was laced with cruel joy and greed. The burning gaze in the darkness flickered with the stench of blood and the desire for corruption.
The Pure Soul, which seemed like it would never change, had finally begun to taint black.
The threshold of corruption is hard to cross, but once the first step is taken, the path becomes an endless descent.
The day when the Pure Soul is completely painted in darkness is not far off.
With the death of the Saintess as the final act, this soul will be bound to hell alongside it.
Forever tied, in an eternal hell from which there is no escape.
“Together for eternity.”
Anticipating only that ecstatic moment.
The devil murmured low and heavy.
※
I blinked blankly and called her name.
“…Lady Viviana?”
Unlike a few years ago, the Blanchard Baronet Family’s Mansion had regained some of its former dignity.
In the center of the guest room, an unexpected figure stood before me.
She was so tall that I had to crane my neck to look up at her, dressed in a dark black coat that seemed fit for a funeral.
“…It’s been a while, Tina.”
A wave of confusion washed over me.
Why was she here?
I had come out because a guest had arrived, and there she was, fidgeting nervously with familiar violet eyes.
But first, she was a precious guest who had come to our family.
It wouldn’t be proper to leave her like this.
“Has it been four years?”
“…Yes.”
I gave her a faint smile.
Despite the unexpected meeting, my heart remained calm and undisturbed.
After all, my feelings for Viviana had been completely burned away four years ago, so there was no reason to be greatly shaken.
But Viviana didn’t seem to share that sentiment.
Her violet eyes, filled with tension, couldn’t meet mine directly.
The imposing figure of the general I had last seen was gone, replaced by a timid and shrunken person standing before me.
Moreover, as I glanced down, I noticed she was holding a bouquet of flowers that seemed out of place.
“What are those flowers?”
“Ah, Tina… they’re for you.”
“…Oh.”
“I, I picked them myself. They reminded me of you… they looked pretty.”
I numbly accepted the bouquet Viviana handed me.
The flowers, a mix of blue and white, displayed a delicate beauty.
Their colors, resembling my identity, seemed to be filled with sincerity.
Viviana wasn’t the type to like flowers, so did she really pick these herself?
‘…What is this?’
A sweet fragrance wafted from the petals, making my heart flutter quietly.
A strange, ticklish feeling that was oddly uncomfortable.
But before I could be swept away by this unfamiliar emotion, I quickly calmed my mind.
“Thank you. I’ll take good care of the flowers.”
After all, Viviana knew about my deceptive side.
There was no need to wear a mask.
I looked at her with indifferent eyes and gave a faint smile.
“I heard the news. They say the war ended thanks to you, Lady Viviana.”
“No. It wouldn’t have been possible without the Saintess’s help.”
I felt slightly annoyed when Lillian was mentioned, but I didn’t show it.
“Then, what brings you here to see me?”
“Do you remember? Before… you sent me a letter.”
“Ah.”
“You said you’d forgive me if I came back after the war ended, right? So… I came back.”
That’s right.
It was three years ago, so I don’t remember it well, but I definitely wrote that.
The Kingdom of Caladwen was the Empire’s enemy. If no one stopped them, the Empire would be engulfed in flames like a bad ending in a game.
So I used Viviana’s guilt to send her to the battlefield.
Honestly, I didn’t expect the war to end so quickly, nor did I think Viviana would return unscathed.
“There were many close calls, but I desperately endured, thinking only of you, Tina… wanting your forgiveness.”
Viviana stood up from the sofa and approached me.
With desperate eyes, she knelt before me.
“Tina, I was wrong. Can you… forgive me?”
Had the proud Viviana ever bowed her head like this before?
Had I ever seen her, so full of pride, lower herself so earnestly?
Before I could even be startled by her sudden action, Viviana carefully took my hand.
“I miss those times so much. The moments when you listened to my piano playing, the times we talked in bed, they haunt me every night.”
“…”
Honestly, this is a good situation for me.
Though she may seem pitiful now, Viviana is one of the main characters in this worldline.
Having such a person offer herself to me, there’s no reason to refuse.
Coincidentally, an invitation to a banquet in a week arrived from Mardian.
It’s been a month since she said she’d deal with Lillian, so all preparations must be complete by now.
Having a bodyguard by my side around that time wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“Lady Viviana.”
“Y-yes.”
I quietly approached Viviana and took her hand.
Leading her to the sofa, I sat her down and then gently sat on her lap.
“I… really trusted you, Lady Viviana. But you saw me as nothing more than a lowly prostitute.”
“I, I was just—”
“Even if it was an act, it was a really hard time for me. That’s why I eventually chose to kill myself.”
“Ah…”
At the word “suicide,” Viviana’s body began to tremble.
It seemed my actions back then had left a deep trauma in her mind.
Well, that’s good for me.
Feeling the lingering guilt she still harbored for me, I secretly smiled faintly.
“Lady Viviana… do you want to get along with me again?”
“…Yes. I want to be with you again, Tina.”
“I… still feel a pain in my wrist when I see you. But since I brought it up first, I’ll try to make it work.”
“R-really?”
Viviana’s eyes widened in surprise.
Her amethyst eyes, filled with anxiety, now shone with hope and expectation as she looked at me.
“Just one thing, can you promise me something?”
“Tell me. I’ll promise anything.”
Viviana, not wanting to miss this chance, urgently grabbed my hand.
The person who went to the battlefield, risking her life to protect me. If it weren’t for Mardian’s cooperation, I might have entrusted Viviana with dealing with Lillian.
“Can you promise, in the name of your family, to act only for me from now on?”
The name of the family.
No one here would be unaware of the weight carried by the name of the Merdelia Ducal Family.
“I promise. In the name of the Merdelia family.”
But Viviana offered that heavy name so easily.
Having once betrayed the weight of that name, she would never repeat that mistake again.
“Alright, I’ll try to trust you again, Lady Viviana.”
I leaned against Viviana’s lap and gently pulled her head to my chest.
Viviana buried her face in my chest and let out a sigh of relief.
“Th-thank you, Tina.”
Viviana, trying to hide her trembling shoulders, tightly embraced me. Her hands, wrapped around my waist, felt urgent yet earnest, as if she was holding back tears.
For a while, I slowly and carefully stroked her head.
Like before, comforting her with a warm touch.
How much time had passed? The lifeless eyes Viviana had when we first met now seemed to have regained some vitality.
With reddened eyes, she gently caressed my cheek, then, with a momentarily flustered expression, brought her hand to the corner of my right eye.
“Tina… your eye…”
“Huh? My eye?”
Thinking something might be stuck, I quickly rubbed the corner of my eye.
But I didn’t feel anything unusual.
“Is there something there?”
I opened my eyes and looked at Viviana, but my reflection in her amethyst eyes showed nothing out of the ordinary.
“I thought… I saw a cross…”
Viviana muttered to herself in a small voice, then shook her head and hugged me again.
“No, really… I missed you, Tina.”
“…Is that so.”
Seeing Viviana after Lillian, it seems people change after going to the battlefield.
She’s become quite the spoiled child.
※
A week later, a grand social banquet was held, bringing together the Empire’s nobility and upper class to welcome spring.
“Tina!”
“Lady Sharrione, I really missed you.”
In this season of clear skies, dignitaries from all walks of life gathered to wish each other peace and prosperity for the year, enjoying lavish hospitality. Many distinguished guests were in attendance.
“Hoho, seeing Tina’s face today puts my mind at ease.”
“I’m so happy to see you too, Lady Sharrione!”
“My, Tina, you really…”
The grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling scattered soft light, creating a dazzling spectacle, while intricately crafted decorations filled the space below. Tables covered with embroidered cloths and lavish floral arrangements added an elegant fragrance, enhancing the banquet hall’s luxurious atmosphere.
On one side of the banquet hall, elegant music played softly, enveloping the space in a gentle melody. The nobles, dressed in colorful, splendid attire, enjoyed light conversation and laughter, savoring the leisurely atmosphere.
A peaceful and lively ambiance, a truly flawless banquet without a single flaw.
No one could have imagined.
That today, in this very place, the Saintess, revered as the Empire’s savior, would meet her fate of being poisoned.