Luna Winfred (2)
Luna visited the Ustia County residence under the pretext of attending a ball. Isabelle, who had dressed up to the nines, looked utterly lovely—even to Luna, another woman. She truly was a masterpiece sculpted by the gods with painstaking care, just as the rumors claimed.
Kyle had fallen in love with her at first sight. Anyone who didn’t know him well would have agreed without hesitation. The way Kyle looked at Isabelle—his eyes shone with pure, untainted love.
Kyle was gentle with her. His cheeks would flush shyly, and a warm smile would bloom at the slightest word from her. He looked exactly like any boy his age. Just as he once had with Luna, long ago.
—My lady, Master Kyle left the mansion a short while ago.
—He’s headed to the Ustia County residence again today.
Around that time, Kyle began going out more frequently. He started paying careful attention to his appearance. Most of all, the half-dead look that had haunted his face began to fade, replaced by a spark of life.
Only then did Luna realize something anew. Even in the life she had shattered, a single grain of hope still remained for Kyle.
—A marriage discussion with Ustia…
—To think even a mere beast has its uses. You’ve used your head for once.
—What are you waiting for? Proceed at once.
The Duchess welcomed the marriage talks with open arms. Luna wanted nothing more than to tear that detestable smile to shreds, but she held herself back. There was nothing to gain by provoking her now.
With the Duchess’s cooperation, the marriage discussions proceeded smoothly. They visited the Grand Cathedral to formalize the engagement and began preparations for the official ceremony.
But somewhere along the way, things began to twist. Kyle’s nature—which had once been closer to pure white than anything—slowed began to stain black.
—According to the servants at the Ustia estate, Master Kyle and Lady Isabelle’s relationship has not been good lately.
—It seems Lady Isabelle is unilaterally opposed to the engagement…
She had forgotten. That Kyle was a being unwelcome anywhere. Because of the scandals she herself had spread about him. Because of the self-respect she had trampled beneath her feet.
—On the contrary, Master Kyle is the one pushing the engagement forward.
—Lady Isabelle doesn’t seem to have any active intention of breaking it off either.
—In fact, the Ustia family appears to be welcoming the engagement with great enthusiasm…
She had believed that, given time, she would one day be forgiven for her mistakes. That there had been circumstances. That she simply hadn’t known any better at such a young age. That she had loved him more than anyone else in this mansion.
She wanted to beg for a chance to make things right. She wanted to prove her feelings for Kyle somehow. She wanted him to rely on her again. Just once more—if he would only call her “Sister” one last time, how wonderful that would be.
But the brighter the light, the darker the shadow. Sometimes, certain despair was better than an unreachable hope.
That was why Luna chose despair. Because her selfish hope would be the most fatal poison of all to Kyle.
—Send a letter to Ustia.
—A letter, my lady?
—Yes. Tell them we wish to move the engagement schedule forward.
Too many things had already gone wrong to mend their broken relationship with mere effort.
****
At last, Kyle left the ducal residence. Having officially married Isabelle, he was moving out to establish his own independent household.
The moment Kyle left the mansion, the Duchess acted as if she had been waiting for this very day. She began erasing every trace of him that remained. His bedroom was scrubbed clean, and every article of clothing he had ever worn vanished without a trace.
Kyle left behind not a single mark in the mansion. As if he had never existed there in the first place, he gradually faded from everyone’s memory.
At that horrifying truth, the dark emotions she had suppressed for so long finally burst free.
—Sister, where have you been?!
—I’ve been looking for you everywhere!
The illusion of Kyle running toward her shimmered before her eyes. Luna stared at the vision with blurred eyes. Even though she knew it was nothing more than an illusion without substance, she could not look away.
—You told me before that you wanted to become the head of House Winfred.
Head of the house. Yes, she had wanted it so desperately. So desperately that she had done all those terrible things to Kyle simply because she couldn’t become the heir.
“Huk…!”
Her breath caught. Kyle’s voice pierced her ears like a hallucination, sharp as a blade.
—Over here, Sister.
Luna walked forward as if possessed by a ghost. The place she arrived at was none other than the front of Kyle’s room.
Beyond the wide-open window, a fragment of memory unfolded. On a winter day blanketed in pure white, Kyle sat collapsed on the floor, pounding desperately on the door as he cried out in pain.
—Please… please, the room is too cold…
That day, Kyle had shivered as if frost had settled over his entire body. How much pain must he have been in to tremble like that? Just how badly must it have hurt…
—At least give me a blanket…!
“……Ah.”
A cracked sigh tore from her parted lips. It was all… all because of her.
The terrible guilt felt like it was crushing her heart. The vision of Kyle, who had been pounding on the door, finally collapsed powerlessly to the floor.
—Why on earth…
The clear tears that had gathered in her eyes fell silently. Her throat felt blocked, and she couldn’t breathe.
—What did I ever do wrong…
“K-Kyle…”
Luna staggered toward the vision of Kyle. The old, festering emotions she had tried so hard to erase became blades that tore through her mind.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
Luna whispered desperately. Her vision blurred from the tears that wouldn’t stop falling.
—I want to go home…
The vision of Kyle, who had been staggering for so long, finally shattered into fine particles and scattered into the air. Luna’s desperately outstretched hand flailed uselessly through empty space.
Every time she drew breath, a terrible chill filled her lungs. An emptiness like the abyss pressed down on her reason.
“Kyle……”
If only she had known it would be like this. If only she had known it would hurt this much.
“……Kyle……”
She never would have made that choice.
“……Ha.”
Luna let out a tearful laugh. The belated regret felt so ridiculous.
****
Even as time passed, Kyle’s illusions did not disappear. They appeared without warning, tearing at her heart with razor sharpness. And within that terrible pain, Luna felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
Floundering in the swamp of deep guilt, Luna never once went to see Kyle after he left the mansion. That was why being able to see him—even if only as an illusion—felt like nothing short of a miracle to her.
One day, the butler showed her a portrait of Kyle. He had grown so much that he was now unrecognizable—a fully matured man. Her heart raced.
That day, Luna stared at the portrait and muttered to herself until she fell asleep.
Then one day—
“M-My lady! It’s terrible!”
The butler burst into her room with urgent steps. To open his master’s door without permission. She was just about to laugh at the completely broken hierarchy when—
“M-Master Kyle has passed away!”
“……Passed away?”
Luna blankly repeated the butler’s report. The old butler continued with a voice mixed with ragged breaths.
“Yes… He was found dead in his home…”
It didn’t feel real. No—this couldn’t be real.
A strangled voice scraped out of her throat.
“What… what are you saying……”
“The cause of death was poisoning. He died after ingesting a lethal toxin found in his teacup.”
Kyle… was dead? That couldn’t be. There was no way Kyle would have taken his own life…
“It was murder.”
“……Murder?”
The old butler nodded slowly.
“Who.”
“Pardon?”
“Who was it?!”
“I-It was Lady Isabelle.”
“……What?”
“It appears Lady Isabelle had her maid prepare the poison for some time now. She is currently being held at the imperial palace for questioning…”
Luna read the document the butler handed her over and over again. It was the undeniable truth, without a single lie mixed in.
At the same time, a horrifying realization surged through her veins. Isabelle. That damned woman whose engagement she herself had arranged. She had killed her little brother.
“Why.”
Luna muttered in a sunken voice.
“For what reason.”
Everything felt hazy, as if she were dreaming.
“No, right?”
This can’t be happening. This shouldn’t be happening.
“……No.”
There were still so many things she needed to ask him. She still had to beg for forgiveness and prove her heart.
“……It’s because of me.”
Her lips moved on their own.
“Because I… sent Kyle away……”
Because I couldn’t protect him.
Her reason melted away as if molten lava had been poured over her head. She had wanted Kyle to leave the mansion and be happy. She had never wanted this kind of outcome. If she had known it would turn out like this, she never would have let him go.
Luna’s vision turned pitch black. A corner of her chest grew icy cold.
“The young master’s body is being transported to the northern territory. The Duchess has stated she will not be holding a funeral…”
Luna’s eyes gleamed with a ferocious light.
“She won’t hold a funeral.”
“Yes. She said she would simply place him in a coffin and bury him.”
“What about the others in the mansion.”
“……”
The old butler remained silent. What that silence implied was painfully obvious.
“Puh.”
Ah, yes. That’s right. They had always been this kind of people.
Luna’s face twisted horribly. A vicious murderous intent surged up. Toward herself, who had driven Kyle into a trap, and toward the monstrous humans of House Winfred.
“So that’s how it is.”
Luna spoke in a flat voice. Her worn-out reason, frayed beyond repair, finally snapped with a clean sound.
Let’s atone with death. Both me. And Winfred.
****
After much searching, she succeeded in obtaining the same poison that had driven Kyle to his death. Colorless, odorless, and with an overwhelming lethality rate. It was said to bring indescribable agony upon ingestion.
Luna dressed more beautifully than ever before. At the same time, she proposed a banquet. She added the formal pretext of celebrating House Winfred’s prosperity.
The ducal residence was as busy as ever today. Even though Kyle was dead, nothing had changed.
It didn’t take long for the banquet to be prepared. Before long, dozens of dazzling dishes covered the long table, and familiar faces took their seats in the empty chairs.
Ian Winfred. The Duchess. And herself.
Luna sat down with a smiling face.
“Luna, what brings this on? You proposing a banquet, of all things.”
The Duchess offered an elegant smile. Luna responded with a graceful smile of her own.
“I apologize for showing you such an unsightly side of myself all this time.”
“Good that you know. Still, it’s fortunate you’ve come to your senses now.”
The Duchess waved her hand and let out a small laugh. Ian, seated at the head of the table, rang the bell on the table with his usual indifferent expression.
“Let the banquet begin.”
Clink.
The sound of utensils clashing rang sharply through the air. Sunlight poured in through the windows in the ceiling. In an atmosphere that almost felt sacred, a dissonant sound scattered across her ears.
Cough—!
“……Huh?”
The Duchess vomited dark red blood.
“S-Save……”
Thud— The staggering Duchess collapsed straight to the floor.
“What the— what is this…!!”
Ian, who had been sitting and obliviously bringing food to his mouth, shot up from his seat. Deep shock filled his eyes.
“Ugh…!”
Soon after, Ian too lowered his head and vomited blood. The pure white tablecloth was now stained a dark crimson.
“Kkgh…”
Ian sat down on the floor, his eyes bloodshot.
“Kkhh… kkh…”
A moment later, the collapsed Ian began convulsing all over like a fish out of water. The sight was so ridiculous that Luna burst into laughter.
“Haa……”
Crack— The horrifying sound of muscles twisting shattered the silence. The light in Ian’s dilated pupils, sprawled on the floor, slowly faded. The Duchess, too, let out one final short death rattle before falling completely still.
At the tragedy that had unfolded in an instant, the sharp screams of the watching maids filled the air.
And then.
“……”
Cough— A dark red clot of blood rose up Luna’s throat.
“……Ah.”
Luna rose from her chair. Then she slowly lay down on the floor. The sunlight pouring down from above the ceiling illuminated her brightly. The sky had never been clearer. It was the perfect weather to die.
“……Puh.”
Her bloodshot vision turned red. The pain that felt like it was wringing her muscles made her mind grow distant.
Kyle. My little brother.
Tears streamed down her face. The blood flowing from her mouth had pooled on the floor, turning sticky.
She knew it was too late. She knew she had no right to ask for forgiveness. She knew how vile she was for thinking only of herself until the very end. But still—
I want to see him. Kyle’s bright smile.
I want to hear it. That clear voice calling my name.
Luna’s vivid blue eyes gradually lost their light. Her voice wouldn’t come out, so she could only move her lips when—
You may lose what is most precious to you.
Would you like to start over from the beginning?
Something unidentifiable entered her reddened field of vision.
“…”
Starting over from the beginning. That… was possible…?
Luna’s right arm, limp on the floor, trembled as it slowly rose.
“……P-Please.”
If necessary, she would offer even her soul.
“J-Just… once……”
Her voice, leaking through clenched teeth, was pathetically small and mixed with heavy breaths.
“Again……”
Her eyelids felt heavy. Her consciousness gradually faded. Between her narrowing vision, the text updated once more.
Commencing regression.
Luna’s consciousness flickered out.