Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: On That Day, Her World Completely Collapsed
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Cecilia had loved the night since she was a child.
Darkness, pitch black and shadowy, always soothed her heart.
Especially after her brother vanished and never returned.
When she buried herself in the darkness, she could keep dreaming.
And in those dreams, her brother was always there.
That brother always welcomed her when she visited every day.
The beauty of dreams was that she could do anything.
She could play with her brother like old times, talk with him, eat meals together.
Yes, anything.
She could create and do whatever she wanted.
In dreams, she was never alone.
It was so sweet.
Cecilia drowned in that sweetness, living forever in her dreams.
Someday, those dreams would scatter and fade away, but even that illusion was enough to make her happy.
She could have stayed trapped in them for life.
But.
Light always interfered with her.
Even when she tried to slip into her dreams, the blinding light kept dragging her out.
When the pouring light forced her eyes open and her mind awake, she was always alone.
A chill and profound loneliness enveloped her body in that moment.
It hurt so much that Cecilia decided to block out the light.
She hung blackout curtains over her windows one by one.
So that morning or evening, nothing would disturb her dreams.
She locked herself in dreams without eating or even using the bathroom.
And somehow, Cecilia ended up at the monastery with her mother.
The environment changed, but what she did stayed the same.
She just had to go into her dreams.
Because her brother was waiting for her there.
But one person shattered that life completely.
"Miss, have some red bean bread!"
Even if she pushed it away, saying she didn't want it.
Even if she yelled that she hated it.
Even if she ignored him completely.
That guy never wavered.
"Sweet dreams, Miss."
He came every single day, unwavering.
That was Tail.
Every day. Every single day, Tail came.
Unlike the impatient people who always tried to yank her out, he was different.
He waited. He was patient.
Before she knew it, he had approached her so slowly.
By the time she came to her senses, she was looking straight at Tail.
She was stepping out into the world.
No longer trapped in unstable dreams.
She started looking forward to mornings.
The next day became something to anticipate.
Every day felt joyful.
It was like every cell in her body had awakened and come alive.
These emotions were entirely new.
Cecilia sensed it instinctively.
Without Tail, this life would be impossible.
So she wanted to stay at this monastery forever.
She thought she could live here for life if she wanted.
But.
Against her wishes, news of the empire's victory rang out.
Tears flowed from Cecilia's eyes.
Snot and tears smeared across her face, she had no choice but to send off the smiling Tail one last time.
At the same time, she realized.
The reason she couldn't take Tail with her was her lack of power.
Because in this reality, her own will meant nothing.
So she vowed.
'I'll become the family head.'
Become the head of a powerful family, grow into a fine adult, and go find Tail.
'We promised.'
And she'd write letters.
And they promised never to forget each other.
Cecilia thought to herself as she climbed into the carriage.
She saw Tail waving from afar.
Watching him fade into the distance, Cecilia cried again.
"Cecilia, stop crying now."
Duchess Duvier, watching her from the front, sighed.
"That boy is just a commoner orphan monk anyway. There are plenty more handsome and better men out there."
Cecilia's eyes sharpened at Duchess Duvier's words.
"Don't talk about Tail like that."
"But Cecilia, you're a noble. The only daughter of the Duvier Marquis family."
She continued in a worried tone.
"If word gets out that you're in contact with a commoner boy, it could ruin your marriage prospects..."
"No!"
Killing intent flickered in Cecilia's eyes.
"How can you say that, Mom? You're the one who asked Tail to look after me!"
Then don't ask in the first place.
Don't let me know this happiness.
Cecilia vented her frustration.
But Duchess Duvier, unable to understand her, looked perplexed.
"That's why we compensated them with 100,000 crowns!"
The duchess's voice trembled with anger.
"What's the problem, Cecilia Duvier?!"
"Everything! It's all a problem! This happiness with Tail from the start..."
"Cecilia!"
Duchess Duvier raised her voice, frustrated at Cecilia crying and shouting.
"Get a hold of yourself."
Her eyes turned stern.
"What if your father finds out?"
Cecilia's father.
Marquis Duvier.
At the mention of her father, Cecilia shut her mouth.
He was hopelessly doting on his daughter, but more than anyone, he valued noble status.
"He earned great merit this time and is heading straight back to the estate."
The duchess sighed and continued.
"If he hears about this, given his temperament, he'll go kill that commoner boy before even returning home."
It was true.
It could easily happen, so Cecilia clenched her teeth.
Tears kept falling from her eyes.
Seeing Cecilia somewhat calmed, Duchess Duvier soothed her.
"Cecilia, if you really want to protect that commoner boy."
Listening to her mother, Cecilia felt a surge of emotion.
Her chest tightened, wondering if she'd suffocate and die like this.
And at the duchess's next words, she could say nothing.
"Cutting ties is the best thing for him too."
Thud.
Her heart sank.
'Never see Tail again forever?'
Cecilia's eyes trembled finely.
On that day, her world completely collapsed.
At the same time, Tail was at the Black Wing Guild.
The abbot had told him to go into town and change his mood since he'd feel down.
With nowhere else to go, he came to the guild's residence, the King-Kong BAR.
Tail took a sip of the orange juice in front of him.
The sweet drink filled his mouth.
Khan, his silhouette visible behind the counter, asked Tail.
"You okay?"
Tail set down his glass and replied.
"With what?"
"Heard they all left today. Must be lonely."
Tail chuckled at Khan's words.
"Seriously. Why do so many people keep asking if I'm okay?"
His eyes curved slightly.
Like his usual smile.
"What wouldn't be okay?"
Khan let out a short laugh, seeing him act unfazed.
"Still, it'll be lonely for a while."
Khan continued casually.
"So come by often."
Tail grinned mischievously at his considerate words.
"Why? Gonna make me write prophecies every time?"
Khan burst into laughter at the playful remark.
"Well, now that the special circumstance of war is over, you'll have to work like an ox even more."
Tail fiddled with his orange juice glass at Khan's joking sincerity.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Khan."
Tail hesitated before continuing.
"I'm closing shop for a while."
"Any reason?"
Khan's voice rose in curiosity.
Tail fell silent for a moment, then spoke with difficulty.
"Nothing's coming to me right now."
It was true.
This point marked the start of Chloe and Cecilia's full childhood, with five years until the story truly began.
It would take five years.
He hadn't heard anything about that long span of time.
And among what he had heard, almost everything currently relevant was already used up.
'Time to start rationing prophecies.'
Well, he'd made a ton of money, and he'd get half of Marquis Duvier's sponsorship too.
This should be enough for a bit, right?
'If I run low, I can always dip or do the prophet thing again.'
As he thought that, Khan smacked his lips and replied.
"That's a real shame."
Regret seeped even into his voice.
Then he continued in his deep tone.
"Still, you're always welcome, so drop by whenever you're bored. Think of it as a playground."
Playground?
The word didn't fit this place at all, nearly making Tail spit out his juice.
"Thanks for inviting me, but has the definition of playground changed on me?"
Tail burst out laughing.
The clear laughter of a boy echoed through the space.
"Calling a place that does contract killings a playground? Pfft!"
The Black Wing Guild, an information guild that handled everything from ruling back alleys to cruel and dirty jobs, even assassinations—a playground?
The massive mismatch made Tail laugh heartily for the first time in ages.
The first big laugh since Chloe and Cecilia left.