A Liar's End
The pink-haired girl standing before me was Chloe Criatis, Vivian’s younger sister. In my previous life, I had met the Chloe who was supposedly dead years ago. We had definitely crossed paths, and she had definitely been killed by Saren. In the most horrific way imaginable.
At this point in time, Chloe should be wandering somewhere in that forest we once visited—not in the afterlife, but lost in the woods. After all, I had encountered her only a few days after leaving the estate. Yet in this life, that moment hasn’t arrived yet.
Should I head back into the forest right now to check?
“Vivian.”
“Yes?”
“Is your sister the one with pink hair?”
“Pardon? My lord already knows my sister so well, yet you ask…”
Knows her well? Me, knowing Chloe? Something felt off.
“My lord?”
“Ah… sorry. It’s an old memory.”
“……”
Vivian’s brow twitched. Her expression carried a faint trace of discomfort. More importantly, why was Chloe dead in the first place? Had she truly vanished forever after being killed by Saren? No, that couldn’t be right. It absolutely could not.
What had Saren said? That she was nothing more than an NPC in this game. She was simply someone I needed to protect—nothing more, nothing less. Just like any other NPC. It had to be a different person. A Chloe different from the one Saren had murdered.
According to Vivian, they were close, yet the Chloe I met had looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. But if it was the same Chloe… if being killed by Saren truly meant permanent erasure… then there could be no worse outcome.
The moment Vivian died at Saren’s hands, everything would end.
Yet I couldn’t test that theory. …This was giving me a headache.
I turned my head slightly to look at Saren.
“Hmm?”
Our eyes met. She tilted her head, her red eyes curving into a gentle smile. Just what was this child? I was supposed to be the one saving her. So why did she keep getting in my way?
“What is it, Brother?”
“Nothing. You just look especially pretty today.”
“Oh my?”
Embarrassed by my words, she cupped her cheeks with both hands and lowered her head.
“Haa…”
With a tiny sigh, I turned away again. It was suffocating. I thought I had begun to grasp the situation, but there were still far too many unknowns.
By the time the sunlight beat down harshly overhead, we decided we could walk no farther and took shelter in the shade beneath a tree. Saren, overwhelmed by the heat, lay down right beside the trunk and closed her eyes for a nap.
“…I’m exhausted,” Vivian said, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
“I should have brought at least some food.”
“I’m sorry. It was my oversight.”
Vivian bowed her head.
“It’s not your fault.”
Was that a habit of hers? Always taking the blame for everything. It made me hesitant to even speak.
“More importantly, I’m worried about the young lady. She should be resting after taking her medicine, yet she’s been walking nonstop.”
“……”
I shared the same concern for Saren. But no matter how hard I tried to shake off the thought that she was obstructing me, it refused to leave my mind.
“Vivian.”
“Yes?”
“That…”
I stopped mid-sentence. For a split second, I had nearly blurted out, ‘Should we leave Saren here and run away together? Just the two of us?’
“My lord?”
“…It’s nothing.”
“…?”
She tilted her head in confusion. Growing increasingly frustrated, I leaned back against the tree, sat down, and hung my head low. I thought I had found a clue, but it only seemed to tangle further into a larger knot. This was… utterly fucking miserable.
At that moment, Vivian’s warm hand enveloped my head and pulled me gently into her embrace. Her sweet scent brushed against my nose.
“You’ve looked deeply troubled for a while now, my lord.”
“……”
She pressed her full lips to my disheveled crown and continued.
“If you don’t wish to speak, you don’t have to. But while you’re in my arms, please set all your worries aside, even if only for a moment, and rest comfortably.”
My nose suddenly stung. Nothing would be solved by staying in this embrace. Chloe wouldn’t come back to life, and Saren’s madness wouldn’t cease. Yet why did this hold feel so warm, so reassuring?
I closed my eyes tightly within her gentle arms and savored the fleeting instant.
“Vivian.”
“Yes, my dear lord.”
“Thank you.”
“If you’re thankful…”
“Hm?”
She cupped my face with both hands. Then she slowly leaned in and kissed me softly. My eyes widened in shock. A kiss, so suddenly? What if Saren saw? How could she be so bold…
Despite my worries, my hands had already found her waist, accepting the moment. When our lips finally parted, Vivian gave a shy, bashful smile.
“Wh-what was that…”
“You said you were thankful. So I simply took what I wanted as repayment.”
“Ugh…”
My body curled up like a perfectly steamed shrimp. Was this the first time in my life I had felt such fluttering embarrassment? Vivian chuckled at the sight, then stood and called out to me.
“My lord?”
“Y-yeah.”
When I looked up, she was reaching out to me.
“Shall we continue on?”
A smile spread across my lips. I took her hand firmly and rose to my feet.
“Let’s go. We can rest properly once we reach the church.”
“Yes. I’ll wake the young lady.”
“Thanks.”
A crude brick building with an equally crude interior. The church was filled with old stained-glass windows. So this was where Vivian had grown up.
“Welcome, Young Master Serion Elsia and Lady Saren. I am Marian de Liora, the Great Saint of the church.”
A middle-aged woman named Marian approached and bowed respectfully.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Serion Elsia, heir to the Elsia family.”
But for some reason, Saren remained completely silent, her lips sealed tight.
“You should greet her, Saren.”
“……”
She stayed silent even now. Her childish behavior made my face twist into a deep frown.
“It’s quite all right, Young Master Serion,” Marian said with a gentle smile.
“I apologize.”
“You must be weary from the long journey. I’ll prepare a meal first. In the meantime, please refresh yourselves with a bath.”
“We are truly grateful for your kindness, Great Saint.”
“Not at all. It is nothing compared to the grace your family has shown us.”
Agh! The flattery was too much—I couldn’t take any more.
“Vivian, my dear, you must be tired, but could I ask you to show them around?”
Marian turned to Vivian.
“Of course, Elder Sister. My lord, young lady, please follow me.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
We followed her. Perhaps coming to the church had been the right choice after all. Though the bathroom was shabby, the bath itself was heavenly. The meal prepared in the humble kitchen was equally exquisite.
Afterward, we entered a spacious, tidy room containing three neatly arranged beds. Serion, Saren, and Vivian changed into nightclothes and prepared for sleep.
“You’ve all worked hard to get here. Let’s rest well tonight and discuss our plans for the future tomorrow.”
“Thank you for your hard work, my lord, young lady.”
“……”
Saren remained silent as ever.
“…Good night.”
There was no eerie aura, nor did she seem angry. Yet I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling blooming in my chest. Perhaps it was due to the exhausting journey—my eyelids grew unbearably heavy, closing against my will.
.
.
.
My chest felt tight. My body seemed unbearably heavy. It felt even more exhausting than marching in full armor. Then—
“…Liar.”
A sinister, low whisper brushed against my ear. Thinking I had misheard, I tried to roll over without much thought. But my body wouldn’t move at all.
“……?”
Only then did I slowly open my eyes—and my breath caught in my throat. The room was pitch black. Two vivid red eyes glowed directly above me, staring down. Yet for some reason, the face was completely obscured by shadow. Only those crimson pupils gleamed with terrifying intensity.
“Saren?”
“Liar.”
“…What?”
That was when it happened.
“Ugh—S-Saren…!! Kgh…!”
Saren began pressing down hard on my throat.
“Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar.”
She kept whispering the same word over and over in a voice so grotesque it sent chills down my spine. Overcome with terror, I thrashed with all my strength. I kicked my legs, clawed at her arms until they bled. But the more I struggled, the more weight she put on my neck. I couldn’t break free. How could such a small child possess this kind of strength…?
Soon, her thumb crushed down hard on my windpipe.
Crack. Crunch.
With a horrifying sound, my Adam’s apple was forced out of place amid unbearable pain. The agony was so intense it felt like my eyes would pop out of my skull.
“Ghhk…”
I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t resist. In that moment, Vivian flashed through my mind. I rolled my eyes as far as I could to check her bed. She lay motionless. I couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead.
“Vi… Viv…”
“Why, Brother? Are you worried about Vivian, the one you love so much?”
So she had known about us after all.
“Why… why do you keep looking away from me, hmm? Hmm?? Hmm!!!??”
“Kgh!!”
A thick clot of blood burst from my mouth, splattering across Saren’s face. Moonlight gradually filtered through the window, revealing the face that had been hidden in shadow. Her lips were stretched into a horrifying grin that looked as if it would tear at the corners.
“I told you I would always be by your side. You promised you would only look at me. Didn’t you?”
“S-Sav…”
“Why… why can’t you speak… Was I wrong? Was I the only one who felt that way?”
Tears began falling from her eyes, dripping onto my face. It didn’t matter how much it hurt. It didn’t matter if I died like this. I could always return to the church. The real problem was Vivian. She could not—under any circumstances—die by Saren’s hand. If she vanished forever like Chloe, I would be trapped in this world with no escape. That was the one thing I could never allow…
“Brother!!!!”
Whoosh—
Flames erupted from Saren’s palm wrapped around my neck. The searing pain of my throat burning away made my struggles even more violent.
“I… I didn’t want to do this either… Hic…”
“Khhk…”
The flames soon engulfed my entire face. Though I had only died twice before, this was the first time it had been this agonizing. My windpipe crushed, my head burning alive—it was so horrific that a guillotine would have been far preferable.
“I’m sorry, Brother. I’ll kill Vivian soon and follow right after you.”
“…!”
My thrashing suddenly stopped. Vivian was still alive. The moment that realization hit, the pained expression vanished from my face. Instead, a smile bloomed. And then all sensation slowly faded away. One by one. Like falling asleep. Peacefully.