Chapter 129: Destruction and Loss
Late at night, at the Acrea grand duke mansion.
Reeves Acrea Ire’s first reception room.
Unlike the other rooms, which were illuminated by white magic stones, Reeves’s first reception room was lit only by rose-scented candles.
The Acrea mansion had never been breached. A divine beast, unchosen by the temple, had made its nest in the bushes on one side of the mansion, and in exchange for its life being spared, it strengthened the barrier around the mansion.
Divinity, holy power, divine beast, white magic.
The Acrea family was surrounded by all things good, yet a sinister aura lingered in the mansion.
And there was a woman who had breached the mansion’s security and barged into the Grand Duke’s reception room.
“Reeves, what the hell are you thinking? You traitorous bastard.”
Marquis Yuna Vava, a longtime acquaintance of Reeves Acrea, barely suppressed her rage as she ran her hand through her golden hair.
Reeves was reading reports from his ministers, his monocle perched on his nose. He greeted his old friend with a smile,
“It’s been a while, Yuna. How’s young Melaine?”
“I’m asking you what you’re thinking!”
The reception room door rattled as she slammed it shut. Yuna couldn’t hold back her anger, hearing Melaine’s name come out of Reeves’s mouth.
But Reeves, seemingly unfazed by her outburst, took a sip of his wine, as if he was enjoying her anger.
“Why don’t you take a seat first? We have plenty of time. Let’s talk calmly.”
His head tilted to the side, his hair, not platinum but light brown, swaying. His gentle smile, directed at his friend, reminded her of his younger brother.
“…Sigh.”
His smile was as faint as the moon in the sky. Her childhood friend hadn’t changed. Yuna, facing that reality, felt her anger melt away.
“Because of you, Melaine…”
Yuna slumped onto the sofa, her face crumpled.
The First Knights Captain had abandoned the Crown Prince and returned to the capital because of her sister, who had fallen for a subordinate religion.
Her early return was a disaster. She was blaming Reeves, but she knew that everything that had happened recently was her responsibility.
It was an excuse, but Yuna, who had been assisting the Crown Prince in the Locor Kingdom for almost three months, hadn’t heard about what had happened to her family and her sister.
She had only found out about Melaine’s broken engagement a few days ago, through a letter, let alone the fact that she had joined an illegal subordinate religion.
“…Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
Yuna clenched her fists, hiding her trembling hands.
“You know I didn’t want to do it from the start.”
Reeves said, placing his wine glass on the table.
“It was bound to happen anyway. It just happened sooner because someone exposed it. Yuna, you didn’t want to marry your sister to me either. So it’s all worked out for the best.”
“…Sigh.”
As Reeves had said, she had vaguely sensed that the engagement would be broken. But the timing was terrible, so terrible that she felt betrayed. She recalled the story she had heard upon her return and mumbled,
“…Enzhe Lopetrefer again.”
“Haha, you can’t blame Enzhe for this.”
“I know, that damn bitch.”
She knew. She knew that this was all her fault, Yuna Vava’s. In this world, even alliances and friendships were fragile, easily broken. She realized once again the weight of being the head of a family.
The scent of roses, from the candles or the roses that filled the reception room, made her feel nauseous. She said plaintively, in the dim light,
“You should have gotten married sooner.”
“You’re one to talk.”
She had spoken casually without realizing it. Yuna cleared her throat and changed the subject, her voice formal again,
“Right, you’re right. Reeves Acrea, I was too naive. I was a fool to trust you. You investigated the Holy Demon Religion for Melaine. I appreciate that.”
Her words, a mix of praise, resentment, and gratitude, weren’t sarcastic. Reeves poured wine into her glass.
“Actually, it wasn’t for your sister… Someone requested an investigation of the Holy Demon Religion.”
“A request? Someone noticed that small subordinate religion? Who?”
Reeves’s eyes sparkled with interest, as if he had been waiting for that question.
“My brother.”
“Your brother?”
“Yes, he asked me if it wouldn’t be a good idea to investigate it.”
Reeves’s face lit up with excitement.
“Isn’t he amazing? My brother, of all people! Haha, could he be… in love with your sister Melaine?”
“Reeves.”
“Yes, Yuna.”
“Shut up.”
Yuna cut him off sharply. It was still hard to hear Melaine’s name come out of his mouth, even if it was her fault.
Yuna rubbed her forehead and tossed the letter she had brought from the mansion onto the table. The Acrea family crest was stamped on the envelope.
“Huh? It’s the letter I sent you.”
“Yes, your goddamn letter.”
“Is there a problem?”
Yuna took a deep breath, as Reeves pretended not to know.
“Reeves, why did you send the letter by regular mail when there are high-speed carriages and magic trains? What are you up to?”
His answer came a beat later,
“I knew you would abandon your duties as Knights Captain and return to the capital immediately, Yuna.”
“….”
“You’re a sentimental person, despite appearances. Especially when it comes to your sister. But you’re the Knights Captain of the Imperial Family.”
Fulfill your duty, Yuna Vava Cretos.
“…Tell me the plan.”
She always felt a sense of defeat when she talked to him, even though she considered him a friend. Yuna hated that feeling. She gave up on having a proper conversation and slumped back on the sofa.
Reeves finally nodded, satisfied.
“The high priest of the Holy Demon Religion is using illegal magic to recruit followers. That’s all there is to it. And Lady Melaine Vava and the Northern High Priest Rampleld are involved. But it seems like no one else is taking it seriously. They want me to handle it myself, since the subordinate religion is still small. Those bastards.”
“So you’re saying the Imperial Family won’t provide any troops?”
“Yes, and your Knights are useless too. So I have to use my own private army for something that has no merit for me, Yuna.”
“I’m going to the chapel too. That’s all you need to know.”
Reeves smiled at her resigned tone.
They had known each other for a long time, so he knew her personality well. But she knew him just as well. Reeves always cleverly manipulated their conversations to induce her defeat, but Yuna always countered him until the very end. Reeves just wanted to play with her.
Yuna picked up her wine glass. But instead of drinking, she stared at her reflection in the wine.
“A subordinate religion… Why is she suddenly interested in something like that? She never even glanced at them before.”
It was almost a mumble to herself. Reeves smiled faintly.
“Because you were her religion.”
***
Melaine Vava Cretos had always admired Yuna Vava Cretos deeply. She had naturally accepted the fact that her existence was for Yuna, ever since she was born. She was even grateful to Yuna for bringing her into the world.
Her duty as Yuna’s younger sister was simple. Serve Enzhe Lopetrefer and order Sue Byron around. Enzhe had a violent temper, but sometimes, seeing the students who acted out of line, Melaine secretly sympathized with her.
Sue? The one with the snake curse? She felt a little sorry for her, but she was just stupid. Perhaps because she was from a lowly background, she still didn’t know how to behave in the capital.
Lopetrefer, Vava, Byron. As the one in the middle of the allied families, Melaine had always done her best. She tried to build good relationships with everyone, not just Enzhe. She knew that was her duty.
She had always been confident. She was beautiful, she was capable, and she never forgot that her sister was Yuna Vava.
“Open the door! Sister! Open the door!”
But how had it come to this?
The confident, radiant Melaine was gone.
“Let go of me! Kenny! Let go!”
“Miss… Please stop…! Sob… Waaah…”
Kenny, Melaine’s personal maid, hugged her mistress tightly from behind, her body trembling. But Melaine Vava, now deeply obsessed with the Holy Demon Religion as the “Saint,” couldn’t stop.
“Open the door! Open the door! Sister! Open the door!”
Her voice was hoarse, her throat raw. She pounded on the locked door until her hand bled.
She was confined to her bedroom.
‘Really, how did it come to this?’
She couldn’t stop, even as she thought that. Tears kept streaming down her face. She felt like she was going crazy.
She had fought with Yuna again after running away from Enzhe at the academy. Yuna, refusing to listen to her, had confined her and called a curse breaker. But the curse breaker couldn’t find any trace of brainwashing magic on Melaine.
‘How dare she doubt me, the Saint?!’
The intense betrayal she felt towards Yuna turned into rage. Melaine grabbed the innocent curse breaker by the hair and slammed her against the wall.
And that was how she ended up like this. Yuna, having no other choice, had confined her to her bedroom.