Chapter 130: Destruction and Loss
Melaine pounded on her locked bedroom door, her hands blistered, day and night. She wouldn’t even sleep, so they had to resort to using sleep magic on her.
“Why… Why are you doing this to me…? What did I do wrong…?”
Melaine beat her chest in frustration. Tears streamed down her cheeks, though she felt like she had no more tears left to cry.
She just wanted to dedicate herself to Yuna. She had been loyal to Enzhe, maintained her dignity as a noble lady, and even gotten engaged to Reeves, all for Yuna.
‘…Ah, right. Reeves. Reeves. It’s all because of him.’
Reeves Acrea Ire.
What a prestigious name, what a prestigious existence. How much could he elevate Yuna Vava’s reputation if she married him?
Of course, Melaine personally liked Reeves too. He was handsome, he was cool, and he was her sister’s friend. So she had thought she should marry Reeves and produce an heir to the Vava family, in Yuna’s stead.
Her sister, who had lost her fiancé in the past, refused to marry anyone else, so Melaine had to do it for her.
A child of the Vava family, with Reeves Acrea’s blood. The thought made her hum with delight.
But Reeves had ruthlessly shattered her dream. He hadn’t just broken off the engagement. After receiving the letter, Melaine had visited the Acrea mansion.
She had cried in his office, demanding to know why he had broken off the engagement, why he was hindering her sister’s dream, her sister’s happiness.
And Reeves had said to her,
‘My marriage to Lady Melaine would never make Yuna happy.’
Why?
She had never heard such a thing before. It took her a while to process it.
‘Meli, think about what you want to do for the Vava family.’
Melaine recalled her sister’s words, her hand gently stroking her hair.
So she had thought about it. She had decided to live like this, for the Vava family, for her sister.
She wasn’t skilled enough to be a knight, her magic power was weak, and she had no holy power at all. The only talent Melaine Vava had discovered was her ability to build relationships.
‘This is wrong! Meli, wake up!’
But why was her sister denying her too? She had lived her entire life for her sister. Why was everyone looking at her like she was a bug, why wouldn’t they even let her leave her room?
“High Priest… Grant me salvation… High Priest…!”
Melaine frantically knelt down and clasped her hands together in prayer. Kenny, startled by her sudden change, flinched.
“Ah… High Priest… I miss you… You’re the only one who understands me…”
Tears streamed down her face like a waterfall. She bit her lip so hard that it bled.
Melaine had wanted to die when Yuna had left for Locor, when she had been humiliated by Enzhe after her engagement was broken. She had been convinced that ending her life was the only way to preserve her dignity, rather than be pitied even by Sue Byron.
She had been searching for a rope to hang herself when she found a necklace in her desk drawer.
A silver necklace with a raven pendant.
It was the necklace Rampleld had given her during the Athletics Festival.
‘The day will come when you seek salvation. When that day comes, please find me.’
The moment she found the necklace, Melaine had ordered a carriage to be prepared. Looking back, she had just wanted to live, she had just wanted to escape from the capital.
Melaine Vava was a coward.
But with that single, cowardly choice, Melaine had found a lifeline in hell.
Rampleld, after listening to her woes, had comforted her with a kind face. And then, he had introduced her to a man. A young man with white hair.
The white-haired man had called himself the high priest and greeted her warmly. She had been skeptical at first, but Melaine had gradually, quickly, fallen for him.
The high priest offered salvation to all. The followers who met him were all smiling, praising him.
‘I want to help my sister. I was born to do that… I see. I understand. A woman who dedicates herself to others… You are worthy of being a Saint. Ah, don’t worry, the Saint of the Holy Demon Religion doesn’t need holy power.’
She couldn’t remember exactly when she had fallen for him. Melaine had confessed all her sins to him and entrusted her entire soul to him. And she had become a First.
Melaine, who had once plugged her nose at the musty smell of the chapel, was now a revered figure, the Saint of the Holy Demon Religion.
‘He recognized my worth, my compassion.’
Yes, her entire life had changed after meeting him. She had been cleansed of all her sins, she had become a Saint, and all the followers in the chapel looked up to her.
She had been able to help her sister, even without marrying Reeves, even without being pitied by a fool like Sue Byron.
‘We’ll hold the Saint Advent Ceremony in six months. After the ceremony, I’m planning to officially enter the capital.’
The high priest had said that, watching the growing number of followers. That he would one day turn all the people in the capital into followers of the Holy Demon Religion. Melaine, looking down at the followers, who were swarming like ants, felt a surge of excitement.
Saint Advent Ceremony? What was that? Enter the capital? But how? She didn’t know. The high priest would figure it out. She was confident that she could do anything with him. Surely he felt the same way.
Right, High Priest?
“…Kenny.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Her swirling golden eyes slowly calmed down. It was midnight. There was no moon tonight, and Melaine’s bedroom was pitch black.
‘I’ve lived my life for my sister. Why doesn’t she understand me? …I’ve lived my entire life for her.’
For a brief moment, Melaine’s breathing stopped.
“M-Miss…?!”
Kenny, sensing something was wrong, quickly pressed her ear to Melaine’s chest. Her heart was still beating. Kenny, checking Melaine’s face, asked in a trembling voice,
“Miss, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
It was the clearest she had sounded in days. Kenny’s face brightened instantly.
Was the anti-magic potion starting to work?
“Bring me some water, I want to drink some cold water.”
“Y-yes, yes!”
“Don’t let anyone in the room. I don’t trust anyone but you.”
“Okay! Okay! Just stay in bed, okay? Promise?”
The moment Kenny closed the door and left to get water, a slow smile spread across Melaine’s lips.
Kenny prayed that this hell would end soon. So she wanted to believe that Melaine’s sudden change was a good sign.
They were on the third floor of the main building. There was a large window, but there was nothing but a stone floor below. So Kenny didn’t even suspect anything.
“Miss, I brought the wa…!”
Kenny was alone in the bedroom now. The moment she opened the door, the water pitcher and glass she had brought rolled off the tray and onto the floor. She stared blankly at the open window, a cool breeze blowing in, and sank to her knees.
Melaine Vava was gone.
***
She ran desperately. She must have broken her ankle when she fell from the third floor. But she couldn’t feel the pain yet.
“High Priest, High Priest…!”
Melaine skillfully evaded the guards. Thanks to her years of hunting, hiding her presence was a piece of cake. And as the daughter of a prestigious knight family, she was confident in her stamina.
She ran through the mansion’s lush garden. She was barefoot, and blood was trickling down her feet.
Reaching the mansion fence, she pushed aside the thick bushes. There was a small hole, big enough for a child to crawl through.
She had often snuck out of the mansion through this hole with Yuna when they were younger. A twisted smile spread across Melaine’s face as she recalled the memory, buried deep in her mind.
“Gasp… Gasp, gasp…!”
She had escaped from the mansion, but the pain in her ankle was starting to intensify. It was the dead of night. She limped down the deserted street, then collapsed, unable to bear it any longer.
“No…”
Tears, like dew drops, fell onto the cold stone pavement. But even if she managed to reach the canal, it was almost impossible to pass through the city gates without the gatekeeper’s permission.
“Ah… High Priest… I miss you…”
Yuna’s words, her hand gripping Melaine’s shoulder, accusing her of being brainwashed, echoed in her ears.
But that couldn’t be true.
Brainwashing? Hypnosis?
The feelings she had for the high priest weren’t such cheap emotions.
She had a noble love and admiration for him. Emotions that couldn’t possibly be created by brainwashing magic.
Melaine, reaching that thought, staggered to her feet.
“Ha… Ha…”
She had to find a carriage. There had to be a carriage still operating at this hour. If there wasn’t a coachman, she would swim across the canal. Melaine Vava, the Saint of the Holy Demon Religion, could definitely do it.
She dragged her swollen leg and took a step forward. And then, her head bumped into something hard and bounced back. It was hard to see in the darkness, but it was definitely a person.
…A person?
“H-help me…”
Melaine clung to the person, desperate. It was a miracle to meet someone on the streets of the capital at this hour. She couldn’t even see their face clearly, but she instinctively knew that this person was her only hope.
“Please! Take me to the high priest!”
She grabbed the person’s body and pleaded desperately, like a prisoner falling into hell.
“Please, I beg you! I’ll give you anything! Please! Please!”
The black shadow stopped moving. The person asked,
“Anything?”
Melaine’s face brightened at the response. She laughed through her tears. It was a strange feeling.
“Yes! Anything! I’ll give you everything I have if you just take me to the high priest!”