“Damn it!” Yerena screamed out a swear.

It was a light-minded and graceless act that didn’t suit the black mourning attire she wore.

Sezh only stared at her without saying a word.

It was just past noon. Sezh couldn’t understand why Yerena came to her palace at such a time and to throw a tantrum.

Of course, the death of Johan Franz is quite enraging from Yerena’s point of view.

‘It’s been a while since Luna died. Did you come here to take your anger out on me knowing that…?’

Sezh had a tired expression on her face.

However, Yerena made an unexpected statement.

“I should have gotten rid of that damn Lize bitch!”

“…What?”

“It’s all because of that bitch! That bitch ruined it all!”

Sezh also had a tiny suspicion that it may have been Raytan who killed Johan Franz. However, Yerena is suspicious of Lize, not him. As far as Sezh knew, Lize had nothing to do with it.

“Mother, what do you mean by that?”

“Those cursed things.”

While wheezing, Yerena sipped her tea.

Unable to bear her curiosity, Sezh continued to ask, “Does Duke Franz’s death have anything to do with Lady Lize?”

“People think that Duke Franz died due to a chronic disease, but that is a blatant lie.”

Sezh’s pupils shook with shock.

“It wasn’t a disease. It was murder. I heard said the Duke’s bedroom was full of blood.”

For a moment, the image of Raytan’s body soaked in blood passed through her mind.

So, Duke Franz also hadn’t died because of some chronic disease before her return? Sezh still wasn’t clear about that.

“His concubines and children are all taking it easy. They must not want to get caught up in anything useless!”

She wasn’t wrong. But it seemed that wasn’t the only reason they were quiet. There was no one in that family truly saddened by Johan Franz’s death. They might even be happy that he died.

“Mother, I’m sorry but… What does that have to do with Lady Lize…” Sezh questioned again.

“It was that Lize bitch who ordered someone to kill Duke Franz!” Yerena screamed. “I heard about it. She ordered someone a few days ago. It’s even from a broker who specializes in such things!”

“That- that’s impos-…”

“Now you, are you trying to defend that bitch in front of me?!”

“No, no. It’s not like that. But something is strange isn’t it? Even if Duke Franz died, Lady Lize would not benefit anything from it…”

Perhaps this was an idea that Yerena detested. A blue vein appeared on her forehead.

“How is there no benefit, you idiot bitch?”

For a second, Yerena seemed to have come up with a thought on her own.

“Lize knows it. If you become Duke Franz’s wife, it will strengthen my position. She must have wanted to stop it!”

“…”

“Lize is a demonic woman. She must have done it! Don’t you see how she monopolizes His Majesty’s favor?!”

Sezh was confused. Then, it was because of this reason that Yerena killed Lize in the past?

Before she was beheaded, Sezh just thought Yerena wanted to remove the several concubines in her way, and she especially had a lot of hatred for Lize.

“I will never let this go!” Yerena murmured fiercely. “No matter what is done to Lize now, His Majesty won’t properly be able to respond to it, right?”

Yerena was planning the future Sezh already knew.

‘Again, like this…’

It felt like her eyes were getting blurry. Dismayed, Sezh looked up at the seething Yerena.

***

Raytan slowly stepped inside the library.

The cramped library was the same as the last time he visited it. The window was slightly open, and the chair where Sezh always sat was facing him.

Raytan stood still in front of the doorway for a long time, then sat down on the chair. After that, he blankly stared around the quiet library.

‘Brother, what should I do first today?’

The sound of fluttering book pages and Sezh’s bright smiling face came to his mind.

‘…Now, there will be no more days like that.’

The peace is broken. Johan Franz is dead, and Yerena will kill Lize.

And when Lize dies, he …

‘I came here because I was worried. I think Brother will be alone and feel lonesome… I’m really worried because of that.’

“…Stupid.”

His quiet laughter filled the room. Raytan blinked while having a vague expression where one can’t tell if he’s happy or sad. However, a small package suddenly caught his eye.

“What’s this?”

Narrowing his eyes, Raytan reached out a hand towards the package. A piece of paper hidden between the folds fell to the floor with a fluttering sound.

It was the letter Sezh had brought with the cloak that dawn he’d returned home after killing General Hayden.

[It’s a cloak. My brother always wears light clothes, so I’m worried. It’s getting colder day by day, so you have to wear it.]

“…Who worries about who?”

[Luna said the strength of the letter is that it lets you convey words that you can’t voice out to someone in person. So, I’m going to try that. I think you would say that I’m stupid if I talk about it directly.]

“…”

[I will always feel thankful to you, Brother. Even if many things change in the future, I won’t change.]

Raytan’s hand holding the letter trembled.

[Even if one day Brother hates me, even if someday you don’t even want to see me… I want you to know my sincerity. I’m your Sezh, who always wishes for your happiness.]

The letter’s contents ended with that.

“Really stupid…” Raytan’s muffled voice sounded out. “Really sounds like a stupid kid…”

That was really stupid. Will Raytan someday hate Sezh to the point where he doesn’t even want to see her anymore? Such a thing will never be possible.

If he could hate her, things wouldn’t be this confusing for him. Raytan wouldn’t even care about Sezh.

He wouldn’t have to walk into this small library.

‘B-Brother…’

The day he ran into Sezh while still covered in blood. Raytan remembered that moment clearly.

The terrified pair of blue eyes that looked at him was the same as everyone else’s…

Raytan couldn’t hate Sezh. He’s already admitted at some point that her worries were futile. It was quite the opposite. The one with the concern is him. Will Sezh hate him in the future?

‘Don’t ever search for me again. After all, you are afraid of me now.’

What if she continues looking at him with those eyes? What if she hates him for doing things like this and doing what he must do in the future?

“So if someday you hate me, if you don’t want to see me again…”

Right then…

Raytan’s blank mutters stopped because of the sudden appearance of someone.

“Brother Raytan.”

Sezh’s voice came from outside the door.

“It’s me, Sezh.”

She couldn’t hear his answer, so Sezh just stared at the closed door silently.

“I’m coming in.”

Sezh opened the door and entered the room.

She looked pale and exhausted for some reason. Raytan couldn’t resist trying to figure out what else had happened. Perhaps Bern or Lillian may have done something stupid again. Or was it because of Luna?

Raytan rose from his seat.

“…Brother.”

After closing the door, Sezh slowly approached Raytan. She stared at his tall figure for a few seconds.

“I- I have something to ask you…”

“Say it.”

Sezh didn’t say anything for a long time, then parted her lips with a trembling voice.

“Do you… remember what I said back then? I said that I don’t want Brother to get hurt. I don’t want you to be sad or lonely…”

“I remember.”

“I still feel the same, and I always will in the future. So I… What I want to say is…”

“…”

“If you stop right now… can’t you do that?”

“…What?”

“I know everything.”

Raytan’s blood-red eyes shook wildly.

He knew it was impossible for her to know nothing. Sezh already saw him covered in blood that day. However, Raytan didn’t expect she would say it this way.

“It’s still not too late now. Now-…”

Yerena definitely wants to kill Lize. As long as she had made up her mind like that, Sezh wouldn’t be able to stop her. However, Yerena had not yet moved. So, if Sezh still had a little good luck, she might be able to stop it. And to do that, she had to stop Raytan from killing more people.

It wasn’t just because she didn’t want a coup to happen. It also wasn’t just because she was afraid of being beheaded.

She was worried.

Sezh was sincere in wishing for Raytan to not get hurt at all.

Nevertheless, no voice came out from his mouth. Sezh then mustered up her courage to look up at Raytan. He had a strange expression on his face.

It seems like he was bewildered, surprised, and at the same time also sad… Sezh couldn’t stand it and continued to talk.

“Duke Franz died… My mother, to Lady Lize-“

She couldn’t finish that sentence because a large hand suddenly touched her cheek.

“Close your eyes, Sezh.”

“…”

“Close your eyes and cover your ears. Don’t say that you see anything and don’t hear anything.”

“Broth-…”

“You must.”

His low voice was remarkably resolute. Sezh couldn’t speak anymore and only stared at those crimson eyes.

“That’s the best you can do. And… I, to you…”

‘I, to you? What do I want to say?’ Raytan laughed at himself.

Tell her to pretend she doesn’t know anything? If she does that, will Raytan automatically be able to protect her? It’s such a funny thought. Sezh was no different.

‘Kill them all.’

Everyone. Everything. Sezh was included in his mother’s order.

Raytan looked down at Sezh while biting his lips. When Sezh was about to speak again, he brought her face closer to his. Frozen, Sezh didn’t move an inch. Raytan was also the same. He rested his forehead against Sezh’s little round one and then sighed.

“Even if one day you hate me, even if someday you don’t even want to see me…”

“…”

“I want you to know my sincerity.”

“Brother…?”

“I hope you will never get hurt and cry. That’s what-…”

‘I’m always thinking in my head. No matter what may come.’ Raytan swallowed the words he hadn’t been able to utter, then pulled Sezh into his arms.

She was startled but didn’t push him away. Even so, Raytan tightened his arms to hug her delicate body. Nobody could ever erase the anxiety that arose inside him that day.