"It's okay."
Squeeze
Miracle hugged Estio tightly.
Her small body couldn't fully embrace Estio, but as if it didn't matter, she gently stroked his silver-blue hair.
"I'm by your side, brother."
"......"
"I won't abandon you no matter what happens. I'll be your wings so you can soar to where you want to go."
Pat pat
Estio sobbed at Miracle's affectionate touch, as if she were applying medicine.
Miracle whispered, holding Estio, who was like a treasure, close to her.
"So, brother, give me your......"
Miracle whispered repeatedly, as if engraving an imprint on his soul.
And beyond the slightly open door.
'What's going on here?'
Banshees stood there with a bewildered expression.
He stared blankly into the room through the crack in the door, then quickly came to his senses and hurried away.
He dashed across the hallway as if being chased by something, then stopped abruptly.
So......
"......Brother isn't Father's biological son?"
Estio was clearly saying that to the Duke.
'What on earth is going on!'
His mind was too confused.
'I knew that brother wasn't a direct descendant.'
The person who told him that was none other than Gaspal Arthur, the leader of the Senate.
On the day the Duke announced Estio as his successor, he came to Banshees and said.
'Listen carefully, young master. The only bloodline that can inherit Rodbell is you, young master.'
'But, but brother is here......'
'He is not of legitimate blood. So only you can be the next head of the family. Do you understand?'
That's when he learned the truth.
That was why.
That was why he tormented Lucia even more.
Because he was watching Estio's every move. Because the more he tormented Lucia, the more satisfied Estio seemed.
Banshees was afraid of Estio.
The reason why he was helpless during the swordsmanship sparring with Lucia was because Lucia-
'You know that Estio is a bastard, right?'
-said that.
It was quite unfair now that he thought about it, but he was really surprised at the time.
He never thought that Lucia would know that fact too.
'I knew he was a bastard, but I had no idea that he wasn't even Father's child.'
That wasn't the only thing that was confusing.
'Miracle was also strange.'
Her words sounded like comfort, but in reality, Miracle was subtly shredding Estio's heart.
And on top of that.
'Being wings, asking for something.'
He had no idea what was going on.
'I was just worried about my brother.'
He had a feeling that he had seen something he shouldn't have.
That's when it happened.
"Little brother?"
Banshees was startled by the sudden voice and turned around.
"What are you doing here?"
Step by step in the darkness.
"M, Miracle."
Miracle approached.
Miracle, who had already come right in front of him, tilted her head.
Banshees quickly averted his gaze and hurriedly replied.
"Well, what! I was worried about my, my brother because he said he was sick...... What, what were you doing here......?"
Banshees asked back, studying Miracle's reaction.
"......"
Miracle stared at Banshees without answering.
Gulp
The moment Banshees swallowed hard.
Grin
"Brother is just like me?"
"Huh? What, what is?"
"I was worried about big brother too, so I came here. But big brother...... didn't open the door for me, so I'm just on my way back."
Miracle drooped her shoulders with a gloomy expression and closed the remaining step.
And she grabbed Banshees's sleeve tightly.
"Big brother seems to have something sad going on. So little brother, please go and comfort him. Maybe he'll open the door for you if it's you, little brother."
Miracle came a little closer.
Banshees looked down at his sister with trembling eyes.
Miracle's face, which was making a face like a wet puppy, was overlapped with the image of Miracle who was wrapping around Estio and saying strange things a little while ago.
"Huh? Brother."
Gulp......
Banshees, who swallowed hard again, grabbed Miracle's hand that was holding his clothes tightly and shouted.
"Hey! Are you stupid?"
"Huh?"
"Don't you know that brother likes you more than me? Why would he open the door for me when he didn't open it for you?"
"......"
"And brother probably wants to be alone! It's rude to keep asking to open the door when he doesn't want to open it! Ligrin will scold you for being impolite if she finds out."
"Ah."
Miracle's eyes widened.
She stared at Banshees blankly for a moment, then nodded seriously.
"Little brother is right. I was too short-sighted."
"Hmph, it's good that you know it now."
Banshees replied saucily and moved his steps, pulling Miracle's hand.
Miracle followed Banshees, hurrying after him.
As he crossed the hallway, Banshees struggled to fix his gaze forward, trying not to look back.
Then, he glanced sideways, watching Miracle, who was following him.
Her pure eyes and innocent expression were no different from the Miracle that Banshees knew.
But......
'Poor Estio Rodbell, abandoned so cruelly and crying alone like this. Like a baby beast.'
'So, brother, give me your......'
Miracle was clearly whispering that.
'I don't know what's going on.'
He knew one thing for sure.
He must never let Miracle know that he had heard that conversation.
With only that thought in mind, Banshees moved forward.
Suppressing the strange urge to shake off the hand he was holding.
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
I looked around with a dazed mind.
A space of darkness deeper than darkness.
A realm of nothingness with no top, bottom, or end.
'This place is......'
I quickly realized what this place was.
A place I had already been to once.
Abyss......
But why am I here again......
"As you said, in exchange for me helping you, you have to help me get out of here. Let's say this is a deal and a contract."
I flinched and turned my head at the sudden voice.
And there.
"You and I seem to be in the same miserable situation. How about it, miserable Rodbell girl? Will you make a contract with me?"
There was a black and beautiful man.
'That man is......'
And in front of him, a woman with long black hair was standing in the air.
I soon realized that this was my memory.
The memory before I came back.
"......Okay. I'll do it, the contract."
"I like it. This makes it a contract."
The man smiled slyly.
The lips of the two people met.
Seeing that scene, I remembered the sensation at that time.
That feeling of a cold, intangible thing filling me up as if a wave was crashing down.
It's still vivid now.
That's when it happened.
Hwaaack-
Suddenly, a bright light shone into the pitch-black space.
The moment the darkness receded in that light and the world collapsed like puzzle pieces.
The man's last voice was heard.
"We'll meet again soon. Because I'm going to where you are."
The man's obsidian eyes shone in the darkness that was being filled with light, and soon the world completely collapsed.
Flash!
"Heok! Cough......!"
I opened my eyes and gasped for breath like a fish pulled onto land, coughing roughly.
After a while, I could finally breathe a little.
'What is it?'
My vision was dizzy, as if something had forcibly woken me up.
That's when it happened.
Flutter flutter......
Something was flying through the air, scattering specks of dark purple light in front of my eyes.
'A butterfly?'
It was a butterfly.
The butterfly was illuminating the darkness and fluttering away.
I stared blankly at it for a moment, then pinched my cheek.
"Ouch."
It hurts. Then that means it's not a dream......
'Why is there a butterfly here?'
I instinctively looked at the window.
Of course, the window was tightly closed.
Then where did that butterfly suddenly come from?
Besides......
'A glowing butterfly, huh.'
I've never heard of a butterfly that shines in such a mysterious color.
More than anything.
'Why is it doing that?'
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