“For that reason... just for that reason...”
Laura looked at Cloud with an expression that said she couldn't understand.
Guilt, conscience. It wasn't easy for Laura to accept that he had abandoned his family for such pitiful reasons.
“Mother was right. Uncle is too soft and weak-hearted!”
“...Yeah, that’s what my brother always said. You really do take after your father.”
Cloud burst into a weak laugh. Laura, realizing her uncle's words weren't meant as a compliment, pouted indignantly.
“So, what about me? I’m going to die because of you, uncle.”
“...That won’t happen. I got a definite answer that your life would be spared in exchange for reporting them.”
Laura kept her mouth shut and stared blankly at Cloud.
If she had my way, she asked herself, "What's the point of living?" Laura spent her entire life branded a sinner. What would she do then? Her uncle's betrayal still stung.
But that couldn't be the case. The moment she heard her uncle say that even if she rolled in dog shit, this life was better and that her life was guaranteed, a wave of relief washed over her.
So instead, Laura threatened Cloud with something improbable.
"My mother hasn't been captured yet. If she gathers her forces and comes to rescue us, my uncle will pay the price for his betrayal!"
“...You haven't heard yet. I heard your mother was captured today. She's being transported here, so you'll probably see her soon.”
Cloud said in a calm voice.
In fact, that was why he brought her here under the pretense of wanting to see his niece. To let her meet her mother.
Laura stared at Cloud, stunned, as if shocked by those words. She hoped he'd quickly deny it, that it was a lie, a joke.
But unfortunately, it was true that Capella was captured.
“Come out. The sinner Capella Air has just arrived.”
And just as Capella arrived at the prison, the iron door opened and a guard came in. He strode over and placed shackles on Cloud's hands.
He knew he wouldn't try to escape, but it was a rule that he be handcuffed when he left the prison.
Laura walked down the dark prison corridors with mixed emotions. She was happy to see her mother again, but also scared.
Considering her mother's usual temperament, she could have scolded Laura harshly, saying that it was all Laura's fault that things had turned out this way.
But she couldn't concentrate on her busy thoughts because of the noisy surroundings.
As soon as the traitor Cloud Air's face appeared, the prisoners in each room began to scream and swear.
Words like "cowardly informer" and "traitor" were cute, and occasionally, crude insults like "a guy who won't get his fill even if you drink from him" were heard.
Laura flinched and hid behind her uncle's sturdy back.
Even though it wasn't an attack on her, hearing everyone's blatant slander made her feel intimidated, and the short hallway felt like it would never end.
And a moment later, they came face to face with Capella, who was being dragged away, screaming loudly. Her entire body was covered in wounds, a testament to the fierce resistance she had put up against the men when she was captured.
'...She said she had an extra curse initiation device as a spare and was caught.'
Cloud recalled the story he'd heard, looking at the woman he once believed he knew well. She had secretly created and possessed another curse-activating device, unbeknownst to Byron.
It occurred to him that perhaps the woman he knew, Capella, was only a small part of who he was.
It was at that time.
When Cloud's eyes met, madness flashed through Capella's red eyes.
“Cloud, you filthy traitor...! Pay the price of your betrayal with your life!!”
Capella shook off the knights who had been holding her with incredible strength that was hard to believe came from such a delicate body, and ran towards Cloud, clutching the weapon she had disguised as a hairpin in her hand.
And at that moment, Cloud didn't dodge her attack as it rushed towards him.
No matter how quickly he moved, he would have been able to easily dodge it if he wanted to, since he had not formally trained in martial arts.
But he couldn't avoid it, because his niece was standing behind him.
If he dodges the attack, it will be Laura who will take the full brunt of Capella's furious attacks.
The sharp blade was thrust into Cloud's chest with great force, and when she pulled it out, hot blood began to spurt out like a fountain.
“It’s a weapon...! Take it away now!”
The panicked knights rushed to Capella and restrained her. Meanwhile, Capella was laughing like a lunatic.
“Uncle, uncle, uncle...!”
Laura, pale with shock, tried to support the staggering Cloud. However, her strength was insufficient to support his heavy body, and he collapsed onto the cold floor.
“Uncle, come to your senses...”
She tried to stop the blood from pouring out of Cloud's wound, sobbing, but the blood kept flowing out.
“...Laura.”
Cloud gasped for breath, as if in agony, as he called his niece's name. If this were the last time, there was something he desperately wanted to say to her.
“You may not understand my actions... but I hope you remember this much. That this uncle truly... loves you. And... I’m sorry.”
He struggled to express his true feelings.
At this moment, the thing he regretted most was Laura.
If only he had had a little more courage and stood up to Capella, and taught Laura properly, wouldn't Laura have grown up to be a different person?
He felt such regret.
“Uncle, no. Don’t die, yes? Please, please..."
Despite his niece's desperate cries, Cloud closed his eyes, unable to overcome his heavy eyelids.
“Uncle!”
Laura, unable to overcome the shock, collapsed and screamed.
But her shock didn't end there.
“You will never be able to punish me. Haha, hahaha!!”
It was because Capella, who had been laughing in a loud voice, bit her tongue after saying these words.
The cold stone floor of the prison was quickly stained red with the blood of the two men.
Before Laura, who was hiccuping with a bewildered face, could even grasp the situation, Capella's breath was cut off at a rapid pace.
“Uh, uh uh...”
Laura crawled on the floor, her expression incredulous. Her dress was soaked with blood, but she seemed completely oblivious.
“Oh, why... Mother. Oh, Mother...”
She stroked her mother's face, her eyes wide and bloodied, her lifeless body devoid of any trace of life.
“Mother, mother...!!”
It was unbelievable. To be left alone in this world. Everything that had supported her felt like it was crumbling.
A hopeful story finally reached her ears as she cried out for her mother, her mind blank.
“He’s still breathing! Call a doctor now!”
The knight who was checking Cloud felt the pulse and shouted.
She lost her mother, and the treason she risked her life for failed... But still, a tiny bit of hope emerged that perhaps she wasn't alone in the world.
Binka bit her nails nervously.
This was because he had heard that Byron's subordinate, Capella, who had met and talked with her just two days before and received the poison, had not only been captured yesterday, but had also committed suicide in prison.
If she had gone to Capella just one day later, wouldn't she have been caught too? It was a dizzying thought.
'I have to tell my father this news quickly...'
She looked around anxiously. The cleaning maid she had arranged to meet secretly behind the prison had not shown up, even though the appointed time had passed.
This time, she planned to pay the maid to disguise herself as a cleaner and enter the prison. Of course, she has to silence her afterwards.
Binka shuddered for a moment as she remembered her first murder. Just yesterday, she had poisoned the broker who had falsified her identity.
He drank the drink laced with a few drops of poison that she had received from Capella without a second thought, clutched his chest in agony, and died within minutes.
Soon, one more person would have to be killed, and there was no telling how many more would have to be killed.
Thinking about it like that made her feel a little scared, but she shook her head and shook off the distracting thoughts.
Whoever she killed, it was all for her own future. It was something she couldn't afford to be weak-hearted about.
At that moment, the maid who had promised to meet her appeared from afar.
“This way! Why are you so late?”
When Binka gestured for her to come quickly, the maid stopped, looked around, and then slowly approached her.
“..Sorry. I was late because I had to do something else.”
“Quick, give me the cleaning supplies and my ID. Here, take my money too.”
Binka took a pouch full of money from her bosom and handed it to the maid. But she hesitated, not knowing what was on her mind, and refused to accept the money.
"Hey, I don't know why you're trying to go in there... but let's stop. If you get caught even once, things will get a lot worse. I don't want to get involved in something this dangerous anymore."
There was one time when she was tempted by a large sum of money and let someone go to prison in her place, even though she knew it was dangerous, but no matter how much she thought about it, she still felt uneasy, so today she came out to refuse.
'... Why now? After already having received everything I wanted. If you were going to refuse, you should have refused from the beginning.'
Binka bit her lip with a disgruntled expression. She needed to meet with her father immediately to discuss a plan, but how could she suddenly interrupt like this?
Laura looked at Cloud with an expression that said she couldn't understand.
Guilt, conscience. It wasn't easy for Laura to accept that he had abandoned his family for such pitiful reasons.
“Mother was right. Uncle is too soft and weak-hearted!”
“...Yeah, that’s what my brother always said. You really do take after your father.”
Cloud burst into a weak laugh. Laura, realizing her uncle's words weren't meant as a compliment, pouted indignantly.
“So, what about me? I’m going to die because of you, uncle.”
“...That won’t happen. I got a definite answer that your life would be spared in exchange for reporting them.”
Laura kept her mouth shut and stared blankly at Cloud.
If she had my way, she asked herself, "What's the point of living?" Laura spent her entire life branded a sinner. What would she do then? Her uncle's betrayal still stung.
But that couldn't be the case. The moment she heard her uncle say that even if she rolled in dog shit, this life was better and that her life was guaranteed, a wave of relief washed over her.
So instead, Laura threatened Cloud with something improbable.
"My mother hasn't been captured yet. If she gathers her forces and comes to rescue us, my uncle will pay the price for his betrayal!"
“...You haven't heard yet. I heard your mother was captured today. She's being transported here, so you'll probably see her soon.”
Cloud said in a calm voice.
In fact, that was why he brought her here under the pretense of wanting to see his niece. To let her meet her mother.
Laura stared at Cloud, stunned, as if shocked by those words. She hoped he'd quickly deny it, that it was a lie, a joke.
But unfortunately, it was true that Capella was captured.
“Come out. The sinner Capella Air has just arrived.”
And just as Capella arrived at the prison, the iron door opened and a guard came in. He strode over and placed shackles on Cloud's hands.
He knew he wouldn't try to escape, but it was a rule that he be handcuffed when he left the prison.
Laura walked down the dark prison corridors with mixed emotions. She was happy to see her mother again, but also scared.
Considering her mother's usual temperament, she could have scolded Laura harshly, saying that it was all Laura's fault that things had turned out this way.
But she couldn't concentrate on her busy thoughts because of the noisy surroundings.
As soon as the traitor Cloud Air's face appeared, the prisoners in each room began to scream and swear.
Words like "cowardly informer" and "traitor" were cute, and occasionally, crude insults like "a guy who won't get his fill even if you drink from him" were heard.
Laura flinched and hid behind her uncle's sturdy back.
Even though it wasn't an attack on her, hearing everyone's blatant slander made her feel intimidated, and the short hallway felt like it would never end.
And a moment later, they came face to face with Capella, who was being dragged away, screaming loudly. Her entire body was covered in wounds, a testament to the fierce resistance she had put up against the men when she was captured.
'...She said she had an extra curse initiation device as a spare and was caught.'
Cloud recalled the story he'd heard, looking at the woman he once believed he knew well. She had secretly created and possessed another curse-activating device, unbeknownst to Byron.
It occurred to him that perhaps the woman he knew, Capella, was only a small part of who he was.
It was at that time.
When Cloud's eyes met, madness flashed through Capella's red eyes.
“Cloud, you filthy traitor...! Pay the price of your betrayal with your life!!”
Capella shook off the knights who had been holding her with incredible strength that was hard to believe came from such a delicate body, and ran towards Cloud, clutching the weapon she had disguised as a hairpin in her hand.
And at that moment, Cloud didn't dodge her attack as it rushed towards him.
No matter how quickly he moved, he would have been able to easily dodge it if he wanted to, since he had not formally trained in martial arts.
But he couldn't avoid it, because his niece was standing behind him.
If he dodges the attack, it will be Laura who will take the full brunt of Capella's furious attacks.
The sharp blade was thrust into Cloud's chest with great force, and when she pulled it out, hot blood began to spurt out like a fountain.
“It’s a weapon...! Take it away now!”
The panicked knights rushed to Capella and restrained her. Meanwhile, Capella was laughing like a lunatic.
“Uncle, uncle, uncle...!”
Laura, pale with shock, tried to support the staggering Cloud. However, her strength was insufficient to support his heavy body, and he collapsed onto the cold floor.
“Uncle, come to your senses...”
She tried to stop the blood from pouring out of Cloud's wound, sobbing, but the blood kept flowing out.
“...Laura.”
Cloud gasped for breath, as if in agony, as he called his niece's name. If this were the last time, there was something he desperately wanted to say to her.
“You may not understand my actions... but I hope you remember this much. That this uncle truly... loves you. And... I’m sorry.”
He struggled to express his true feelings.
At this moment, the thing he regretted most was Laura.
If only he had had a little more courage and stood up to Capella, and taught Laura properly, wouldn't Laura have grown up to be a different person?
He felt such regret.
“Uncle, no. Don’t die, yes? Please, please..."
Despite his niece's desperate cries, Cloud closed his eyes, unable to overcome his heavy eyelids.
“Uncle!”
Laura, unable to overcome the shock, collapsed and screamed.
But her shock didn't end there.
“You will never be able to punish me. Haha, hahaha!!”
It was because Capella, who had been laughing in a loud voice, bit her tongue after saying these words.
The cold stone floor of the prison was quickly stained red with the blood of the two men.
Before Laura, who was hiccuping with a bewildered face, could even grasp the situation, Capella's breath was cut off at a rapid pace.
“Uh, uh uh...”
Laura crawled on the floor, her expression incredulous. Her dress was soaked with blood, but she seemed completely oblivious.
“Oh, why... Mother. Oh, Mother...”
She stroked her mother's face, her eyes wide and bloodied, her lifeless body devoid of any trace of life.
“Mother, mother...!!”
It was unbelievable. To be left alone in this world. Everything that had supported her felt like it was crumbling.
A hopeful story finally reached her ears as she cried out for her mother, her mind blank.
“He’s still breathing! Call a doctor now!”
The knight who was checking Cloud felt the pulse and shouted.
She lost her mother, and the treason she risked her life for failed... But still, a tiny bit of hope emerged that perhaps she wasn't alone in the world.
***
Binka bit her nails nervously.
This was because he had heard that Byron's subordinate, Capella, who had met and talked with her just two days before and received the poison, had not only been captured yesterday, but had also committed suicide in prison.
If she had gone to Capella just one day later, wouldn't she have been caught too? It was a dizzying thought.
'I have to tell my father this news quickly...'
She looked around anxiously. The cleaning maid she had arranged to meet secretly behind the prison had not shown up, even though the appointed time had passed.
This time, she planned to pay the maid to disguise herself as a cleaner and enter the prison. Of course, she has to silence her afterwards.
Binka shuddered for a moment as she remembered her first murder. Just yesterday, she had poisoned the broker who had falsified her identity.
He drank the drink laced with a few drops of poison that she had received from Capella without a second thought, clutched his chest in agony, and died within minutes.
Soon, one more person would have to be killed, and there was no telling how many more would have to be killed.
Thinking about it like that made her feel a little scared, but she shook her head and shook off the distracting thoughts.
Whoever she killed, it was all for her own future. It was something she couldn't afford to be weak-hearted about.
At that moment, the maid who had promised to meet her appeared from afar.
“This way! Why are you so late?”
When Binka gestured for her to come quickly, the maid stopped, looked around, and then slowly approached her.
“..Sorry. I was late because I had to do something else.”
“Quick, give me the cleaning supplies and my ID. Here, take my money too.”
Binka took a pouch full of money from her bosom and handed it to the maid. But she hesitated, not knowing what was on her mind, and refused to accept the money.
"Hey, I don't know why you're trying to go in there... but let's stop. If you get caught even once, things will get a lot worse. I don't want to get involved in something this dangerous anymore."
There was one time when she was tempted by a large sum of money and let someone go to prison in her place, even though she knew it was dangerous, but no matter how much she thought about it, she still felt uneasy, so today she came out to refuse.
'... Why now? After already having received everything I wanted. If you were going to refuse, you should have refused from the beginning.'
Binka bit her lip with a disgruntled expression. She needed to meet with her father immediately to discuss a plan, but how could she suddenly interrupt like this?
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