Upon checking the results, Shioana felt both despair and apology at the same time.
'Could it get any worse than this?'
Every day was desperate, and on top of that, she felt like a huge lead weight was weighing on her chest.
“How good would it be?”
To think that a small spark of life was blooming inside her. She was so flustered that she couldn't even rejoice at the pregnancy of a new life.
"I was foolish."
Even while spending a passionate night with Etienne, she hadn't even thought of something like this.
"...Ha."
She was seized by the feeling of having fallen into a bottomless pit. Shioana's eyes, which had been lightly stroking her stomach, lost focus.
Her stomach churned, and her mind went blank.
Heavy rain began to pound against the window, and soon the sky flashed, and thunder roared loudly.
"Rain, I don't like rain..."
On a rainy day, the day she was trapped in the basement of Regbell’s detached house flashed before her eyes. Eli, who had confined the young girl in the basement, glared fiercely.
'Do not bring her food until she repents! If she disobeys, I will personally flog her!'
The musty smell, the squeaking of rats scurrying across the floor, and the chill that felt like the breath of a ghost seemed to still follow Shioana.
'I'm sorry, brother.'
However, no matter how much she begged for forgiveness, Eli did not easily forgive her.
Whenever Shioana was being punished, Martha was always in tears. When Shioana returned, she would hold her tightly in her arms and pat her back for a long time.
"...Martha.”
To her, who had no mother, Martha was that precious.
"I miss our Harriet so much."
She really wanted to smell her cute niece's sweet baby scent. No matter how hard things were, holding Harriet in her arms always gave her strength.
"Instead of doing this, I need to go find Martha."
Shioana, who had been lost in her own thoughts for a while, staggered out into the hallway.
The unfocused eyes seemed to be wandering in a dream.
There was no one in the garden as the rain poured down. She walked slowly outside, getting soaked without an umbrella or a raincoat.
"Martha, Harriet, where are you?"
Her heart was in such agony that she felt she would go insane if she didn't see them right away. As she wandered the garden, clutching her chest in pain, the scent of roses filled the air at the tip of her nose.
"...Ah."
A red rose, laden with rain, was blooming with sorrowful beauty. Shioana approached with her arms outstretched; she deliberately gripped the thorn tightly.
A stinging pain spread through her fingertips, and Shioana stood there for a long time.
Tears, blood, and rain mixed together and dripped down the sleeves of the dress.
***
Katrina Bernhard groaned with neuralgia that flared up due to the sudden rain.
She was so angry that no matter how much wealth and power she held, she couldn't even control a single minor pain like this.
"The treatment is of absolutely no use!"
He poked the chest of the doctor, who was solely responsible for Katrina's health, with her cane and raised her voice in an annoyed tone.
“I’m sorry.”
"We didn't give you that much money just so you could spout such nonsense, did we? You have to find a way!"
She could not stand things not going her way. However, recently, she was annoyed that her adopted son had married on his own accord and was trying to please Count Vale.
"Anyway, that girl has been taking that medicine for two months, so why is she still fine?"
Katrina made a gloomy expression as she fiddled with the ring on her hand.
'You have to pay back what you've suffered.'
Although she could not prevent Etienne from getting married, it was Katrina's responsibility to keep the marriage going.
“That’s it.”
The doctor took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead and mumbled. He had procured a very potent poison on Katrina's orders.
"It is difficult to give a definitive answer since everyone's constitution is different, but they will probably start seeing hallucinations by now. And if a little while longer..."
As he could not bring himself to speak the words that followed, Katrina smiled with satisfaction.
"Yeah, I suppose so."
It was said that poison that quietly leads to death while sleeping leaves absolutely no evidence.
'If I get rid of that eyesore and bring in Diana, everything will go smoothly.'
Just as Katrina seemed to be smiling slightly, the employee hurriedly looked for her.
"Madam, we have an urgent message."
“You mean like before?”
Her expression, which had been nonchalant until she received the letter, instantly turned rough.
"Appearing in court? What on earth is going on? Go find out for yourself right now."
In Urcheka, unless she was the Emperor, no one had the power to tell her what to do.
"But who is doing this to me?"
Rather than being worried, she was angry that she had gotten involved in such a messy situation.
“Are you there?”
"..."
As the man who always guards Katrina appeared, she ordered security to be reinforced.
"Someone really picked a pretty interesting fight."
Katrina flicked her long, slender fingers and gave a sinister smile.
To reach this position.
She had stained her hands with countless amounts of blood.
Countless heads were buried in the forests and fields.
She was a woman who had no qualms about taking lives, much like a great warrior.
Thus, she did not even blink an eye in front of the corpse of Edwin, whom he had looked up to as his own mother.
"Humans are divided into only two categories: those who dominate and those who are dominated."
Because inferior beings are bound to fall behind anyway.
Rather, Katrina believed that she might be doing a favor by granting those fools an early rest of eternal rest.
***
Etienne let out a long sigh as he gazed at the narrow alleyway of the 8th arrondissement. His mind was in turmoil, so he had been wandering aimlessly until he found himself here.
"...Ha."
He leaned against the wall and looked up at the sky when Cedric soon approached and whispered something to him.
"Your Excellency, it is said that a court summons has been issued."
"Do your utmost to preserve witnesses and evidence. They might resort to terrible measures if they feel cornered."
The enemy he was facing was so evil that calling them a demon was an understatement. Therefore, no matter how carefully he handled it, it was not enough.
"All right."
"I wanted to kill her right then and there, but..."
If that was the case, he should have barged into Katrina's bedroom on the night Edwin died, even if it meant losing his life.
However, even at the moment of losing his life, his younger brother wanted Etienne to live.
"There are so many wishes I haven't been able to fulfill, so I have to make sure I grant this one."
Now that Etienne had turned the handle of the gear, the wheel of judgment would roll forward.
Alone again, Etienne walked slowly toward the canal. It was the path where the drunken Shioana had staggered a while ago.
He spoke to Shioana, who was not here.
"I hate you."
He deliberately chose sharp words and actions to hurt her.
Punishing Shioana was something only he could do. And Etienne's plan seemed to have almost succeeded.
Because the light was gradually fading from Shioana's eyes as she looked at him.
Shioana, watching Etienne and Diana leave together, looked as if she were about to cry.
'Because no matter who I name right now, I think they would all be better than you.'
A few days ago, she also said that she hated Etienne.
"That's the reaction I wanted..."
Etienne wished that Shioana's heart would burn up completely and leave only ashes.
Just like him now.
"You can call me despicable, but I can't help it. Because this is just who I am."
The more harsh and cruel words she spat out, the more uncomfortable Etienne's face looked. Shioana's wounded expression weighed heavily on him.
'Etienne, how did you end up ruined like this?'
Shioana, held in his arms, made no sound and even held back her tears. Because of her lack of reaction, Etienne thought she was just like a child.
He started acting increasingly roughly to make Shioana let out even a small groan.
"...Damn!"
Everything is going well as intended, so why does he feel unhappy?
He gave up on the idea of a happy life as soon as he left Regbell.
What Etienne desires right now is to avenge his family who were unjustly taken away.
"... Shioana."
All that remained was to deal with that one name that he could neither let go of nor keep.
He suddenly felt dizzy and leaned against the railing when a cold raindrop fell on his forehead. His coat and hat quickly became soaked by the raindrops, which grew larger and larger.
The guards and servants following Etienne approached and opened an umbrella, but he refused it.
"I’d like to get a little wet in the rain."
As he raised his hand to touch the rain, the fields of Regbell instantly came to mind. The moment Shioana touched his bangs, his heart pounded just as fiercely as it does now.
'By now, I wonder if she is terrified.'
Whenever there was thunder and lightning, Shioana would cling to him and refuse to let go.
As he traced Regbell's past, his heart ached terribly. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape thoughts of Shioana.
Tap tap tap tap.
The rain intensified even more.
A drop of water dangling from the sharp tip of the nose beneath wet bangs moistened the red lips. The moisture-laden lips moved slightly.
"... Shioana."
Despair and sorrow were evident in Etienne's voice.
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