The empire was paralyzed by heavy snow that had fallen for over a week.
Fortunately, the snow stopped and the sun came up, melting the snow.
Clive was late for his appointment, but he didn’t rush, thinking that the Phineos would understand because of the snow.
He had no intention of keeping his promise.
The road to Phineos’ mansion can be reached in one day by carriage.
The Phineos family has long had immeasurable assets.
They had no source of income, but strangely, their wealth was accumulating day by day.
The estates near the capital were narrow, and the land was not fertile.
They also didn’t do business.
Maybe they looted people, but that wasn’t the case either.
Clive couldn’t figure out what they were doing.
The Phineos family gifted expensive items to the Imperial Family.
However, they never looked into it because they thought it was a friendly family.
Their unsociable personality also played a part.
The mansion has never been opened to the public.
The Phineos held many balls at a villa or the second mansion.
It was forbidden to go into the main residence.
Whenever the nobles asked for a visit, they said it was only space for family, but most people were puzzled.
Presuming that there are enormous valuables that are only overgrown with rumors.
Clive was invited by the Phineos family.
In hindsight, it was as if they had been forced to invite him.
He used the engagement as an excuse.
“I would like to be invited to your hometown to commemorate our engagement. Most of all, I want to see where Aishe grew up.”
Even if he was blatant, they wouldn’t dare to refuse.
Those who accompanied Clive were excited at the thought of going to Phineos for the first time, but he was only a little curious.
They entered the Phineos estate leisurely.
Clive, who was looking out the window, stopped the carriage, and the following group also stopped as well.
“Let’s take a break.”
He got out of the carriage and put a cigar in his mouth, then pulled it out and looked at the distant sky.
His chapped lips looked like something he didn’t like.
Yulik, an aide who quickly grasped his master’s condition, approached and asked.
“Is there any problem?”
“That.”
Clive pointed to the sky with the hand holding the cigar.
There were dark clouds in the distance.
And a flock of crows hovered under the clouds.
“Where do you think it is?”
“It looks like Phineos Mansion.”
“Dark clouds and crows.”
It wasn’t a very pleasant phenomenon. It was a bad sign.
“Why are the crows there?”
“Well. How can I know the mind of a crow?”
“Yes, yes. I guess so. Hahaha.”
Yulik smiled softly but Clive’s face hardened.
* * * * * * * * * *
When Yulik opened the iron door to Phineos’ mansion, there was a squeaky sound.
There were no soldiers or gatekeepers.
The snow piled up.
And darkness prevailed throughout the entire mansion.
Even if they lived alone, they wouldn’t manage it this way.
Moreover, if they invited the Grand Duke.
Something must have happened.
“Everyone, relax.”
Clive pulled out his sword.
It was too quiet and too bleak.
Only the loud crows can be heard.
He looked everywhere and arrived at the mansion’s front door.
Nothing happened.
Clive opened the front door of the mansion himself.
And he let out a little scream when he saw the scene unfold before his eyes.
“What is this?”
“Huh! Your Highness! What is this… … !”
Yulik was speechless, his eyes and mouth widened.
In front of doors, on stairs, under windows, etc.
Bodies were scattered here and there with blood dripping from their mouth.
Clive saw it all on the battlefield, but this situation was a bit embarrassing.
As he stood there and scanned the inside, he heard a hum from somewhere.
A woman was sitting with her head on the railing in the middle of the stairs.
She looked like a ghost with messy hair and clothes.
* * * * * * * * * *
Eirene woke up to the noise of the door opening.
She sighed when a group of people appeared so suddenly.
She wanted to die quietly but thought it would be difficult.
A light flashed on the guest’s surprised face.
She didn’t know who they were or why they were here, but Eirene didn’t care.
Maybe that’s a good thing.
She realized it was kind of sad that all her life she felt lonely even in death.
It was okay not to be alone in the end.
Eirene forced her voice to come out and sang to welcome them and to apologize for having to see such an awful scene.
Just then, a man walked over and looked down.
The man with white hair had a dead gray color in his eyes.
His eyes were cold enough to mistake that the god of death had come to pick her up.
A person who fits this time and place well.
The only men she’d ever seen in her life were her younger brother, her father, and the wizard she had seen regularly.
The man in front of her was very handsome.
However, it wasn’t a good impression.
A man large enough to overwhelm his opponents resembled a snake.
Long slanted eyes.
Coldness flowed from the gray eyes.
If he opens his mouth, will I see a two-pronged tongue?
The arrogant gaze in his eyes was most likely a person of high rank.
“Are you the culprit of this mess?”
It was nice to hear the man’s voice.
“Maybe.”
“You couldn’t have done it alone.”
“It’s true that I did it alone.”
“Why?”
A man who asks ‘why’ rather than ‘how’.
As it was the last time, I wanted to explain, but suddenly someone called him.
“Grand Duke. I will look around.”
Eirene was disappointed to find out who he was.
“Stupid Clive.”
“Stupid? Are you referring to me?”
“There is no one else besides you.”
“Why am I stupid? … Hang on, are you Aishe?”
Eirene’s eyes, which had lost their vitality, gleamed.
No one had seen her confined to the basement other than the servants and her family.
Today is the first day I got out of there, so how do I know?
Rather, why did he call me, Aishe? I look different from her.
“You know me?”
“You look so much worse than a portrait, but there’s no way I can’t recognize my fiancee’s face.”
Portrait.
Several years ago, Eirene’s mother periodically sent a painter to paint her portraits.
She said it wasn’t just her but the whole family, so Eirene only thought it was just like that, but it seems that she sent it to Clive.
But why? Why am I Aishe?
Why did mother send Clive a portrait of me?
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t tell what happened.
“I never imagined that my shy fiancee, who wears a veil every time we met, could be so cruel. Who would believe that you can’t properly say a word?”
‘She’s too gloomy,’ Clive muttered softly.
It means he’s never seen Aishe’s face.
It was incomprehensible why Aishe had her face covered and met him.
Why didn’t she show her face?
Aishe wasn’t a shy person.
Clive’s gaze shifted to a corpse as he wondered about what had happened.
After looking around, one of his eyebrows rose.
“Since you confessed. Okay. Let’s hear the reason.”
Ah, the reason I killed those people. Eirene smiled faintly.
At the moment of her death, it’s no use knowing who Clive is.
“If you consider my circumstances, I’ll tell you the reason.”
“Consideration? No matter how unavoidable the circumstances, you have no conscience, you killed so many people and hope for consideration.”
“I don’t need to have a conscience.”
A while ago, Eirene’s sparkling eyes lost their strength and shifted her gaze to an unknown place.
There were many things, but not simple things.
She was a simple thing that was deceived and taken advantage of.
Her first childhood memory was the white ceiling of the basement.
The ceiling, not her mother’s face.
The basement is… … it was good.
She was so bright and warm that she didn’t even know she was imprisoned.
The basement was clean and good quality meals were provided.
The servants came in and took care of her every day.
When she was young, she had many toys and dolls.
Her parents and siblings often came to play so she wouldn’t feel lonely.
However, her longing for the outside world grew little by little through books.
It was Eirene’s seventh birthday.
The sky, the sun, the moon, all kinds of flowers, birds, and wind that you see in books.
She wondered why she couldn’t see it herself and asked her mother.
“Eirene. You’re weak and if you leave here you will die. Everything out there is dangerous for you. Mother will be very sad if you, whom I love, die because you are sick.”
She believed that and she only knew that.
She endured it for the sake of her beloved mother.
On the other hand, her younger sister, Aishe, was very sick.
Eirene was terrified to see her motionless little sister when her father came into the basement with Aishe in his arms.
She cried and prayed to God to save her.
Did the prayers of a seven-year-old child work?
Aishe soon became healthy…. through Eirene.
Her divine powers, which Eirene didn’t even know she had, healed her.
Aishe was fine, but Eirene was in pain.
She was still her beloved sister, so it was only natural for her sister to do it once a month.
As the years passed, her pain multiplied.
Sometimes she felt so much pain that she would rather die.
She was slapped when she told her mother if she could skip it once.
Since then, the number of servants had decreased, and the condition of the comfortable basement room was getting worse and worse.
And Aishe has been annoyed because it smells.
Aishe’s treatment was over, but Eirene’s divine power weakened.
Everyone’s visit became less frequent.
The light that lit the basement disappeared.
They gave her enough food to survive.
She didn’t have enough water to wash, let alone water to drink.
Her maids only fed her meals, and she did the cleaning herself.
There was not much that could be done in such a limited space.
It’s been years since I was left alone in the darkness.
A few days ago, her parents and a wizard visited Eirene after a long absence.
I heard what they said, ‘something happened. No, let’s get rid of her.’
* * * * * * * * * *
Clive waited for a long time.
Eirene stared at the ceiling silently. Her eyes are not like a murderer.
She was simply gloomy like dark clouds.
She was also miserable.
Yes, even if she is a criminal.
The number of dead was estimated at twenty.
They all bled from their noses and mouths, so they thought it was poison, but it was just a guess.
How could a woman who looked so weak kill so many people?
Will she confide in what happened?
Is her family among the dead?
Is she the fiancee he even knew?
Clive pulled out a cigar, sorting out the questions that came to mind.
There will be a riot in the Imperial Palace.
‘The Grand Duke’s fiancee commits a massacre.’
It’s a good headline for an article.
Some will be angry and sad about this terrible crime, but others will surely enjoy it.
After confirming the death toll, Yulik approached the Grand Duke, and glanced at Eirene, with a face full of hatred.
“The Countess also died.”
“What the heck.”
She was a fiancee who always spoke in a voice full of love for her parents whenever they met and went on a date.
He had no idea she was so talented at acting.
Eirene looked terrible, but Clive wanted to know why she killed many people.
Clive crouched down at Eirene’s eye level.
“Aishe Phineos, can we talk to you now?”
Eirene smiled and rolled her eyes.
“… … You’re annoying.”
He sighed and closed his eyes.
Eirene gathered the remaining divine power to kill the people in the mansion.
Her family, who deceived her and gnawed at her life, and the servants who were silent in return for a lot of money.
She was neglected and abused.
She did not pity her miserable life.
At first, it was difficult to kill, but it only became more brutal as the number of dead increased two or three times.
She punished everyone.
They got what they deserved.
Then why me? What did I do wrong? Did I do anything wrong?
I loved them and believed in them, but why did they do something like that to me?
I cried with regret, but it was over.
The sins that have harmed many lives are replaced by my death.
Tears flowed from her eyes, which she did not even know the meaning of.
It was then.
“This devil! Die! Kill her!”
It was Aishe.
Aishe ran screaming, she raised a dagger with both hands, stabbed into Eirene’s heart, and then pulled it out.
Why are you alive?
Eirene couldn’t speak.
Aishe must not be alive.
If she’s alive, Eirene should live too.
No, we have to die together.
Eirene tried to gather her remaining divine power, but she had already run out.
No. I can’t die like this. I can’t die like this!
Blood spilled from Eirene’s mouth.
Blood from her chest stained her pajamas red.
It was Eirene who was injured, but Aishe was crying and trembling with her white-washed face.
“No, what have I done!”
Aishe was startled and dropped the bloody knife she was holding.
“But you, you killed father, mother, and Kylo. You tried to kill me too. I loved sister so much… … .”
Eirene was freaking out when she saw Aishe crying with blood-soaked hands.
She was upset.
But there was nothing she could do because the shadow of death was approaching.
Aishe, who was well aware of Eirene’s situation, still cried and hugged her.
“I’m sorry, sister. I couldn’t help it either.”
“Why..why are you… … alive… … .”
You should have died.
Eirene couldn’t say anything.
Do I have to die leaving you like this?
Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only
Aishe, who was holding Eirene, whispered in her ear very softly.
“For four years, I’ve been eating your power little by little, I have no choice but to live.”
I heard quiet laughter from Aishe.
Eirene grabbed her shoulder very hard, but that was the end.
Eirene stopped breathing.