Gaiden 2

Astina slowly opened her eyes. It was dawn. She looked out the window and saw the moon rising wide.

“Ha.”

Astina has often had nightmares since she was over ten years old. She was mostly a recurring dream of things that had happened in her previous life.

When she was very young. Astina, who had just been born, knew nothing. But from the age when she develops very minimal ease. She is four years old five years old Was she around then? From then on, memories of her previous life began to emerge one after another.

In her previous life, she lived a life full of regrets. She lived a life of sin. The greatest of these sins…….

It was the crime of murdering an elder.

Her body flinched.

'Her great-grandfather is already dead.'

Ramunt de Cartier.

She is her great-grandfather. Grandfather of Lucerne.

In this life of hers, he has already died miserably. However…….

On a night like this It was as if he heard his high-pitched voice mixed with the sound of the wind.

'Lucerne. He ruined our family. He took everything from us. The Cartier family is the most noble and rich family in the world. You were the body that would live as a lady who would bring glory to our family. But Lucerne ruined everything with selfishness. I was going to share the property with the illegitimate son. With great greed, I ruined the family and threw away many pages.'

'In a situation where I could only save one person, I abandoned Jacob and chose you. You are our family's only hope, and you are the last remaining sword.'

'You have to kill Lucerne. That's the only reason you were born.'

Having said that, my great-grandfather always coughed loudly.

'My life is short. Luca. You……. I have to complete my mission.'

Astina's name in her previous life was Luca.

Lucca's great-grandfather was the former head of the Cartier family. The Cartier family perished at the hands of her illegitimate son, and the illegitimate son took away the most valuable things from the Cartier family and reigned as a new aristocrat.

Her great-grandfather abandoned Carola in the castle, but Luca managed to escape with her.

He hid in the countryside and negotiated secretly with the imperial family. After lengthy negotiations, my great-grandfather sold most of his slush funds, rights, and connections, leaving only one of the most insignificant titles he had.

The Bondi Cartier family had numerous titles and surnames. One of them was the surname 'Wint', a surname that one of the previous family heads had obtained through his contract wife. At that time, my great-grandfather's surname was Wint.

But all of that was nominal. Great-grandfather lived in hiding from Lucerne, fearing Lucerne all his life, and the place they finally decided to hide was a remote castle in the countryside.

There, my great-grandfather fought a disease and lived a savage and frugal life.

Externally, Luca was already dead when the family died. Luca's existence was kept secret, and Luca lived his whole life imprisoned in his cellar.

However, the basement was a very large labyrinth-like space, so swordsmanship masters and academic masters came and went and trained Luca to the extent that it was almost overkill. Meals were given to the minimum for concentration, and most of the days I could not sleep properly.

The only person he could talk to at any other time was his great-grandfather, who instilled in Lucerne a hatred and resentment towards Lucerne.

'On the day I leave here, avenge your parents.'

Regardless of male or female, the person possessed by the demon god in the Cartier family has an advantageous position in the war for succession to the family head.

So Jacob, whom Luca knew as her real father, gave her a male name. It meant that she should grow up as the head of a household, not as a noble lady. And Luka naturally grew up like a boy.

'At the time, Carola brought the corpse of a baby who had just died of illness and pretended to be you. She was a pretty capable woman called Carol. But we couldn't have any children in our family. The woman known as the wife of your father, Jacob, is not your mother. Jacob wasn't that thorough. He kept the government locked up, but later I found out. The government…… That Elisha is your mother.'

'Your mother……. She said her name was Elisha. Half of her face is distorted by her scars, but well. Come to think of it, her face on the normal side resembles yours. Good luck what Elisha. She said she wasn't a nerd and she was an earl so when Carola went around pretending to give birth to you I ignored it. And because Carola did her job well, you came into the world unblemished.'

His great-grandfather calmly and frankly informed him that Luca's real mother was a woman named Elisha, and that she was Jacob's confidant and lover.

Luka looked in the mirror from time to time and groped her face. What kind of person was my mother?

'Elisha. After Jacob died, she was captured by Lucerne. She said that she died miserably after living in a tower. Lucerne is the enemy of both your parents.'

My great-grandfather also told me everything about Elisha's end. Lucerne confined Elisha for several years as a way of venting her anger and killed her after severely abusing her.

Luca was out in every way, but her body was often ill. After hearing the cursed past from my great-grandfather over and over again, I was sure to get sick.

She had frequent fevers and sometimes coughed up blood. At such times, my great-grandfather called the priest and gave Luka a lot of medicine.

Okay. You have to kill Lucerne. Only then will you be freed from this pain.

Then his head went blank even more, and only the goal instilled by his great-grandfather became clear in Luca's head.

*​ *​ *​

The great-grandfather gave Luca a new name when he was fifteen. His name was Malak. Don't forget revenge. That was the meaning of the name.

And the name Malak became his great-grandfather's last gift.

Her great-grandfather was much older than her, and by the time she was fifteen she couldn't stand it any longer. The winter of that year was exceptionally cold, and many soldiers died.

After her great-grandfather's death, her employees scattered. Malak was kicked out of the castle where she was imprisoned and raised.

The legacy left by my great-grandfather was meager. A little money, a perfect false identity. And access to Black Lion, connections.

The girl who was Luca. Fifteen, now Malak, was a beast with a very clever head. Her beast began preparing to slither towards her own target.

*​ *​ *​

Bassrock. Bassrock.

After Astina in this life sometimes had nightmares, she headed for the eastern tower in the middle of the night.

Astina after all. Is Luca. The girl, who was Malak at the time, had Lucerne's blood on her hands. At that time. When she killed Lucerne, she knew nothing.

Even the truth that Lucerne was her own biological father.

*​ *​ *​

Astina was standing in the topmost room of the eastern tower holding a small lamp.

Astina looked out through the window. The mansion where her parents sleep was unlit.

Shhhhh.

A golden light rose around Astina.

“Ramun. It is you.”

Astina whispered to the glow.

“I am still young and I am not fully formed. Right? I didn't grow up wandering around the battlefield like my father, so it's only natural that you wake up late.”

As Astina's power grows stronger and larger, Ramun will gradually take on her true form, and she will eventually be able to speak her words like a human. Because it was like that in her previous life.

“It's okay, you don't have to show the past now. I know your abilities well. It's impossible to use that ability at this stage anyway. You don't have to try.”

Astina whispered and caressed the gold.

Lamun. The strongest Demon God dwelling in Astina.

The highest-ranking god in the world of demon gods was in charge of time. So, among the things that existed in the same time period, I was able to see things that happened in the past.

Astina in her previous life didn't know how to use Ramun until she met Lucerne. It wasn't until a very long time passed that she realized Ramun's ability.

It was only after seeing Lucerne how to deal with the monster god that she was able to handle Ramun little by little and she was able to suffer less than before. Until then, she always struggled with her great strength and was in agony.

'Now that I think about it, that was something my father in my past life purposely showed me.'

After Lucerne died in her previous life. The wandering Astina and Malak of her previous life permeated into this eastern tower. This place in the previous life was where Lucerne kept Elisha imprisoned until her death.

'Elisha. It was rumored that my real mother was tortured to death, so this place was in ruins at that time.'

She lay there alone. She is neither Luca nor Malak. She was just like a wounded beast.

And she said

'Ramun, show me what happened here. Show me the truths I need to know.'

And Ramun reproduced the memories of the past that permeated this place. And the truth she saw was far different from the rumors.

*​ *​ *​

A halo of light shimmered. The figure made of light gradually became clearer and became two human figures. I tried to touch her, but the shapes were just swaying, and I didn't recognize her existence. Malak watched them blankly.

Among the figures, the tall and stout man was Lucerne. He was leaning over and examining the woman sitting in the chair.

'Stop trying to commit suicide. You won't live long anyway.'

The woman sitting in the chair was very small and thin. Half of her face was distorted with ugly scars that would startle you at first glance. She and she wore a fine silk dress, but she did not look precious anywhere in the woman's body.

It's a pity if you find her good points in her at least. That was about it.

Besides, the woman had shackles on her legs. Like a slave However, what was different from other slaves was that the shackles on the ankles were elaborately made of silk.

'Yes, Elisha. How should I punish you so that you don't try to jump again?'

Lucerne said so, but her tone was sweet as sugar. The woman raised her head in sobs as she shook her locks through her tousled hair.

'I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I was all wrong.'

'I don't hold grudges anymore, so don't apologize for anything.'

'…….'

'I don't know what to do with you.'

Lucerne whispered anguishedly and put her thumb on her lips.

'If I don't tie it up like this, it will try to jump off again. Is it an annual event?'

She shook her head.

'But you're cute, did I go crazy because of you?'

Lucerne smiled and held out her hand.

'Drink, so that the poison in your body is neutralized even a little bit.'

Lucerne did not abuse Elisha. It was true that she was kept in chains and incarcerated, but that was because the woman was completely insane.

Elisha convulsively attempted suicide by jumping from a height. So, finally, her lucerne was relieved only by her having her tied up. In the ensuing conversation, Malak read the context.

'It's okay.'

Lucerne stroked her hair.

'You just stay here.'

*​ *​ *​

Elisha barely fell asleep. Soon she was approached by a man who appeared to be a doctor.

'Poison. How's the situation?'

Even at first glance, Lucerne's voice seemed tired.

'I can't live long like this. It's a very small amount of poison, but you've been drinking it for too long. That's why you put your mind at ease.'

'Carola must have hated Elisha with all her heart. She must have grown accustomed to that personality.'

'The ancient poison he ingested……. It is a poison used in ancient courts to harm noble ladies. This kind of ancient poison is passed on to the child conceived by the addicted mother. It's such a terrible poison. It's a poison that cannot be used without hating a person's lineage itself.'

'That woman.'

After a while in Lucerne, she asked.

'Would she have suffered in the process of becoming addicted?'

'I probably didn't even feel the pain properly after a certain stage. I'd rather die peacefully if I put a little more poison in it. You must have come to your senses gradually. It must have been poisoned a long time ago.'

'She killed Carola too easily. She should have shown Elisha at least tearing her limb from limb to vent her anger.'

Lucerne clicked her tongue.

Malak found out why Elisha was crazy. Elisha had her poison drunk by Carola a long time ago.

'Ancient poison.'

Ancient poisons were numerous and very rare. However, the effect was not accurate compared to ordinary poisons.

My great-grandfather said he had harmed someone with an ancient poison. Even that opponent was his own son. Son of the lord. Stevan died like that.

'Poison passed down to the child in the womb.'

Malak bit his lip.

'Besides, Lucerne……. My birth mother. You loved Elisha.'

She was crazy She was not a pretty woman. Why the hell did she love her?

However, Malak was able to know Lucerne's heart. Malak and Lucerne were fundamentally similar.

She must have been such a broken and helpless woman. Because she was a woman who never had the ability or reason to betray herself, she must have been able to love her wholeheartedly.

'It's okay.'

The shape of Lucerne whispered. Elisha curled up on her bed, looking at Lucerne like a wounded baby beast.

'No one can hurt you.'

One day, Lucerne filled her room with golden flowers. Elisha barely smiled when she saw that.

'Pretty. So pretty. I like gold.'

She put her own hand on her cheek of her lucerne and whispered to her.

Lucerne held her hand tight, and so did she.

The day she saw that memory strangely stirred her insides and brought tears to her eyes. Even the crazy woman had feelings and she laughed sometimes.

Oh okay. Malak realized. It was her love, the first thing she saw when she was born.

*​ *​ *​

Malak saw and looked at the memories Ramun showed her.

The rumors were very different from the facts. Lucerne pampered Elisha. She couldn't even touch her body.

Besides, Lucerne supported her rumors. Rather, those rumors were what Elisha had done under Jacob's threats in the past. She hoped to cover up her sympathies with his misdeeds.

That was the man's love.

That love didn't end when Elisha eventually died from her long-ago poison.