Gaiden 3

'It's all in the past.'

It wouldn't happen in this life.

Astina shook her head slowly. The eastern tower was an alchemy facility for aristocrats, built a long time ago, during a period of active territorial warfare.

Astina laid her body on the cot. She Astina She Tonight She knew she was going to dream of her. On nights like this, she always had dreams.

Memories of the day I killed Lucerne……. Astina loved her mother and her father. She didn't want to dream like that, at least she was near their room.

*​ *​ *​

When Astina used the name Malak. Malak became a knight apprentice to Black Lion.

Malak skillfully fashioned himself as he had learned from his great-grandfather. All of those plans had been prepared a long time ago. It wasn't difficult for her to approach Lucerne.

At that time, there were no entourages left around Lucerne.

Luka originally had her black hair and red eyes, but her great-grandfather changed her appearance by giving her the name Malak.

Malak dyed her hair in her cold blonde color and changed her eye color using magic tools. One of the magical tools inherited by the duchy for a long time was in the form of a ring. The ring randomly changed the color of the wearer's eyes. Blue eyes. It was a randomly determined color.

Let her blonde hair blue eyes her Malak's her looks changed like no other. Because she continued to dress as a man, people thought Malak was a boy. By that time she was fully capable of acting like a man.

People clicked their tongues at Lucerne's act of taking Malak as a servant. Someone said

Because Malak resembles the deceased mistress of Lucerne, he is receiving special treatment. Malak knew what she was saying was true, so she didn't mind.

Lucerne was cruel and cold-hearted, but she favored Malak. She sometimes acted like she really put her trust in her.

'Malak. Look carefully. The way to end an enemy's breath is to not look away. Only then will his death be imprinted on your body. All of them will make you stronger.'

…… If there is such a thing as trust in that monster.

*​ *​ *​

Lucerne's only aide was a man named Ian. Ian told Lucerne never to touch him when he was in the eastern tower.

One day, Malak secretly followed Lucerne to the eastern tower. He was standing inside the tower, rolling a small gold coin in his hand. It was a very sad look.

Often Malak thought.

Alas, that person is living in the past.

What does that mean? Who can have anything. Why are you wasting your emotions like an idiot?

'Even that man isn't perfect.'

Malak thought. If there was a weakness, he was confident to kill any beast.

The Lucerne way of life has always been reckless and self-destructive. With simple stubbornness he did, even though he still uses the surname Kayas.

He was still only a knight for life, but behind the scenes, he was leading numerous nobles' titles and stealing the Cartier family's enormous wealth.

With just one arranged marriage, he would be able to inherit all that property from generation to generation……. He didn't.

He's like he has no future. And since Lucerne had no children, now when he died, he would simply disappear as Kayas, the Life Knight.

'He's very definitely taking revenge.'

Malak thought. What a gruesome revenge. The illegitimate son did not even carry on the Cartier family name. The Cartier family will disintegrate, and thanks to Lucerne, the fate of the family will end as just a knight for life.

But danger is always like a knife under the bed. The former head of the household and Malak's great-grandfather. He, too, prepared the final blade.

Malak was a well-forged sword that was getting closer and closer to Lucerne's neck, and he wouldn't be waiting long.

*​ *​ *​

Lucerne turned Malak from a squire into a real knight. He silently taught Malak many things. Malak gradually changed from a beast to a man.

But that also didn't last long.

“I'm sorry, lord.”

Malak whispered.

“It must be Heaven's will that I have a better guardian than you.”

Lucerne reached out to Malak.

“Reach out your hand.”

Malak held out his trembling hand. Lucerne took out the ring and threw it away. Bright red blood-red eyes were exposed.

“You look like your mother. Even if the color of her eyes changes.”

“…….”

“I knew from the beginning. There was a mark on Elisha's body that she gave birth to a child in our family. Even if I know you are Jacob and Elisha's child. Still, I couldn't hate you.”

Lucerne said.

“Elisha, she was sane sometimes. Every time she looked for you and cried. But she was mostly crazy. Even though she said the same thing, she was a woman who was all messed up. One day she cried and asked me to believe that you were Jacob's daughter, and the other day she insisted that you were mine. Maybe I lied because I was scared.”

Lucerne's voice was mixed with a very low moan. It was a voice that suppressed pain.

“I was so jealous of her that I wanted to tear her to pieces. She fantasized about strangling her and relaxing herself. Dozens of times. However…….”

Lucerne's hand slowly touched Malak's eyes.

“I couldn't. And I can't even lay a finger on you, the child of Jacob and Elisha. Some things are better to admit quickly.”

Malak was breathing heavily. They were in the woods now.

Lucerne was Kayas and still a general. Normally, it was a monster subjugation that would end quickly.

In the middle of the monster subjugation, Lucerne and Malak dug very deep into the mountain……. Malak stabbed Lucerne in the back. It was a movement that he had rehearsed and practiced dozens of times.

Poo-wook, twisted the knife. Ramun stretched out from Malak's back. A golden flash penetrated Lucerne's bloody chest.

The blood didn't stop. A deep puddle of blood had been created around Lucerne.

“What are you looking at?”

Lucerne said.

“Go to Ian. He will take care of it.”

“I……. I will kill you……. I see?”

Malak's eyes twitched.

“I thought I might do something similar. I didn't know you would do it without a countermeasure.”

Lucerne caught his breath.

“You have Ramun. I knew it from the beginning. My guardian spirit, the shadow, is paired with your god and will dwell with you. Then you can do anything.”

Lucerne whispered.

“Elisha has been exposed to trace amounts of poison ever since she conceived you. To the point where she would never die, she had a very small amount of poison……. It was an ancient poison. You were born poisoned from birth. Probably won't live long My shadow recognized you as soon as it saw you. The poison you drank even affects your magical structure.”

Lucerne was so resolute that he could not have been thought of as a dying man.

“Don't be stupid. Run away.”

He said. That was the last command Malak heard.

Malak ran, and ran again.

*​ *​ *​

Ian sighed as Malak came to him. He delivered a single request from Lucerne to Malak.

'If I have any trouble, Malak will go to a woman named Nora at the monastery. That's his message.'

Why why…….

Why?

You are the devil killed my parents Why are you so lenient with me? Why…….

You killed my father…….

But by then, Malak was almost completely out of his mind. As if possessed, she went to see Nora as Lucerne had said.

She was already a retired Black Lion knight, living a quiet life in a monastery.

As soon as Nora saw her face, she stood still as if she realized everything.

“You look like my dead sister.”

Said Nora. Tears fell from her eyes.

“It's really the same.”

*​ *​ *​

Nora made her mark under Lucerne. When she had enough strength, her abbot, who had raised her Nora, and her famous priest, Archbishop Rosaria, summoned her Nora and told her of her connection with Elisha.

'I heard that Jacob's lover is still alive. Okay. That child must be Elisha. If you want, she can save him. So that she could promise at least a comfortable death…….'

Nora's half-sister who has been incarcerated with her distraught on several occasions. She said she would take Elisha and leave. Each time, Lucerne rejected her bitterly.

'That's my spoils, I don't give it to anyone.'

Hearing this, Nora was indignant, but she was helpless. But at least Lucerne showed a strange possessiveness towards Elisha, but there was no evidence of abuse.

Nora had no choice but to back down. However, Nora is a person who can only be broken, so her feud with Lucerne became frequent, she said.

'I'm sure I've heard of this person before.'

She did a lot under Lucerne. A woman who is a famous swordsman and master. But she said she had left him, disappointed in the circumstances in which Lucerne had abused and driven the government mad.

“I will have to live on the run for the rest of my life. I will help you in the future, so come here. It would be better to rest today.”

Said Nora. And she prepared Malak a place for her to rest.

*​ *​ *​

“It is a keepsake of Elisha. Although she couldn't spend her long time with her……. He was my only blood relative. By the time the High Warlord and I knew of her existence and tried to touch her, it was too late. Already then she was relieved.”

Said Nora. And she gave me a box.

“This…….”

“It's a keepsake from your birth mother.”

Malak opened the box with trembling hands. It was full of diaries and letters. The recipients of the letters were all the same.

Astina.

It was a girl named Astina.

[My beloved Astina…….

I will never forget the memory of the day I hugged you once. You were small, warm and smelled of sunlight. Then he moved his chubby fingers and squeezed my hand. The moment our eyes met, I felt like time stopped.

My dear Astina…….

I think of you in the sunlight and even in the wind. I think of you in every food in every season. How nice it would be if I could hold you in my arms and raise you. How nice it would be if I could show you all the seasons.

My dear Astina…….

Even if we never meet again, please remember one thing. I loved you

Heartily. I hope that someday this letter will reach you. I just want you to remember That this love existed. Even if we couldn't reach it, that love was always growing.

A love that even I have never received. You taught me With just two hugs.

I wanted to fill every corner of your life with love.

Sorry. I was so weak that I left you alone. But I'm always missing you…….]

“Astina…….”

The love she deserved was there. She had to be Astina. Even if she is the daughter of the most lowly idiot. Even if she was a woman with nothing. Astina was the body she should have loved and lived as her daughter.

Luca.

Malak.

And she is now Astina.