TL: Zimmings
Paul's face gradually lost its vitality. After vomiting blood, he fell down on Lisette's feet.
"This, wi…tch."
"Yes. I'm a witch."
"Ah…"
"See you in hell."
Paul's body, which had dried up, turned to dust and was blown away by the wind.
While Benedict, who was caught up in the explosion of divine power, was in a terrible state. One side of his face was completely burned, and he couldn't even hold a sword, so he only crawled on the ground like a worm. Lisette was now on the ground too.
"Madame..!"
"Lisette!"
Lea and Cecilia ran towards her.
"A, ah…! Madame, please…!"
Lea embraced Lisette.
"So you guys are the gangster siblings? Come with me. Both of you will be useful in our mansion."
"Hear me out. Bringing you guys here is the 2nd best thing I did. What's the 1st thing? Of course, it was when I gave birth to my babies. How about Theo? Well, I think he's the 32nd best thing."
"Please calm down, madame. Now that the mage is dead, the barrier will disappear. The lord will help you."
"Le… a."
"Ma, madame…! Cecilia, call the doctors...!"
Lisette took Lea's hand as she cried.
"Please…pr..omise me. Leb.. please protect my youngest child."
"I promise. I promise! So please…!"
"Take care…of her instead of me."
"...."
"I'll give you… the role to be her… mother."
Lea and Cecilia answered urgently.
"I promise, I promise."
"I will be your servant for the rest of your life. I'll make everything you want come true."
At that moment, a light shone through Lisette's necklace, creating a chain like a tattoo on Cecilia and Lea.
"Ahh!"
After a while, Lisette vomited blood.
But soon after, she peacefully closed her eyes.
Leah immediately shouted.
"Madame! Cecilia, hurry!"
Cecilia, whose face was wet all over, placed her hands on Lisette's and shook her head lightly.
"It's too late...."
Lisette was now lying motionlessly on the floor, as her hand that was on Cecilia's fell down. Reina was also in the same state and was lost in her own thoughts before she let go of her life. The girl was like the sun, or life itself to her. She and her sister were sinners who had been living while hiding like a rat, yet they found the meaning of life through her. How can such loyalty be lesser than love? They respected and loved her with all their heart. Before she could continue, she slowly closed her eyes.
"Sister?"
"Lisette…"
"Sister!"
Lea hugged two corpses and wept bitterly. How could God take these precious people from us? For Lea, Lisette was a destination, while Reina was her support system. Without both of them how could she live?
'I… I… I'd rather be with you guys…'
Suddenly, a light flashed from the necklace hanging from Lisette's neck.
[Nea!]
A cheerful voice was heard in Lea's head.
"I'll give you… the role to be her… mother."
Lea's eyes were now filled with determination.
"Little miss...."
She needed to find the child. Lisette's daughter, she had to find their little miss.
When Lea and Cecilia looked at each, they could hear a shout from behind them.
A man appeared behind them while dragging his wet robe. As he waved his hand in the air, black smoke covered the mountain. The smoke soon condensed as it wrapped Lea and Cecilia. They took a deep breath.
"I…!"
The surroundings went dark, and the two collapsed. The man said.
"We erased the memory of the witnesses and found etwal and the criminal."
[I'll make sure your father and friends return.]
And the communication was cut off.
The man stood silently for a while and looked at the corpse, then closed his eyes tightly.
While he was about to go back, Cecilia's hand grabbed the man's ankle.
"Are you an informant for the temple?"
"...."
"Go to…hell"
After that, Cecilia closed her eyes. Tears flowed down from Lea and Cecilia's eyes. The man looked at them.
"Yes. I'm going to hell."
So please.
'Weil, I beg of you…'
This is the end of a story, but the beginning of another story.
A light suddenly appeared in the darkness. Once upon a time, the young Lisette came to visit the gangster siblings on a road. She reached her hand out to Reina. They clasped their hands tightly and ran towards the light together.
They grew younger and younger as they ran towards the light, and eventually became a child.
'Oh, what a good life. I have worked hard.'
'But now I'm too tired.'
'Let's go to eternal rest.'
Their laughter rang throughout the dark space. That was the story of the precious people that the child had to lose before starting her own story.
***
Adrian came down to the entrance of the mountain and put me down. It's weird. I felt instinctively that I won't be able to see my mother again.
[Leblaine.]
I heard my mother's voice in my head as I bit my lips.
"Leblaine...."
Even though I tried to hold back my tears, it kept coming out, and I muttered.
"I'm okay."
"...."
"When I lied on the altar instead of Mina, when I was beaten harshly by the Duke of Vallua, when I starved for three days, I am fine.
"...."
Adrian didn't understand what I meant, but I kept muttering to myself.
"If I persevere, good things will happen. It always did. So…"
A warm hand touched my back. Adrian hugged me and said in a soothing voice.
"You don't have to hold it."
"...."
"That's okay, Leblaine."
"...."
The tears I was trying to hold back flowed out. The young me, who knew nothing, was also crying in my arms. How long has it been since I cried this much? Adrian turned his back as I sighed.
"Let's go."
"Are you alright?"
"Yes."
If we don't hurry, reinforcements may come from the temple.
I can't delay time like this.
We left the mountain and came down to the road. Even after the sun had completely set, there were still people roaming around.
When she turned her head in the direction the people were looking, she could see Dubblede's carriage.
Seeing that, I held the baby tightly in my arms.
'Dad.'
Adrian said to me as I trembled.
"If you entrust the baby to the Duke of Dubblede now, you won't have to go through the same thing as you did before."
"...."
"It's been very painful."
I slowly turned my back.
"Lebla-"
"If I change the course now, Dubblede will have to go through another pain. If they find out I'm in Dubblede, the temple will attack again."
"...."
"If we start an all-out war now, it's Dubblede who will lose."
Four years later, Dubblede will grow into a powerful family that would rival Marche.
But right now, it hasn't been long since dad was appointed as the head of the duchy.
"Even though my dad knows he's going to lose, he'll move desperately to protect me."
"...."
"So I can't do that. I want the baby to be left in an orphanage far away from here so that my dad can't find it…Ah."
I laughed bitterly at the sudden realization.
'It was me all along.'
I was the one who entrusted the baby to a faraway orphanage. I walked, and Adrian followed me. We borrowed a carriage.
After a few hours, we arrived at a town called Quanteum. We got our luggage out and went to Cebuland orphanage. It was a state-run nursery so the temple couldn't easily touch me and it was faraway from Dubblede's territory. The baby in my hand was whining.
"Adrian, please help me."
"Is it really alright?"
"Yes."
Adrian put a hand on the child's forehead. A warm light flickered on her forehead.
Soon the sentence that was on Adrian's barrier was soon engraved on her forehead, and the child fell asleep. I told Adrian to seal my powers. Even if the temple finds me, they won't know that this child is me. I put the silver coin I received from Paul inside the blanket, put my forehead to the child's forehead and whispered.
"It will be very hard."
You will be abandoned by those whom you trust, being abused, and be a beggar. You might end up resenting yourself.
But child, You will grow up to be a courageous child who finds small happiness in the midst of misfortunes. Be a strong child like your mother who never gives up on herself. And at last, meet with your family.
'I will eventually be happy.'
I grabbed the paper and pen I had received from the coachman while trembling.
[Leblaine. Born February 29th.]
That's how I walked into fate.