Chapter 75: The Moon to the Stars

༺ The Moon To The Stars ༻

“Lady Serena, we have arrived.”

“...Thank you.”

We’ve finally arrived. To a place I never wanted to go. A place where I will finally find out the truth.

“Don’t follow me. I’ll go alone.”

“Then, your luggage...”

“No. Leave the luggage.”

“Huh?”

The maid, who had faithfully followed me both in the previous timeline and in this life, tilted her head. Well, I think I would have acted similarly if someone told me to just leave their luggage in the carriage.

However, right now, these things are meaningless to me.

“S-Smoke...”

“......”

The maid, who was looking at me strangely, pointed to the rising smoke in the distance and spoke.

I left her behind and started trudging forward with heavy steps.

‘... This place has always been nostalgic.’

After walking towards the Starlight Mansion, I stopped for a moment and gazed upon the surrounding scenery.

‘Originally, I would come here to calm my mind...’

This was the only place where I made fond memories, which helped me survive my childhood filled with horrific abuse and training.

Me and Frey used to play hide-and-seek all the time around this trail to the mansion.

“Serena... where did you go...?”

“Fufu... who knows?”

While reminiscing, I momentarily closed my eyes. Then when I opened my eyes again, I discovered the young version of myself and Frey playing hide-and-seek.

“I can’t find you... come out...”

After a long time, while I was hiding on top of a tree, when little Frey couldn’t find me, he began whining.

“I don’t like men who give up quickly.”

Then the young me smiled and spoke in a friendly way. I couldn’t even see him, so why was I smiling? Looks like I was quite childish back then too.

“...Ugh.”

However, young Frey was taken aback by my words and opened his mouth. His trembling eyes suggested he was quite anxious.

“I-I’ll definitely find you, so stay there, alright?”

“Yes, please find me. If you fail to find me today, I’ll disappear forever.”

Oh dear, it was too much fun.

“You can’t... Please don’t disappear... sob...”

Look, you made Frey cry for real. You should have jested in moderation...

“...Lady Serena? Aren’t you going to leave?”

“Ah.”

The moment I heard the maid’s voice from behind, the young version of myself and Frey, who were playing in front of me, vanished into thin air.

“...Sigh.”

It’s quite difficult to reproduce a memory. If you let your concentration slip for even a moment, the illusion shatters.

‘That tree is still there.’

Still, I was able to recall some fond memories. At that time, Frey couldn’t find me until nightfall.

Thanks to that, Frey was scolded heavily by his mother.

“...I’m sorry, Frey.”

I still felt guilty about that. But back then, I really couldn’t help it.

Of course, I also wanted to tease Frey and see his reaction, but I didn’t want to be discovered by him for as long as possible.

Because, the moment Frey finds me, the game would be over... and I would have to return home again.

Thus, repeating my terrible daily life.

“Hoooot...”

“...Ah.”

While I was shivering from recalling those terrible memories, my owl flew toward me.

“You also found me. By any chance, do you have a letter...”

“Hooot..!”

“...Ouch.”

I smiled and reached out to my friend, who had been with me since I was little, but suddenly he started pecking at me.

“Don’t do that. It hurts.”

A child who has never disobeyed my orders, let alone rebelled, is pecking at me desperately. Because of him, my hand that was covering my face began to bleed.

“Hoot...”

Soon he lay on the ground as I hardened my expression and walked forward.

“...Go to the carriage and stay there.”

I looked at the owl sternly, then stepped over it and said so.

“...Phew.”

I couldn’t hear any more hoots, so it seemed like it returned to the carriage. Or was it still lying on the ground?

I could look back and see what he was up to, but I won’t.

If I looked back, I would definitely feel weak.

“The entrance... It’s the same as it used to be.”

Continuing to silently walk forward, I arrived at the gate of the Starlight mansion.

“...This is where I first met Frey.”

I still vividly remember my first visit to this place, guided by my father, the secret Lord of the Moonlight Family, and the former head of the family.

Perhaps Frey was hiding behind his mother while peeking out curiously because he was shy to see his fiancée for the first time.

Back then, I didn’t expect much from you.

Unlike you, who was innocent, I was immersed in the dark side of the Empire, and I knew the real purpose behind the engagement.

“Serena! Let’s play!”

“...I don’t know how to play.”

“Don’t say that! We can just play how you normally do!”

“Is that... so?”

At first, it was just pure jealousy.

Unlike me, who was submerged in darkness, I just despised Frey, who was pure and was blessed with happiness.

“W-What’s this...?”

“It’s the paperwork of our duchy. I play while organizing this.”

“And this...?”

“It’s an in-depth formula for a protective magic circle. I feel the most fun playing when I’m studying this.”

So, I hurt your innocent self.

God, what kid would ever play with something like that?

“Serena! Look! I’m done!”

“...Huh?”

But after a few months of meeting you, you started adapting to the bullying disguised in the facade of ‘playing house.’

No, you didn’t adapt, rather you overcame it. You weren’t at my level, but you certainly did well.

At that time, I thought you were a genius, just like me. And at the same time, I thought you were the only one who could understand me.

“W... What’s all this?”

“Ah, I got caught. Hehe...”

But one day, I stumbled upon an endless pile of papers when I happened to walk into your study room. I knew I wasn’t completely right.

“You... just why...”

“If I don’t know this... I can’t play with you, right?”

On the papers piled up, traces of practicing the difficult tasks I had given him were written and rewritten in abundance.

You memorized all that knowledge for months to play with me.

“... Back then, I should’ve distanced myself from you.”

While lost in such thoughts, I almost reached the mansion.

However, the closer I got, the closer I could feel the end approaching.

No matter how many letters I sent, your reply never arrived.

The owl desperately trying to stop me.

The sorrowful end I could picture in front of my eyes... just by looking at the rising smoke.

“...Ah.”

As I entered the yard of the Starlight mansion, various people came into view.

Half of the people had ashen faces, the other half were crying.

I stared at that scene for a moment, then stepped onto the yard where I played with Frey.

“La-Lady Se-Serena...”

As soon as I entered the yard, someone with a pale expression noticed me and opened her mouth.

“I-I... I um...”

I wondered who it was for a moment, but turns out it was Alice. She was the spy of the secret Lord.

Seeing her with a pale blank face, I don’t think she fully understands the gravity of the situation yet.

In fact, it would be difficult for anyone to fully grasp the situation.

Ah, I see one person over there who has grasped the situation completely.

She was trying to scratch her arms with the sharper edge of a stone.

“It’s because of me... Because of me... Because of me...”

Upon closer inspection, it turns out that this is the person Frey spoke about in the letter, Lulu. He said that she is a poor soul who bears the stigma of misfortune.

And I could clearly see she seemed to think that all this happened because of her. Seeing the blood dripping from her arm, she must have been feeling quite guilty.

“”........””

The commoners all have ashen faces and their heads bowed. Perhaps, if Frey had seen this, he would have been terrified and told them not to do it. I could picture it clearly in my mind.

Oh my, the more I think about Frey, the more I feel depressed. I guess I should step up my speed.

“Princess Clana. Calm down, Princess Clana.”

I shook Clana for a bit, but the Princess kept smiling with faint tears in her eyes.

Well, it seems she’s broken.

“”........””

And it was the same for the people behind me.

They were already in a mentally unstable state, but were completely shattered when their minds were overwhelmed by Frey’s memories.

“Princess Clana.”

After watching the scene quietly for a while, I heaved a sigh and settled down next to the Princesss. I then opened my mouth.

The last thing I have to do to end everything.

“Look at Professor Isolet over there. She’s gently stroking her sword.”

“...Huh?”

“The person who had been in a daze until now is smiling creepily while stroking the sword that Frey gave her as a gift. Do you know what this means?”

As I spoke coldly, Clana, who had been broken, began to tremble.

“...Soon, she’s going to end her life with that same sword.”

“Ahhhh...”

Then, when I relentlessly spoke, fear rekindled in Clana’s dead eyes.

Apparently, this shock therapy was working well on her.

“Look at Kania over there. Her dark mana is about to swallow her up. Next to her is Ferloche, who is scratching the floor until her nails are all gone, and Irina, who has gone completely mad. “

“S- Stop...”

“After Aria recalled the truth about her mother’s death, the light in her eyes seemed to have faded. Not only that, but her mana flow has reversed. If you leave her like that, it won’t be long...”

“Stop... please...”

But I continued to torture her with guilt.

“In a situation like this, what must Your Highness, Clana, need to do?”

“I-I don’t know...”

“Why don’t you know? You’re the leader who leads everyone, the Imperial Princess of this Empire. If you don’t know, who is supposed to know?”

“I... I’m not qualified to be a leader...”

Then, Clana began to mutter with dimmed eyes.

“I just... I want to die. I want to die like this and disappear. So, so...”

“No.”

To Clana... and to all those around her, I declared solemnly.

“If you all fall here, my plan is useless. So... get back up.”

“A-A plan...?”

Having said that, I took a vial out of my pocket and started talking.

“There is still hope. Hear the details from Lady Aria. She will make the decision.”

“Serena...?”

“Then I’ll tell you my final strategy.”

After saying that, I opened the cap of the vial I was holding and poured the liquid inside my mouth.

“”.........””

And as such, silence lingered for a while.

‘Frey, I’m sorry...’

In that silence, I quietly closed my eyes and fell into deep thought.

‘...But no matter how much I think about it, this is the only way.’

Recently, while reading a confidential document of the Moonlight family that I obtained secretly... a shocking memory came to my mind.

Only then did I understand why I fell in love with you so deeply. Why I was blindly in love with you. And why I couldn’t give up on you until the end.

I owe you a debt that I could never repay even if I dedicated my entire life to you.

You must have naturally thought you only had 10 years of lifespan left when you entered the academy.

But how does that make sense?

How did he know that it was ‘exactly 10 years’ in the first place, while he continued to share his life force with Kania?

The answer lies in his fabricated memory.

Yes, what you remember as your ‘first evil’... a memory related to my curse of 『Familial Subordination』.

“Cough!!”

“Se, Serena!?”

Ah, it seems to be working slowly.

Have you always been coughing up blood like this? Oh dear, that must have been quite awful.

“Serena...? What did you... do?”

“Ha... ha ha...”

“...what is that magic circle that appeared on your body?”

After I settled down for a moment, Clana began looking at me in confusion.

“I drank poison. The magic circle is my curse.”

“.......What?”

“Frey, who was blocking my curse, died, and so my weakened curse has activated again. In a few minutes, I’ll become the puppet of the ‘Secret Lord.’ So, I’m committing suicide.”

When I gave a quick explanation to Clana, her dazed expression till now distorted.

“Wh-What do you mean... Frey was blocking your curse? The Secret Lord? You... you’re going to commit suicide?”

“Yes...in order for my last strategy to succeed... I have no choice but to do this.”

“That... what does that mean!!”

Then Clana ran up to me with tears in her eyes.

“Do-Don’t die... Don’t die...”

“Cough.. Ugh...”

“Are you going to die because of me too? Frey...died because of me ... Now you too... because of me...”

“...Clana, and everyone else. Listen to me from now on.”

I stopped talking to panic-stricken Clana and began talking while barely holding on to my fading consciousness.

“Don’t let Frey’s death... and my sacrifice be in vain...”

“Oh no... Noo... Noooo...!”

“Remember us... engrave this memory in your heart... and keep moving forward. Don’t give up. No matter what.”

“Noooo!”

There were a lot of things I wanted to say, but I don’t think I could go any further. It’s too hard.

“...Just one question, one last question.”

Oh god, a black cat asked me a question. Well, it can’t help it. After all, I did quite a few bad things to her.

“Why... why would you do that? What the hell is this hopeless world... even good for?”

She asked a pretty cute question. Because of that I couldn’t help but smile.

“...It’s the world that Frey wanted to protect.”

Ah, I think that would be my last words.

Oh no, what should I do?

The last thing I wanted to ask... was to be buried next to Frey...

.

.

.

.

.

“Se-Serena?”

Soon Serena, who had been coughing blood in Clana’s arms, became limp. Meanwhile, Clana, who had no idea what to do, began to spout out gibberish.

“It’s a lie, right? This... It has to be a ruse? Right...?”

Those who were silently watching Clana realized the depth of Serena’s last words.

“Serena... Serena... Uh...”

Clana, who had been speaking gibberish for a long time, soon buried her face in Serena’s bosom and began to mutter.

“I-I... I... I... killed Serena... and Frey... uh...”

“Your Highness, Princess Clana!! This is urgent news!! Time is of the essence!!”

“...Ah?”

Clana, who had been hugging Serena for a long time while shedding tears, suddenly trembled in astonishment when she heard her messenger in Frey’s yard.

“Y-You’re alright... I’m glad... H-Huh?”

Seeing her safe, the messenger breathed a sigh of relief, but after belatedly realizing the situation unfolding before his own eyes, he expression stiffened.

“...Uh, I don’t know what happened... but first and foremost, let me tell you the urgent news.”

The messenger, who had been staring blankly for a long time, soon remembered that it was an emergency and began delivering the urgent news in haste.

“His Majesty, the Emperor and Her Highness, the Empress, as well as the Crown Prince, First and Second Princesses have all passed away.”

“.......Pardon?”

When Clana inquired with her eyes wide open, the messenger responded with a firm expression on his face.

“Now, you are the Empress of this land.”

“.......Ah.”

Everyone, including Clana, were taken aback by the shocking news, but the messenger continued speaking with an even grimmer expression on his face.

“And, the Demon King has declared war.”

“........!!!”

Hearing those words, Clana and everyone froze.

And from that moment on, time suddenly began to accelerate.

The sun kept rising and setting as the moon came and went by. All the while, people were passing by at a fast pace.

“Sigh.....”

And in the midst of it all, Frey, who had a somber expression on his face, mumbled in a melancholic tone.

“...it’s really the worst.”

The Ordeal was slowly coming to an end.

TL NOTE: We’ve made another illustration for this chapter using AI