Evelyn, The Red Moon - Chapter 1

– This is how everything started –

The pale new moon showed up with it’s soft light. But the Marquis Jervas Sigmund’s ancient Lown Town castle was still surrounded with darkness.

I walked cautiously through the halls, so my light footsteps didn’t make any noise. I stopped in front of his bedroom door.

‘By any chance, did someone see me?’

I looked around with anxiety. Fortunately, the dimly lit corridors were empty.

I took a deep breath and opened the bedroom door carefully, in order to not make any sound.

“You don’t have to knock before entering.”

I entered the room. My master, Marquis Jervas, was leaning against the bed with his bare torso. He inherited the title of his father, who died two years ago.

The Sigmund family used to be a prestigious family with a long history but because of their enemies, they now only own this old castle and the West silver land.

“Decilia, you’re late. I’ve been waiting for you.”

His passionate voice was so sweet. That my heart started racing even faster.

“I was waiting for the other maids to sleep.”

Even though it wasn’t a new situation, I blushed as if it was my first time.

Jervas hurried down from his bed, as if he wanted to compensate for the long wait at once.

His arms wrapped around my waist. With the wind, my upper body leaned back and I looked at him with eyes, full of sorrow.

‘Tonight shall be our last meeting. It’s painful and sad, but it can’t be helped. He’ll get married at dawn.’

Jervas gave more strength to his arms when he saw my mournful gaze. His eyes glistened, as he lifted my chin with the tip of his finger.

“What’s with this expression of yours? Don’t get upset. My marriage won’t be the end of our relationship.”

“No…we can’t!”

“Why not? I still love you. We just need to be careful with our meetings so that no one notices.”

Jervas’s burning breath brushed my lustful lips.

The desperate heat of a woman who will send her lover to marry another woman quickly flared up.

When I was six, I was sold to Sigmund with my mother. Young master, Jervas Sigmund, was nine years old at that time. He was smooth and pale skinned like a white marble.

He was wearing a white shirt which was wrinkled around his neck and sleeves, a tight-fitting black vest and pants.

To me, the young daughter of a maid, he was someone I couldn’t even dare to face.

When I wasn’t even eight years old, my mother got married to a widower servant with the old Marquis’s orders.

My stepfather was in his forties and 3 of his front teeth were missing. In addition, he was a drunkard who used violence when he drank. Mother feared and hated my stepfather.

One day my drunkard stepfather grabbed me by my hair. The reason was the look in my eyes which looked arrogant to him and made him feel disrespected.

It was Jervas who saved me from getting dragged. My stepfather groveled in front of the young master, who doesn’t like violence.

I was moved. I promised myself that I would do anything I can for Jervas.

From that time on, I started hovering around him like a shadow. I was happy when he laughed, and sad and worried when he frowned. Even a mere sight of him from afar would make my heart pound.

Mother got sick, and passed away when I was thirteen.

My stepfather, who tortured his stepdaughter whenever he was drunk, rolled down from a slope. His leg was broken and his back was injured badly.

Eventually, he died two years later, too. I had no one that I could turn to.

Then, Jervas became my life, he was the only one I could lean on to.

“Decilia” with a subtle glance and overwhelming voice, he would call my name. I was happy. And didn’t care about the future.

For a maid who was sold in a slave market, the future wasn’t predictable nor important. That’s why I was satisfied with being loved by Jervas.

When the dusk turns to dawn, Jervas will get married to a noble lady that will bring great wealth and lands along with her.

Then, I’ll have to stay away from her man, who left an indelible seal on my mind and body.

I buried my face to Jervas’s shoulder in order to hide my flowing tears.

Whilst a deeper night falled outside the window. I wished that morning would never come.

*       *       *

The wedding of Jervas was held grandly. Vestina, became the new mistress of House Sigmund. She was a splendid and extravagant woman.

She brought in a fortune with her dowry and made the house flashy. I lived in the shadows as if I’ve never existed in the first place. Tried not to cross paths with Jervas and Vestina as much as possible.

It was agonizing, depressing and hard . Yet, I accepted it as fate. I didn’t stop working until it was midnight.

I worked so hard that my back became sore. By doing so, I tried to ease the longing and sorrow that I felt without Jervas.

*       *       *

Cough!

A handful of blood poured out of my mouth.

I couldn’t wipe it or spit out the remaining blood in my mouth. I couldn’t help but let it flow out.

The terrible scent of blood followed my short breaths. It was the scent of death that was slowly approaching minute by minute.

My naked body that was abandoned in the dark valley was miserable. The blood poured down from the wounds made by the whip, made the body crumple and twitch. Like a bug, which was stepped on not long ago.

My consciousness started getting blurry.

I couldn’t feel a thing. Even the horrifying pain of the torn flesh, I couldn’t feel it.

But I understood it. My life was about to come to an end.

‘You filthy prostitute! You must be in terrible pain considering your ruptured organs!

Vestina’s voice, which was full of jealousy and murderous aura filled my mind.

Some of the old maids in the mansion knew that Jervas and I were in a relationship for a long time. They must have sold me to gain Vestina’s favor.

I got hanged to the barn ceiling and beaten for two days.

Vestina wielded the leather whip mercilessly as it crept into my flesh, leaving red lines on my body. The places which got whipped more, tore open and the blood started dripping down. Vestina’s eyes lit up seeing my state and the corner of her lips went up.

With the unbearable pain, I called out his name again and again in my heart.

‘Master… Jervas … Jervas….’

But Jervas didn’t even show his shadow. He stayed in his study and maintained his pride. He was fully aware that I will be killed. Nevertheless, no action was taken.

I believed it was love. Because he used to whisper sweet things to me, which made me believe in him.

I was nothing. I was just a passion and desire for Jervas. I only realized how dumb I was in that situation.

Vestina was heavy. As she stepped on my bloody body, my ribs broke.

With broken limbs and internal bleeding, I was loaded into a cart like a discarded thing.

The crying of the animals made it clear that the dark valley was long.

I tried to crawl with the little strength left in my fingers. I thought I was only scratching. But that scratching turned out to be an illusion.

The body which was fragmented in several places was not mine anymore.

I tried hard to control my mind, which was filled with the eagerness to live.

It was far more unfair than death. I wanted to sell my soul to the devil, and I wanted him to punish them all by throwing them into the fire pit of hell!

Jervas… Vestina…

I lived 20 years for the man who has been everything to me in this world.

But he chose to be with that woman, who can take a life in the most ruthless way.

The names, which could not be heard, hovered in my  mouth that was filled with blood.

The thick gray clouds that were covering the sky moved with the wind, and the moon behind them became visible.

Red Moon.

It was the first full moon to rise in that month according to the lunar cycle. I knew that the red moon had risen even with my hazy sight.

Artemis, the Goddess of the Moon,

Please make sure to reincarnate me with your mercy and grace!

May the last prayer of the dying be heard…

I gathered all my strength, forcing myself to stay conscious and say the last prayer of a dying person. I looked up to the moon.

The moon was captured in my blurry vision as I was dying. The red moon was so beautiful and detailed that it was hard to forget.

I wriggled one of my hands and tried to move my dry lips. And I took my last breath towards the moon.

That was all.

The last slender string of consciousness snapped out of me like a web shaken by the wind.

My slightly tilted head fell on the ground.

Born as a maid’s daughter and lived as a maid, I, who knew nothing but love… my life ended just like that.

My only guilt was loving a noble man without knowing his true self.

The hungry beasts tracked the smell of my corpse and gobbled it. Bugs and maggots dug into the last pieces of flesh.

The dust and fallen leaves brought by the wind and rain, covered the remaining bones.

The snow… piled up and hid the body.

The midday sun melted the ice and the spring breeze from the South brought the warmth. The seasons changed so quickly that winter and spring repeated once again.

Two years later, she was given another chance. She got too busy to come into the world whilst bursting into tears. But as soon as she was born, she was thrown into the river by her heartless parents.

She was abandoned in her previous life, and she’s once again abandoned in her reincarnated life.