Chapter Ten: I Definitely Won’t Die

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“S-Sercia?”

What are you doing here, Sister?

Walking over with her long legs, Sercia smiled very welcomingly at me, who was taken aback.

“S-Sercia. Why are you…”

“I came after seeing the extra. Were you very surprised, Pershati? I’m here now, so don’t worry.”

No, I’m surprised because of you.

Catching my breath, I attempted to quell my erratic heart.

“You came after seeing the extras plastered throughout the Capital?”

“Yes, I came to the Capital because I had business at the upper end and got shocked seeing the extras plastered everywhere. Which bastard dared to do this? Once I catch him, I’ll stuff hardened steel into his mouth, and…”

“S-Sercia. Calm down.”

My face paled after seeing her say such scary words with a pretty smile.

Since it seemed like she was getting angry on my behalf, I quickly comforted Sercia.

“I’m fine.”

“No.”

Sercia shook her head firmly.

“I’m not fine, Pershati. The whole Capital is talking about you. I despise it when ignorant people gossip about others.”

Sercia’s scarlet pupils burned with rage.

“And isn’t it obvious that a natural beauty would meet a lot of men? They’re making such a fuss over one person, to even write an article about that. Tsk.”

“S-Since Theodore and Selphi went to the newspaper agency, things will settle down soon. …Rebecca, can you prepare some tea for the sitting room?”

“Y-Yes!”

Rebecca, who was overwhelmed by Sercia’s dignified aura, couldn’t say anything properly before quickly placing the luggage down and running outside.

“We happen to have a nice tea flavor right now. Would you drink it with me, Sercia?”

Sercia readily agreed to my offer. Like sisters, we walked side by side and went to the sitting room.

“I hope I didn’t bother you by visiting so suddenly.”

“Not at all! I had nothing to do, so I was thinking of having tea time anyway. Regardless, drinking together is more enjoyable than drinking alone.”

“Pershati, even every word you say is pretty.”

As soon as we entered the sitting room, the aroma of sweet tea and savory cookies filled the air, thanks to Rebecca running around to prepare for us.

“It smells quite nice.”

Taking a seat on the sofa, Sercia looked at Rebecca, who was pouring tea.

“I’ve never seen this person before. Is she new?”

“Ah, yes. This is Lady Knights, who came to serve me as my lady-in-waiting.”

As soon as I introduced her, Rebecca greeted Sercia. Humming to herself, Sercia crossed her long legs before waving her fan.

“Young Lady, serve the Grand Duchess properly.”

“P-Pardon?!”

“I like her very much, you see.”

Sercia spoke softly like butter, before smiling.

“If you don’t serve her properly, I’ll scold you, okay?”

I could tell she was teasing Rebecca from her mischievous voice, but it seemed that Rebecca couldn’t tell as she stood frozen, speechless, on the verge of tears.

Why’s she acting like that?

Is she surprised because of Sercia? Is she that scary?

Grabbing the hems of her dress, Rebecca bit her lips tightly. I quickly comforted Rebecca as I saw tears building up in her eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Like a child on the verge of crying, Rebecca pouted her lips and nodded.

“S-Seeing M-Miss Sercia so suddenly surprised me…”

Rebecca’s voice trembled unattractively. Patting her shoulder, I sent her out of the sitting room.

“It’s okay. Return to your room to rest. Sercia and I will stay here and talk.”

Sniffling and catching her breath, Rebecca gave her parting greeting before leaving the sitting room.

‘Rebecca must be weak-hearted.’

Pitifully watching Rebecca leave, Sercia tilted her head to the side as if pleading not guilty.

“I didn’t do anything, Pershati.”

“I know. Today’s her first day, so she must’ve gotten surprised before she was able to adjust. I’ll comfort her later… Anyhow, I hope the tea is to your liking.”

“If it’s tasty to you, it’s tasty to me, Pershati.”

I definitely must have misheard her talking about hardened steel. She’s such an angel!

I probably misheard her talking about fingernails and toenails last time as well! How could such a kind person say something so scary!

“So Theo and Selphi went to the newspaper agency?”

“Ah… they did. I think they went to find out more about the person who wrote the extra.”

“Darn. Even if they go, it’s pointless.”

“Pardon?”

“I just came from the newspaper agency. I tortured them, but seeing how they didn’t reveal anything, they truly know nothing.”

…Huh? I think I just heard something scary.

She’s smiling so prettily, like sunshine… Is something wrong with my ears?

“Whoever dared to touch you needs to know their place. Whoever did it, when they get caught, I’ll scatter their limbs across the entire continent.”

No. There’s nothing wrong with my ears.

I dumbfoundedly stared at Sercia, who spoke without hesitation.

“Don’t worry about the extra for now. This is related to the Lapileon household, so we won’t just let it be.”

“By not letting it be…”

“Pershati. How do you think we’ve hidden the truth about our curse until now?”

Sercia laughed captivatingly, like a forbidden golden apple that you couldn’t simply pretend never existed.

“Nobody dares to speak lightly about the Lapileon household.”

“Huh?”

“Since those who speak rashly about the Lapileon family disappear without a trace.”

“…!”

Don’t smile so prettily while saying such things!

“Nobody in the Capital. Not even a young child can speak about you, Pershati.”

I suddenly recalled all the notorious stories I had heard about the Lapileon family in my previous life.

‘I heard those who spread rumors about the Lapileons disappear the next day without a trace!’

‘I heard there’s even a torture room in the basement of the Lapileon residence.’

‘Shush, if you talk about the Lapileon family, you’ll disappear from this Empire.’

At the time, I laughed it off thinking it was nonsense. But why do I feel like those rumors are true now?

I laughed brightly in order to hide my nervousness. Taking notice of my awkward smile, Sercia tapped her teacup twice before switching the topic.

“This tea is so delicious! As expected, your taste is outstanding.”

“T-Thank you.”

“To be honest, I wanted to see how you were doing after that day, but I held myself back because I didn’t want to disturb the two of you. It’s annoying when the husband’s side of the family comes and goes as they please. Today is an exception though.”

She was even thinking of things like that. Seeing how she was overflowing in consideration compared to her earlier scary words, I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Tell me, are you scary or kind?’

Either way, I could tell that she, who was now my family, would not hurt me.

“I’m fine. Come visit whenever you feel like it. I’ll always have tasty tea prepared for you, Sercia.”

“Uh…”

At my invitation, Sercia widened her eyes like a surprised rabbit. It was strange to see how her eyes opened in surprise in contrast to her usual laid-back self.

“Sercia? What is it?”

Was the tea actually bad?

“…Oh, really?”

“Huh?”

“Are you asking me to visit again, Pershati?”

Did I say something wrong?

As I nodded slowly, Sercia flusteredly placed her hands on her burning cheeks.

“It’s my first time being invited for the second time. Usually, after inviting me once, they tell me not to come again.”

Sercia laughed embarrassedly.

“Thank you, Pershati. I’m happy.”

Seeing Sercia so happy like an innocent child, I absent-mindedly stared at her. Then, I suddenly was reminded of a memory from before I regressed.

‘Oh yeah, I’ve seen Sercia before.’

Sercia had lost her family.

Yeah, I’ve definitely seen her before. It’s just that she looked so different from how she does now, it never occurred to me that they could be the same person.

At the funeral I visited, Sercia wasn’t smiling as she was now.

During that time, she was dressed in black, motionlessly crying, like a person with death by their side. When her dead husband and child were lowered into the ground, she dived into the hole, saying she’d get buried with them as well.

When a noble claimed she was the one who’d killed them in order to obtain the inheritance, she’d choked them with the intent to kill.

All of what I remember of Sercia is completely different from now.

‘So she went through that kind of thing.’

At the time, when I’d heard rumors of a wife who’d killed her family, I’d thought nothing much of it.

‘It must’ve been harder for her because of the rumors.’

I stared at Sercia, who was happily talking about how she would buy delicious cookies the next time she came.

Compared to the crying face of a desolate person who had given up on life, her face now was much more vibrant and suited her well.

“You’re so beautiful when you smile, Sercia.”

At my sudden compliment, Sercia stopped talking and blushed.

“H-Huh? I think you’re more beautiful than me, Pershati…”

“Seeing you smile makes me feel good. So keep smiling.”

…Always smile happily.

At my words, Sercia’s expression immediately distorted. It was a strange expression that wasn’t a smiling face nor a crying one. Sercia, who was trying to hide her convulsing lips, turned her face to the window.

A warm sunlight that made flowers bloom shone into the sitting room.

“Pershati, don’t you find me… um, us, scary?”

Fidgeting with her fingers, she dropped her head unconfidently.

“To be honest, I’m scared when you talk about putting hardened steel into people’s mouths,” is what I wanted to say, but I swallowed it.

“Even if our blood doesn’t make you die, we can still kill other people.”

“Mistakes and murder are two different things.”

From my firm answer, Sercia took a sip of her tea. There was a brief silence.

“Pershati… Do you want me to laugh?”

“Yes, laughing makes one feel good. Both the person laughing and the person seeing it.”

At my very standard answer, Sercia had a faint smile before closing her eyes gently.

“…You’re the third person to tell me that.”

“The third?”

“Yes, before you…”

Tucking her hair behind her ear, she sadly smiled.

“It’s what my husband and child said to me.”

“…!”

“I never thought I would hear that from you, Pershati… It’s been a while since I have. I’ve completely forgotten about that.”

After sorrowfully telling me that, she rubbed her teacup with her thumb.

“He was a good person, and we were a happy family. You’ve never seen him before, but my child…”

Sercia must’ve been recalling memories, for she laughed quietly.

“…was truly like an angel.”

Her voice shook.

“Since the curse in my family gets passed down when the men marry and have a child, my child luckily grew up without having anything to do with the curse.”

“…”

“To be honest, my past is quite unfortunate. My father passed away early on because of the curse, and my mother, who was left alone, wasn’t able to handle my brother and me. Because of that, growing up, we lived in a locked warehouse where light couldn’t reach us.

As Sercia started talking about her past, I held my breath.

“Mother called us monsters who killed humans.”

“What…?”

“It’s fine. It’s the truth, anyway.”

Sercia laughed calmly. Looking downwards, I could see her detached, scarlet eyes.

“I get where she was coming from though. Before she was a ‘mother,’ she was a human. She could die at any moment because of us.”

“…”

“Although she wanted to shower her babies with love, she couldn’t. How pitiful. It must’ve been because of her guilt, but she took her own life.”

I had no idea what expression I was making. How could something like this happen? How could she just laugh about it?

“I think it was from then on that I stopped laughing. Since it felt like I didn’t have the right to after being the cause of my mother’s death.”

I was rendered speechless. I couldn’t even give a word of passing condolences.

Selphius and Sercia, who were still kids, were thrown away by their own mother.

The thought that the Lapilieon curse wasn’t the poison in their blood, but the fact that it didn’t allow them to be happy struck me.

“Listening to my past must be boring, right? That’s when I met my husband.”

Sercia didn’t cry but laughed.

“Even when I pushed him away, my husband didn’t change. When he found out everything about me, he told me to laugh happily. Saying that he’d make me laugh, or whatever… He was quite an idiot.”

She was calm, as if there were no more tears left for her to shed. I wonder how long it took her to reach this point, where she could bring this topic up so calmly.

“Everyone next to me ends up dying.”

Sercia took a sip of her tea. Her hand kept trembling, as it had been before.

“If they hadn’t met me, they would’ve lived more happily… It might’ve been better if I hadn’t been born at all. If I didn’t exist, that person wouldn’t have met me, and my child wouldn’t have had to die.”

“Sercia!”

I quickly opened my mouth that I’d been keeping shut. Although my voice cracked, it didn’t matter.

“…Sercia!”

I called her name for a second time. Then, I leaned over to firmly hold Sercia’s shaking hand.

Surprised by my sudden touch, Sercia hurriedly tried to remove her hand. But I just held on more tightly with both of mine, as if I was trying to save her from falling off of a cliff.

“I’m so happy I was able to meet you. I want to get to know you more. He must’ve been the same.”

“Pershati.”

“I want to see you laughing much more in the future. Look, Sercia.”

I lifted our tightly grasped hands into her gaze.

 

“I won’t die, Sercia.”

“…”

“I’m talking right in front of you and even holding your hand. Sercia, you don’t know how beautiful your laugh is, do you? That person, as well as your child, probably want to see you laugh beautifully.”

So don’t say something like that.

After spitting the words like rapid fire, the sitting room fell silent. Looking at my resolute expression, Sercia looked quite dazed then started laughing quietly.

“You’re quite resolute, Pershati.”

After seeing how Sercia didn’t seem not only sad, but as if death was hovering over her, I’d moved based on a burst of emotions.

‘To think I just suddenly grabbed her hand!’

Embarrassed, my face turned red like a tomato, but I didn’t let go of her hands.

“I-I apologize for suddenly grabbing your hand.”

“It’s much more comforting than a hundred words. You’re the first to grab my hand like this, other than that person.”

Lightly shaking the hand that was grasped in mine, Sercia laughed brightly. She shone just like the sunlight.

“Pershati, I liked you since the first moment we met. I have an eye for people, you see. You’re too precious to be marrying someone like Theo.”

With a much more relaxed expression than before, Sercia took out the small ring that was on her own finger and gave it to me.

“If that bastard Theo ever treats you badly or you need my help, just call me. Pershati, no matter where you are or what situation you’re in, I’ll come to you.”

“This ring…”

“I have a Revlon Wine business.”

Oh my god. By Revlon Wine, she meant…

It’s an extremely high-class wine that nobles, and even the royals, enjoyed drinking.

Because of its unique ingredients, flavor, and scent, they said that if you tasted it once, you would never be able to forget it, as if you were addicted.

It was a wine that, due to its high demand, was very expensive and difficult to procure.

Even I, who didn’t enjoy wine, knew of it— that’s how famous it was.

“This ring has the crest of the Revlon Wine engraved on it. It’s something that only I have, so it’s the same as my face.”

“Then why are you giving it to me…”

“Pershati, I’m giving it because it’s you. If you want to meet me or if you’re in a situation where you need my help… or even if you need to use me. It doesn’t matter when, so take this ring out with you.

“T-This ring?”

“Our business works with all the businesses that are in the empires within this continent. Since all nobles and royals are interested in us, no one can touch you recklessly.”

Then isn’t this an amazing ring? Is it fine for me to receive such a precious thing?

“If you show this, no one will be able to easily touch you. Unless they want to have the entire continent as their enemy, that is.”

I fidgeted with the ring in my hand.

“I’ll always be on your side, Pershati.”

What a reliable ally.

“And from now on, you can just call me ‘Seci’. The family all call me that.”

“…Then please call me ‘Sasha,’ Seci.”

The sunlight that shone on Sercia was brilliant and warm.

“Alright, Sasha.”

She smiled beautifully.