Peri headed out of Rael’s room. She closed the door gently, so as not to disturb anyone. She began walking to her next destination. Her thoughts were occupied by the scene she had just seen.
Rael had finally made friends and family who cared for him. She could still remember consoling a crying Rael who was too young to understand why everyone kept pushing him away. He cried in her embrace about how lonely he felt. Her heart ached at those memories. But seeing him grow up and gain friends made those memories bitter-sweet.
That’s why she wanted to have more memories of Rael. She hadn’t been with him long enough, she wanted to see him become an adult, get married, and have kids. But that wish would soon be crushed by reality.
Peri stopped by a guarded door. The knight looked at her.
“No entry allowed unless given—“ Peri showed him a seal. The knight’s face nearly drained with color. He bowed, before knocking on the door.
“Your majesty, you have a visitor.”
“Let them in.” The knight opened the door for Peri. She entered the room and stared at the King. Pierre, who was busily writing something down, looked up. His face stiffened.
Peri smiled.
“It seems that you know why I’m here.” The King placed his pen down.
“I should’ve expected it.”
“You say that, but it looks like I caught you off guard.” The King averted his gaze.
“What is it you want?” Peri’s face was cold.
“I think you know.” The King gritted his teeth.
“I can’t do it. The sacrifice is too large. It’s better to just let him die—“ Peri put her hand in her pockets. The King stopped abruptly, his face paling.
“What are you doing?”
“Pierre, I don’t think I need to remind you of this, do I?” She took out a necklace that contained a picture of a woman. Her hair glowed in the sun as her golden-brown eyes curved with happiness. The King stood up from his seat.
“I didn’t think…!” He tried grabbing the necklace but Peri lifted her arm. They stared at each other.
“Why are you so flustered, your majesty?”
“Don’t be polite when you don’t mean it. Give that to me.”
“I thought you didn’t care about her?”
“What I feel is my business. Now hand it.” He glared at her. The King was shorter than Peri, so he struggled to take the necklace from her. Peri smiled mockingly.
“I can’t do that. It’s my last memory of her. I won’t let you take her away from me.” The King clenched his fist.
“If I’d known that she wouldn’t have made it, I would’ve never—“
“It’s too late for regret. Don’t give me that pitiful look. Even though she’s long gone, she left behind a piece of her.” His eyes widened.
“No, I won’t—“ Peri cut him off.
“Rael is the last trace of her. If he dies…” The hand that held the necklace tightened. “The necklace disappears too.” The King seemed surprised. He looked at her and he took a step back.
“Why are you tormenting me like this?”
“Because it’s my fault that you two ever met.” They stared at each other again. The King went back to his seat, staring at Peri for a while.
“You can’t hold my love for her against me forever, you know?”
“I know.”
“Someday, I’ll have you punished for this behavior.”
“I woefully await that day.” The King sighed. Deeply. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to clear his thoughts.
“In all honesty, I can save Rael… however, if I do, Clara won’t ever forgive me.” Peri stared at him coldly.
“Your marriage isn’t as stable as you think, you won’t suffer too much from it.”
“But she’ll be devastated. If I have to use Lilith, she’ll be—“
“Wallowing in sorrow, just as I did. I think it’s time for her to suffer more pain than just breaking her nails.”
“Peri, you’re being cruel.”
“I don’t care. Save him. If Clara wants revenge, point the finger at me. You’ve always been good at blaming others.” The King’s face was cold.
“Don’t overstep your boundaries.” He said.
“Don’t tell me what to do then.” Peri sneered.
The air was tense. They glared at each other, neither willing to give up first. Their scowling was stopped by knocking.
“Her majesty is seeking an audience with his majesty.” The knight from outside the door spoke. Peri smiled.
“Well, speak of the devil.” She put the necklace down at the King’s desk. “I hope you make the right decision.” She turned her heels and went out the door. A befuddled Clara entered.
“Honey, why was Peri here? Were you discussing something?” Pierre quickly grabbed the necklace and put it away. He shook his head.
“Nothing important. What did you want?” Clara frowned but she replied.
“I just wanted to ask you where we should have Lilith’s room. I had thought of having it upstairs, but since Rael’s room will be vacant, can we use that one? The room is quite good now that I think about it, why did you give him such a nice room?” She looked at him suspiciously.
He had to. Peri had come to him nearly in tears at the harsh treatment Rael got. Even though they acted hostile towards one another, they had a mutual love for a certain someone. It created a strange bond between two individuals whose paths would’ve never crossed.
The King shrugged. “I chose the room farthest away from us, so he wouldn’t bother anyone.” Clara smiled.
“Right. But having Lilith there for a few years would be beneficial for her. Or should we turn it into her playroom? I’m sure she’ll want to have a lot of toys so we’d have to dedicate a whole room for her.” Clara gushed about Lilith, contemplating the best way to spoil her without going too far.
She let out a frustrated sound. “I’m not sure anymore! I’ve become so used to raising boys that I don’t even know how girls think! How different are they? Will she be happy with the room?” She stared at him with bright eyes. Pierre wanted to smile at her eagerness but his face was stiff. He merely nodded.
“I’m sure she’d be happy with anything.” Clara frowned.
“But that’s not good enough!” She began telling Pierre about how Lilith hated certain baby foods, how cute her blue eyes were, and how Lilith was a bit too eager to roll herself off high places.
Pierre listened to it all, patient. He saw the love in Clara’s eyes as she spoke of Lilith. And he sighed. Clara left, saying they’d talk more at dinner. She had a bright smile as the door closed.
Pierre looked at the door. He wasn’t sure what choice to make. While he didn’t care for Rael much, he didn’t want to see him die. But if he did save him, Lilith was as good as dead.
Clara would never forgive him.
Peri would despise him.
But what would she think?
Pierre raised his head, staring at his ceiling. He wondered if she was there, watching him make disastrous decisions. Would she hate him? Love him? Reprimand him? Console?
What would hurt more? Pierre buried his face in his hands. He didn’t know anymore. There wasn’t a right answer to this. He cursed to himself as he continued to overthink.
“How did this all happen?”
The day passed slowly. Weiss felt drowsy from the lack of sleep he’d gotten. He’d been forced to leave the room by Peri, along with Wei, Al, and Claus. So he’d wanted to wake up early and make sure nothing went wrong.
He nearly stumbled as he walked, yawning the entire way. He opened the door and peeked in. Empty. He entered the room and looked at Rael. He was still unconscious.
Weiss thought it was strange that Rael didn’t look like someone suffering through mein. Maybe that’s why he didn’t feel a single thing as he stared at him. Because it felt like a dream. Like Rael was going to wake up at any second.
‘Hey, Weiss! It was a joke! I’m not actually dying!’ He tried envisioning it in his head but it wasn’t possible. Weiss stared at Rael’s hand. And by impulse, he grabbed it. He held the hand, staring at it.
His pulse was weak.
Weiss stood up. He couldn’t seem to calm down today. His emotions wouldn’t settle down. Feeling his beating heart, he stared out of the window, looking at a large branch that swayed in the air.
And he hoped to wake up from this nightmare.
Clara hugged Lilith in her arms. Lilith let out a sound as her eyes grew large. This made Clara even happier as she poked Lilith’s cheeks. Lilith let out a squeal as her mother kept teasing her.
Finally, Clara stopped, as her cheeks hurt from smiling too much. She finally let Lilith down in her baby nest.
She’d been so happy when Lilith was born. She didn’t care about the gender of her children, but if she’d gotten a sixth son, she might’ve thought there was something wrong.
Lilith waved her hands as she stared at the ceiling with curiosity. Clara couldn’t help but chuckle.
Her chuckling was stopped by knocking. The Queen glanced at the knights who stood guard. The knight straightened.
“It’s an attendant with afternoon tea and sweets.” Clara’s eyes lit up.
“Perfect timing. Bring them in.” The doors opened, revealing an attendant who wore a black and white dress. The attendant bowed before revealing a serving cart filled with sweets and all kinds of tea.
Clara smiled as the attendant began to brew the tea. Clara smiled at the attendant.
“I’m delighted that you’re the one attending to me.” Peri smiled back.
“It’s my pleasure to attend to her majesty.” Clara brought the cup to her lips and sipped it. She nodded with a hum.
“You’ve always been good at brewing tea. Where did you learn it?”
“I began brewing tea for my sickly husband.”
“Ah, Count Hart? I heard about the news…” Clara’s smile faltered while Peri bowed.
“It happened many years ago, I stopped grieving long ago. It was my sister who taught me how to brew tea.” Clara perked up.
“Really? Is she better than you?” Peri’s eyes were cold as she prepared a plate of snacks. Clara took a biscuit and took a bite of it. She frowned at the taste. Peri replied after a moment of silence.
“She was.”
“Ah.” Clara realized her mistake. “Pardon me. What a pity that she passed away.” Clara couldn’t help but ask; “What happened to her?”
Peri lifted her head and stared at the Queen. And then her smile widened.
“She was murdered by a jealous bitch.”
“Huh?” Clara let out. And then her vision grew blurry. “W-what’s going on? Peri? Did you put something in that tea?” Peri let out a laugh.
“How would I dare to do something like that? I only put something in the cookies.” The Queen collapsed on the sofa as she tried standing up. Her vision was growing dark. The last thing she saw was Peri picking Lilith up.
“No…”
“Since you seemed so curious about who killed my sister, I might as well tell you before I go.” Clara’s consciousness was slipping away.
“I think the murderer's name was… Clara De Onevia? I think you know her very well.” Clara’s head fell down as she passed out. Peri stared at Clara before turning. Lilith was smiling in her arms, oblivious to what was happening.
The knights who stood by the door averted their gazes. They’d been informed ahead of time.
Peri’s walk to the King’s study was slow. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest. But she feigned calmness. She had to do it.
She had to save her nephew’s life.
Pierre stared at Lilith. She was in his arms, dozing off. He raised his head. Peri stood a few meters from him, face devoid of emotions.
“The choice is yours. Either you save his life or…” The air was tense. Pierre closed his eyes. He could feel Lilith’s chest moving up and down. And he opened his eyes.
“It’s already too late.” Peri looked distraught at those words.
“What do you mean, can’t we—“
“I can’t return Lilith after what you did. Even if we used [Mind Blank], Clara would become suspicious. I have to go through with the plan.”
“Do you mean…?”
“Yes. I’ll save Rael.” Peri’s tense body relaxed. She opened her mouth and closed it. She looked happy but a part of her seemed guilty.
“Is there not another method?”
“If it was, do you think I’d wait this long to reveal it?” Pierre snapped at her. Peri stared at him. And her head bowed.
“Right. I’m—I’m sorry.” She lowered her head even further so Pierre couldn’t see her face. But he could see her body trembling. “My last wish in life is for Rael to be well, so I’m forever in your debt. Even though I blackmailed you and threatened you, you could’ve easily had me detained and thrown in jail for it. Is it because of my sister? Did you love her so much that you’ll endure harassment from a lowly maid?” Peri raised her head, a pathetic smile on her face. Pierre narrowed his eyes at her.
“Is that what you think of me? Is this the reason you’ve been tormenting me?” Peri was cut off before she could reply. “I didn’t do this because of her. While my feelings remain, it’s been too many years for me to constantly think of her. Even a cheating bastard like me can move on.” Peri bit her lip but kept quiet.
“Before Rael’s awakening, he came to me. He was pale in the face, shaking with fear, and yet his eyes burned with determination. Almost as though he had a solution even if I said no. I was caught by surprise when he collapsed. I had expected something marvelous, maybe a phoenix or a dragon descending to save him.” Pierre laughed, mocking his naive self. “But that never happened. Rael wasn’t an extraordinary person who could go against all odds. He was just an illegitimate child who was forced to adapt to the aristocratic ways.”
“…”
“Perhaps by doing this, he’ll prove his worth to me, just as he swore he would. Though his loyalty won’t amount to another person's life.”
“Why did you choose Rael?” Peri couldn’t help but ask. She felt as though it was sudden, too sudden. He’d been against it just a day ago.
Pierre lowered his gaze to look at Lilith. “Because if I can’t be a good father to Rael, I’ll never become a better father for Lilith.” He stood up, nearly waking Lilith up.
“And since I’m saving Rael, consider us even.” He walked up to Peri, meeting her wavering gaze. “Since I’ll be losing another loved one due to the choices I make.”
He walked past Peri and closed the door. He headed to the second floor, reaching a metal door that was guarded by Urel’s most skilled knights. Pierre stared at them.
“5289.” He said the code which resets every 24 hours. The knights relaxed, knowing Pierre was real. They opened the heavy door for Pierre. He looked down the dark staircase.
“[Light].” On his left hand, light emerged. Holding the sleeping Lilith close to him, he walked down the stairs. A thick stench filled the narrow staircase. Pierre ignored it and kept descending. By the time he reached the bottom, his surroundings consisted of only roots and leaves.
He walked past the roots, brushed away the leaves, and went deeper. It took a few minutes before he saw sunlight. Finally, the darkness vanished as the roots stopped obscuring the sun.
He stopped and gazed at the marvelous view in front of him. Two large trees stood in front of him. Their branches intertwined as they swayed in the wind. But no wind was strong enough to sway them.
They were sentient. And observing Pierre. The King cleared his throat.
“I ask for your help.”
No response.
“If… if I offer this child to you, can you save Rael?” He didn’t have to explain much, the elder trees could hear anything from all over Urel. Eavesdropping the conversations he’d just had was a breeze for them.
One of the elder trees stopped swaying. Pierre saw a branch extend towards him. He nearly flinched but kept still. He saw the branch curl around Lilith before gently picking her up.
Pierre saw Lilith being taken away from him. He wanted to run and grab her again. He felt regret and guilt, and his body moved on its own. He tripped before he could walk forwards. Looking down, he saw roots and vines curled around his legs. He hadn’t noticed them tying him down. So he helplessly watched his youngest child vanish from sight.
He let out a shaky breath as the elder trees swayed once more. Then, both trees stopped their motions. Their exteriors began glowing with light. It glowed so brightly that Pierre had to avert his gaze. When he looked back, he saw a flask right at his feet. The elder trees had stopped swaying but they didn’t pay any attention to him. Pierre’s hand shook as he picked the flask up. The liquid inside of it was… white. Pierre frowned. He knew of a lot of potions, but it was the first time he’d seen something this color.
But he knew better than to question the wisdom of thousands of years old trees. Pierre left the residence of the elder trees, with a flask in hand.
He went inside with Lilith and left with a flask. His steps were heavy as he dreaded what would happen. He clenched his fist. The priority was to give this flask to Rael.
Hopefully seeing him wake up would make the guilt disappear for a little while.
Peri didn’t comment when Pierre entered his study. He grabbed a coat. She saw him shiver even with the sunlight on him. She bit her lip. She knew how selfish she’d been to have made him choose between his two children. She thought that the one who’d suffer the most was Clara. But seeing the King whose hands kept shaking, she almost regretted what she’d done.
Almost.
“Your majesty—“
“Don’t. I did what I could. Here it is.” He handed the flask to Peri. Peri’s lips trembled.
“But—“
“I’ll come with you. Let’s hurry up so that we’re not late.” The King began walking but he stumbled. Peri caught him before he could fall. Pierre gritted his teeth.
“It seems that I’m light-headed. You wouldn’t mind if I leaned against you for support?” Peri shook her head.
“It’s the least that I can do.”
Pierre put his hand around Peri, leaning against her for support. Peri didn’t complain as she slowly walked with him to Rael’s room. She could hear his breathing as he kept his gaze on the ground.
The guilt of having murdered Lilith was weighing heavily on him. Peri could see it. It reminded her of when she saw Pierre’s face right after the death of her sister. It was empty, devoid of emotions. But his mental and physical health dropped drastically in only a week. He couldn’t even focus on work as he blankly stared at his desk. Had it not been for Clara confessing about it, he might’ve collapsed.
Pierre was strong and kind. But his weakness was his vulnerability. He couldn’t handle it. His body and mind would slowly shut down until…
Peri didn’t want to guess what might happen.
“Your majesty.” Peri finally spoke. Pierre didn’t lift his head.
She continued. “I will take responsibility. For everything. I told you that I would, didn’t I?” His voice was quiet.
“…you don’t have to. It’s my fault. I’ll—“ Peri cut him off, glaring.
“How can I do that? When I make a promise, I always keep it. I’m the murderer, alright? You can throw me in jail and feed me rotting bread, I’ll accept anything.” She felt him stop. She stopped walking, staring at him.
“No.”
“I won’t accept no.”
“I can’t allow you to take the blame. Not again. I… I have to stop blaming others. How pathetic of a king am I if I can’t handle something as small as this?” Peri looked at him sadly. He was undermining the situation to make her feel better. She spoke quietly.
“Just for a second, forget everything I previously said.” Pierre finally lifted his head and met her gaze. “It’s alright to be sad. It’s fine to break down, grow angry, and feel guilty. What’s not fine is pushing everyone away for a long time. And keeping your emotions bottled up until you eventually burst? Don’t ever do it again. Not like how you did with Julie’s death. You’re allowed to grieve just like the rest of you, kings are humans too. Just as you’re leaning against me for support, let me help you bear the blame and guilt. I think I’d feel worse if you bore it all by yourself.”
Pierre’s lips trembled. “Can I do it? You won’t mind if I depended on you a little bit more?” Peri shook her head. She placed a hand on his head, patting it gently. It was something she used to regularly do to appease Rael when he was growing sad.
“I’d be delighted to help you.” Pierre stared at her and then he leaned against her, ignoring tears that rolled down his cheek. Peri walked with him, pausing only to allow him to brush away his tears.
Pierre felt better after a while and stopped leaning against Peri. But the two walked next to one another. Pierre glanced at her. He knew if he ever needed it again, she’d offer a shoulder to lean against.
The strange bond between two individuals who previously despised each other grew into something more. They leaned against each other, learning to grieve whilst carrying a heavy burden.
Together.
Weiss frowned as he stared at Rael’s face. Something had changed. It looked as though Rael’s cheeks were bulging. Even though he didn’t have anything in his mouth?
It happened so suddenly that he could only blink. Rael’s unconscious body started swelling up, as though he had bruises all over his body. Weiss could only hold Rael’s hand as he watched it happen with horror.
The clock had stopped ticking. The illness had taken over 80% of his body in only a few minutes. Weiss was helpless as Rael’s legs were slowly swelling up. The mana had entered his body. It was reaching its limit.
It would soon combust—
The door opened. Weiss saw Peri who walked in with… the King? It was a strange scene but he didn’t question it. Peri saw Rael.
“Oh no!” She ran to Rael. She looked at Weiss.
“When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“It happened just a moment ago. It was too quick for me to run out and call for help…” Peri shook her head.
“Excuse me, I must’ve forgotten my place. You have my gratitude for staying with him, Mr. Reiss.” Weiss didn’t respond and saw her pull out a flask. She murmured something audibly as she opened the flask.
“Please let this work…!” She opened Rael’s mouth and carefully poured the contents into his mouth. Peri grew worried that he might choke and hesitated on whether to turn his head and force it out. But the liquid went down Rael’s throat, even though the boy was still unconscious.
“The swelling has reached his feet…” Weiss said, looking distraught. Peri crossed her hands together. She did what she knew best and prayed. She prayed for Rael’s survival and that they weren’t too late. She didn’t know what to do if he didn’t make it.
“…Ah!” Someone exclaimed. Peri’s eyes shot open and the swelling had disappeared. In just seconds, Rael’s condition had improved. The cure worked quicker than expected. She was still surprised when she saw Rael’s hand twitch. And then Rael yawned.
He opened his eyes.
“Huh?”
When I woke up, I saw Peri, the King, and Weiss in my room. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. But they were still there, staring at me wide-eyed.
My head was throbbing for some reason and I couldn’t recall what had happened after I passed out.
I saw Peri move and then embrace me. She hugged me tightly. I didn’t move as she held me in her arms. When she finally let go, I saw tears in the corner of her eyes.
What had happened while I was asleep?
The King seemed to hesitate before he approached me. I looked at him, surprised that he was facing me, and then he hugged me as well. It was an awkward hug. He didn’t seem to know how to hug very well. But it strangely filled me with warmth. He let go quickly and walked back, standing next to Peri who was grinning. The King averted his gaze, embarrassed.
Finally, the last person in the room walked up to me.
“Rael?”
“Yes, Weiss?” He looked like he’d seen a ghost.
“Are you okay?”
“I… think so?”
Weiss’ expression drastically changed. His face scrunched up as tears welled in his eyes. I felt him hug me before he burst into tears. Sobbing, he hugged me tightly, and unlike the King and Peri, he didn’t want to let go of me.
Our reunion was interrupted by the door slamming open.
“Weiss?! Why are you crying? Is Rael dead—?!” Al ran into the room with a shout. When he spotted me, he paused. And then he burst into tears and hugged me too. It was growing crowded as the two boys sobbed in my embrace.
Claus entered the room with a frown. Being the most composed of us all, I thought he’d be happy to see me with a smile.
“I’m sorry Claus, I don’t think there’s any room left for you…” his eyes widened when he heard me speak. I saw him blink. And his calm expression cracked. Claus began crying as he ran and hugged me, ignoring the complaints of the other two. Seeing the three crying as they hugged me, I felt overwhelmed.
“What happened while I was asleep?” Peri merely smiled.
“A lot. But I’ll tell you more about it later. I think it’s best if you reassure your friends that you’re alive.” I wanted to laugh but nothing came out.
They were overreacting. I wouldn’t die, I was healthy and alive. Even though I’d nearly died, something had saved me.
But would this happen every single time?
The realization that I’d almost died caught up to me.
I teared up. And then I burst into tears along with my friends. We cried as we held one another.
I didn’t want to admit it, but I was happy to be alive. After nearly dying, I wanted to enjoy life just a little longer.
Hugging my friends, I made a promise to myself. I wouldn’t submit to death as I did with the King ever again. No matter what danger I was facing, I’d fight to the bitter end.
I fell asleep shortly thereafter, the tears and joy growing into exhaustion. A smile was left on my face as I slept peacefully for the first time in a long while, not dreading the future for once. The comfort of the people around me made me feel safe.
I felt at home.
Mmmmm good