Chapter 59
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Chapter 59
Belzeon was utterly startled by the Twins' sudden intrusion.
While shock kept him frozen, the Twins nimbly climbed through the window and chattered away as they surveyed the room.
"What's this? I thought it'd be shabby since it's a Holy Temple, but the room's nice?"
"Right? This is actually pretty decent. I wish we could have something like this at the Basilian Estate."
"Ugh, not really."
As the two of them offered their various critiques, Belzeon set Chesa down on the floor and rose to his feet.
He quietly drew the cursed blade from his waist.
As the eerie metallic ring echoed through the air, both Twins froze.
With Chesa behind him, Belzeon leveled his sword at his brothers.
Ishuel's eyes widened in disbelief as he registered the blade pointed at him.
His long platinum lashes trembled delicately.
"W-wait, big brother..."
Unlike the shocked Ishuel, Karha remained composed.
Karha's brow furrowed.
His eyes, now fierce and menacing, glared at Belzeon.
Karha's hand moved toward the sword at his waist.
But he only rested his fingers on the hilt.
He seemed to grip it for a moment, then ultimately did not draw it.
Karha exhaled and withdrew his hand completely from the blade.
"Let's keep this reasonable."
Between his twisted smile, a hint of sharp fangs briefly showed.
"You destroyed the Basilian Estate and leaked information to assassins... Thanks to that, Ishuel and I nearly died for real?"
"Leave."
Belzeon did not lower his sword.
He merely replied in a frigid voice.
"Unless you wish to die this time."
Karha's jaw muscles tensed as he gritted his teeth, and Ishuel bit his lip.
The lightness brought by the Twins' arrival plummeted back into darkness.
"So you want to try?"
Karha smirked and finally drew both his swords.
A palpable killing intent began to seep from him.
"Big brother, if you don't want to die, let's go home quietly."
Hidden behind Belzeon, Chesa sighed inwardly.
She had been terrified watching the Townhouse explode, but this wasn't the end of it.
Of course, merely that wouldn't have been enough to capture Kieran and the Twins...
'He even hired assassins.'
And now he was drawing steel right before her eyes.
It seemed clear that provoking Belzeon was a terrible idea.
'In any case, I can't let brothers fight with blades.'
Chesa swallowed her sigh and toddled forward.
As Chesa entered the range of Belzeon's blade, he hastily swept the sword to the other side.
At Belzeon's action, Karha raised one eyebrow in surprise.
Chesa positioned herself squarely between Belzeon and the Twins.
Then, with firm resolve, she stretched her hands toward both sides and cried out.
"Stop it right now!"
All three brothers flinched simultaneously.
They all turned to look at Chesa.
Chesa narrowed her eyes sharply and scolded Belzeon and Karha in turn.
"Put your swords away!"
"...Yes, sorry."
....
Karha apologized first and sheathed his sword.
Belzeon silently returned his own blade to its scabbard.
Once all three brothers obediently sheathed their swords at Chesa's command, the atmosphere softened somewhat.
The three brothers gazed at Chesa, who seemed slightly deflated.
At their gazes fixed upon me, I exhaled a weary sigh.
"I'm not going back."
At this declaration that I wouldn't return, the Twins' eyes widened.
Ishuel quickly exclaimed.
"You misunderstand, little sister!"
Not understanding what the misunderstanding was, I tilted my head, and Ishuel knelt down.
He matched my eye level and spoke carefully.
"You are a Basilian."
It seemed he had been dwelling on what Belzeon said.
"Father thinks of you as a Basilian too. Everyone does...."
Ishuel, with both hands resting on his knees, looked quite small and pitiful.
Ishuel's lips caught my attention.
He had bitten them so much they bore wounds.
With his wounded lips, Ishuel murmured dejectedly.
"I've never had a little sister before.... I wanted to treat you better...."
Karha also crouched down beside Ishuel.
"Baby."
The way he called out held affection.
Kneeling just as Ishuel did, he reached out and gently tapped Chesa's cheek.
He pressed his finger against her plump cheek, soft as freshly baked bread, then withdrew it as he spoke.
"It's no fun without you. The house is too quiet."
Unlike when he stood confidently against Belzeon, Karha asked in a subdued tone.
"Won't you go home with your big brothers?"
Chesa didn't know how to respond and pressed her lips firmly together.
The Twins genuinely hoped for Chesa's return.
They had imagined the tool meant for the Pure Child Prayer Ceremony—their plaything for amusement—escaping and their father hunting her down with blazing eyes....
'Why are you both acting so pitiful?'
For Chesa, it was an awkward predicament.
'If the Master finds out I'm a demon, I'm dead!'
Her plump lips merely trembled as she struggled to speak, and the Twins' eyes and mouths drooped downward in unison.
'Oh no!'
It was their most devastating weapon—the pitiable, pitiful attack that always melted Chesa's resolve.
Watching them both, Chesa momentarily forgot her own predicament and wavered.
That is, until Belzeon suddenly scooped her up into his arms.
"Enough."
Belzeon held Chesa as he looked down at the Twins.
"To cunningly manipulate a child whose judgment is still underdeveloped in order to get what you want—it's shameless."
He rebuked the Twins sharply.
The Twins, who had worn expressions like rain-soaked puppies, clicked their tongues and returned to their normal faces.
"But we mean it sincerely."
Karha objected to Belzeon with a deeply furrowed brow.
"Think about it again. It's impossible anyway. How can Father revive the dead? Is he a god?"
....
"Just pretend to go along with it and help secretly without getting caught. Then everyone wins. We get a younger sister, and Father gives up his futile dream."
Chesa was genuinely astonished.
She had never imagined Karha harbored such thoughts.
He had always seemed like he lived without a care in the world.
'He was a hidden strategist all along?'
Belzeon also appeared taken aback.
Karha, exhaling a long sigh as if exasperated, continued speaking.
"And even if we revived Mother, it would be meaningless. She wouldn't want it anyway...."
Recalling memories of the past, Karha murmured softly.
"Mother abandoned us, after all."
***
It had been far too long since Mother fell ill.
The Castle of Serpents, which had once gleamed briefly, had descended back into its original gloom.
With each painful moan that escaped Mother, the castle sank deeper into darkness.
Every single day, Karha plucked flowers for Mother, who could no longer leave her bed.
He arranged them into bouquets of fresh, vibrant blooms—her favorites—and crept quietly toward the bedroom.
He moved with utmost care, afraid that if she were sleeping, his footsteps might wake her.
'She'll like this, won't she?'
As always, Mother would smile brightly when she received Karha's gift.
The sight of her exhausted, anguished face pained him deeply.
After much deliberation, this was what Karha had devised—his own way to make Mother smile.
If only for those brief moments while she admired the flowers, he hoped she would find joy.
But when Karha reached the bedroom door, he could not bring himself to enter.
Kieran's voice was seeping through the slightly ajar doorway.
Karha quieted his breathing and pressed his eye to the narrow gap.
"Why do you keep saying such things?"
Kieran's voice had risen sharply.
He sounded quite angry.
'Mother is ill.'
Whatever was happening, did he really need to raise his voice like that?
It bothered Karha immensely.
He pouted, his lips forming a sullen triangle.
Kieran's voice grew harsher still.
"If I've done something wrong, if I've done anything to upset you...!"
Before Kieran's outburst, Mother offered a small smile.
She moved her lips slowly, deliberately.
In that instant, Kieran's harsh words died on his tongue.
Desperate not to miss a single word Mother spoke, he fell silent and still.
Mother whispered softly.
"You've done nothing wrong."
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