Chapter 15 - The Girl Wants to Be M*rdered

**Episode 15: Epilogue** * * * ** On one cold winter day, a thin layer of ice covered everything. A woman strolling along the riverbank caught a strange scent and heard faint breaths with her ears. Like the frail sound of a candle flickering out. "......." The woman paused momentarily, pondering before heading toward the source of that sound. There, she found a child. In a state so gruesome that not even for appearance's sake could one call it well. A short sigh turned to mist as it escaped her lips. Without a grimace, she carefully observed the sight. From the child's face to her entire body, bruises and lacerations told of collisions with sharp objects, and her abdomen resembled a doll with its stuffing ripped out. "You are going to die soon." "......." Once water is spilled, it can never be gathered again. The wounds were grave, and too much blood had already been lost. To anyone's eyes, the child already had one foot in the grave. If this was just to kill, there was no need to go to such lengths. These wounds were made to harass and mock the child; she concluded internally. Arrow marks on the calf. A hand reduced to rags. Stabs repeatedly inflicted in non-lethal places. Yet, seeing no trace of resistance, the woman presumed that someone dear to this child had committed this heinous act. "Have you been betrayed too?" she asked softly. Naturally, no answer came. "...Out here, nothing changes, does it?" ".......ㅡ.." "Always cruel and merciless to everyone..." Thus, she brought her hand to the child's neck. Was it an intent to ease the child's pain? However, she couldn’t apply more pressure. The woman's hand trembled pitifully. "Haha... feeling compassion is a luxury I cannot afford...." "....." "Why am I feeling such a thing?" She closed her eyes briefly, steeling her resolve before opening them again with determined eyes. There was a moment of hesitation, but now a life would be lost at her hands. Her grip on the neck tightened. Slowly. Bit by bit. ".....niㅡ" "...Whatㅡ" At the moment the flickering candle was about to extinguish. The child's lips, ever so slightly, parted. The woman, upon seeing this, pulled her extended hand back, looking at the child with surprise. The child spat out blood along with a single word. "ㅡunnie.." "....!!" Moments later, the place was deserted. Only traces of blood were left to show that a child had drifted to this spot, but even those tracks slowly dissipated with the flow of water. What becomes of the child, beyond the help of any healer, remains unknown to all. ** "In the end, I brought her back....." "I have to kill her....." "From the moment she arrived and saw me... there's no other choice but to kill her...!" "I... don't want to be betrayed again....!!" ** An unexpected storm of blood swept through the palace. On a day meant to be remembered as a joyous celebration in everyone's memory, everything crumbled. The beloved princess, Aris Akaia, went missing. No one knows the full circumstances. Why she crossed the fence into the forest. What led her to fall off a cliff. Why the First Princess returned with her body smeared in blood, supported by her guards. Why the Second Princess desperately swung her sword, attempting to kill her sister. What urgent news was brought by the former head knight and the librarian. Nothing was revealed. Every knight or maidservant with a clue about the event remained tight-lipped. A sort of taboo. A fruit not to be touched. But was it because such fruits appeared even sweeter? There were still those who sought to uncover the truth. And they all ended up buried deep in the earth without reaching it. Not a single one spared. Weeks later, an official investigation report was announced. The culprit was identified as Duke Akiten Bate. Once considered a promising individual, now a major criminal mired in unspeakable greed. The Duke was captured while attempting to flee across the border with his fortune after the incident. Though he vehemently denied his crimes, at the point of being captured whilst fleeing, his words lost credibility. There was no trial. Everyone involved was taken into custody. A maid who exchanged earrings for the Duke's down payment. A shaman who crafted pearls imbued with spells. A merchant who regularly supplied materials. A carpenter who created secret spaces for him. All the kingdom's torturers were mobilized afterward. They first pleaded for their lives, and soon after wished for death instead. But the torture didn't stop. The torturers carried out their task with silent resolve and personal satisfaction. Gradually, they began uttering horrid strings of words, meaningless in composition, and eventually, they could issue no sound other than laughter. Ultimately, their vocal cords were torn, leaving them unable to speak. The instigator, Duke Akiten, was afterward hung alive at the castle gate, surviving three days and nights in that state before dying. Initially, people did not realize it was the Duke hanging there. Except for those with keen eyes, most thought it was an effigy made of leather. But once they saw the name of the Duke inscribed at its base, it is said that a shower of filth rained upon him. Yes, that's how the events concluded. Even the sharpest scars begin to fade over time. Thus, the people of the kingdom firmly believed that they would soon shake off the past and return to how things once were. The kingdom found peace once more. Yet, at the same time, a rumor started spreading within the kingdom. "The First Princess was envious of the Third Princess's talent and pushed her off the cliff." Initially, people dismissed the rumor as absurd nonsense. However, as time passed, credible testimonials emerged, and the rumor began to be accepted as an open secret. Eventually, the entire populace heard the rumor, turning it into a shared, albeit whispered, truth. The palace tried to apprehend the originator of the rumor, but to no avail. In fact, their actions only fueled the rumor with more detail and embellishment, causing it to spread all the more widely. A rumor without feet travels a thousand miles. The rumor diversified in its variations. For instance, that the First Princess had always disliked the Third Princess. Or that she supposedly had a history of secretly abusing the youngest princess. There was also talk that the First Princess was the one who brutally murdered her youngest sister in front of the Second Princess's eyes. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before Princess Anna's honor was sullied. Yet, she, who could be called the subject of the rumors, let them persist. Whether it was because she didn't want to stoop to engage with such base rumors or because they held some truth and she was paralyzed by guilt, no one could say. Today, once again, in a tavern, rumors about the First Princess spread. There was an incident where the knightly order came to investigate upon receiving reports, but the drinkers who whispered the stories had already disappeared. Thus, another day in the kingdom passed. ** IF. If Aris had been caught at the cliff. "Aah... Aah...!! Someone, anyone, please come quicklyㅡ!!!!!" "....ㅡ,ㅡ." Aris, whose warmth always matched her inner kindness, was now as cold as ice. My hands desperately tried to stem the blood flowing from her abdomen, but mercilessly, it continued to seep through my fingers. The sound of blood dripping was like the sound of Aris's soul fading away. The white snow on the ground was stained crimson with the blood flowing from Aris's body. The red circle slowly expanded in size. What, what should I do...!! "ㅡHere they are!! The princesses are here!!!" "Come quick! Quickly!! Call for the healer, call the healer!!" Soon, soldiers found us. Their undoubtedly earnest actions seemed unbearably slow today. Quicker... Please.. faster!! The soldiers glanced at me, drawing sharp breaths, leaving only a few behind and rushing off to fetch the healer. ".....niㅡ, gurgle, cough." "Aris!? Don't talk!! Yes, yes. It's me, Remi. Everything will be alright, yes." Aris's hand slowly moved across my body, seeking my face. I forced a smile to somehow reassure her. The healer would arrive soon. "It's alright... You’ll survive... Aris, okay? Yes?" ".........ㅡ." "Yes.. Because Aris is kind... You always said you'd stay by my side....didn't you?" Aris's eyes focused on me. Those beloved, jewel-like jade eyes of hers were growing duller by the moment. Her eyes, unfocused, stared past me into the void. "Noㅡ" "......" "No, Aris... okay? Aris, just hold on a bit longer. They said they'd bring the healer...! Open your eyes, Aris! Pleaseㅡ!!!!" I gripped the hand feeling around my face tightly. Had my prayer reached the heavens? Just moments ago, Aris had seemed lifeless, but now she smiled, looking straight at me. Yes, she can live... Aris...! "Yes, Aris... I haven't even made the wreath properly yet... right? You said you'd teach me well...?" "ㅡunnie." "You're not going to leave, Aris..? You're not going to leave me alone, right...!?" "...I love you." "Yes, yes! I love you too... Aris." With those words, Aris seemed to let go, closing her eyes and drifting into sleep. You can’t sleep, Aris. Open your eyes. When you sleep in the cold, you'll catch a cold. You taught me that, right? Hm? "Don't close your eyes, Aris..! Keep them open..! We promised to read books together, travel, and play hide and seek!!" "......." Please... "Open your eyes... Please... Just once.. Aris..." "......." Please.... "Is she... sleeping...?" "......." "I guess... it can't be helped. Aris..." Aris never opened her eyes again. Even as the snowflakes began to fall one by one, even as the cold wind teased her ears, Aris remained serenely asleep. The healers began to take Aris somewhere else. Ahㅡ "■■■■■■■■...." "□□, □□□......" Nearby, knights and maids spoke to me. Perhaps out of drowsiness, their words faded to whispers I could not hear. What are they saying? I couldn't catch a single word. Just leave me alone. Whenever Aris fell asleep, I would join her in slumber. Now that Aris had started to sleep, perhaps it was also time for me to rest? My eyelids seemed to grow heavier. Sleep? Yes, perhaps this is all just a dream? Yes, a dream. A nightmare I never wish to dream again. It must be a dream. Something so horrific couldn't possibly be happening in reality. I looked down at my waist. The dagger, sharpened to a deadly edge, came into view. It's time to wake from this dream. Iㅡ **