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Thud-

The magic tool that had been in my hand fell to the floor.

-Thoroughly break it. Make it so that she has no choice but to rely on me.

-Make her unable to trust even herself. Break her mind.

"Uh… Ah…?"

In this incomprehensible situation, it felt like my brain had broken. All that came out of my mouth was unintelligible babbling, not even close to words.

-Then, the young lady may live her life with her wings permanently broken.

-Good. She'll never leave my side for the rest of her life.

"..Ah.. Athena…?"

With my eyes shaking as though there were an earthquake, my hands, feet, and even my breath began to tremble violently.

The magic tool, seemingly not willing to wait for me, continued to relay the next words.

-..The young lady will be deeply wounded.

-I'll have to heal her.

-Do you want the young lady to fall apart?

-Rosalin.

-..Sorry.

"Ah.. no.."

It's a lie.

Athena would never say such things.

I pressed my ears tightly with both hands.

I couldn't hear this anymore.

But mercilessly, the magic tool continued to project her voice.

The voice of the woman I loved so much pierced my ears, as though it were a bullet heading straight for my heart—clear and violent.

-Tell everyone to thoroughly isolate Hera. Anyone who speaks will have their necks cut immediately.

Thud…

-I don't like her getting too close to my slave. I ordered that maid to properly wound Hera.

Thud…

-Dylan, was it? Give him a generous severance package. Thanks to him, I was able to mark Hera.

Thud…

I hated it.

I didn't want to hear it.

"AAAH!!!"

I yanked at my ears as though I were about to tear them off.

Sharp pain shot through me, and blood began to flow from my ears.

It hurt, but I couldn't stop.

The words coming from the magic tool were far more painful than the agony of my flesh tearing apart.

"Lady!!!"

Alina rushed over, grabbing my hands as I began to harm myself, and crushed the magic tool with her foot, silencing everything.

With my trembling body, I ran to Alina, clutching her desperately and speaking in a broken voice.

"Alina… No, right…? Ah… Athena couldn't have said something like that…?"

"Vordin… must have used magic to manipulate her, right…? Yeah… that's what happened…"

"Lady."

"Tell me, Alina…!! This… this is a lie, right…?"

Looking at me with a confused expression, Alina closed her eyes tightly, then pulled me into her arms.

I buried my face in her shoulder, unable to see anything.

"….It's all true, Lady."

"..Huh…?"

"The words that came from the magic tool were all commands given by Athena."

"No… that's not true…"

"Lady. It's not too late."

When I didn't respond, Alina continued.

"Run away. I'll buy you time, no matter what."

"If you have the royal seal, you might be able to get the Great Sage's help. He'll surely—"

Alina noticed her shoulder was getting wet. She pulled me away from her chest.

"Lady…?"

I couldn't find her face.

My vision blurred from the pouring tears, and I couldn't see anything.

"Uh…? Haha… This is strange… Why… are my eyes…"

"Lady?!"

"I… can't… see…"

"–!!"

Alina began screaming my name, but I couldn't hear her properly.

The shock of an unbearable truth made it feel like my brain had been severed.

I lost consciousness just like that.

"Ah…"

I want to die.

***

"Why do you like me, Athena?"

"Hmm. Because you're pretty?"

Athena answered without hesitation.

It was probably a compliment, but… it didn't make me feel that good.

'If she likes me because I'm pretty, doesn't that mean I have no other charm…?'

Noticing my slightly sulky mood, Athena let out a small laugh and kissed my forehead.

"Heh… of course, it was a joke. Are you upset?"

"…Not really."

Though I felt a little hurt, I denied it because, for some reason, I didn't want to admit it.

"I love you."

"Huh…?"

At her sudden confession, I looked at Athena in surprise. She was gazing at me with intense eyes.

"It's not just your looks. Your pure personality, your little habits, everything about you is just so lovable."

She climbed on top of me and started leaning in toward my lips.

"Athena…"

"I love you, Hera."

I wrapped both my hands around her neck and closed my eyes, smiling softly.

"I love you too."

….

"Mom!! No…!! Don't do it!!"

"Miss..! Please calm down….!"

"You promised… you promised you wouldn't leave…!"

"I can't allow this. You need to sleep, first…."

I thought I heard Mari's voice as if passing by in a dream.

"…."

When I forced my heavy eyelids open, I saw myself lying on the bed in the room.

Lifting my head slightly, a warm, damp towel fell from my hair.

It was clear someone had been taking care of me, as traces of it were all around me.

Though my eyes were open, my mind still seemed asleep, and I felt dazed, as if walking in the sky.

The light, tingling, mysterious feeling wasn't unpleasant.

Shaking off that drowsy feeling, I tried to move to get out of bed, but—

Clink

"…?"

My arms wouldn't budge.

Looking up, I saw my arms were tied with soft cloth cuffs.

While I struggled to understand the confusing situation, a voice came from the direction of the door.

"Mom…?"

Mari, holding a towel in her hand, looked at me with trembling eyes.

Without hesitation, she rushed to me and embraced me.

"M-Mari…"

She hugged me tightly, as if to say she would never let go. Her grip was so strong, it almost hurt.

I wanted to pat her head, but my arms, tightly bound, wouldn't allow it.

After remaining still for a while, something wet began to feel damp near my chest.

"Cough… Mari… are you crying…?"

As I tried to speak, a dry sensation in my throat made me cough slightly.

"Ugh… Mom… is it okay now…?"

Mari's words made faint memories stir, but they were buried in the fog of confusion, and I couldn't make sense of them.

"What happened…?"

Upon hearing my raspy voice, Mari rushed somewhere, startled, and quickly returned with water to my lips.

Drinking it quenched my dry throat, and I felt slightly better.

"Mom… don't go… don't leave Mari behind…"

At her desperate cry, the fog slowly began to clear, and memories began to surface.

The loud banging sounds.

Alina, holding my violently swinging arm.

Mari, clinging to my leg, binding me.

And finally.

My own self, trying to tear away my flesh to end my life.

"Ugh…! Haah… Hk…!!"

As the memories resurfaced, my breath became shallow again, and tears started pouring from my eyes.

"Mom..! No…!!"

Mari, seeing me like this, immediately took something from her pocket and placed it into my mouth.

Then a slightly sticky liquid trickled down my throat.

As the mysterious liquid entered my body, a fuzzy and vague sensation began to envelop me.

"Hah… Hah… Hah…"

As my wildly pounding heart began to calm, my breathing slowly returned to normal.

With the floating sensation, I let my body sink into the bed, and Mari placed a towel on my forehead.

"Ugh… Mom…"

Seeing Mari crying beside me and tending to me, an indescribable sense of guilt began to fill my body.

'What have I done…?'

It was all blurry, but clear.

I tried to commit suicide in front of Mari.

… How could I do that?

How could a human called 'Mom' do such a cruel thing?

I had promised to take responsibility to the end, but I tried to turn my back on her to escape the pain that tormented me.

A deep self-loathing overtook my heart.

It felt like I was no different from the parents who had abandoned me.

"M-Mari… will you come to me…?"

When I called her name, Mari, her tearful eyes wide, immediately rushed into my arms.

Though I couldn't move my arms to hug her, I did my best to adjust my body to embrace her.

"Mom is sorry, Mari… Ugh… I'm sorry…"

"Uh… Mom?!"

As I apologized with tears, Mari looked quite surprised.

I had committed an unforgivable sin against Mari.

How much pain would my selfish actions have caused her?

"I'm sorry… Mom just… was so tired… I made a mistake…"

"There will never be anything like this again… Will you forgive me, just this once…?"

Mari, whose eyes were shaking with intense emotion, soon started crying again, rubbing her head against my body in relief.

'…Mom is bad…"

"Sorry, Mari…"

"You promised… you said you'd always be by my side… Ugh…"

"I'm sorry… I'm really sorry…"

"Huaang…"

Mari, who had been crying in my arms, finally fell asleep with a peaceful expression after some time.

"Ah… Miss… are you okay now…?"

I gazed at Mari, who was softly sleeping beside me.

"Alina…"

She looked at me with a worried expression.

Had she finished cleaning up? Her maid uniform, soaked in Bordine's blood, had already been changed into a fresh one.

As I tried to sit up, Alina hurried over and gently laid me back down on the bed.

"You need to calm down, Miss…"

"….Alina."

"Yes…?"

She looked at me with a puzzled expression at my call.

"Did everything you said to me… was it all because Athena ordered you to do it?"

"Ah…

I didn't hear her answer, but her intentions were clear.

"I'm sorry… I didn't know, and I treated you badly…"

"No, Miss."

Alina interrupted my words.

When I turned my head, she was looking at me with a firm expression.

"Even if I was ordered to, I'm the one who hurt you, Miss."

"…."

"Then, please don't forgive me. It's my fault, Miss."

"Alina…"

Complicated emotions passed between her and me.

It wasn't until quite some time had passed that I finally spoke again.

"…Alina…"

Having made up my mind in my heart, I tried to speak to her.

Bang—!!

A loud crashing sound interrupted my words.

"Hera!!!"

Ah.

As soon as I heard the voice, my heart started pounding again.

The voice that had tormented me maddeningly just moments ago.

I turned my trembling head and looked at her.

"Ugh… Hah…"

Seeing her, with colors so familiar, resembling the sun, my breath quickened and my body shook.

Slowly lifting my head to meet her gaze, tears began to roll down my cheeks once again.

She was the one I most did not want to see.

But, paradoxically, she was the one I most longed for.

My everything, whom I loved as if she were my life.

The one I hated to the point of wanting to die.

Athena looked at me with a desperate expression, breathing heavily.