Sunset (7)
Levina, seemingly confused, listened to my words, then stared blankly only at , and stood up.
She walked towards the door, but stopped just before grabbing the doorknob.
And then, she approached .
Her lips parted a few tis, trying to say sothing, but she closed them again.
Unable to say anything, she simply began to pace frantically around the room.
Only the sound of her footsteps was the sole noise.
Her footsteps, normally so calm and clicking, now showed no regularity at all.
She went to the window, passed by the edge of the desk as if brushing it, and stopped in front of the painting Seraphina had hung.
And then, she started her aningless pacing again.
Before long, Levina stopped walking, stood by the window, and looked outside.
It seed her shoulders were trembling faintly.
She tried to open her mouth again.
But this ti, no sound ca out.
Only her dry lips moved.
And she picked up the liquor bottle from the table.
Without even thinking of pouring it into a glass, she drank directly from the bottle.
The sound of the transparent liquid flowing down her throat was heard.
She put down the bottle and exhaled roughly.
Perhaps due to the alcohol, her cheeks were flushed red.
“Sell to the church…?”
Levina finally opened her mouth.
Her voice was hoarse.
“Yeah.”
I replied briefly.
“By what ans? Who do you know in the church?
There’s no way I wouldn’t know soone close to you in the first place.”
“Well, I’ll have to find out little by little.”
“Do you think you can do that? Soone like you?
An illegitimate child like you?
You, who wouldn’t even have been able to live in the sa mansion originally, but would have wandered the streets?”
I tried to say sothing, but closed my mouth again.
She looked down at the floor for a long ti, then almost whispered.
“There’s no way you can. You shouldn’t try to escape from my grasp.”
And then she raised her head again and looked at .
This ti, her expression was sohow a little sycophantic.
Each ti I died, Levina was the sa, but the expressions she showed were always new.
And the expression she wore towards today was also one I’d never seen before.
“Lavin. The talk of expelling you from the family is just for show.”
Levina looked at with her face flushed and swollen from alcohol.
“You can go to the academy without any trouble, and I’ll give you as much allowance as you want, so let’s not involve the church or anything, Lavin.”
Then her shoulders began to heave.
“I didn’t do all this, I didn’t co this far just to offer you up to that dog-like church.”
At first, it sounded like sobbing.
“Things were slowly going my way, but for the church to ss things up now, it makes no sense.
Huh? Lavin, you shouldn’t do this to . You said you loved last ti, didn’t you?”
“You believed that?”
“Yeah, I believe it. There’s no way my brother wouldn’t love .”
“You speak as if there’s a reason to love.”
At my words, Levina wore an expression as if she didn’t understand, and spoke softly.
“A reason is needed? I don’t quite understand what you an.”
The sound gradually turned into a strange laugh.
Levina, with her head bowed, was laughing with trembling shoulders.
Levina’s face was streaked with tears.
Tears flowed down her cheeks, gathered at her chin, then dripped onto the table.
She was laughing, then suddenly her expression twisted.
And she started crying again.
“Sit down and compose yourself a bit, I’ll be back.”
I said that, then stood up and headed for the door.
Just then, a choked voice ca from behind.
“Stay with .”
I looked at Levina, who was crying with trembling lips, her face streaked with tears.
After sighing, I sat across from Levina.
Then I took the liquor bottle Levina was holding and poured it into a teacup for her.
As soon as Levina received the alcohol in the teacup, she instantly drained it.
I silently poured more alcohol into the cup.
After drinking three bottles straight like that, Levina, her eyes trembling, buried her head in the table and fell asleep.
I looked at Levina like that, then stood up and left the room.
****
Lavin did not imdiately enter the church behind the academy.
He sat on a nearby bench, took out a cheap cigarette from his pocket, and lit it.
He thought of going to check on Lineta’s condition, but then figured Seraphina would handle it well enough.
At least she wouldn’t kill her.
Though her arms and legs might not be intact.
Whether it was a ghost inside, a demon, or just a ntal illness, if it was tornted by Seraphina, it would surely try to crawl out of the body sohow.
Anyway, not entering the church, he deliberately settled on a bench with a good view from the second floor of the church, and smoked cigarettes, puffing out heavy sighs.
If he were to foolishly crawl into the church without thinking, he might get beaten by Estelle again.
People might think it’s “just a punch,” but even a punch thrown with all my strength couldn’t pierce human skin.
As cigarette butts slowly accumulated on the ground, footsteps began to be heard.
Turning his head, he saw Estelle, wearing pure white priestess robes and a pleasant expression, approaching.
“I’ve been watching from afar for a while, it seems you have so worries… Lavin?”
She was speaking, then saw my face, paused, and froze.
“You, who are you.”
I shrugged without answering.
Estelle stared blankly at , then knocked away the cigarette in my hand, and approached closer.
She squatted down, looked at my face, then slowly stroked it.
I pushed Estelle’s hand away.
“Isn’t this a bit too close for a first eting?”
At those words, Estelle moved back slightly from .
Still, her face was sohow deeply confused.
“……What did you do to ?”
“Nothing.”
“But why, as soon as I see you, do I feel as if I’m enchanted?
As if I’ve t a heretic using black magic.”
“Must be a heretic.
Considering an illegitimate child like is properly attending the academy, and hearing this from a stranger like you.”
“……”
“It’s a bit much, so keep your distance, Saintess.”
“You know ?”
“Who wouldn’t know you?”
At those words, Estelle let out a hollow laugh.
“Ah, um. We must have t sowhere, right? It must be that I don’t rember.”
“We did.”
Each ti this happens, I sohow feel a part of my heart slowly wearing away.
Still, let’s consider it fortunate that I didn’t get hit this ti.
That way it doesn’t hurt.
“No, it’s just. You look too much like soone I know. I must have mistaken you.”
As I took out a new cigarette, clamped it in my mouth, and lit it, Estelle held out her hand as if asking for one herself.
I took one out, put it in Estelle’s mouth, and lit it for her.
Estelle inhaled and exhaled the smoke, then gave a shy smile.
“But is it really okay to speak so casually to the Saintess? Huh?”
“Well, I’m an Edelgard.”
“……The scoundrel Levina kept hidden, that one?”
While thinking how tireso it was to have this conversation countless tis, I still found myself smiling at Estelle’s face.
At least now, she wasn’t wearing a pained expression when she was with .
Last ti, even when she suffered from clashes with Seraphina, it was obvious she was trying not to show it to .
Should I get close to her this ti too?
This ti too, getting close, whispering love and saying I like you, must I suffer again?
It’s fine if I suffer, but I wish Estelle wouldn’t.
Continuing the conversation I always had with Estelle, I dropped the finished cigarette on the ground, crushed it with my foot, and then burned it to ashes.
“You know my sister?”
“Well, we lived together since childhood, so I know her to so extent.”
“Honestly, she’s not in her right mind.”
Estelle laughed and nodded.
And so, I continued a rather pleasant conversation with Estelle.
Choosing only the conversations Estelle used to enjoy whenever she spoke in the past.
She probably thought this was the first ti she’d t soone she connected with so well.
When in fact, we had only lived together for years.
Just as she called my na while not knowing a mont ago, I wonder if she’ll rember soday.
Actually, it doesn’t matter even if she doesn’t rember.
I just wish she could live happily.
Though as a Saintess, she seems to have it rough.
“It’s a bit awkward to say this suddenly, but there are a lot of heretics hiding in a quiet rural village.”
At those words, Estelle frowned slightly and opened her mouth.
“Were you deliberately here to try and win my favor by spouting such nonsense?”
I shook my head.
“How would I know where you live?”
Estelle looked at with an untrusting gaze at those words, but I continued speaking, unfazed.
“There’s no way I could win favor by just bringing work, is there?”
“That… is also true?”
What should I say to get Estelle to co around?
I could make Estelle do whatever I wanted, but if I crossed the line, I didn’t know when I might be attacked.
As I continued thinking, I rembered the person Estelle used to say she saw superimposed over .
“A younger sibling I was close with fell victim to heretics. Her mind beca a ss.”
“……A younger sibling, you say? I haven’t heard that Levina had another younger sibling.”
“Just. A village kid I was close with.”
Estelle listened to my words and seed lost in thought for a mont.
Her gaze lingered sowhere on my face, then stopped in mid-air.
Cigarette smoke faintly obscured the space between us.
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