LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 141
Time cannot be stopped.
The future is inevitable.
“Landian.”
With white hair fluttering in the gentle breeze, the spirit Vista always had his eyes tightly closed. They had never opened even once, but there was nothing he couldn’t see.
“Do you plan to break the taboo? Will you reveal the future to your contractee?”
“No.”
Listening indifferently to the future Vista described, Landian shook his head with an indifferent expression.
“Are you sure?”
“You must know that the reason you revealed the future to me is because you believe I won’t break the taboo.”
“Well, I suppose…”“I have no intention of disrupting order. If that’s my contractee’s fate, then I must accept it.”
“Indeed.”
Vista chuckled softly and took a breath. Though he couldn’t see, his domain was always beautiful. The sweet scent in the air alone revealed it.
“It truly is cruel.”
“…”
“Time, you know, it just keeps flowing, and we can’t do anything about it.”
***
Indifferent time continues to flow, never stopping, for everyone alike.
***
“Brother, can you do it?”
The girl, Rubette, stood before her home with her older brother and held his hand tightly, even as her fingers were getting cold.
“Yeah.”
Now fairly grown up and having learned many, the boy, Victor, had also learned to suppress his anger.
“I’ve cried enough. Now I only have to be patient and find happiness.”
“… Yes.”
“Alright, let’s go inside.”
***
“Hng, hee, hee…”
Inside a dark and secretive underground prison.
“There’s not much time left, Lord Diollus.”
Emerging from behind partially insane sinners, a man, Lark, casually removed his blood-soaked gloves.
“Yes.”
With a faint smile, the other man, Leonard, recalled the face of his wife etched beneath his eyelids.
***
“Ha, hahaha…”
Thanks to Rubette’s help, evidence of countless conspiracies was discovered in his room only today.
This was the 2nd Prince Nathan’s time.
“You son of a b****… You want to be rid of me like this? Lark, you…”
Upon finding the piled-up venom, he burst into laughter like a madman.
“You will get caught in your own trap, you bastard.”
***
Molga Diollus had been having nightmares lately.
Bubbling lava beneath a pitch-black cliff. There were people there whom Molga had killed. With bloodshot eyes, they dragged MoLga down below the precipice, shedding tears of blood.
Struggling, Molga crawled up the cliff with all her might and, when she finally raised her head, Rubette was there.
She giggled and stepped on Molga’s hand.
Then Molga fell into the pitch-black hellfire and woke up from the nightmare.
“This feeling is strange.”
With a haggard face haunted by nightmares, Molga quickly packed her belongings. Like a madman, she stuffed clothes and a bit of money into her backpack, her eyes landed on a letter on the table.
[I’m going on a trip down south after a long time. I’ll contact you right away when I get back. Take care.
– Gail.]
It was a letter that Molga’s younger brother, Gail, had sent to her two months ago, disappearing without a word even to their father, Count Bert.
It seemed out of place, but since it clearly bore Gail’s handwriting, Molga didn’t think much of it.
However…
‘Something’s off.’
Gail’s trip was taking unusually long, and these strangely quiet days at the mansion, along with the serene atmosphere of the ducal estate, were suspicious.
What had made Molga particularly uneasy was Victor, who had returned home a week ago.
He had originally been staying at the palace dormitory, but a few days ago, he started commuting from the ducal estate and was uncharacteristically affectionate toward Molga and the twins.
‘Was he always like this?’
Unlike before, Viego had become more aloof, and instead, the twins had rapidly become close to Victor…
Molga couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.
Perhaps it was a belated instinctual danger signal, like a warning sent from the edge of a cliff.
‘Let’s… stay out of harm’s way. I’ll say I’m going on a trip for now and go to the south to look for Gail.’
Molga’s hands moved quickly as she packed her belongings.
Just then.
“Grandma~”
Startled, Molga slowly turned around.
Rubette, holding onto the doorknob, stood there with a wide grin.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
Thump, thump, thump.
Molga’s heart raced as she sensed something ominous. Yet she stood calmly.
“It’s stuffy. I just wanted to go somewhere nearby for some fresh air.”
“I see.”
Rubette’s sly smile seemed to overlap with the face from the nightmare. The one who cruelly pushed Molga into the pit of hellfire…
‘Yeah, it was since that day when that kid suddenly changed.’
That’s right.
‘Since then, something has been very wrong.’
Molga, who had been gnawing at the inside of her cheek, suddenly smiled and asked, “Is Victor coming home for lunch today? If he is, we should eat together before going out.”
“Um, today… Well, I heard he got called in for palace guard duty.”
“…Palace guard duty?”
“Yes. Seems like there’s some notorious criminal. They said it’s a real scumbag, and Victor volunteered to escort them personally under command.”
“I see.”
Molga nodded vaguely and stared at Rubette with suspicion. The timid young girl who used to tremble when they were alone was no more.
What had brought about this change in the foolish girl? Was it because Molga had been too complacent, thinking she would always remain the same?
Regardless of the reason, Molga understood there was no longer any benefit in confronting Rubette.
“Rubette.”
She slowly approached Rubette.
“Yes, Grandma,” Rubette responded politely, leaning against the closed door.
“I know this might come as a surprise, but I wanted to take this opportunity to say something.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“This is just a brief reflection on my life.” Molga, as if reminiscing, gazed into the empty space wistfully. “I had some regrets, you see. Since I joined the ducal estate, Leonard…” She continued, “…sent me scornful glances. Well, you know that, too, ever since I entered the ducal estate.”
“Did he?”
“To be honest, Leonard annoyed me quite a bit. But even so, I couldn’t afford to show any displeasure to the head of the house, given my position.”
“…”
“I think I misdirected my accumulated feelings to the wrong place. Rubette, you… You’re kind and timid, and you even followed me, someone who might dislike you, like a fool.”
While it was certainly a persuasive speech to sway Rubette, it wasn’t entirely untrue.
Molga had channeled her feelings of inferiority and malice toward Leonard into the mistreatment of his daughter, Rubette.
“It’s probably quite late, but I’m sorry. I wanted to apologize. I regret it a little.”
“I see.” Rubette nodded and asked, “If I still behaved obediently and foolishly, would you have regretted and apologized like this?”
No, you foolish girl.
Of course not.
“Yes, I would have. If I could turn back time, I wouldn’t repeat the many mistakes I made against you.”
“…”
Rubette’s eyes wavered.
Watching her mocking expression crumble in an almost ridiculing manner, Molga added, “You were much younger and more naive back then. Looking back, I don’t understand why I did what I did. I tried to rationalize it by blaming your father in my mind, but you were completely innocent, and I treated you that way…”
She closed her eyes tightly and lowered her head.
“Rubette.”
“…”
“I know it’s shameless, but if I were to ask for forgiveness now… would it be too late?”
“Are you sincere?”
“You probably won’t believe it. Even if you never forgive me for the rest of your life, I can’t help it.”
“If you’re sincere.” Rubette added with a trembling voice, “I’ll forgive you.”
The response came without hesitation. To gauge her sincerity, Molga looked closely into Rubette’s eyes.
Was she sincere?
Her slightly sad eyes and quivering lips. The expression seemed too genuine to be an act.
Molga, who feigned a weak smile, slowly opened her arms. “May I… hug you?”
Just then.
Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the door.
“Mommy, help!”
“What, what’s going on!!?”
Lillia? Ricky?
The sound of several military boots approached, and soon, the door that Rubette had been leaning against was thrust open.
“…!”
Soldiers in red uniforms swarmed in, surrounding Molga.
“What’s going on here?”
And finally, Victor personally appeared behind them.
“Victor?”
His eyes, which had been overly affectionate lately, now turned cold, as if it had never happened.
And as if she already knew about all of this, Rubette approached Molga, who was in a daze. She still had a sulky expression.
“Grandma, I’ll gratefully accept your apology. However…”
Suddenly, Rubette leaned in close to Molga, bewildering her. On her face was a sly, chilling smile.
Molga realized immediately.
‘This little b****.’
The face that had looked like a wounded young animal just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
“You should apologize to my mother too, right? Yes, you should apologize to her.”
The sudden upward turn of Rubette’s mouth was identical to the wicked expression Molga had seen in their nightmare.
“Through this lovely face of yours.”
Rubette’s hand slowly tightened on both sides of Molga’s face.
“Go meet her in person and tell her…”
Anger flowed into the tightened grip.
“Please forgive me…” Rubette whispered into Molga’s ear, “… this wicked woman.”