TL/Editor: Butter Cat

    Status: 4/week mon-thurs

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    〈 Chapter 76 〉 Chapter 76. Back to Heaven

    (TL Note: In Korean, the title is ‘??’ or ‘Noble and Lowly’ which is the name of the poem made by Cheon Sang-byeong, the English name of the poem is ‘Back to Heaven’)

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    It was a day of heavy snowfall.

    Between the dark gray clouds, pure white feathers untouched by even a speck of dirt danced through the air.

    The first snow of the year.

    Feeling that chilling coldness, I headed towards the entrance of the Museion, where Remi was said to be staying.

    My footsteps dragged along the ground, stumbling forward.

    They were terribly dull and slow.

    —Step, step.

    "—I said only two people should follow me."

    ".....I apologize."

    "No. It''s my own oversight, really."

    As I walked, I spoke to the two guards beside me.

    I didn''t want to unnecessarily provoke Remi, so I had told them I wanted to minimize the number of guards following me.

    Now that we were in the imperial capital, there wouldn''t be any direct threats to my safety.

    Moreover, having an unnecessarily large entourage would only make everyone, including Remi, uncomfortable.

    I had originally planned to go alone, but I had even made a concession and set a limit of two people, considering them.

    But I never imagined they would disobey my orders and secretly follow me like this.

    Their faces showed clear traces of worry and regret.

    Yes.

    For them, who valued honor and loyalty above all else, they must feel a great sense of guilt for not respecting my wishes.

    But the most important value, my safety, had forced them to make this difficult decision.

    Remi, the victim of my actions.

    I had told them it was okay, but they must be worried that my sister would charge at me with her sword drawn again, just like before.

    Or perhaps they were trying to prevent me from giving in to my despair and offering my own neck to Remi.

    Whatever the reason.

    All of this was merely an extension of the consequences of my actions.

    And it was all my fault, my incompetence that had caused it all, that much remained unchanged.

    Therefore—

    "—Let''s go."

    ""Yes, ma''am.""

    I had no right to punish them.

    Rather, it was my fault for making them worry and causing them trouble.

    As always.

    —Swooooosh.

    The falling snow, instead of subsiding, only intensified as time passed.

    The snow, which had started as small flakes, was now swirling like a horse''s mane.

    On the streets, children were running around, gathering snow and forming snowballs, while shopkeepers were starting to set up awnings in front of their stores.

    And the servants, their faces indifferent, as if unconcerned by the falling snow, were hurrying along with their arms full of coal.

    Amidst the countless people, not a single one stood still.

    What drives them, what do they live for.

    Will the day ever come when I can understand the hearts of these people, who live their lives day by day, seeking a balance between joy and boredom.

    ".....Huu."

    As I walked down the street, which showed no signs of brightening up even though the sun had long since risen, I started mentally preparing myself for what I would say to Remi.

    How she had been doing all this time.

    If she was hurt or sick anywhere.

    That our whole family was worried about her.

    I carefully rehearsed these words in my mind, things I would never actually be able to say when face to face with Remi.

    Meticulously, like forming a snowball with wet snow.

    But that carefully crafted snowballs would never reach Remi.

    ''Why.....Why.....!!''

    ''..........''

    ''Aris...Aris...Why, did you kill… her...What did she…!! What did she do wrong!!!''

    The image of Remi cursing at me, demanding with what face I dare to appear before her, screaming at me to never show my face to her again, was so vivid that it felt like I was watching it right in front of me.

    A dark shadow of dread was cast upon my lips, that could neither cry nor laugh, at the thought of the gloomy future that awaited me. Sёarch* The n?vel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Even so, I continued walking forward, alongside the people around me.

    Even if all that awaited me at the end of this path was a cruel future.

    A condemned prisoner heading to the gallows isn''t allowed to stop walking.

    "It''s cold."

    Let’s go, quickly.

    Tinkle, tinkle, the sound of a small bell echoed through the shopping district.

    With that sound as my background music, my footsteps on the snow-covered streets quickened slightly with each chime of the bell.

    Every time I heard a jingle from somewhere.

    Tap, tap, I took two steps forward.

    "C-crown Princess!?"

    "........."

    Ignoring the guard''s surprised voice, I didn''t slow down.

    No matter how fast I ran, it was impossible to avoid the snow falling from the sky.

    Rather, the more I tried, the more rapidly the weight of snow accumulated on my shoulders.

    But the futile escape continued, where there was no pursuer anywhere, only someone running away.

    Where am I walking to.

    Where am I running away from.

    "....Ah."

    Right.

    It was the Museion.

    I was going to see Remi.

    When my footsteps, which had been heading towards my destination, turned into awkward steps, as if running away from something.

    When new snow started to fall and accumulate on the wet patches where the previous snow had melted and soaked into the ground, eventually covering the entire street in a blanket of white.

    My footsteps finally returned to their normal pace.

    And at the same time, the sounds around me, which had been muted, started to come back.

    And then—

    ["...! Aris, thank you!! Hehe!"]

    [".......Yeah."]

    I heard a familiar voice, coming from up ahead.

    **

    At first, I thought I had misheard.

    That I had simply mistaken someone else''s voice for hers, their voices similar.

    If not that, then it must be my mind, still not fully recovered, playing tricks on me, creating auditory hallucinations.

    Even now, whenever I closed my eyes, memories from before would often vividly resurface, their sounds crystal clear.

    Cruel memories of Aris and Remi playing pranks in the flower garden, of Aris running to throw herself into my arms as I sat quietly reading a book in the distance.

    The bright and cheerful voice of Remi from the past, a voice I could never hear again.

    The refreshing laughter of Aris, a sound I had buried with my own hands.

    I thought that those precious memories from the past were resurfacing to torment me again.

    Yes.

    I thought that way.

    "....Kuh, keheuk! Keu, ha....Haak..!"

    "…Aris!? Why, what''s wrong!?"

    "…Ah?"

    But, it wasn''t.

    The sound grew louder as I drew closer to its source.

    Aris''s voice that I haven’t heard for a long time, gasping and struggling as if choking.

    The guard walking beside me muttering speculation that the voice we''re hearing must be Remi''s.

    And then in the distance, I could see Remi’s figure becoming visible, and beside her a small figure clutching her clothes, trembling.

    That figure, I couldn''t help but think it was someone I knew.

    Someone who shouldn''t possibly be here.

    With a trembling voice, I called out.

    "..........Ah... Aaah..."

    "......Ari, s?"

    A small call.

    At my faltering call, the eyes of everyone there focused on me.

    Among them was Remi, staring at me with a look of horror, as if she had seen something she shouldn''t have.

    And beside Remi, two women with black hair were also looking at me with equally shocked expressions.

    But despite their gazes directed at me, my eyes were solely focused on the one child standing there.

    A small, child.

    "...Ah?"

    There was no mistaking it.

    There was no way I wouldn''t recognize her.

    Even though her appearance had changed a lot.

    Even though she had grown so much in these two years, to the point where I almost didn''t recognize her.

    Silver hair, peeking out from beneath the black hood, flowing like waves, unable to be contained.

    And as she slowly turned her head towards me, deep, clear, blue-green eyes, like the forest and the sea blended together, met mine.

    Aris Akaia.

    My little sister, Aris, who was supposed to be dead.

    Faced with the impossible reality of her standing right before my eyes, I couldn''t even speak, I just stood there, frozen in the same walking pose.

    How is this, even possible.

    Why is Aris with Remi?

    The facts that had been so clear began to crumble at the evidence that had been presented before my eyes.

    My thoughts spun, like a long worm, entering through my ears and rummaging through my brain, wringing it out.

    I stared at that figure as if entranced, forgetting even to breathe.

    But was that the problem.

    Because I thought this changed reality could bury the past that had already passed.

    But the things I had done remained unchanged.

    "…I…don''t want…"

    Slowly, Aris''s small lips parted as she looked at me.

    And as I watched, I vividly remembered what I had done to the child, how I had been consumed by a hideous jealousy.

    The sticky sensation that had lingered on my fingertips.

    The horrifying feeling of repeatedly piercing her soft flesh again and again with a sharp blade.

    The murderer was reunited with the person she had killed.

    Then, where is this place.

    It must be.

    Without a doubt, hell.

    "—NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

    **

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