She took her time studying him. His bloodstained clothes were torn in several places, his body thinner than before. His hair, once neatly kept, was a tangled mess, and a deep gash marred his face.

“Aaron… What happened to Aaron?”

Kaelid gripped the bars with hands crusted in dried blood.

Instead of answering, Reina took a step back, away from him.

“Reina!”

He shouted roughly, as though demanding an answer.

“Enjoying the sight, are you?”

Reina laughed again. This was what she had wanted to see—the Marquis of Berend stripped of everything, standing in utter misery.

Kaelid raised his brows, perhaps not expecting such a reaction.

“How does it feel to lose everything?”

“…Where is Aaron?”

“You’ve lost your house. Soon, you’ll lose your head as well.”

“Reina. Answer me.”

“Have you ever thought about the people crushed under House Berend?”

“Reina!”

His shout echoed sharply, but unlike before, she didn’t so much as flinch. Not an ounce of fear remained in her.

“You killed my father.”

Her fists clenched tight.

“You drove my mother into hell.”

Her violet eyes burned into him.

“And you violated me.”

At that, Kaelid’s teeth ground together.

“I cherished you.”

“Yes—as one of your possessions to be cherished.”

“Reina, I loved you.”

The words—ones he had never spoken before—spilled from his lips. His expression looked agonizingly sincere, a face she had never once seen on him before.

“You don’t know what love is.”

“No. I know exactly what that feeling is.”

“No! You’ve never once loved anyone.”

Her voice cut him off, sharp and certain. Once, she might have questioned what love truly was. But Zephion had shown her—made her understand with certainty.

‘Though it is a feeling I will never again receive.’

The thought brought a bitter smile to her lips.

For a short while, she had been loved, and that alone had made her happy. She was glad she had learned that such a thing even existed in this world. Glad she could give at least a little of that love to Aaron. That, at least, was enough.

If she hadn’t known what that feeling was, she never could have cherished Aaron.

“If Aaron is your child.”

Kaelid’s hands clamped so tightly around the bars that the thin bones of his knuckles jutted out grotesquely.

“…then he’ll die with you.”

Despair flooded his face. And she loved it. The man who had once looked as though he owned the entire world now wore the wretched mask of defeat. Watching his features contort beyond words filled her with savage delight.

Part of her recoiled at herself—for taking joy in another’s misery. But she couldn’t stop the laughter from rising. Hadn’t she devoted her whole life to seeing this? Throwing herself into hatred, reminding herself of it every single moment?

“You should have run.”

His voice was rough, bitter.

“You were the one who chained me down.”

Who else but him had dragged her back onto this path? She might have lived blind, covering over everything—her resentment, her hunger for revenge—pretending it didn’t exist. But he had forced her back. And now he dared to say she hadn’t run?

“There was only one chance.”

Reina laughed aloud. He had forgotten it was he who had shattered everything—rambling to the child, planting hatred in Zephion’s heart instead of letting it all lie buried.

“You were the one who threw it away.”

At her words, his blue eyes flashed.

“Ha…”

A dry, broken laugh escaped him. The despair and wretchedness tangled in his gaze slowly shifted, taking on a light that could only be called madness.

“Even if I’ve lost everything…”

The eerie gleam of his blue eyes sent Reina lifting her chin higher in defiance.

“…I still have you.”

“I was never yours. Not for a single moment.”

“Even in death, I’ll drag you with me.”

A shiver ran down her spine. Her mind flashed to her mother, and to Eldan, who had died soon after, as though following her. Both had ended up buried side by side. Her mother—bound to him in life, and even in death, never able to escape.

“You mean… Aaron will die too?”

The man let out a low laugh.

“Perfect.”

“…”

“If we all die together, we can finally be the perfect family.”

Even with the heavy iron bars between them, it felt as though his hands could reach her.

“You’ll still be mine, even in death.”

At those words, death became terrifying. She felt as though she would never escape him—even after dying.

Kaelid’s laughter turned wild as he reached his hand through the bars, his voice edged with madness.

“Come here, Reina.”

Her lips trembled. The satisfaction she had felt at seeing his despair vanished, replaced by a chill that spread through her at the sight of a smile that seemed almost glad for death itself.

“Come here, Reina.”

This time, his voice was calm and steady. She knew she shouldn’t approach him, yet her body betrayed her. Stumbling, she moved closer; her body was responding to the voice that had dominated her entire life. Dragging her leg across the floor, she reached the bars and gripped them tightly, breathing in short, sharp gasps.

She wanted to speak, to say anything, but she knew that every word she uttered would only fuel his joy. The thought was horrifying. To him, even her death would be just another way to possess her.

“Reina.”

His blood-caked fingers brushed slowly across her cheek. She gazed into his calm blue eyes, which grew steadier the closer she got. His rough fingertips traced her skin and pushed back her tangled hair. Kaelid gave a faint smile.

It was that which truly terrified her. Just moments ago, he had raged like a madman; now, he was smiling so gently. If only he had kept those wild eyes, she could have mocked him.

“My beloved sister. My wife.”

Reina bit down hard on her lip—just as his hands closed around her throat.

“—Hhk!”

Her eyes flew wide as she grasped frantically at his fingers, but his dry hands only tightened further.

“Even your death is mine.”

Kaelid burst into laughter. Her nails dug into the back of his hand, tearing his skin until blood welled, but his grip did not weaken in the slightest.

As Reina struggled, she lost her balance, and the pressure on her throat only tightened further. Her vision spun. He truly meant to kill her—to claim even her death as his own.

“Hhk—ugh…”

Her face burned as the blood supply to it was cut off. Warm blood trickled down from the wound on his hand and onto her skin. Her mind grew hazy. She opened her mouth, desperate for air, but only ragged, strangled sounds escaped.

Her hands clawed at his arms. She reached through the bars, but there was no way she could reach Kaelid’s throat. Just as her vision went dark, she felt a jolt of pain shoot through her body.

“Haah—haah… hhhk!”

Reina gasped, trembling violently as she sucked in a desperate breath. Only then did she realize she had collapsed to the floor. Slowly, the fog clouding her head began to clear.

“Hhk… haah…”

Her fingers traced her throat. With every breath, she felt a burning sensation; his grip had been so tight that her windpipe ached. Clinging to her remaining consciousness, she turned her head and recognised the familiar figure in front of her.

Zephion.

She almost called his name aloud but swallowed the sound.

Kaelid and Zephion stood facing one another. In the damp, heavy silence, Kaelid spoke first.

“I had two chances to kill you.”

“Yes. If you’d taken them, none of this would be happening now.”

Zephion’s crooked smile carried a taunt.

Reina staggered as she pushed herself upright, her throat still throbbing.

“You’re nothing but a pitiful child.”

“And yet that pitiful child is the one who took everything from you.”

At that, Kaelid burst into laughter.

“No matter how you struggle, you’ll never take everything from me.”

His eyes locked on Reina, sharp and unyielding.

Zephion pulled her firmly to his side, as though to answer the meaning behind that gaze.

“Is this what you meant?”

The words stung. He had never spoken of her that way before. Was this what his hatred had turned into?

Her bitter thoughts had no time to settle before a large hand tore at her worn clothes, ripping the fabric apart.

“Ahh—!”