* * *

Nocturne Lavernia felt like he was suffocating.

It was because he couldn’t find the right timing to apologize.

Think about it, his only sister, who had been the family’s troublemaker, went out with an unusually hurt expression and cried in the arms of her husband, with whom she was rumored to have a bad relationship with.

‘She cried…?!’

Nocturne Lavernia shook his head at the still incomprehensible situation, even though quite some time had passed.

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand.

‘That Serena Lavernia?’

Not once had she ever cried.

From childhood until now, after countless conflicts!

For all the 20 years he remembered, she was once indifferent as if she had no interest in anything, and then she suddenly became a violent troublemaker.

‘Cried…’

Nocturne Lavernia shook his head vigorously.

No matter how he thought about it, that night must have been a dream.

Knock knock.

Hearing the sound of a neat knock, Nocturne Lavernia, who was assisting the Crown Prince, startled and raised his head.

The Crown Prince raised his head with a pleased expression.

The Crown Princess, who was sipping tea on the sofa, also had a welcoming face, which made Nocturne feel rather ambivalent.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me.”

The reason was that the only scheduled visitor today was his sister, Serena Lavern… no, Duchess Serena Kelahinum.

She entered with her usual indifferent and cold face, quietly raising her lowered eyelids.

Her eyes met with Nocturne Lavernia, who was behind the Crown Prince, but she turned her head without showing any emotion.

“Welcome, Duchess.”

“It’s been a while, Serena.”

“Yes, hello.”

Serena returned their warm greetings indifferently, bowed slightly, and then sat on the sofa and opened her mouth.

“How is His Majesty?”

“He’s gotten much better. Thanks to you.”

The Crown Prince spoke in a voice that no longer held any trace of his previous displeasure.

“That’s right, it’s all thanks to you, Serena!”

The Crown Princess said, clasping her hands together.

Nocturne frowned slightly as he looked at the two.

‘People have no principles…’

Where is the law that allows people to change so suddenly just because someone becomes helpful?

Especially after hating her so much.

Nocturne looked at his sister, who was much drier than he remembered from when they were young, and much more lifeless than he remembered from her violent days.

She nodded lightly.

“By the way, I heard you took on a disciple recently. I heard he’s one of the pillars of the Mage’s Tower…”

Serena’s eyes trembled slightly.

‘What a filthy world with no privacy.’

Instead of asking how they knew something she hadn’t mentioned, she quietly nodded.

Because in this world, there’s no such thing as human rights.

‘I want to go back quickly.’

Serena thought.

She wanted to go back, hug Magnus, and complain a lot.

“Then, would it be alright if I go to see His Majesty now?”

“Already? Let’s chat a bit more.”

“Hmm.”

Serena nodded at Crown Princess Rosia’s words.

Usually, those of lower rank don’t speak much.

“I heard you’re teaching your disciple the secrets of prosthetics for free.”

“He’s been a great help.”

“I see, it seems you’re not on bad terms with Magnus these days.”

“It’s better than before.”

“Ah, how about Marquis Lavernia? It seemed like Marquis Lavernia cares a lot about you.”

“Is that so? The relationship is just so-so.”

‘…What is this?’

Nocturne Lavernia pondered for a moment about what kind of conversation this was.

Clearly, one person was overflowing with interest while the other showed no interest at all.

However, it’s not like she’s not answering or showing signs of being bothered.

Except for her dry voice and short answers, she was properly making eye contact with the Crown Princess.

In other words, judging by her gestures, she didn’t seem like someone who’s trying to avoid conversation.

‘…Strange.’

He shook his head.

“Serena is quite awkward at conversation.”

The Saintess, Rosia, said with a bright smile.

‘…She really has a good personality.’

Nocturne Lavernia thought.

Isn’t that not awkwardness, but rather treating the other person like a dog?

It’s good that she has a heart as vast as the ocean, as she will become the mother of the empire’s people.

But is there really a need for her to be so kind even to such a hostile person?

Nocturne Lavernia became somewhat displeased.

It’s embarrassing and shameful that his sister doesn’t even respond properly when given such consideration.

“…I’m sorry. Is it that obvious?”

Serena asks carefully.

‘…Careful?’

Nocturne Lavernia shook his head at the thought he just had.

Where in Serena Lavernia’s dictionary is the word ‘careful’!

From the past, she was indifferent to others, and later she started to completely ignore them.

Of course, there was a time when they got along well.

Or maybe it’s just his own memory that makes him think so.

Come to think of it, it was always young Nocturne who approached and talked to his sister Serena, and she neither pushed away the approaching Nocturne nor was she a person who warmly embraced him.

“It’s okay, anyone can be like that if they haven’t dealt with many people.”

Rosia said kindly.

Serena shrugged her shoulders slightly and touched the back of her neck as if embarrassed.

“How about I go see His Majesty now?”

“Haha, you really can’t stand unfamiliar situations. I can see why Magnus wants to keep you close. Seeing you now, I can’t understand how you could have acted so viciously before.”

Serena’s eyes trembled slightly at the Crown Prince’s honest words.

She pulls up the corners of her mouth stiffly, troubled.

That again looked unpleasant. It was as if she was mocking people, and Nocturne Lavernia was genuinely displeased.

“It could all be an act, Your Highness.”

Nocturne Lavernia finally blurted out, unable to contain his skewed mood.

“Don’t be so sharp, Young Marquis Lavernia.”

The Crown Prince said with a smiling face, shrugging his shoulders.

The Crown Prince shrugged his shoulders after seeing the expression of Nocturne Lavernia, the commander of the Imperial Knights who assists him.

“People can make mistakes. If they show that they’re truly repenting and changing… shouldn’t they have at least one chance for forgiveness?”

At the Crown Prince’s defense, Nocturne Lavernia clenched his fist.

Serena Lavernia saw something pitch black rising from his body.

The shimmering haze that seemed to reveal a person’s dark emotions was black and also bright red.

Hop–!

Nyx, who had been sleeping soundly in her arms, peeked out its head and wrote something in its sketchbook.

“Forgiveness? How shameless. There are people whose wrists were cut off and limbs were damaged, how can that be forgiven? Would those victims forgive?”

“That’s why she’s developing things like prosthetics…”

“Then!”

No one could easily open their mouth due to the darkness swirling around Nocturne Lavernia.

That’s how big his resentment is.

Anger was dripping.

Serena looked at the dark red energy sticking around him, then slowly lowered her gaze to Nyx’s sketchbook.

[It’s a source of great evil, Serena! It’s born from hating you too much. He didn’t know what to do because he hates you.]

Nyx said.

“What about my life, the Duke’s life, my father’s and mother’s and relatives’ lives when we couldn’t even raise our heads because of that woman?”

Serena blinked slowly. The long-forgotten malice feels new yet familiar at the same time.

“Commander of the Knights.”

The Crown Prince called him.

“What about my father who had to bow his head to clean up the accidents that woman caused!”

“……”

“…Can we even call that a conversation? She’s completely oblivious to others’ feelings and utterly disregards other people’s moods. Not a single warm word or basic courtesy comes from her. That woman.”

There’s no particular shock.

Well, even if things around her had changed a bit, it was natural for people in the world to hate her.

Serena’s expression remained unchanged, calm as always.

This greatly upset Nocturne Lavernia.

Serena listened quietly and then spoke softly.

“What do you want?”

Serena asked that to eliminate what was called the source of evil or whatever.

“What do I want?”

Nocturne Lavernia wanted to distort her expression.

He wanted to see her face crying and saying sorry. He clenched his fist.

“Lord Nocturne!”

Did she guess what he was about to say?

The Crown Princess tried to stop him.

Of course, Nocturne already seemed out of his mind, half consumed by the dark energy.

“Just go out and die, please don’t ever appear in front of me again. I hate the fact that you’re my sister so much it gives me goosebumps.”

Nocturne Lavernia finally blurted out, overcome by emotion, and then looked up, startled.

‘No, I didn’t mean to go that far…’

Nocturne Lavernia quickly raised his head with a pale face.