At last, he leaned forward and gently licked away the mixture of blood and tears from her cheek.

“Stop crying.”

“Lucberk…”

“All right.”

“I understand.”

He let out a quiet sigh.

He hadn’t realized that his lips had gently touched hers.

Shamilia simply stared blankly into his violet eyes.

She couldn’t comprehend the fact that she was kissing her younger brother.

The gentle sensation of his tongue tracing her lips sent a violent shudder through her body.

The gaping wound slowly began to close.

The white bone that had been fully exposed disappeared beneath fresh red flesh.

The blood that had seemed to be flowing endlessly finally stopped, and the wound healed as though nothing had ever happened.

Shamilia could only stare, forgetting to breathe.

“So changing my body isn’t enough either.”

His voice, tinged with faint irritation, drifted through her dazed mind.

The deathly pallor that had drained all color from Lucberk’s face gradually faded as warmth returned to his complexion.

The arm whose muscles had been completely severed and left hanging limply was slowly returning to its original shape.

Lucberk slowly flexed his fingers.

It had healed perfectly.

Shamilia collapsed onto the ground.

“…Hic…”

“…Sob…”

She wasn’t even sure whether this was the right moment to cry.

Perhaps it was simply relief.

Tears poured from her eyes without end.

“…Hic… sob…”

When she wiped her cheeks, her tears came away mixed with blood, staining the back of her hand.

“Don’t cry, Sister.”

His voice held the weight of a quiet sigh.

She felt his warm body envelop her from behind, his cheek resting on her head.

They were both drenched in blood.

Gripping the hem of his clothes tightly, Shamilia finally broke down completely.

Only after what felt like an eternity of crying did she raise her head.

Lucberk looked back at her, his expression a tangle of conflicting emotions.

He seemed irritated.

Perhaps even angry.

“…Luc.”

“Why isn’t it enough?”

Just as she finally steadied her breathing and prepared to repeat the answer she had given countless times before…

He spoke first.

“I’ve heard enough about me being your younger brother.”

“What other reason is there?”

Shamilia staggered to her feet.

The entire backyard was covered in blood.

A wave of dizziness washed over her.

She had always thought that the sight of blood didn’t frighten her.

But when faced with a scene this horrific…

She couldn’t remain unaffected.

“There are things that won’t change, no matter what you do.”

She looked down at her clothes, now stained a dark crimson.

Lucberk was in no better condition, his entire body covered in blood.

“Go wash up.”

“I’ll… clean this.”

She carried buckets of water, scrubbing the blood from the axe and washing the bloodstains from the ground.

Even after she had brought more water and poured it over the earth repeatedly…

Lucberk simply stood there, watching her silently.

Shamilia pressed her lips together.

Not a single day had passed peacefully since Lucberk had confessed his love for her.

A throbbing headache pounded behind her eyes.

First, he had slit his own throat.

Then he had tried to cut off his own arm.

‘He’s completely insane.’

No, ‘insane’ still felt far too weak a word.

What else could she call it?

She splashed more water onto the wooden chopping board, but the blood that had seeped deep into the grain would not disappear completely.

She tried desperately to ignore Lucberk’s gaze fixed upon her.

As she carried another bucket of water, she blinked slowly.

‘Come to think of it… that’s strange.’

There had been several nights recently when she couldn’t remember how she had fallen asleep.

Had Lucberk’s madness finally driven her own mind astray?

“Luc.”

“Go inside and wash.”

“Sister.”

The moment he spoke, it sounded like another weary sigh.

A large, sticky-with-dried-blood hand closed around her wrist.

A chill shot through her.

She had the terrifying feeling that something was about to happen.

The instant she turned back, her face stiff with apprehension…

Lucberk tightened his grip and pulled her towards him.

“I’ve already given you more than enough excuses.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ve rejected me all this time.”

“Everyone else would understand.”

“Let go.”

She twisted her arm with all her strength, but he didn’t budge.

It was impossible to believe this was the same arm whose muscles had nearly been severed only moments ago.

“They’ll just close their eyes and let it pass.”

“What are you talking about?!”

“I told you I’d change all of it.”

“My flesh.”

“My bones.”

“My blood.”

“You were the one who stopped me.”

“So whatever excuse you want to make…”

“I’ll accept it.”

“Let go.”

“I said let go!”

As she struggled with all her might…

Her back struck the ground.

Cold water mixed with blood soaked through her clothes.

The metallic scent of blood filled the air.

“So this isn’t allowed.”

“And that isn’t allowed either.”

“I’ve gone this far for you…”

Lucberk climbed on top of her.

She wanted nothing more than to escape those darkened violet eyes.

“This is getting frustrating.”

He smiled.

But there wasn’t the slightest hint of humor in the madness burning in his eyes.

The moment Shamilia froze…

His lips pressed firmly against hers.

“Mmph… mmph!”

“Stay still, Sister.”

His amused voice scattered softly across her lips.

As she struggled and turned her head away, Lucberk seemed to give up on kissing her and lowered his face instead.

She felt him gently biting at the side of her neck.

“L-Luc… stop…”

“You’ll enjoy it anyway.”

“…What?”

“You’ll be clinging to me and gasping for breath soon enough.”

What was he talking about?

Shamilia blinked, confused.

In that same instant, Lucberk tore through her clothes and pressed his lips against her bare chest.

“No!”

Her younger brother was back to his old tricks.

Was hurting himself no longer enough for him?

She struggled desperately, but couldn’t escape.

The more she twisted, the more her chest shifted beneath him. The way he watched her, as though he found that entertaining too, made her freeze.

“…Hng…”

His lips parted before he firmly bit down on one of her pale pink n*pples.

“Ah!”

She could feel his warm tongue slowly tracing and circling it.

The pressure was firm enough to be stimulating but not painful, sending sharp sensations racing through her body.

It felt unfamiliar…

Yet it also felt strangely familiar.

As Shamilia gasped in bewilderment, Lucberk lifted her skirt and spread her thighs apart.

“S-Stop… stop!”

“It seems your body still remembers.”

His quiet laugh accompanied the sensation of his fingers slipping beneath her underwear.

His fingertips slowly searched between her legs.

“Hng!”

The instant he brushed against a small, sensitive spot, her waist jerked involuntarily.

Shamilia stared at her younger brother in fear.

“It’s all right.”

“You’ll feel good soon.”

After placing another kiss on her raised br*ast, Lucberk chuckled softly.

His long fingers stroked and pressed against the sensitive place.

“Ah!”

Although she had never consciously experienced such sensations before…

Her body accepted the pleasure as if it already knew it.

Warmth quickly spread through her body.

The harder Shamilia tried to escape, the more her clothes slipped open.

The cool air brushed against her exposed skin, sending goosebumps rippling across it.

“Luc… Luc! Stop… ah… ngh…”

“You’re already this wet, and you’re still telling me to stop?”

With a faint laugh, Lucberk raised his damp fingers before her eyes.

The metallic scent of blood mingled strangely with something far more intimate.

Heat rushed to her face.

“No…”

“This isn’t…”

“It isn’t…”

She tried desperately to ignore the warmth spreading from deep within her.

A heat was burning between her legs.

She could feel her body tightening involuntarily.

She wasn’t accustomed to sensations like these.

She wasn’t supposed to experience them.

But why?

Why was her entire body reacting so intensely to the slightest touch from Lucberk?

“No…”

“It isn’t…”

Shamilia swallowed back a sob.

She was terrified.

It was as if there was another version of herself that she didn’t know.

Had she lost her mind?

She panted desperately, trying to deny it.

Yet the strange sensation blossoming deep inside her refused to disappear.

“…Ngh…”

Grinding her teeth, she struggled again.

Then she felt something heavy press between her thighs.

Hot.

Hard.

“No…”

“No…”

“Luc, please.”

“Stop.”

“Ah… ah!”

Despite her desperate pleas, he pushed deeper against her.