And Thus… It All Comes to an End - Chapter 30

“…Why are you smiling?”

I couldn’t help it; Lady Luciana’s composed, effortless smile rubbed my nerves raw. She looked as though she could see right through me. It wasn’t a smile of provocation or mockery, but one born of pure, unshakeable confidence.

“I suppose it is natural. We are, after all, fellow Apostles of the Goddess.”

The way she said it set my teeth on edge. Her tone was so affected. Terror began to bubble up inside me, but I refused to let it show. I couldn’t afford to lose.

“Even as fellow Apostles, our ideals may differ from yours, Lady Luciana. It is truly a pity.”

“Heh, ideals? Lady Sara, we really should have made more of an effort to get to know one another. Don’t you think?”

What was she playing at, now of all times? What was she trying to hide behind those words meant only to stoke my irritation?

“Perhaps. Had we done so, I might have been able to save you, Lady Luciana. It’s a shame, really. But it’s too late now. What did you hope to gain by going so far as to kidnap the common folk?”

My voice trembled. Whether from anger or fear, I didn’t even know. But she merely twisted her lips slightly, as if finding my tremors amusing.

“Oh? ‘Too late,’ you say? I wonder about that.”

Her narrowed eyes looked like those of a predator toying with its prey.

“There was just one thing I simply had to ask you, Lady Sara.”

A question? In this situation? I could smell a trap hidden within her leisure.

“…What?”

“I wish to know your surname from the world you came from—from your country on the other side.”

—Surname?

In an instant, my heart leaped, thundering so loudly I thought it could be heard by everyone in the room. My throat burned. I couldn’t breathe.

Why…? No book ever mentioned such a thing.

This was bad. I didn’t know the “correct” answer.

Lady Luciana’s mouth curled into an arc, like a hunter moments before the kill.

“Oh my. Are you at a loss for an answer?”

A predator. Her beautiful smile was terrifying.

“…In that world, I was like a commoner here. I… I didn’t have a surname.”

The moment I spoke, my throat went bone-dry. My lips didn’t move the way I wanted them to. I didn’t even know if what I said made sense.

Lady Luciana smiled softly, as if she had been waiting for exactly that.

“I see. How strange.”

She tilted her head slightly, a small gesture that sent her golden hair swaying. In that light, only her eyes remained sharp as ice.

Damn it, did I miss? If only I had just made up a name…

“Records state that in the world of the previous ‘Apostle from Another World,’ everyone possessed a surname, even the commoners.”

Stop it. How could she bring up lore that only a select few could possibly know?

“I-I’m sure the previous Apostle came from a different country than I did.”

I have to smile. I told myself to deceive them, to look natural, but my facial muscles were stiff, and I couldn’t form the expression.

“And yet, the stories you told were identical to the legends of the previous Apostle. Is it possible for different countries to share the same lore? Even the name is the same: Sara.”

“I don’t know anything about that!”

My voice was startlingly loud. The air vibrated, and every eye in the room snapped toward me. Lady Luciana simply stared me down with a quiet gaze.

—She suspects me. No, she’s already certain.

“The clothes you were wearing when you were found at the ‘Spring’… I remember them. I found it curious that they were tailored exactly like the commoner clothes popular here. Are they in fashion in the other world as well?”

“Yes, they are!”

My retort was sharp, laced with a tremor. My tongue felt heavy. The lie was falling apart.

“But the fabric and the stitching looked identical. As if they were made in this world. You see, the sewing technology of the other world is developed far beyond anything we have here.”

“What is this?! What are you trying to say?!”

The anger I had been suppressing finally exploded. Creeping anxiety and desperation clashed within me.

—This woman… she knows everything. Even who I truly am.

“What were the names of the countries other than yours? What did you usually eat? What did you do in your spare time?”

The questions pelted me like arrows. This was no longer a conversation; it was an interrogation. My heart hammered painfully fast. No matter what I answered, she would find a contradiction. That conviction paralyzed my tongue. I couldn’t catch my breath.

“…I don’t want to answer. You’re just going to use whatever I say to belittle me anyway, aren’t you?”

The voice I finally squeezed out was pathetically shaky. But I had no other way to strike back. Lady Luciana wore a quiet smile—elegant, yet incredibly cold.

“My, you have good intuition.”

With that smile alone, the temperature in the room seemed to plummet.

“Lady Sara. You are not the Apostle of the Goddess. Nor are you someone who came from another world.”

The air stirred with a collective gasp. The creaking of chairs, the sound of people catching their breath. It all served to corner me.

“W-what are you talking about? That’s impossible—!”

My voice was louder than I intended. I couldn’t stop it. If I didn’t deny it, everything would collapse. My entire world.

The Crown Prince surged to his feet.

“Enough! On what grounds do you make such a claim?!”

His voice was harsh. But that anger, it wasn’t meant to protect me. The Prime Minister was merely looking at me with knitted brows. The gaze of the room remained fixed on me.

“That’s right! If you’re going to say that, show us the proof!”

There had to be proof. Even knowing that, I couldn’t turn back.

Lady Luciana spoke, her smile never wavering.

“Certainly. It is quite simple. Only two Apostles of the Goddess appear in the same era. Do you remember?”

“I remember. You and me. …What is so funny?”

“If you claim to be one as well, then something is wrong. Because that would make three.”

“…Three?”

My thoughts went white. The words wouldn’t register.

“A third?! if such a person exists, then bring them here!”

I threw the words out like a scream. Somewhere in the back of my mind, alarm bells were ringing. This is bad. I have to buy time and get out of here.

“They are already here.”

The air turned brittle at those words. Most of the eyes that had been on me began to wander around the room, searching for a third person.

Where? Who—?

Before my eyes, a single maid stepped forward. Without making a sound, she gave a deep bow. I believe her name was… Anne.

She raised her hand and elegantly pulled off her white glove. There, a crest shimmered into view.

“This Anne is the other Apostle of the Goddess.”

In that moment, the world lost its sound. My vision swayed violently, and I heard the sound of something crumbling inside my head.

The sound of someone gasping. Someone shouting. But those were noises coming from far away.

A lie. It’s a lie. That can’t be. Why… why is she coming forward now?

Only my heartbeat echoed with unnatural volume as I stood there, frozen.