And Thus… It All Comes to an End - Chapter 35

I trace the path of my memories back to that day.

“It was a day that seemed no different from any other. But then, I heard the sound of footsteps running toward me. The moment I looked up, she cried out, ‘I found you!'”

That voice, too, was like light. A brilliance far too dazzling, piercing through a closed darkness.

“She took my hand. It was surprisingly warm. She wrapped her fingers around mine as if to absorb my pain directly. Even as Lady Luciana grimaced with sorrow at the sight of my scars, she didn’t let go; she held on tight.”

It is a memory I never want to forget, still vivid today.

“Before I knew it, I was inside a carriage. When I next opened my eyes, I was staring at the ceiling of the Duke’s estate.”

“So, in the end, you were ‘the chosen one.'”

Sara smiled with a sigh. Her eyes were dim, as if staring at a place she could never reach.

“After Lady Luciana learned there were two Apostles of the Goddess, she spent so much time weaving words together, searching for me.”

“Words…?”

I nodded slowly.

“Lady Luciana’s power is not omnipotent. Miracles do not respond to just any words. Everything must align with the Goddess’s heart. That is why even for a single prayer, one must choose the right words.”

A smile flickered at the corner of Sara’s lips—one that could have been irony, or perhaps pity.

“—The Goddess is surprisingly cruel, then. I suppose what you went through was what they call a ‘trial.'”

There was a faint thorn in her voice. But I understood. What wavered in the depths of her eyes was neither pity nor mockery.

“‘O Goddess, lead to my hand the other child, the one to whom You gave a share of Your light. Please, let that child not sink into the darkness of loneliness and pain.’”

Recalling the prayer I had heard from Lady Luciana, I continued quietly.

“She told me that when she chanted those words, the image of me at the orphanage flashed into her mind. At the same time, she realized there was someone lonely and suffering who couldn’t raise their voice, and she couldn’t just sit still.”

“I see…”

Sara’s eyelashes cast an especially long shadow.

“Since the crest was on my hand, she had me try every task involving hands. Embroidery, cooking, swordsmanship. And finally, we arrived at magic circles.”

“What, are you bragging? Telling me how much you can do?”

At her light tone, I replied with a small smile.

“It was hard. For someone who had nothing to actually acquire a skill. That’s why I understand. I know just how much effort you put in.”

I saw Sara catch her breath.

“In just one year, you learned to read and write. You even mastered etiquette, didn’t you?”

“…It was all just a thin veneer.”

“No, it wasn’t. It wasn’t just a veneer. I truly know how incredible you are… Elly.”

The moment I called her by that name, Sara’s shoulders trembled slightly.

“…Elly? Haha, so you knew my name.”

Sara met my eyes.

“Well, of course. Since you knew I was a fake, you’d investigate. If you had just exposed me sooner, I wouldn’t have had to bother with all that useless effort.”

“You looked like you were having fun while you were making that effort.”

When I said that, Sara fell silent. Only the long shadows of her lashes remained, and her lips trembled ever so slightly.

“If I hadn’t met Lady Luciana, I can’t even imagine what would have become of me. The only thing I know for certain is that I would have gone on hating this crest forever.”

“And so, out of a sense of debt, you became a maid?” Sara’s voice was low and held a certain poignancy. “What a waste.”

“Because Lady Luciana loves the Goddess, I also pray to and love the Goddess. Because Lady Luciana tries to use her power correctly, I want to be that way too. Being by her side is my happiness.”

Sara slowly shook her head.

“I truly cannot understand it.”

“No, I think you can.” I looked straight at her. “If Big Sister Beth were still alive, you would still be happy today, wouldn’t you?”

For a second, Sara’s eyes went wide. In their depths, nostalgia and pain flickered simultaneously.

“…You know about that, too.”

“A real crest or a fake one. Based on that difference alone, our positions might have been reversed.”

A long silence fell.

“Ha… so this is the end for me. Hey, Anne, I have a favor to ask.”

Sara took a slow breath and spoke as if exhaling everything left inside her.

“I have layered so many deceptions that the word ‘lie’ isn’t enough to describe them. So, I will surely be executed.”

A look of resignation appeared on Sara’s face.

“On the outskirts of the city of Celestaria, there is a hill. A single tree stands there. That is where Big Sister Beth sleeps. If it’s possible, bury me there. If my body isn’t allowed, then at least a lock of my hair.”

The candle flame flickered, and the shadow of the iron bars stretched across the wall. Sara quietly closed her eyes.

“…I promise.”

The sound of my own voice was surprisingly small and shaky.

“Thank you.”

On the other side of the bars, a single tear fell silently from Sara’s eye. No more words were exchanged. Only silence filled the space between us as time flowed slowly by.

I turned my back and began to walk toward the stairs. My footsteps echoed click, click against the stone floor. Every time they sounded, my heart ached. I stopped before the stairs and softly closed my eyes.

—O Goddess. Please, grant Sara peace.

With that prayer in my heart, I started walking again. The light of the surface grew closer bit by bit.

At the top of the stairs, Lady Luciana was standing there. Her white robes swayed faintly against the light pouring in behind her. I instinctively stopped in my tracks.

“Anne.”

A quiet call. There was no blame, no rushing.

“…Lady… Luciana…”

The words wouldn’t come out properly. I felt I had to make an excuse for going down to the dungeon without permission, for going to see Sara. As a maid who had sworn loyalty, these were unforgivable acts.

“Um… I…”

The moment I tried to find the words, the tears overflowed like a broken dam. I couldn’t stop them. The more I tried to stifle my voice, the more my throat shook. With my head bowed, I couldn’t say anything more.

Sara’s eyes. That look of mingled resignation and relief. And yet, the way her eyes had looked for a split second, looking so happy to be called by her true name. I couldn’t get the expression I saw through those iron bars out of my mind. Just remembering it made my chest tight. She was quietly accepting that the evidence of her existence would vanish completely.

It overlapped with my own self, and it was agonizingly painful.

“…Anne, is there anything you wish to say?”

Lady Luciana took a step closer. She placed her hand gently on my shoulder. I felt that if I put it into words, something would change. I knew it might hurt Lady Luciana. But I could no longer keep it locked inside.

“…I…” my voice wavered. “If… if the Goddess’s heart allows it.”

The words broke off there. Lady Luciana’s eyes were surprisingly clear, yet at the same time, they seemed to see through everything.

“…Anne,” she called my name, quietly but firmly. “What you are holding in your heart now is no light wish, I suspect.”

My throat tightened at her observation.

“Even so, do you wish to speak it?”

The question was kind. And because of that, it was heavy. I bit my lip hard, yet I gave a small nod.

“Yes. If the Goddess—no, if Lady Luciana will permit it.”

Still, the words struggled to leave my mouth. After watching me for a while, Lady Luciana lowered her eyes just a fraction.

“I see… Hehe, it is a request from Anne, who rarely asks for anything. I promise I will listen. You may speak with a light heart. If the Goddess does not permit those words, we shall apologize together.”

Lady Luciana smiled as if she had already accepted whatever I was about to ask.

As the tears continued to flow, I knelt and prayed to the Goddess, finally speaking the desire I had hidden in my heart.