SOTBW - 211

Didina set up a pot of herbal tea on the table and then stepped away to give Najane and Luna some privacy. Najane, with an expression of disbelief, gently stroked Luna’s face several times.

Even after entering the residence, Najane couldn’t shake the chill she felt from Luna’s cold cheeks. She warmed her palms and cupped her younger sister’s face. Both had cried profusely, but while Najane’s eyes were swollen, Luna looked perfectly fine. It was as if she had wiped away her tears at some point—her cheeks were dry, almost as though she had only pretended to cry.

But none of this registered with Najane. In her eyes, Luna remained the same loving and endearing younger sister she had always been.

Najane clasped Luna’s hands tightly, her gaze filled with emotion as she gazed at her. She couldn’t bring herself to ask where or how Luna had been all this time. If everything Mikael had said was true, confronting those truths would shatter Najane’s already fragile heart.

She knew she needed to explain that she didn’t have much time left, but the words simply wouldn’t leave her lips. For now, she didn’t want to tell Luna anything. She wanted to savor even just a few days of the joy of their reunion.

Najane stared intently at Luna, trying to etch her face into her memory through tear-filled eyes. When their gazes met, Luna’s expression faltered, as if on the verge of tears. Najane, too, began to choke up, burying her face in Luna’s cold hands.

“Luna… I missed you so much.”

Najane whispered in a trembling voice. Luna said nothing. Najane raised her head and swallowed hard as she caressed Luna’s roughened palms.

“I’m sorry for leaving you behind and running away. I’m so sorry, Luna… That day, I was so scared, I ran away alone. I knew I should’ve taken you with me, but I just couldn’t. If… if something happened to you, it’s all my fault. Because of me…”

“…What did you do after you ran away?”

Luna asked calmly, but there was a sharp edge to her words, and she made no effort to hide it. As she reflected on what she had endured, Luna’s eyes filled with resentment as she stared at Najane.

Najane quickly peered into her sister’s eyes. Those deep crimson irises, so much like her own, were disturbingly dry.

“Luna…”

Overwhelmed by guilt, Najane clutched Luna’s hands tightly. Luna didn’t pull away, but with her eyes squeezed shut, she continued in a trembling voice.

“I woke up in a place I didn’t recognize, and naked men were staring down at me… I screamed, asking who they were, where my sister was… and then they…”

Luna’s voice wavered as memories of that moment resurfaced, threatening to break her composure. Najane hastily pulled her frail sister into a tight embrace.

Mikael’s words echoed in her mind. The realization that everything he had said was true filled her with despair, and she closed her eyes, unable to bear it any longer. Her face contorted in anguish as the guilt of failing to protect her sister crushed her.

Holding Luna close, Najane wept silently.

“Don’t talk about it, Luna…”

After finally forcing her sorrow back down her throat, Najane whispered softly.

“Let’s not think about the painful things… You didn’t do anything wrong. Do you understand? It’s all… all my fault. Because of me, you went through that. So you can blame me for everything. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Luna… I… I failed to protect you…”

Unable to continue, Najane bit her lip. Unshed grief spilled out in quiet sobs. Though she tried not to cry, the weight of her failure pressed down on her like an unshakable burden.

Finally breaking into tears, she clung to Luna’s icy body and sobbed uncontrollably. Luna remained silent. That silence only deepened Najane’s torment.

“Sister. Stop crying.”

Luna, who had been watching Najane’s tears in silence, finally spoke.

“It’s something we can’t change now. You know that, right? Things that have passed can’t be fixed, no matter how much we struggle.”

Luna muttered indifferently, as if she were speaking of someone else’s life. Her tone, devoid of any trace of sorrow, made Najane look up.

This mature side of Luna felt strangely unfamiliar. But considering what Luna had gone through, it was only natural for her personality to have changed.

Realizing she would never again see the innocent and cheerful Luna she once knew, Najane repeatedly apologized, hiding her grief-stricken face.

Luna did not comfort Najane as she cried out in anguish. Instead, she quietly observed her sister’s reaction.

“Sister, stop crying.”

At first glance, her words seemed like an attempt to console Najane. Finally managing to hold back her tears, Najane met Luna’s gaze. Luna looked exhausted. No doubt, many things had happened before she arrived at the Romsoa Knights.

Najane felt ashamed for not being able to care for Luna properly as an older sister. Rising from her chair, Najane supported Luna gently.

“I’m sorry, you must be so tired… Let’s take a nap and talk more over dinner.”

The sharp-eyed Didina had already cleaned a room upstairs in anticipation. Najane held Luna’s hand firmly and led her up the stairs.

Didina, who had been airing out the room and removing the smell of dust, paused when she saw Najane and Luna. The memory of Maximón’s piercing gaze while observing Luna made Didina instinctively avoid meeting Luna’s eyes.

Hurrying out of the room, Didina glanced back apologetically.

“I’m so sorry. It seems you’ll have to stay in the maids’ quarters for a few days.”

Najane was startled by Didina’s words.

“Is there something wrong with the room?”

Outwardly, the guest room appeared perfectly fine. Didina awkwardly pointed to the fireplace.

“It hasn’t been used for a long time, so the chimney is completely clogged with soot. Cleaning it will take about three or four days.”

Not being able to use the fireplace during this cold winter was a critical issue. Najane glanced at Luna, worried that she might feel uncomfortable staying in the maids’ quarters even for a few days. Fortunately, Luna seemed indifferent to where she stayed.

After closing the door, Didina sincerely apologized. She hadn’t anticipated anyone other than Najane and Maximón staying in the residence, so she hadn’t paid attention to the upkeep of the other rooms.

Especially on the upper floor, which was reserved for guests, Maximón’s personality made it unlikely that he would allow a third party to stay. To avoid wasting labor on unnecessary tasks, the rooms had been neglected for a long time.

Regardless, failing to provide a clean room for a visitor to Romsoa was undoubtedly the housekeeper’s mistake. Didina bowed deeply to Najane, unsure of what else to do.

“I’m truly sorry. My negligence in maintenance has caused this inconvenience…”

“It’s alright, Housekeeper. There are plenty of empty rooms in the maids’ quarters,” Najane reassured her warmly, gripping Didina’s hand gently.

“If we stay in the maids’ quarters, it’s clean enough to settle in immediately… but,” Didina hesitated, glancing cautiously at Luna, “will you be staying with your sister?”

At the question, Najane nodded without hesitation.

“Of course. I can’t leave Luna alone.”

“…Then, shouldn’t we ask for the commander’s permission?” Didina whispered softly, careful not to let Luna overhear. Najane suddenly realized her oversight and winced slightly. Would Maximón object to them staying in the maids’ quarters? It wasn’t as if they were leaving the knightly order entirely—it should be fine…

For a moment, Najane thought too lightly of the situation and chuckled. But she quickly caught herself. She couldn’t let her guard down. The person she was dealing with was Maximón Elgort, after all. If Najane pleaded, he would reluctantly agree, but he’d undoubtedly find excuses to linger around the maids’ quarters.

She could already picture the maids’ discomfort at Maximón constantly intruding. Knowing him, he’d probably station guards around the area for Najane’s sake while she was away. Just imagining his prickly behavior toward everyone in her absence brought an amused smile to her lips.

“I’ll talk to Maximón about it. But first, I think we should get Luna to rest…”

Najane studied Luna’s weary expression. Didina stepped aside to let them pass and spoke kindly.

“Of course, you’ve both traveled a long way and must be exhausted. I’ll guide you to a temporary room.”

“I’ll come along too—”

Before Najane could finish, Didina waved her hands dismissively.

“The commander specifically instructed me not to let your sister catch a chill. I’ll take good care of her, so don’t worry too much.”

“But…”

Though Najane was reluctant, Luna released Najane’s hand and took a step toward the stairs.

“Sister, I’m not a child. We’ll see each other again at dinner.”

“That’s right…”

At Luna’s calm response, Najane nodded dejectedly. Didina subtly tried to slip away while observing Luna from the corner of her eye. However, the perceptive Luna noticed her gaze and deliberately spoke in a gentle, affectionate tone, pretending to be the caring younger sister.

“If you knew how I ended up at the Romsoa Knights, you’d be surprised too, Sister. I’ve been so tense during the journey here that I really need some rest now. Of course, I’m happy to see you and want to talk more, but… I think we’ll be able to have a proper conversation without crying if we’re both more relaxed. What do you think?”

Najane nodded unconditionally at Luna’s words.

Luna gave a faint smile and waved her hand.

“I’ll go now, Sister. See you at dinner.”

With a wave, Luna turned and descended the stairs without hesitation, as though she truly wanted to rest. Watching her walk away without looking back made Najane’s heart sink. Didina caught Najane’s eye briefly in an attempt to reassure her before following Luna downstairs.

Though Najane knew she would see Luna every day from now on, the fear and sadness of seeing her only sibling transformed into someone so unfamiliar overwhelmed her. She chased after them down the hallway.

Just as Luna was about to leave the residence, she glanced back at Najane. Luna gave a small smile, pulling the corners of her lips upward elegantly, as if to say, “See you later.” But the gesture felt stiff and awkward somehow.

Najane watched the door close against the cold wind, clutching the shawl draped over her shoulders tightly. Luna’s most charming feature had always been her warm, eye-smiling expression—but just now, she had smiled only with her mouth. Was it deliberate? Or had she changed completely after enduring so much hardship?

It was undoubtedly Luna—the very sister Najane had searched for endlessly—yet it felt like she was interacting with a stranger. This strange, unsettling feeling weighed heavily on her heart. Najane felt guilty even for harboring such thoughts toward Luna.

Staring at the door that now separated her from the outside world, Najane leaned against the wall and slowly turned away. Her body trembled slightly as she walked, her back to the door. The reunion she had longed for so desperately felt like a heavy stone pressing down on her chest, suffocating and unbearable.

As she prepared to return to her room, Najane looked around the suddenly silent residence and buried her face in her hands. Tears streamed down, dripping onto her wrists. Overwhelmed by self-reproach, she collapsed where she stood.

She simply couldn’t muster the courage to tell Luna about her deteriorating condition.