SOTBW - 239

The maid’s quarters were empty. Luna led the way into the room where she had been staying. The space was far too large for one person, making it excessively cold.  

Najane felt a deep pang of guilt realizing that Luna had been living like this. She hurriedly piled logs into the fireplace. Whether it had been left unused or cleaned by the maids, the hearth was spotlessly clean, without a trace of ash.  

She should have checked on this place earlier, but she had assumed Didiña would take care of everything and hadn’t given it much thought. Overwhelmed by guilt, Najane stoked the fire until the flames grew larger. From a few steps away, Luna watched her with an inscrutable gaze.  

As the fire roared to life, Najane gestured for Luna to come closer. She removed her coat and spread it out like a cushion. Luna obediently sat down on it.  

The flickering shadows of the flames danced across Luna’s face. Najane carefully examined her sister’s features, searching for any signs of injury. Relieved to find none, she placed a hand on Luna’s forehead. She had been so worried when she saw Maximón gripping Luna as if he intended to crush her skull, but thankfully, Luna seemed unharmed.  

“Luna…”  

Najane’s mind was a tangled mess. How could the two people most precious to her end up in such conflict? Just thinking about Maximón’s back as he held Luna’s face in a vice-like grip made her dizzy even now.  

Before she could ask what had happened, Luna clung to Najane’s arm, trembling. Najane’s expression saddened as she felt the faint quivers running through Luna’s hands.  

“Don’t marry him, Sister.”  

Staring into the flames, Luna pleaded in a defeated voice. Najane’s heart sank further; she had planned to share the news of her engagement today, making the situation even more complicated.  

“Did you hear it from Maximón?”  

When Najane casually called him by name, Luna’s expression darkened. With an urgency she had never shown before, Luna begged again.  

“Please don’t marry him, Sister. He grabbed my face so hard… I was hanging onto his arm, but he didn’t care, treating me like some object…!”  

Luna’s voice rose to a scream, her agitation growing louder.  

Najane tried to calm her, unable to hide her worry as Luna gasped for breath.  

“Luna, I understand. I understand, so please calm down… I saw what happened to you.”  

“Calm down? You want me to calm down right now?”  

With a look of disappointment, Luna shoved Najane’s comforting hand away. Though slightly taken aback by her sister’s reaction, Najane maintained her composure. Luna, too, noticed that Najane was trying to remain neutral.  

Had Najane sided with her earlier only because of their familial bond? It seemed Najane wanted to hear exactly what had transpired between her and Maximón. Her attitude—assuming there must have been some misunderstanding despite seeing how Maximón had treated Luna—left Luna feeling uneasy.  

This was no time for Najane to leave room for doubt. Opportunities like this were rare. If she couldn’t shake Najane’s trust in Maximón now, she might never be able to wedge herself between them again. In the future, Maximón would likely become even more wary of her, and at worst, she might be barred from entering the residence altogether, forced to live elsewhere.  

What could she say to make Najane soften her stance toward Maximón and start doubting him? Then it hit her—she remembered how Najane had reacted when she mentioned being mistreated by men, lowering herself in submission.  

“I hate people who force their way through with brute strength. It terrifies me! Those who raise their hands so easily are the scariest of all! You know that, Sister. You know everything about what I went through before coming here!”  

Luna cried out in a wounded voice.  

Najane’s face filled with discomfort as she finally realized that Maximón’s actions had triggered Luna’s trauma. Fidgeting anxiously, she grasped Luna’s trembling hands.  

Instead of explaining how deeply shaken she was by Maximón, Luna quietly wept. Najane’s carefully maintained composure shattered like glass struck by a stone.  

Not knowing what else to do to comfort her crying sister, Najane wiped Luna’s chillingly cold cheeks. Despite sitting close to the fire, Luna’s body remained icy cold. Najane blew warm breath onto her sister’s freezing hands, overwhelmed with guilt.  

“So… did Maximón do that without reason?”  

It was Najane’s attempt to understand the situation better. But at her words, Luna’s expression hardened noticeably, and she abruptly stood up, her entire body trembling with betrayal.  

“Are you saying I deserved to be treated that way?”  

Realizing her mistake, Najane quickly stood to face her sister.  

“Luna, that’s not what I meant…”

Najane reached out to take Luna’s hands, but Luna violently shook her off.  

“I thought you were on my side! You said you’d always be on my side! I’m happy for you if you love someone and want to live with them. I even supported the idea of you having a lover. But the person you love threatened me! If he had grabbed my neck instead of my jaw, I could have died! And still, you ask me to calm down? You asked if there was a reason behind what happened to me, didn’t you? Well, yes! There was no reason! That’s exactly what happened!”  

Unable to contain her disappointment, Luna kicked at the floor and screamed. Najane watched her sister writhe in anguish, unable to approach further as she held her breath. She wanted to sew her own lips shut for such a foolish slip of the tongue.  

Seeing Luna lash out reminded Najane just how intimidating and fearsome Maximón could be to others. She had momentarily forgotten that because Luna was her sister. She had assumed that since Maximón brought Luna here, he would treat her with at least some care—even if not as much as he showed her.  

Unable to bear looking at Luna crying and screaming, Najane covered her eyes with her hand. Recalling the image of her sister being lifted off the ground by Maximón’s powerful grip made her realize how stupid her words had been.  

Wiping away the tears that were starting to gather, Najane stared at Luna. Still visibly shaken from what had happened with Maximón, Luna shuddered as she rubbed her arms and sobbed.  

“How could you say such things to me, even blinded by love… We’re family, we share blood. When I need help, you’re the only one I can rely on… How could you, of all people…”  

Kieron remembered something Emaydis had once said to him—that she wished for his happiness. Yes, it was because of those words that he had shamelessly gone to his sister for help.  

At the time, Kieron had been drowning, living a life bereft of Bersha. The only person he could turn to was Emaydis.  

On a drizzly day, in front of the Astrum Knights, he had knelt before his sister, begging until his palms burned. He had pleaded, offering everything he had, asking for just one favor. Just as Emaydis couldn’t live without Sainth, Kieron couldn’t endure life without Bersha.  

He had swallowed his pride and clung to his sister.  

But Emaydis, who had claimed to want his happiness, had refused his request.  

“I’m sorry… I understand your situation, Brother, but I can’t help you with forbidden magic. I almost faced execution for sharing mana with Sainth. You know I was only forgiven because of the people here. If I attempt another taboo, the ones I love will suffer again. I’m so sorry… I’m sorry, Brother…”  

“Liar…”  

You said you wanted me to be happy.  

With tear-soaked palms, Luna glared at Najane with eyes that gleamed eerily. Najane felt a strange distance growing between them but attributed it to her own careless words as she cautiously approached her sister.  

She gently embraced Luna’s small frame, which was wracked with emotion. Thankfully, Luna yielded and leaned into the embrace. Holding her sister’s body, which remained chillingly cold despite her efforts to comfort her, Najane apologized earnestly.  

“Luna… I’m sorry… I didn’t think before I spoke. I never meant to hurt you, but I truly am sorry… I know you were terrified because of Maximón…”  

Najane poured all her sincerity into comforting Luna. But Luna remained motionless, as if she no longer expected anything from Najane, simply staying nestled in her arms.  

Najane sensed that Luna was pushing her away. Deep down, she instinctively knew that she couldn’t mend the rift between Maximón and Luna—but unwilling to accept it, she held her sister tighter.  

Her mind swirled with questions about why this had happened. Her chest felt unbearably heavy. She had thought only happy times lay ahead, yet an unforeseen, overwhelming issue had arisen. Blaming herself for believing everything would be fine, Najane buried her face in Luna’s icy shoulder.  

Luna glanced at Najane leaning on her with a cold gaze. It was clear to her that Najane’s emotions were in turmoil, lost in a whirlpool she couldn’t control.  

Hiding a faint smile, Luna finally returned Najane’s embrace lightly. But her voice remained sorrowful.  

“You don’t understand anything, Sister… Tell me honestly now—Maximón is far more important to you than I am, isn’t he? All that talk about searching for me—it was all lies, wasn’t it? If you had really looked for me, we wouldn’t have met so late… You wouldn’t have let me end up like that…”  

“No, Luna. That’s not true. I…”  

The memory of abandoning unconscious Luna and running away without looking back surfaced. A deep pang of guilt throbbed in her chest.  

Releasing Luna from her embrace, Najane cupped her tear-streaked cheeks with both hands. Luna, seeing Najane’s reddened eyes, drove the final nail in.  

“Let’s leave together, Sister. Let’s start over somewhere no one knows us.”  

“Luna, that’s…”  

Startled, Najane stepped back.  

Luna gazed at Najane with bloodshot eyes.

“That person will eventually drive us apart. Choose—family or love.”  

At her sister’s demand, Najane’s expression darkened. Choosing between the two was impossible. Backing away, Najane muttered under her breath, “No, I can’t… I can’t do that, Luna…”  

As if she had anticipated Najane’s hesitation, Luna spoke again, her voice trembling with tears.  

“You must keep your promise this time, Sister… Promise me you won’t abandon me.”