studiobondurri Chapter 100: The Play (1)
Chapter 100: The Play (1)
chapter 100: the play (1)
the blood flowing from the mirror dripped onto the ground. at first, it was only one or two drops of blood, like a faucet that wasn’t properly closed.
however, the moment the clock tolled in the distance, the flow of blood changed. it poured uncontrollably from the crack in the mirror.
one drop of blood swelled into a river, which split into six. the hallway was soon covered in blood. when the clock rang for the twelfth time, announcing the witching hour had come, we were standing in the middle of a carpet of blood.
i instinctively wrapped my arms around lady silver lily’s shoulders. the puddle of blood was deep enough to reach my ankles. the slimy, sticky sensation was ominous.
“my lady, this is...”
“this is my nightmare,” lady silver lily whispered in my arms. “don’t let your guard down, butler. this place is, for all intents and purposes, another world. others don’t know and can’t see what’s happening here.”
from this sea of blood, thousands of bubbles rose and burst and thousands more rose anew. but some of the bubbles took on proper forms instead of bursting away.
[the silver-plated heart has appeared.]
they were demons that looked like mouths. no, they were actual mouths, but just red tongues and lips without any face or body, grinning.
—your highness.
—i hate you.
the mouths of blood bubbles rose and burst continuously. the words they muttered were barely connected. their voice kept breaking up like a disharmonious chorus.
—his highness the crown prince is kind.
—when he wasn’t the crown prince, he picked flowers for me.
—he just wiped away my tears with his sleeve instead of a handkerchief. he’s so kind.
—it’s because he’s so gentle.
—still...
lady silver lily pierced one of the mouths using her rapier. it burst, but more mouths—two or three times more than before—rose from the sea of blood. the demons’ bloody giggles made the sea buzz.
—how lovely.
i also swung my sword.
—what is the point of loving someone who was born perfect?
the demons’ combat prowess was insignificant. they actually didn’t even fight against us and simply took the attacks.
—even though he’s lacking in many ways...
—true love is embracing their flaws and guiding them.
however, their psychological attacks were getting on my nerves.
—i’m in love with you, your highness.
—i know how to love too.
—i am a noble who knows how to love.
the unpleasant feeling made me bite my lip and swing my sword faster to cut down the blood bubbles.
—are you going to kill me?
—it’s no use. the harder you trample on a tragedy, the more addicting it becomes.
—did you see that goldencup hitting on his highness?
—disgusting.
the sea of blood undulated as the demons continued to laugh.
—he’s innocent, so he still dreams of a romantic life. he doesn’t love goldencup. she’s just his escape from the throne.
—he’s a poor man.
—poor, poor man.
damn it. i had seen something like this before.
the demon king of autumn rain!
before i had taken her under my wings and given her the name “preta,” the fallen constellation had been like this. the demon king made the sky shed blood and she had legions of monsters at her beck and call. all of those were the abilities of a constellation—these demons were lady silver lily’s summons.
[the silver-plated heart’s presence has become stronger.]
something other than the mouths emerged from the sea of blood. hands. two hands, clasped together like those of a bride and groom in the middle of a wedding.
—raviel, your family and the imperial family engaged us.
“what you said is right. regardless of what happened, those demons are my summons. they didn’t make up words to chant. i muttered those words in my dreams. they are my unconscious thoughts.” lady silver lily tilted her head. “i swore a timeless love. to keep that love pure, i have to remove the dust and filth that pile up on my love every day. those demons are the dust and filth."
disappointment. frustration. the desire to be reciprocated. they were the grease on one’s mind and curses in its purest sense.
“aren’t they ugly?” lady silver lily muttered. “i told you about my love. i was going to stop here—that is why i brought you here: to destroy any illusion about me.”
“disappointed?” i exhaled sharply, but it wasn’t a sigh. that breath was the product of my struggle to rein in my anger. “ugly? i don't know much, but i can assure you that i’ll never be disappointed in you because of something like this.”
“...like this?
“you told me your secret and bared your heart to me. my lady, a truly ugly person never shows their heart to others. they only know how to hurt people—they just pretend to be carefree and calm.”
fuck you, fire emperor.
with that thought, i stepped closer to her. “if anything, i’m worse. you would be disgusted if you knew what i think about.”
“i’m curious.”
“if you brought me here to get rid of me, you made the wrong choice, my lady. i didn’t fall in love with you because you were perfect.”
lady silver lily paused because i said love. it made my face flush, but i wasn’t going to hold myself back.
“it’s only been a day since you fell in love with me,” she said with a slight frown. “you flatter me too much.”
“is the fact that it’s only been one day a problem? would it be okay if it was after a year? how about a thousand days? shall i come back then? i can see what kind of person you despise. those are whom i despise too. i can also tell what hurts you. i love the way you lead your life, too. i can say this because i’m living the same kind of life as you.”
were my words reaching her? was i expressing myself clearly? i couldn’t tell. i had never said something like this to anyone else, so i wasn’t used to it. but i wanted the woman in front of me. i wished she would have me too. what i wanted was for both of us to have each other and share one life.
“i love you as much as i love myself, and i hope that is how you’ll love me too.”
those were my genuine feelings. all i knew was to be one hundred percent true to my heart.
“i’m going to make you love me. i won’t tell you to abandon the crown prince; even if i don’t ask you to, you’ll abandon the crown prince at some point.”
“my heart...” she trailed off.
“yes, this world is holding your heart captive, but it doesn’t matter. if that’s the problem, i’ll solve it. maybe you’ll still love the crown prince after that—then i’ll become overwhelmingly better than the crown prince and loiter around you to catch your eye.
“did the crown prince give you unforgettable nostalgia when you were young? that doesn’t matter,” i whispered to her. “we’re regressors, and there are only two of us in this world.”
i could tell that my face was red right now, but i said what i had to say.
“there will be a lot of time that only you and i can enjoy. i’ll use that time to bury you in happy memories that will make your nostalgia for the crown prince fade away. i’ll try my best.”
“hmm.” the corners of lady silver lily’s mouth rose slightly. “are you going to repeat the last ten days forever? you’ll eventually get tired and give up.”
“that doesn’t scare me. this isn’t the first time i’ve repeated the same days.”
“what if i get tired of you and ask you to disappear from my sight?”
“i’ll do as you ask.” i reached out and grabbed her hand, which was free after she had lost her lantern in the fight against demons.
it required courage, but fortunately, i had all the courage i needed.
i shook my head. “but it’ll never happen.”
“how so?”
“you weren’t even tired of the crown prince, and i’m a better person than him. if i’m making you uncomfortable, please tell me now. i’ll disappear.”
lady silver lily silently observed my face.
“...this is a problem,” she eventually said. “i should find you annoying, but i don’t. and i don’t think it’ll happen any time soon either.”
suddenly, we heard an urgent cry from far down the hallway:
“...tler!”
lady silver lily’s residence, where even the servants were asleep, suddenly became noisy.
“where...! bu...!”
we soon heard footsteps; the servants had woken up. the building was lit up here and there. before long, the gray-haired servant came running toward us.
“i’m sorry, my lady.”
lady silver lily let go of my hand. “what’s all this fuss about this late at night?”
“i’m sorry to say this, but...”
the distant voice began to resolve.
“butler! where are you, my butler!”
my face hardened. the voice that was all too familiar.
the gray-haired servant bowed to us. “lady goldencup is causing a commotion.”