“Why are you surprised? Giving her a name, taking her around as a maid, and even teaching her magic? Did you think you could make things different like that.”
While saying that, Bianca’s eyes, staring at Aria, held a hint of bitterness.
“…Is it just because you’re a good person? Or did you come to like her? Either way, I can’t help but envy her. I never had anything, and what little I held in my hands slipped away like sand. But she effortlessly took the seat next to you.”
“…It’s familiar. It always has been. In my life, it’s happened over and over again. Cain, seeing another woman standing beside you… I’m just used to it now.”
“…”
“At first, I waited. No, I thought I just had to wait. For so long, I waited patiently. That is, until that b!tch named Sarah Cernard appeared by your side.”
A smile was already forming on Bianca’s lips.
In this woman, I could only feel remorse, resentment, and hatred toward me.
“I still persevered. I endured for ten years after that. But even then, you weren’t there by my side. Iris el Devhart, Ariel Thiers, Kyrie el Denaris. You were always surrounded by new women.”
“…You know, Cain, I guess I’m greedy. I can’t stand it any longer. I can’t bear to have anyone else beside me. You promised me, too. When you became an adult, you would stay with me. You’ll be by my side. So, I beg you. Please, hold my hand. Lead me to your side, Cain.”
The look on Bianca’s face, as she reached out to me with such sadness, reminded me of a prisoner seeking forgiveness for their sins.
“…Bianca.”
This was my fault. It was my original sin—one I could never, and should never, have committed by turning my eyes elsewhere. It was the lament of a coward who had made promises he couldn’t keep and was unable to take responsibility for his words.
So, I couldn’t take her hand.
Estel and Castana’s marriage had always been one with more losses than benefits. An ‘engagement,’ which could be canceled as easily as flipping one’s hand, and ‘marriage,’ which could be easily undone even when it was made official was the only possibility. We were worlds apart.
If you looked at it on a small scale, it would invite some strong opposition from both families. On a larger scale, it threatened the thousand-year balance between the four great dukes.
And that wasn’t all.
At this point, the power difference between Estel and Castana was too vast. Estel, with its higher rank, and Castana, with greater power, were very incompatible. If we were to marry, no one could predict how much turmoil would arise from the union of the two families. Neither Estel nor Castana would show any consideration for the other, each would prioritize their own interests.
In the end, I couldn’t easily take Bianca’s hand, thinking only of our happiness.
“…I see. You chose to follow your desires, rather than seek your happiness.”
Bianca, who had been deep in thought, spoke in a low voice, then cast a melancholy glance at me.
“…Then forget it. Forget everything. If you’re with me, I’ll make sure you won’t have to think about Estel or Castana. I’ll let you pursue only your own happiness. Cain, I’ll make you happy.”
As she said this, Bianca’s fingers began to trail upwards. After brushing my lips, lightly caressing my cheek, and grazing my ear lobe, her hand continued to rise without stopping.
“…Bianca, what is this…”
At that moment, I called her name in a low voice.
Pajijik!
Kwak-Kwa-Kwam!
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck down on Bianca, who had been standing before me, forcing her to retreat swiftly, ten meters away, to avoid the thunderbolt. It all happened in an instant.
Aria glanced at me, then bit her lip and spoke.
“…Young Lord Cain, don’t worry. I’ll handle this. I learned magic for this very moment, to be of service to Young Lord. Even though I won’t lose control like Lady Castana, I’m at least proud to say I can protect you here.”
After hearing Aria’s words, Bianca didn’t respond with the mockery I expected. Instead, with a slight smile on her lips, she began to speak.
“If it’s you—no, I suppose you’re qualified to say that. Witch of Winter. Even though you’ve fallen so low, looking so miserable, I still respect you. After all, you came closer to the truth than anyone else in this world. This is the answer I’ve reached in response to the disaster that you are.”
As Bianca finished speaking, an overwhelming light burst forth from the sky. The pitch-black night was instantly replaced by a bright, midday glow.
Looking up, I saw that beside the full moon, another sun had risen in the sky. Its blinding light had turned the night into day. The ground beneath Aria and me began to sizzle under the intense radiant heat pouring down from this second sun.
Staring at the magic, which seemed to alter the very order of the world instead of merely twisting reality, I couldn’t help but mutter the name of a spell lodged deep within my memory.
“…The Sigh of the White Flame.”
***
This marked the moment when Bianca cast her own independently devised magic, the strongest fire magic known to humankind—said to rival even the witch’s magic.
“I won’t kill anyone. A promise is a promise. However, I can’t give up on you. I’m standing here, willing to abandon everything I have.”
“Ugh… ugh…!”
Unable to withstand the overwhelming magical power, firepower, and heat, Aria finally collapsed to her knees. Despite trying to resist, it was impossible.
Aria, as Cain von Estel’s exclusive handmaid, not the ‘Witch of Winter,’ was no match for Bianca del Castana.
“Cain, don’t worry. The next time you open your eyes, all those trivial concerns will be gone.”
At that moment, Bianca lowered her hand.
Moments later, the second sun fell to the earth.
Things are Not Looking Good:
Yes, things are not looking good. As you know, translation requires a lot of time and energy. I translate, edit and proofread the chapters on my own. I will be honest here, I started translating as a hobby, then it evolved to a hope of earning a living by doing something I enjoy.
However, I suffered a chain of misfortunes during and after the pandemic, and earnings from FSM and RTV helped me a lot. It became a significant part of my life. As long as my monthly income bordered around $200, I could make the time to translate in the middle of other works. Then RTV ended, and the earning decreased. Now, it has decreased to around $90-$100. And with PETTV nearing completion, that would decrease even more. A*dsence gets me about $ 0.50 per day, and you can’t get the payment until it reaches $100, so I can’t depend on that either.
It wouldn’t be an issue in normal circumstances, but it matters a lot to me since I am still dealing with a lot of financial troubles. I am currently looking for a job, and will have to invest my time and energy in it once I get it.
Long story short, if you enjoy reading this novel, support the translation if you can, either by becoming a Patron in Patreon, or sponsoring chapters at BuymeaCoffee. You can also take some time to watch a*ds to increase the revenue on A*dsence. Grains of sand together can form a desert.
FSM supporters has been supporting me from the start no matter what, so I would continue to translate FSM as long as I am alive. But for the other projects, I now desperately need your support so that I can spend the time and energy to serve them to you all. That’s all. Thank you.
Thanks for the chapter! Hard to hear you are in such a tough spot I’ll keep supporting anyway I can.
Thank you! And thanks for reading!