“Then what?”
If that were the case, what would one do?
The question posed by Delphine was extremely simple but, for that reason, all the more incisive.
I-an and Delphine spent the night together.
Whenever Ceria recalled the events of last night, her mind turned blank.
And grazing across her thought process, now as white as freshly fallen snow, were the breathy moans and gasps of pleasure that had been wrested from her.
It had been taken.
Only that single thought echoed forlornly in her mind.
Ceria was so angry and sad that she couldn’t even cry. All she could do was tremblingly bite her lips and fingers.
Her logic had broken down long ago.
A girl whose first love had been taken didn’t need rationality.
But then, as if by miracle, at this very moment a sudden light illuminated Ceria’s tangled thoughts.
It was as though she were seeing sunlight penetrate and filter through the fog.
Delphine’s voice meant that much to Ceria.
A woman who had imparted a lifelong sense of inferiority to her, and someone she would forever admire, had such worth.
Ceria’s body swayed, and with labored breath, she was granted a brief moment to speak.
An opportunity to think clearly.
Of course, even that ‘sanity’ wasn’t entirely intact; it merely delayed the extreme conclusions her thoughts constantly sought.
Still, that was enough for now.
Ceria’s disposition softened somewhat.
Instead, her trembling that had momentarily subsided came alive again, and her aquamarine-like blue eyes began to resonate.
The girl silently repeated Delphine’s question in her mind.
“Then what?”
To be honest, Ceria had no real standing to interfere in anything.
I-an and Delphine were adults.
That meant they were responsible for their own purity and honor. It was only natural for two people who were fond of each other to spend a night together, leaving Ceria no room to object.
After all, she was merely a ‘junior.’
A damp, shadowy girl who had secretly loved a senior and got hurt.
The truth she had always feared to confront made Ceria’s complexion pale.
Even so, Delphine kept silent, her blood-red eyes silently gazing at her rival without uttering a word.
In the end, Ceria had only one choice.
“…Gi, give up.”
At the pitifully trembling single word, Delphine burst out laughing as if bewildered.
‘Give up’?
What Celin had proposed as a solution seemed ridiculous. Delphine sighed, carrying an undertone of disappointment.
Right before she was about to say something, there was a sound of something crumbling.
Delphine seemed surprised and looked straight ahead once more.
It was Ceria.
The girl kneeling on the floor was shaking convulsively at her shoulders. A plea filled with suppressed emotion followed.
“Could you please… could you please give it up, sister? I know it’s shamelessly audacious, but still, I would say that Senior I-an is practically everything to me.”
It was the honest truth she had never revealed before.
Even Celin, who was perhaps Ceria’s closest friend, had never heard her speak such words aloud. Let alone Delphine, who stood in the delicate position of both elder sister and the head of the household.
She had never heard such a confession until now.
That caused Delphine’s words to falter.
Still, Ceria’s pleading continued.
“Please, I’m begging you, sister… you know, don’t you, sister? I have nothing. No mother, no father, just the last name ‘Yuridina’—it’s like an empty shell. I had nothing but the sword in my life. No, I was the sword. And Senior I-an was the first person to gift me with kindness.”
Now it was Delphine’s turn to ponder.
The woman’s fine eyebrows furrowed. Delphine remained silent for a long while and then let out a sigh mixed with empathy.
“…I see.”
Delphine, too, seemed a bit calmer.
With the daughter of her own blood on her knees, tears streaming down, how could she not feel compassion? Moreover, Delphine, as the head of the house, was obligated to take care of all Yuridinas.
Had she somehow realized this?
Ceria’s forehead was gradually touching the ground.
“Please… please, I’m begging you, sister… you’ve taken everything from me from childhood… everything I wanted. From the sword to the family’s acknowledgment and love! But I have nothing. Senior I-an is my only one, sister. So please…”
Delphine let out a long sigh and placed her hand on her forehead.
The woman leaned back heavily. Her previously crossed arms hung loose, and there was a clear sign of discomfort in her blood-red eyes.
With Ceria’s sobs as the backdrop, Delphine’s deep reflection only deepened.
After some time passed…
Delphine came to a decision and quietly stood up. She approached Ceria and crouched before her.
A rare look of compassion was evident in her red eyes.
“I know, Ceria. I know how lonely and difficult it’s been for you… and that I’ve been too indifferent to you.”
An unusually gentle tone.
It had been so long since Delphine had ever spoken to her this tenderly that Ceria couldn’t even remember the last time.
Her heart both ached and was grateful as she held back her tears.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t support you before, Ceria. And as far as Senior, you’re free to act according to your heart.”
Ceria’s body shuddered, and her crying gradually subsided.
Her widened blue eyes stared at Delphine.
The radiant golden hair illuminated by the light seemed to glow like the sun. Ceria felt as if she were mesmerized by the beauty of Delphine.
Is it true?
Is it really true that she’s willing to step aside for her?
Delphine’s expression, answering her desperate question, was genuinely warm.
“You know my position is unstable. Even though I have a strong standing within the family, the public eye hasn’t been kind since Father’s imprisonment. It’s not the time to announce an engagement or marriage now. So, do as you please.”
“Is it… really?”
She looked pathetic and ragged.
To have to beg your rival for love—it was humbling.
Ceria was not unaware of this fact. Yet despite it, there was undeniable hope seeping through in her stuttering voice.
She could get her senior back.
Even if it was out of pity or sympathy, it didn’t matter.
Even if she had to accept charity, even if it meant bowing her pride—just being near her senior was enough for Ceria. She would do anything.
And her wish came true.
Given to her by none other than the beloved sister Ceria adored.
The clear tears were accompanied by a voice of hope.
“Is it really okay… sister?”
“Sure.”
It was an answer so refreshingly straightforward that it almost seemed meaningless.
There wasn’t an ounce of regret or longing in Delphine’s expression. Only her enchanting smile lingered.
Ceria trembled with overflowing joy and gratitude.
That was it.
She hadn’t lost either of the two precious people she loved.
As selfish as her request had been, Ceria was sure there couldn’t be a better resolution.
Even so, she felt guilty for owing her sister so much.
How could she repay such kindness?
Ceria deeply resolved within herself that she would spend her entire life serving this woman.
Delphine continued to console her.
“I never realized how deeply you cherished him. Maybe if you confide in Senior, he’ll understand. That’s right, and with persistence, you might…”
As she patted the girl’s shoulder, her lips approached the girl’s ear.
Ceria, drunk on sweet illusions, couldn’t even look at Delphine.
That’s why she missed it.
That mischievously curved corner of her eye.
“Aren’t you able to get even scraps of affection?”
It was just a single line.
The tranquil atmosphere flipped in an instant.
Time froze, and even breaths stopped in that split-second gap.
Ceria, momentarily failing to understand the implication, asked with a dazed tone.
“… Huh?”
“Exactly as it sounds.”
The voice was unnervingly calm.
As steady as the ocean, it left Ceria completely stupefied.
Delphine slowly stood up while continuing to speak.
“Scrap affection, perhaps. Go to him, beg as you’re doing now. Ask him for love, ask him for affection… haha.”
As if imagining the scene herself, Delphine let out a brief chuckle.
Even the naive Ceria couldn’t mistake the intent behind that.
It was mockery.
The ridicule directed at the defeated.
Ceria’s consciousness was once again consumed by the blank void.
“Ah, Ceria. It’s my fault. I should’ve taught you this earlier: love isn’t something you beg for. Actually, it’s true for everything in this world… Haven’t you learned that as a member of the Yuridina family?”
It felt like her breath was being cut off.
Still, Ceria’s lungs, with great effort, were trying to breathe, her shoulders rising and falling repeatedly.
Her body was still trembling.
What was once sheer joy was now another kind of emotion.
The muscles tightened.
“It’s about struggle alone.”
With her thoughts halted but her heart beating stronger, the world around her grew clearer.
Her mind was sharp.
It was natural, after all.
Ceria was in complete control of her senses.
Probably more than ever.
The light steps of Delphine stopped in front of a wall.
There, countless swords were hung.
The very swords that Ceria wanted to possess.
Delphine absentmindedly stroked her chin and spoke almost like a song.
“Do you know how I managed to win Senior’s heart? It was hard, as you know, he’s rather cautious. But as it turns out, after drinking, people lose their inhibitions. All it took was a slight push… but even then, he hesitated until the very end. So, in the end, I had to…”
A broken syllable bereft of coherent speech.
For a while, the girl had her head bowed, but then her gaze snapped forward.
It was the signal.
The blue irises flashed, and in the next moment, the world split.
It was a white dagger.
It bisected the air, crushed the scenery, and traced an uneven path as it hurtled forward.
A sword.
And the sword that blocked it, another.
Their exchange of blows was faster than the blink of an eye. In what seemed like a flash, moments later the two women already faced off, their blades crossed.
Kicking off the ground forcibly, Ceria bit her teeth as she yelled.
With the clearest emotion, sharper than ever before.
“I’ll kill you!!!”
“Right, that’s the spirit.”
Delphine grinned, tightening her grip on her sword.
A golden aura began to burn.
With a whoosh, the ignited heat began to distort the surroundings—a power strong enough to inflict a fatal injury.
Still, Delphine didn’t hesitate.
For there was a sapphire aura already swirling around Ceria’s sword.
The fiery eyes declared it.
“I want to kill you so much, I can’t stand it.”
And for this emotion-laden hostility, Delphine finally let out a roar of joy she hadn’t felt in a long time.
The golden flames flickered and surged.
“This is how… this is what Yuridina is about!”
The sharp sound of their weapons clashing reverberated, followed by an abrupt windstorm that filled the room.
Thus began the battle between sisters.
