Volume 7, Chapter 65 – Shattered Heart

No longer silent, Fia took a step forward.

“Who are you?”

The same question as last time.

But unlike last time, Fia faintly sensed now that this black wraith wanted to convey something to her. This intuition was hard to put into words—a very pure feeling that couldn’t be explained by normal logic.

The black wraith remained silent for a moment. Only after three or four seconds did it move. It slowly raised its right hand, an action that caused its body to fluctuate violently, as if it might vanish the next instant. Yet, it persevered, opening its palm with an extremely indistinct outline.

Resting quietly within was a ring.

From Fia’s perspective, it was hard to call this a ring. Like the black wraith itself, the ring was a constantly undulating, intangible loop. Fia had to use some imagination to picture it as a ring.

The black wraith extended its hand slightly further. Fia interpreted this as offering it to her. She raised an eyebrow.

“Is it for me?”

Still no answer. The black wraith kept its arm extended, motionless.

If it’s for me, I’ll take it.

Fia tried to pick up the ring from the open palm. She expected her fingers to pass through it. However, the moment her fingertip touched the ring, it emitted a faint white glow. Then, the metallic sensation of a “solid” object condensed at her fingertip, as if the ring had crossed from nothingness into reality the instant she touched it.

A rather ornate ruby ring.

Fia could feel faint magical energy coming from it. It must be a magic item. However, the ring’s inherent magic was too weak, even feebler than a clumsily made magic item by a beginner. Injecting just a bit of mana into it would likely cause its magical structure to collapse.

Fia took the now-solidified ring.

“What is this?”

“……” The black wraith still didn’t answer. Its body began to flicker violently, then, just like last time, it suddenly crumbled into dust and dissipated. “We’ll meet again…”

Just as bizarre as before.

But this time, she could be sure it wasn’t her eyes playing tricks. This wraith, of similar build to her, truly existed and wanted to convey something.

If you want to tell me a secret, use a more understandable method.

Things I don’t understand can wait for later. For now, go check if Anastasia’s lunch is ready. I didn’t eat much at breakfast, and my stomach is already growling.

As for the ring, Fia glanced down at it. The process of the ring materializing from nothing was too bizarre; it was hard to dismiss it as a useless trinket. She slipped the ring onto the little finger of her right hand and walked straight into the house.

The smell of burning filled the room.

Anastasia shouldn’t make such a mistake.

Worry rose in Fia’s heart. She hurried towards the cooking area in the front yard. Anastasia was standing before the outdoor stove. Although the cutlet in the frying pan emitted an unpleasant burnt smell, Anastasia seemed oblivious, just holding the pan handle with one hand, staring blankly at the sizzling contents.

Lost in thought again.

Tch.

The pleasant feeling from finishing the cleaning vanished in an instant. Fia quickly walked to Anastasia’s side and patted her shoulder.

“Hey, Anastasia!”

No response.

Just like before, when Fia had rested her head on Anastasia’s lap, it was as if the soul had left the body. Her eyes were empty.

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More anxiety surged in Fia’s heart. She called out again.

“Hey, Anastasia!”

Still no response. When patted, Anastasia’s body went limp, about to collapse to the ground. Fia hurriedly supported her. This wasn’t a state where calling would wake her up. Better take Anastasia back first— Just as Fia thought this, Anastasia opened her eyes as if awakening from a dream.

“Ah… Your Highness?”

Her voice sounded groggy at first. When Anastasia noticed Fia holding her, her eyes widened instantly. She fully woke up and struggled.

“I… you… when… how…”

Good, just a temporary lapse.

Relieved inwardly, Fia let go of Anastasia and motioned with her chin towards the frying pan emitting the burnt smell.

“I smelled something burning and came to check.”

“Uh!”

Realizing what she had been doing, Anastasia’s expression instantly turned grim. Forgetting for the moment why Fia was holding her, she stepped to the frying pan in one stride and hastily shoveled the cutlet onto a pre-prepared plate.

Then, Anastasia’s already grim expression worsened further. She stared motionlessly at the charred cutlet, as if pondering something, her lips pressed into a tight line.

Such a mistake would never happen to her unless her condition was off. Fia knew this, Anastasia knew this, but both tacitly understood.

Fia sighed quietly.

“It’s still early. There’s time to make another one.”

“My deepest apologies…”

A voice full of guilt, so low it was almost unintelligible.

Give Anastasia some time.

Not disturbing Anastasia further, Fia walked back into the house.

…

Soon after, Anastasia brought lunch to the table. Although part of the table was rotten, Anastasia had cut away the decayed part, cleaned it, patched it with new planks, making it usable again. And because the table was rather small, it felt more homely than the dining hall in the Twilight Palace.

However, the atmosphere at the table wasn’t warm.

Anastasia and Fia sat facing each other.

The problem lay with the cutlets before them.

The one in front of Anastasia was the charred, blackened item that could hardly be called a cutlet. Similarly, the one before Fia also had a hard, darkly browned side—also burnt.

Without asking, Fia knew: Anastasia had also spaced out while frying the second cutlet, though for a shorter time than the first.

Anastasia was filled with remorse. She hung her head, her voice almost a mumble.

“My deepest apologies. I didn’t bring many ingredients…”

“It’s not a big deal. Anyone can fail sometimes. Anastasia’s portion is inedible. Don’t force yourself to eat it. Let’s share.”

Saying this, Fia cut her own cutlet in half and placed it on Anastasia’s plate. Then, she took Anastasia’s burnt portion with a fork, intending to store it in her storage magic and discard it.

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But before she could, Anastasia suddenly looked up. Her expression was hidden behind her golden bangs, but her movements clearly showed a hint of urgency.

“How can I eat Your Highness’s food!”

The tone was off.

More like a reprimand than her usual self-deprecation, Anastasia suddenly stood up, slamming both hands on the table so hard the tableware rattled.

“Since I’m the one who made this unsightly failure through my mistake, I should bear the consequences myself!”

“So, you want me to watch—as my half-sister, my most loyal servant—eat this in front of me? Is she that unimportant in my eyes?”

Forcibly storing the charcoal-like cutlet in her storage magic, Fia calmly cut a small piece from the less burnt side of her own cutlet and put it in her mouth.

“Mmm, though a bit burnt, this crispy texture isn’t bad either. As expected of Anastasia, who’s been cooking for me all this time.”

“This failure—”

Ignoring Anastasia’s urgent gaze, Fia looked past her towards the steaming silver tea set behind her. She smiled and said,

“Doesn’t Anastasia feel something’s missing? I understand you feel ashamed because of the failure, but such a small thing shouldn’t weigh on you. If you absolutely want to do something to make up for it, how about compensating with a better cup of flower tea?”

“…Understood.”

Removing her hands from the table, Anastasia offered Fia a dejected bow, then turned to make the tea. Fia slowly tasted the items on the table besides the cutlet.

Not just the cutlet; the taste of every dish was strange.

The salad had too much salt, to a point of bitterness. The stew had the burnt smell from forgetting to stir and sticking to the pot. The only thing without issues was the dessert, but that was brought from the Twilight Palace in advance, not made by Anastasia.

Perhaps Anastasia has been fighting against these lapses, alternating between spacing out and being alert.

Even if it was salty to the point of bitterness and had a burnt taste, Fia only had the thought of finishing it, as if not savoring it now meant she might never have the chance again.

Clang.

Abruptly, the sound of something falling echoed in the room. Immediately after, a series of clattering noises followed.

“What happened!”

Fia quickly stood up, looking towards the source of the sound. Anastasia, who should have been standing, was now kneeling on the floor. The fallen objects were the teapot and cups. Orange-yellow flower tea was gushing out with the petals, spreading across most of the floor.

Spaced out again?

Fia walked around to Anastasia’s side, trying to help the seemingly spaced-out Anastasia up. But she discovered Anastasia wasn’t lost in thought. She was conscious, her hands covering her face, sobbing quietly. A teacup was slowly rolling beside her.

“What’s wrong?”

“My deepest apologies…”

A simple phrase, yet enough for Fia to guess the reason.

Anastasia had the habit of tasting dishes beforehand to check for missing flavors. Perhaps Anastasia had tasted the flower tea herself, discovered its bitterness, and coupled with every dish today being unpalatable, it had led to this.

She had been forcing herself to hold on until now. Faced with repeated blows forcing her to confront reality, the taut string finally snapped—the more cheerful she appeared, the more pain she felt inside.

Fia wanted to say it was okay, but the words that reached her lips ultimately took another form.

It’s about time to face reality.

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She crouched down, placing her right hand on Anastasia’s shoulder, her tone full of consolation.

“It’s enough. You don’t have to force yourself anymore.”

However, this seemed to be the final straw that broke the camel’s back. Anastasia, who had always been smiling before, began to tremble, her voice already choked with sobs.

“My deepest apologies… my deepest apologies… I… I wanted to do better, but my body won’t obey… I keep spacing out on my own… serving you this unsightly food… Even cleaning, which should be my job, I can’t because of my body… It’s all my responsibility… I’m sorry… I wanted to do so much better… I’m sorry…”

“I know. It’s enough. Anastasia has already done more than enough.”

Low sobs echoed in the quiet house. Anastasia’s body trembled, tears falling each drop.

“Lately, I space out without realizing it… I can’t remember what happened during those times… I thought it would get better after a while, but it’s getting worse… And the people around me too… Even though the tea I brew gets more bitter, you act like you don’t notice… I’m just an outsider, why are you so kind to me? If you are, then after I go back… I won’t be able to forget the things here… You’re only making my suffering worse…”

What is she even saying? Isn’t Claire still helping?

Forcing down the sorrow in her heart, Fia remained silent for a moment before speaking calmly.

“Anastasia from whichever world is the same to me. As long as we meet, I will undoubtedly be saved by you. I will never forget what happened in Aurora City. Even if those events never happened in your memory, I know you would have made the exact same choices.”

“Your feelings for me are no different from the other Anastasia’s. So, I cannot treat you as a soul to be summoned and dismissed at will. Just like how, even after coming to this world, you still see me as the Crown Princess. You are both different and the same as the Anastasia I know.”

Anastasia gritted her teeth, her emotions growing more intense.

“But I’m going back soon. You should hate me for stealing the other me’s body, curse me as a monster, blame me for failing to protect you in that other world. Only then… only then will I not recall what happened here… won’t feel so much pain at the thought of parting from you that I can’t breathe…”

Anastasia’s crying had taken on a hint of hysteria. She looked at Fia through tear-blurred eyes, her breathing exceptionally rapid.

Because it’s too precious, that’s why one thinks, ‘If only I had never experienced it, how much better it would be.’

Fia understood this feeling very well; it was the same for her. She pressed her lips together, lowering her gaze.

“We can’t conclude that yet. There’s still Claire. Claire is also crafting a body for you—”

“If even you, trying your hardest, couldn’t succeed, what can Miss Claire do?! Why… why can the Anastasia of this world enjoy a wonderful life, while I not only don’t have that, but even get tossed here to experience her life before being thrown back? What kind of logic is this?!”

As if realizing something, Anastasia jolted violently. Then, her trembling eyelashes stilled. A desolate smile appeared on her face. She shifted to face Fia directly, placed her hands on Fia’s shoulders, and stared down at Fia from above. Her clear blue eyes were filled with a madness Fia didn’t recognize, even her breath becoming feverish.

“That’s right… I just need to leave an ugly impression on you. That way, I’ll despise myself, won’t find this place beautiful, and can still taste what I’ve always longed for… I love you. You’ve responded to my feelings. So, demanding this is permissible, isn’t it? Doing this before the other me… counts as some rebellion against this fate. As long as I have you… as long as I have you!”

Using her strength, Anastasia pushed Fia down onto the floor with a thump . Her gaze, devoid of reason and full of fervor, swept over Fia’s entire body—from her forehead to her pointed ears, then down her face to her smooth shoulders and alluring collarbone. Her breathing grew more ragged, the whites of her eyes gradually stained with unfamiliar bloodshot streaks. Her voice now held a nearly plaintive emotion.

Fia didn’t struggle.

She calmly received Anastasia’s lament.

She looked at the madness clouding Anastasia’s eyes and said nothing.

Anastasia was right. She was just being toyed with by fate. Neither she nor anyone else was at fault. She held affection for her, and she had acknowledged those feelings. If Anastasia wanted to go further, she wouldn’t push her away.

But the Anastasia she knew wouldn’t do this.

The silent air, filled only with ragged breathing, lasted a mere three seconds.

The truth was as Fia thought. Anastasia only maintained the position of holding herself up on either side of Fia’s shoulders, looking down at her. She did not go any further.

She stared at Fia, reason gradually returning to her eyes. Then, the obsession and madness on her face rapidly softened. Her eyelashes trembled, her mouth kept opening and closing. Finally, her shoulders shook violently too, until her arms could no longer support her weight, and she collapsed onto Fia. Anastasia clung tightly to Fia, sobbing, her mournful words so distorted they were almost unintelligible.

“Why… why must you be so gentle… This way… I won’t be able to forget anymore…”

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Her body was warm and kept twitching from grief. Sensing the pain in the young girl in her arms, Fia’s voice grew even softer. She extended her arms and slowly returned Anastasia’s embrace.

“Already, there’s no way to forget. Neither for Anastasia nor for me. So, don’t force yourself to act like nothing happened anymore. Claire will definitely find a way to keep you here.”

“W-Ungh… I’m sorry, Your Highness… I’m sorry…”

No longer able to hold back the bitterness and grievance in her heart, Anastasia buried her face fiercely against Fia’s cheek, crying her heart out in an undignified manner.

The sunlight outside grew even more dazzling.

…

A full ten minutes passed before Anastasia gradually released Fia. Although she still sniffled from time to time, her face was now flushed with embarrassment. Flustered, she got up from Fia and stood properly. Then, watching Fia also rise from the floor, she kept her head bowed low, not daring to look at Fia’s face at all.

“I’m… I’m sorry—”

“Enough with the apologies. I’ve heard plenty.”

Fia kept patting her black gown. Anastasia had lain on her for too long. Though Anastasia was light, her overly ample chest pressing against hers had made it hard to breathe. Her back was probably covered in dust too.

“More importantly, Anastasia should tidy yourself up. Otherwise, when we return, the maids will wonder why you’re in such a disheveled state.”

“Ah, yes… yes!”

Blushing deeply, Anastasia hurriedly took out a hand mirror from her storage item. But before she could fix her hair and dress, she suddenly lost strength, like a doll whose winding key had run out. Luckily, Fia was beside her, or Anastasia would have fallen to the floor again.

“Hey.”

Spaced out again?

Fia quickly shook Anastasia’s body. Unlike before when there was no response, this time Anastasia woke instantly. Her clear blue eyes were filled with confusion, as if she didn’t know what had just happened. She looked around blankly.

“Your Highness, what are you… No, where is this?”

In that instant, Fia froze in place. Her expression solidified instantly, even her lips pressed tightly together.

Her throat felt unusually hoarse as she answered with difficulty.

“This is your home in the Land of Exile.”

“How could that be? My home couldn’t possibly be this clean. Um… could you let go of me now?”

“Anastasia…”

“Is something the matter?”

Staring at the shyness in Anastasia’s clear blue eyes, Fia couldn’t utter a word for a long moment. She clenched her teeth, even her fists turning white-knuckled. In the end, all emotions turned into a sigh.

“…It’s nothing. Let’s go back.”

“Okay.”

Without further words, Fia had Anastasia put away the things in the house. After instructing the border guards to keep watch over the courtyard and not allow exiles inside, she activated her teleportation magic, returning to Blossom.

The entire process was accompanied by Anastasia’s exclamations of surprise and delight at how clean her home had become.