Volume 9, Chapter 5 – Deepening Affection

Undead and spirit forms are not the same concept. “Undead” refers to beings shrouded in death energy and driven by negative life—skeletons, rot-corpses, and wraiths all fall into this category. A “spirit form,” however, is a soul that exists independently of a body; it possesses no death energy, is not driven by negative life, and has no inherent connection to the undead.

A soul must be steeped in death energy for a considerable amount of time before it can be slowly converted into an undying being, specifically a wraith. This process is far lengthier than one might imagine.

Although death energy is dense in both the Netherworld and the Kingdom of Death, such a short duration is not enough to turn a spirit form into a wraith. In the Kingdom of Death specifically, the mechanism that turns the souls of the deceased into aurora borealis is a form of protection designed to keep them from being tainted by death energy.

However, as a fragmented soul, Noreen did not have the right to cross the Wall of Sighs. She could only wander outside the wall in an unconscious state. During this process, her fragile soul was constantly exposed to death energy, gradually turning her into a wraith. In fact, Noreen is currently among the most fragile of all undead; had Lucitine not wrapped her in death energy, the vibrant life force of the elven Royal Castle alone would have been enough to make her vanish into thin air.

“That is why Lucitine forbade you from touching her. To restore your sister to the living, we don’t just need to create a suitable body. We also need to convert the Noreen on your side into an undead, find a way to merge the two fragments, and then I can perform the ritual… This is all theoretical, of course. Practice will likely be fraught with difficulty. But don’t worry too much, Estelle. With the help of Lucitine, the Queen of Death, the success rate is high. She knows more about souls than anyone in this world.”

Even if Lucitine failed, there were other Queens of Death staying in the Immortal Sanctuary. Furthermore, in a worst-case scenario, the [Substitution] mechanism could be applied to Noreen, stripping her memories and personality into a memory bank to be merged with a suitable pure soul. This would allow Fia to directly craft a body for her. However, Noreen is slightly different from Venex and the others; the Venex series lacked their own souls, making such measures a desperate necessity. Stripping memories from an existing soul like Noreen’s might lead to the existential crisis of “Am I still me?”

“I see…”

Estelle went silent for a few seconds as she processed Fia’s words, letting out a long exhale.

“So, simply finding Sister’s fragment isn’t enough. I also have to turn the Sister who merged with Chaos on my side into an undead, and then find a way to fuse the two undead fragments together, right?”

“Yes. To inhabit a new body, the soul must be complete. You cannot have one half as an undead and the other as a living soul. That said, no one can guarantee the experiment won’t go wrong. Estelle, you don’t need to force yourself to agree just because ‘Fia suggested a solution and I’d feel bad refusing.’ Though the Noreen on your side cannot speak, she still reacts to your voice. Making a conservative choice is a valid option compared to the risk of losing everything.”

The words were harsh, but as one of the executors, Fia had to make the risks clear, or things would only get worse.

As Estelle lowered her head, presumably weighing her options, Fia and Lucitine exchanged a look. Fia spoke as gently as possible.

“There’s no rush, Estelle. Go back and think it over before giving me an answer. Lucitine will take this Noreen back to the Kingdom of Death to keep her safe. As for the Noreen on your side, I’ll bring her to the Kingdom of Death whenever you’re ready.”

“No, I want my sister to return to normal. Fia, take me back to the Barony of Oro to get her.”

To Fia’s surprise, Estelle looked up, her beautiful crimson eyes devoid of hesitation. Her gaze was incredibly firm.

Fia understood how much Noreen meant to Estelle. Estelle had always idolized her sister; Noreen was the light that had guided her out of the self-loathing caused by having only half a wing. Moreover, Noreen’s death was tied to Estelle—the Despair Demon General had planted a Seed of Despair in Estelle. Once her despair peaked upon learning she wasn’t the biological daughter of the Baron of Oro, the seed became the disaster that killed Noreen and nearly destroyed the entire city.

While it was all the Despair Demon General’s conspiracy and Estelle was a victim, escaping self-reproach is difficult. Not to mention survivor’s guilt: the feeling of “Why am I the one who lived? It should have been Sister.”

If anything went wrong with Noreen due to Estelle’s decision, Estelle would blame herself regardless of the reason. The thought of “If only I hadn’t made that choice, she’d still be alive” would surely crush her under a weight of guilt she might never recover from.

Fia frowned.

“Estelle, are you serious? You should think this over properly instead of giving me an answer immediately.”

“I am making this choice after serious and careful consideration. Fia, no matter how nicely you put it, nothing changes the fact that my sister is like this because of me. I have an obligation to restore her. I don’t want to see her continue in this state—neither human nor ghost.”

“But the experiment carries the risk of failure.”

“I know. I will take full responsibility for the consequences. This is a burden I must carry.”

“…”

Fia remained silent, staring into Estelle’s crimson eyes. They were clear and steady, without a trace of the confusion that usually makes one’s eyes sting.

Perhaps Estelle had already made up her mind the moment Fia mentioned finding the fragment. No matter what happened, she would restore her sister. Now, she was simply voicing that internal resolve.

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In that case…

Fia took a deep breath.

“I understand. However, it would be poor hospitality to have you leave right after arriving. Stay in the Twilight Palace tonight and go back tomorrow.”

This was also to let Estelle’s nerves cool. Major decisions are often followed by regret once the “what ifs” start creeping in during a calm moment.

Whether she saw through Fia’s intent or not, Estelle paused for a moment before a relieved smile touched her lips.

“Alright. By the way, won’t you introduce me to this Queen of Death? This is our first time meeting. Greetings, I am the current ruler of the Barony of Oro, Estelle Oro. Since Your Majesty is a friend of Fia’s, you may call me Estelle.”

“You need not use such formal titles as ‘Your Majesty.’ I prefer the name Lucitine.”

Facing Estelle, who performed a curtsy like a noble lady, Lucitine responded with a regal dignity. The three sat down, while Noreen’s soul remained standing, motionless.

Estelle couldn’t help but ask tentatively.

“May I speak to Sister?”

“Of course, though don’t expect an answer. Low-level undead have little self-awareness, let alone a fragmented soul.”

“It’s fine. Knowing she can still react to my voice is enough.”

With Lucitine’s permission, Estelle swallowed hard. She swapped seats with Fia to get as close to Noreen as possible. Gazing at Noreen’s nearly transparent face, her previous resolve seemed to vanish. Sitting there was just the weak little vampire girl who used to chase after her sister. She called out timidly in a soft voice.

“Sis… Sister…”

◇

By the time Fia and Estelle returned from the dining hall to the second-floor living quarters, it was already ten o’clock at night.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor under the dim lighting. Both remained silent; the Twilight Palace was unnervingly quiet.

Estelle hadn’t gotten her wish. Noreen did react to her words, but that was all—no nodding, no shaking of the head. She was far less responsive than the Chaos-fused Noreen back in Oro. Consequently, Estelle’s spirits were low after her fruitless attempts, and Fia had decided to bring her back to her room early.

What should I say at a time like this…

Walking in front, Fia felt rather awkward. While her job was done once Estelle reached the guest room, it felt wrong for a friend to remain completely silent.

She cleared her throat, attempting to offer comfort.

“Es—”

“Thank you.”

Before Fia could finish, Estelle’s soft voice came from behind. Fia blinked; there was a clear note of exhaustion in the girl’s tone.

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“If not for you, Fia, I’m certain I would never have seen Sister again in this life.”

“…That may be so, but I’d prefer you thank me after Noreen is fully restored. I’d feel more at ease accepting it then. Lucitine was the one who found the fragment; if I had to search the Netherworld myself, I don’t know how long it would have taken. You should thank her.”

“But if it weren’t for you, the Queen of Death would never have helped me.”

I’ve heard enough words of gratitude already.

Fia answered in her head. She wasn’t annoyed with Estelle; quite the opposite, she disliked Estelle thanking her this way. She hadn’t helped for a “thank you,” and certainly didn’t want to hear Estelle sounding as if she owed her something. She had acted because she wanted to see Estelle smile again.

Fia sighed helplessly.

“Between the two of us, shouldn’t helping each other be natural? I didn’t help you to hear apologies or guilt. I wanted you to be happy. A girl your age shouldn’t always have such a bitter look on her face.”

“Between the two of us…” Estelle bit her lip, as if weighing the words. She was silent for a long while before replying. “That Queen of Death just now… is she also your lover? She speaks to you so gently.”

Fia felt a bit tongue-tied having to admit this in front of Estelle. It wasn’t that she was oblivious to Estelle’s feelings; the only reason they hadn’t crossed the final line was because Estelle herself had backed away before, leaving Fia uncertain.

Might as well lay it all out here, along with the fact that I’m heading south.

Courage brewed in her chest. Fia took a deep breath. Without turning back, she replied with forced casualness.

“Yes. Just recently, I agreed to date her. Claire and my Mother Yulisha know as well.”

“I see… So she’s the fourth?”

There was a hint of a smile in Estelle’s voice, but without seeing her face, Fia couldn’t tell if it was a wry smile or a sincere one.

She turned her head slightly.

“Do you want to join them too?”

Crap.

The moment the words left her mouth, Fia regretted it, wishing she could slap herself.

It wasn’t a calculated move. Somehow—maybe on a whim, or perhaps an idea suppressed for too long slipped out when her guard was down—she had suddenly repeated the offer she’d made once before. She screamed inwardly that this was a disaster. To save face, she tried her best to maintain a joking expression.

I probably said it because I know how she feels and I don’t want to see her so gloomy, Fia reflected. If Estelle rejected her or played dumb by asking “Join what?”, she was finished.

She quickly looked away and continued walking, adding with feigned indifference.

“In about two months—around winter, I suppose—I’ll be having a wedding with Claire and the others. Before the wedding, I have to go back to Dragonfall with Claire. Though at my speed it only takes a few days, my teleportation magic has distance limits and there aren’t many points left I can use, so I won’t be able to come back whenever I want. Uh, what I mean is… I mean I won’t be able to try merging Noreen’s fragments until after the wedding, so you don’t need to rush.”

The more she spoke, the stronger the regret and shame became. Fia ended up awkwardly changing the subject back to Noreen’s sister. Not only that, her cheeks began to burn, and her words came out at a rapid-fire pace, her desire to cover up her embarrassment written all over her face.

“Since I have to visit the human nations to make them behave, I’ll be leaving in two days at the latest. I won’t have much time to… to accompany you.”

Why would I ‘accompany’ Estelle?

Fia questioned herself. It wasn’t that she didn’t know the reason, but she couldn’t understand why she was possessed enough to say it out loud. Wasn’t she just making her intentions obvious?

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For a moment, the only sound was the thud of their footsteps on the carpet. Fia’s heart pounded; she couldn’t calm down for the life of her.

As if to tease her, Estelle remained silent. She said nothing until sweat began to bead on Fia’s back and Fia was howling with frustration in her mind. Then, Estelle spoke in a voice that was neither happy nor displeased.

“Didn’t you say something similar once before, Fia?”

“Uh… yes.”

Since she couldn’t see Estelle’s face, Fia could only answer honestly.

“So, are you implying that if I want to be your consort, I should hurry up and take the chance? How many principles do you actually have? First Claire and Anastasia, then the Holy Son and the Queen of Death, and now you’re setting your sights on me? If I were Claire, I’d have you drawn and quartered—wait, that works out perfectly. Five of us, each taking a piece.”

“Eh…”

Not knowing what Estelle was getting at, Fia could only let out a meaningless sound. But Estelle didn’t follow up, leaving Fia to continue her awkward march forward.

Even when they reached the guest room door, Estelle said nothing.

Fia began to wonder if Estelle actually didn’t like her. Like she had said to Tilulu and Nola before, maybe Estelle was just feeling the “suspension bridge effect,” mistaking the desire to repay a debt for love. Now that the effect had worn off, she was using a joke to brush it off politely. All this time, Fia had been unilaterally assuming that Estelle was sincerely in love with her.

I’ll just pretend this embarrassing thing never happened, bury it deep in my memory, and never dig it up again. Yep.

Quickly adjusting her mental state, Fia returned to her usual serious demeanor. She turned the handle and opened the door for Estelle—truthfully, she wanted to get away as fast as possible and hide in a hole so she wouldn’t have to force her expression.

“This is your room, Estelle. If you need anything, you can call the maids in the corridor; they’re at the top of the stairs. If that’s too far, you can call them to the door. I’ll be heading back now. Mother Yulisha said she was coming to see me, so I need to get ready.”

With that, Fia turned around. She didn’t dare look at Estelle’s face and took a quick step away.

Then, she felt her hem being grabbed.

This is…?

“What’s the rush? Am I that scary?”

Estelle’s teasing came from behind. Fia’s face stiffened.

“Mother Yulisha is looking for me…”

“Really? It’s not because you feel rejected since I didn’t answer, and you’re dying to find a hole to hide in?”

“You—”

Fia was momentarily speechless. She turned her head, her face flushed red because Estelle had seen right through her. But for the sake of her dignity, she widened her ruby-like eyes and feigned innocence.

“Rejected? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Estelle’s eyebrows quirked at an odd angle, but it was clear that a faint blush was creeping onto her cheeks as well.

“You really are playing dumb at this point. What’s between us… wasn’t that decided way back at the Cold Night hunting grounds? You were brave enough to confess then, saying ‘It’s fine if you rely on me more,’ yet now you only dare to use jokes to dodge me. You think I can’t tell?”

“…”

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Fia had no retort. Estelle was exactly right.

Estelle put a hand on her hip and sighed helplessly.

“Haah, things like this don’t always need to be said formally. I’m not a blockhead who can’t read the atmosphere. I didn’t answer just now because I felt that having a wedding in two months was too rushed for us. I figured even if I didn’t make it to this wedding, it wouldn’t matter—we could always do it later… and now you’ve forced me to say something this embarrassing.”

“Estelle…”

Fia looked up in disbelief. She looked at Estelle’s face and finally realized that the girl’s face was just like her own—as red as a ripe apple. Her voice even carried a slight tremor.

Seemingly unwilling to let Fia see her in such an embarrassing state, Estelle turned her head away slightly, looking like she was pouting.

“What? Are you looking down on me because of my low status? It’s too late to regret it now. After teasing me over and over again, even a stone would start to have feelings.”

Not to mention I wanted to take things further with you from the start.

Fia quickly explained.

“No, no, no! I’m not looking down on you! It’s just… just didn’t you say before that it wasn’t time? No, what I mean is—mmh?!”

Before Fia could finish, Estelle caught her off guard. Her beautiful eyes with their long lashes closed in on Fia, followed by the sensation of warm, soft lips—fragrant with Estelle’s scent—pressing against Fia’s own.

It was a brief touch.

Rather than a passionate kiss, it felt more like a vow.

But it didn’t end there. Estelle moved those feverish cherry lips to Fia’s earlobe and whispered—a hot, shy whisper that sounded like the seductive lure of a fairy.

“From now on, I occupy a place in your heart. We are lovers.”

“I…”

“See you tomorrow!”

Without waiting for a response, Estelle turned and fled into the room. She shut the door with a forceful bang , leaving Fia standing alone in the slightly chilly corridor.

Is she… shy?

Although Estelle had hidden herself quickly, Fia caught a glimpse of her in that last second, cupping her flushed face with both hands.

Despite the chill in the air, Fia felt her body burning up. She instinctively touched her lips, where Estelle’s scent still lingered. She found her hands were trembling uncontrollably, her breathing unstable, and her heart was pounding with a powerful, rhythmic beat.

A surge of emotion swelled in her chest.

Estelle accepted me.

It took two seconds of staring blankly for the fact to sink in. She stood before the door for a long time, her head spinning. She turned around instinctively, and by the time she snapped out of it, she was back in her bedroom, hugging her pillow and grinning like a fool. She couldn’t remember what happened on the way there, but it didn’t matter. Only one thing remained in her heart.

The ambiguous “more than friends, less than lovers” relationship was over. They had taken the final step and become mutually recognized lovers.