Case 154: Upon a farewell.

The demon queen's sudden descent shook the human world.

Not only did the identity of the crown bearer belong to someone considered a celebrity, but the queen's sensational entrance was clearly captured by the numerous journalists present at the event. Overnight, the news circulated at an unprecedented speed, and so did the demon queen's declaration.

Widespread panic arose across the continent. Syrus, whose inhabitants had already been in a state of unrest, became even more chaotic as a large number of people attempted to flee the city. But while Syrus was busy with its relevant authorities controlling the situation and reevaluating the threat, the Orleans mansion remained silent in the cold.

The Orleans Marquisate had been through a flurry of trouble over the last decade. Shortly after the current heir, Lyra, was born, the lady of the house passed away. Then, the house head fell into a slump, which heavily impacted the growth of the territory. Years later, it was the controversy of the Marquess's remarriage and her eventual disappearance.

With the identity of the demon queen now exposed as an Orleans, it was inevitable that the Marquisate would come under extreme scrutiny in the near future. However, standing right before this storm, Lyra had no mind to pay attention to such matters.

Hours had passed since Lyra returned home, yet she couldn't wrap her head around it. She... had failed to grasp Cecilia in the last moment, even though Cecilia was Lyra's whole world. If it meant hurting that person's feelings, she was prepared to do anything to save her life. At least, she had that thought until it happened.

Lyra was deceiving herself all this time.

She should have known her own inadequacy the moment she saw Cecilia's trembling smile on the snowy day. Yet, out of desperation, out of meaningless pride, Lyra hypnotized herself into thinking that everything would be fine. That she would eventually take care of everything as the powerful heroine she was.

But it wasn't enough. She hadn't become someone Cecilia could rely on. When that person smiled at her before transforming, a crushing sense of despair washed over the heroine.

The woman Lyra knew was incredibly kind and selfless, sometimes to a painful degree. One could easily guess her goals for exposing herself in this manner—she wanted to save everyone at the cost of her own life. And even as she shouldered the world's wrath, Cecilia still tried to comfort Lyra, still wished her a happy birthday.

All of it made Lyra feel even more bitter.

For the entire night, she spent her time curled up on Cecilia's bed, hoping to retain even a flicker of that person's long-lost warmth.

Cecilia was gone.

If the thought of not being trusted by her was bitter, then not being able to see her sunny smile ever again tore Lyra's heart apart. It was the kind of pain she never thought she would feel in her life.

''...''

Clutching her chest, Lyra sucked in a dry breath. She smiled wryly, praising her childhood mentality, '...I see why I didn't want to get close to someone.' She thought. She was, in the end, afraid of losing someone dear to her. And to think it was this devastating... she still couldn't come to terms with it.

Lyra struggled for a long time. In the dark, under the faint moonlight, she seemed to see an unusual glint. It was from a drawer of Cecilia's table. Something propelled the heroine to get up and finally open it. Her heart was never calm today, yet this moment felt tenser than most.

Inside the wooden drawer sat a carefully-sealed envelope. Beside it was a thick stack of envelopes, which were tied nicely together with white ribbons. At a glance, it wasn't difficult to assume whose handicraft it was.

Tremblingly, Lyra picked up the first envelope. The words 'To Lyra' were clearly written on it.

A letter.

Taking a deep breath, Lyra braced herself before quietly unpacking the letter. Under the fading moonlight, a beautiful handwriting reflected in her eyes.

[Hi, this is Cecilia.

If you are reading this, then perhaps I would already be sitting on that cold throne, waiting for you to come and face me.

Writing to you like this feels strange, but I believe it would be the best medium to convey my emotions and thoughts. It has been a while since we first met, hasn't it? You were still a small, timid girl then. You used to avoid me at first, always on guard. Then, when we eventually got closer, I was so happy. You used to nuzzle against me often. You used to follow me around the house, like a curious kitten... but look at you now—a prime and proper young lady!

I just want to say that I am proud of you, Lyra. You have accomplished things no one else could, and I am sure you would accomplish even more in the future. I am sorry I could not be there with you. I made this decision for myself, my selfishness, and I cannot help but feel guilty at times. Yet, I believe this is the best outcome for everyone. Even though the two of us might be enemies the next time we meet, I hope you can forgive me.

Lyra, I do not wish to see you sad over my departure. Let our beautiful memories be forever beautiful, and I hope you can remember me fondly in the future, just as I will remember you. You have an unbelievably bright future ahead of you, so please, do not be discouraged.

And... I still have many things to tell you, many conversations to have with you. It might not fit in this one letter, but I will try my best.

Lyra, I am sorry I could not stay by your side longer. I am sorry I could not be the best sister for you. I am sorry for making you worry about me constantly. I am sorry for being an airhead sometimes. I am sorry I could not meet you earlier, letting you alone for so long. I am sorry.

Lyra, thank you for accommodating a clumsy person like me. Thank you for opening up to me. Thank you for being affectionate. Thank you for allowing me to love you. Thank you... for being born.

Getting that out feels relieving, and I thought I could let it go easily, but in the end... I am still a selfish woman. I still want you to remember me well into the future, still want you to think of me often.

So... I wrote more letters. Feel free to open them when the time comes. There are a few I wrote for you to open after a month, at which point things would have settled down somewhat. Then, the next one should be in half a year. I even went ahead and prepared one letter for each year forward, though I think you'd get tired of them, so from the tenth year onward, it will be once every several years.

...Silly, isn't it?

But that is how much I want you to remember me. Once again, please forgive me.

Either way, I should probably wrap up this first letter here. Remember to take care of yourself. I will properly check on you the next time, got it?

Sincerely,

Cecilia de Orleans.]

Lyra couldn't stop crying as she read the heartfelt words. The tears that she thought had dried up flowed uncontrollably, wetting the paper. For a long, long time, she slumped onto the table, weeping.

Even as the morning sunlight slowly illuminated the room, only a girl's intense longing could be felt.