97 What Beautiful Moon

Agnes gazed at the sleeping Raya. She held my arm affectionately, a gesture unbeknownst to her. The ghostly girl floated down to the ground, and rather than a spirit, she looked just like my twin sister. "Dᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ sʜᴇ ʜᴀᴛᴇs ᴍᴇ," she asked while unsure on whether she wanted to hear the answer. Her grip immediately grew tighter and she meekly hid behind me, fearing her cousin would wake up at any time and exact the karma she believed she deserved.

I let her rest in my arms, just like I did with Raya, and now there were two girls embracing me—though the mood quelled any enjoyment I could feel. "For you to ask so sincerely, what a rarity. Should we record this day, perhaps?"

She glared at me, not finding my inquiry entertaining. "Sᴛᴏᴘ ғᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ. Sʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴅᴏᴇs ᴅɪsʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴅᴏᴇsɴ'ᴛ sʜᴇ?"

"Do you think so?" I wrapped one arm around Agnes and she sank into me, her nose burying into my chest. "To me, it seems her love for you is boundless, though granted, she is a little confused."

Agnes held me tightly, like she feared I would run away. "Iᴍᴘᴏssɪʙʟᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ʀᴇᴀsᴏɴ sʜᴇ ɪs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴜs ɪs ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏғ ᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ʜᴇʀ. Iғ ɪᴛ ᴡᴇʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ, sʜᴇ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴʟʏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ sʜᴏᴡɪɴɢ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ʀᴇsᴇɴᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ."

"You think too negatively. If she did, would she walk with us in the first place? True, we hold absolute control over her, but I never did anything against what she believed. If she really wished to disappear, I could not stop her, don't you think?"

"Aʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀɴ ᴏᴘᴛɪᴍɪsᴛ ɴᴏᴡ?" Agnes groaned. "Yᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ sᴀʏ ᴡʜᴀᴛᴇᴠᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɴᴏ sᴄʀ���ᴘʟᴇs. I ᴄᴀɴ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀsᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜʏ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ Rᴀʏᴀ ғɪɴᴅs ɪᴛ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ sᴀʏ."

"I can be whatever you want me to be, for I am everything and nothing all at once." I lifted Raya off the ground. It wasn't the first time I carried her, thus I was ready for her weight and properly aligned my knees. One last time, my vision was guided to the outside, but the dark window merely reflected the quiet hallway guesting Raya and I. "Then why don't we make a bet? Since we are in the Land of Judgement, we ought to live by their principles and settle our problems via a game, shouldn't we? I do believe she loves you. If I am right, you will entrust this body to me. How about it?"

"Hᴏᴡ ᴀᴜᴅᴀᴄɪᴏᴜs, ʟᴇᴄᴛᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴀ ɴᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴏɴ ʜᴇʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴄᴜʟᴛᴜʀᴇ—ᴛʜᴀᴛ's ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ. Hᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, I ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛ." That sinister smile of her returned, and for the first time, I was happy to see it. "Tʜᴇʀᴇ's ɴᴏ ᴡᴀʏ sʜᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇs ᴍᴇ. Sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ I ᴡɪɴ, ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴ ᴍʏ ʙᴏᴅʏ."

I grinned at her demands. "Fine with me. What's a gamble without repercussions right? Also, this whole ordeal wasn't my fault to begin with."

Agnes helped me in lifting Raya. She did so by first touching me, then her cousin, circumventing the pesky curse that stopped her from interacting with the world. "Wʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴇᴀɴ?"

"Hey, do you think I'm stupid? Knowing the state of your foes is essential in battle. There's no way I wouldn't have seen Raya's tantrum coming, was there?"

"Tʜᴇɴ ᴡʜʏ ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴇᴛ ɪᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪs?" She pouted, her expression told me I had done her a great injustice.

"I didn't let it come to this," I rebutted. "Someone else guided her into this state. I knew one day she would question my motives, but I was planning to beguile her until she had achieved enough self-sufficiency that it didn't matter anymore." Raya was heavy on my shoulders. A sleeping body was not much different from a dead body, only a little less inert and stiff. Ultimately, the weight was the same. I pulled her gently, with a tenderness I could not provide her when she was awake.

"Sᴏ ᴡʜᴏ ᴅɪᴅ ɪᴛ? Wʜᴏ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʜᴇʀ ʀᴇᴊᴇᴄᴛ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏᴏᴅᴡɪʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀᴄᴄᴜᴍᴜʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴅᴀʏs?" Agnes tried helping me. She had already made her way to Raya's feet. Still, there wasn't much she could do while trying to maintain her corporeal state.

"Who else could it be? There is only one type of person that can oppose someone like me. A disgusting person with misguided judgement and adopted morals—a person that cannot think for himself and acts upon so-called justice." I walked out the hallway. Frankly I did not want to stay any longer, as the heavy wooden walls—dressed with chipped paint to disguise the rot and moss that came in great patches—rested on my irritated mind. It emitted a dull pain in my forehead the more I stared at it. Its wavy pattern dodged the splinters and reached for the hard floor, like a man jumping to suicide. I'd never seen worse walls in my life.

"Wᴀɪᴛ, ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs Eᴅᴡᴀʀᴅ? Dɪᴅ ʜᴇ ᴅᴏ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛᴏ sᴀʙᴏᴛᴀɢᴇ ʏᴏᴜ?"

"Of course not, don't be stupid. As if that brat could ever tell what I was planning. It was all coincidence. He ruined any plan I had with his stubborn self-righteousness. That's why I hate these types of people, messing around, oblivious to their actions." I clenched my teeth and my brows furrowed subconsciously.

After some serious thought, I decided to remain here overnight. Or rather, it was Raya who did so, since I could hardly take her outside of this mansion. Wasn't it ironic that she left me with additional trouble even in her sleep? Yet, I didn't find it in my heart to blame her, seeing her serene state, as she breathed in and out while cozening up on my back.

"I sᴇᴇ. Bᴜᴛ sᴀʏ, ʏᴏᴜ sᴇᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ʜᴏʟᴅ Rᴀʏᴀ ɪɴ ʜɪɢʜ ʀᴇɢᴀʀᴅ. Iᴛ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴀsᴛɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ᴀᴡᴀʏ, ʙᴜᴛ I ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ sᴇᴇ ᴡʜʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɢᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ғᴀʀ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴍᴇ. Iғ ɪᴛ's ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ɢʀᴜᴅɢᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ, ʜᴀs ɪᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴄʟᴇᴀʀᴇᴅ sɪɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴇ ʟᴇғᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇsᴛᴀᴛᴇ?"

"You don't understand anything, do you? Ever since I came to this world, I myself have had a grudge that needs satisfaction, and I will not rest before I've achieved it. I have a feeling Raya will play a pivotal role in that act." My steps were heavy. Surely, they'd have left deep footprints had I walked in the mud outside. "And more importantly, I don't do things halfway. I won't leave anyone important to you behind, I'm a professional after all. "

"Sʜᴇ's ɴᴏᴛ ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ. Aᴛ ᴀʟʟ." Agnes cutely flung her head. Or maybe I

should not refer to it as cute—she would get mad at me otherwise.

"Really, like Raya, you just can't be honest, can you? But that is what I like about you two."

I continued walking, with Raya persistently clinging to me, despite being in deep slumber. Even if I did not hold her she would stay adhered to me, as if saying, 'look at me, even upon death, I will remain on your side.' We continued like that, all the way, until we found a place of rest. The floor creaked noisily with every step I took. Falling rain and howling winds echoed in my ears. Agnes followed right behind me.

The room I chose was small, containing only one bed, but it should do for this single night. I closed the door with my foot, and Agnes ensured it stayed closed. With my remaining strength I placed Raya on the bed. She slept so soundly, it was hard to imagine her emotional turmoil just a minute before. Her chest bobbed up and down in rhythm with her faint breathing. I gently caressed her by laying my head on her breast and listened to her steady heartbeat. She moaned in displeasure, but not enough to awaken her. I removed her dress by slipping her arms out, pulling it to her waist and revealing her bare top—a round and beautiful sight.

The moon looked exquisite tonight.

A sudden knock interrupted my admiration. I hastily retracted my hand. Who sought to interrupt me at such an hour? "Tsk. Come in," I said in an irritated tone, though I knew the outsider was not to blame.

It was a servant who had caught me entering this unknown territory. As he came in, I immediately recognized him as a tall man, in his mid-twenties, wearing the typical servants outfit I had grown accustomed to seeing. The size seemed a bit too small for him as I saw his sleeves on both his pants and shirt too short; though he did keep them dry and clean. I was half-expecting him to throw me out, but he did no such thing.

"Oɴʟʏ ᴀ ᴘᴇsᴋʏ sᴇʀᴠᴀɴᴛ," Agnes lamented, her comment closely resembling what Raya would have said. Her interest immediately subsided.

"Apologies for my sudden intrusion, Milady." He gracefully bowed down. "I saw you entering this room, so I thought I could provide you with any help needed."

"Don't stare, there's a dame resting here," I said and quickly veiled Raya with a blanket; though nothing could hide her supple mounts striking through the linen.

The servant quickly averted his gaze. "I apologize, if the lady wishes to, I shall leave immediately." He shuffled between me and the exit, and I realized that his shoes still carried some mud.

I scrutinized him one more time, then looked around the room. There was nothing notable, except for some cutlery atop a desk, still uncleaned and resting. "It's fine. I don't know my way around this place so your help is much appreciated. Say, what is your name?"

"Louis," the man answered. He slowly approached. "If Milady wishes, shall I prepare a separate place for you to sleep? It appears that the lady over there has already occupied most of the space." He gestured at Raya.

"You don't look like a Louis," I commented frankly and sat down on the bed.

The servant chuckled lightly. He rubbed his left knee softly. "Mistress, please, I've been given that name by my Mother who named me after her Father. I've carried that name since birth and intend to do so till death."

"I apologize, I was only trying to lighten the mood." I laughed alone.

I did not say anything more, and except for Rayas' light breathing, the room turned quiet. The servant, Louis, stood at the door, his hands behind his back, awaiting further instructions. I closed my eyes, lost in thought. A queer wave of calmness overwhelmed me and I realized this was the first moment of true ease in this hasty day of mine. I took the chance to stabilize my rattled breaths and relieve my mind of the stress it endured. Silence really was golden.

"Say," I paused, "if you really wish to help me, there's something hidden in that small drawer, it should be a nightgown; could you get it for me?" I pointed at the place below the desk, a place barely reaching the height of my knees.

He looked at me with justified guilt, even slightly blushing. "I'm really sorry. Truthfully speaking; I've hurt my knee just a while ago and it's hard for me to reach anything far down. Of course, if you really wish to, I shall abide, but in that regard, I'm of little use." He dropped his head. One could not help but feel bad for him.

"Oh I see. Sorry for expecting the unreasonable then." I stood up by myself and went towards the dresser. I squatted down and opened the lowest shelf. "Oh, this is weird. Louis, can you take a look at this? There seems to be something missing."

The servant tilted his head, unsure of what I meant. But who was he to disagree? He slowly approached me and glanced over my shoulder. A wave of surprise hit him as he saw there was nothing but jewelry inside. "What's the meaning of this?" he asked in confusion.

I reached for the silvery knife on the desk. He fell back and I rushed forward. I aimed a swift strike at his face. He immediately lifted his arms, but sadly was not fast enough. "It means I had no idea what was inside the drawer." I stabbed right through his blue iris, embedding the blade into bone behind it. He screamed, but the squishy feeling of piercing something soft overwhelmed my auditory senses. A small gurgle emerged out his eye along with bright red blood, trickling down his face. The man went down with no resistance, like a cow hit by a stunner. I jerked the knife handle sideways, and a sound eerily similar to crushed grapes rang out, together with his cries.

"Ueargh," he yelled out—a syllable of words with little meaning.

"Stop shouting." I swept his feet away and he stumbled, face first. The knife in his left eye went ahead, heading straight for the ground, but I caught him by his neck, sparing him of a gruesome death. He quickly gulped his screams down.

I placed my face next to Louis'. His cheek felt glowing hot while the knife continued scraping the ground. He broke out in cold sweat. I gently whispered in his ear, "You guys really must think I am stupid, what? Just because I was distracted, you thought I wouldn't realize your killing intent?"