Misfortune 109

Chapter 109

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Roan froze solid at the clear voice cutting through the air.

The thought flashed through his mind—was he hearing things?

Because there was no way she would speak to him otherwise.

"You’ll listen to anything."

But Delnia spoke again, enunciating each syllable clearly, as if to dispel any doubt.

Only then did Roan turn his stiff neck toward her like a broken doll.

A sharp gleam shone in her eyes, which had been utterly transparent, holding nothing. Like a single ray of sunlight piercing through thick, dark clouds.

"Does that still hold true?"

Those eyes stared straight at Roan as they asked.

The sharp resonance of the pronunciation struck his heart. Despite the innocent and fragile tone, an undeniable force was embedded within it.

Not that he had any intention of refusing, of course.

"Of course it's valid."

His voice, barely drawn out, made his scratched throat sting.

If only his mood held, he truly felt he could do anything. He could confidently say he could commit any evil deed without a twinge of conscience or hesitation. And that no one could stop him either.

It was in that moment, as he stood alone, reaffirming his resolve and feeling exalted, that Delnia spoke in a calm, composed voice.

"Then, please let me go."

At those words, his wildly pounding heart stopped abruptly. The passion that had burned him hot, ready to burst forth at any moment, instantly cooled and sank.

"...What?"

Roan asked stupidly. Had he truly just lifted her from heaven only to push her back into hell? Perhaps he had misheard.

But Delnia, maintaining her composure, clearly conveyed her intent once more.

"What I desire is to be free."

Delnia had chosen to live. It was also a way to strengthen her resolve to never live like this again.

Merely preserving her life was insufficient. If she felt she wasn't truly living, even while alive, she would be tormented by the urge to destroy herself again at any moment.

To truly continue living, she had to make herself want to live. She had to open a path for herself to survive. She had to give herself breathing room.

That meant nothing less than thoroughly excluding everything that prevented her from living.

The guilt that had permeated her entire life, and the man who had used that guilt like a leash to control her.

She had to be prepared to carve out everything that had once been her entire world. Even if it meant living forever without healing.

"That's………………."

The man, who just moments ago had acted as if he would do anything for her, trailed off. The unmasked bewilderment seeped unmistakably from his stiffened tongue.

But he had no choice. What she demanded was predicated on one thing Roan could never tolerate.

If he let her go, then what?

Would the woman, no longer his possession, now free, remain by his side?

No way.

He could state that with such certainty because his answer was already decided.

"No."

"... ."

"I can't grant that."

Roan repeatedly refused her request. Despite his decisive tone, his voice trembled like someone gripped by fear.

If she asked him to kneel, he could kneel. If she wanted  to hurt him, she could.

If that could atone for his sins.

But atonement ultimately required someone willing to accept it.

Whether apology, atonement, or punishment, it could only exist if she remained by his side. That was the bare minimum prerequisite.

Yet she asked to leave.

She was going to disappear from his side.

"Only that..………………."

His breathing grew increasingly ragged as darkness stained his vision.

Roan couldn't comprehend this woman who seemed to say his atonement was unnecessary.

He wanted to repay the sins he had committed against her, no matter what. She still had so much to take from him.

But how.

How could she not even hate him?

"….."

No more words came from the man's mouth. Only ragged breaths.

And Delnia, as if it were nothing surprising, stared calmly at the man trapped in his own contradictions with eyes devoid of even a trace of warmth.

There was no disappointment. She had expected him to react this way.

It only made the man who had boasted he'd do anything seem a little more ridiculous.

His opposition wouldn't change anything anyway. If he'd been willing to agree readily, she wouldn't have brought it up in the first place.

She could find another way. There were plenty of options. As long as she didn't give up prematurely.

'It might just be a slightly longer fight.'

Just thinking about it made her feel instantly weary. So much so that she no longer wanted to deal with him.

She quickly withdrew her cold gaze from the man who had just become a liar.

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After rejecting Delnia's demand, Roan resolved to take action himself.

He knew it was a reckless move. He knew she wouldn't want it at all.

But even if he failed, he couldn't just stand by. He had to do something. He had to give her something, anything, that might make her happy.

That didn't mean he dared think she would forgive him.

He simply couldn't bear to do nothing.

Seeking out Lena without hesitation was part of that.

"Something any woman would like?"

Lena raised one eyebrow at Roan, who had barged in and made this strange demand.

Roan simply nodded silently, as if acknowledging her point.

"You're planning to give it to the lady?"

When he nodded again without a word, Lena let out a hollow laugh, clearly exasperated.

"Then you should give her something she likes. Don't you know anything? Her tastes or something………………”

Despite Lena's probing, Roan offered no proper answer, only dropping his gaze downward.

Lena's question was one he'd already agonized over until his head ached. But no matter how hard he searched his mind, nothing came to him. That was why he'd ended up here.

He'd been so confident that no one knew that woman better than he did. Yet, when it actually mattered, he couldn't recall a single thing.

He found himself utterly ridiculous, and he knew without asking how utterly flabbergasted Lena must be.

"You really don't know anything?"

As expected, Lena glared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief, pressing him further.

Yet, his lips remained tightly sealed like a clam, not moving an inch. Lena's gaze toward Roan grew even colder.

"Well, then. How could I possibly know what she likes?"

She countered his own words in a disinterested tone. Her gaze toward Roan now held nothing but utter contempt, as if nothing could shock her anymore.

It was an impolite attitude toward an elder brother, but Roan couldn't utter a single word of rebuke. Because it was all true.

"Ugh."

Then, Lena sighed dramatically and shook her head.

No matter how foolish he was, what could she do? The fact that this stupid man was her brother remained unchanged.

Since she couldn't pretend not to know, she decided to grant his request for now.

Of course, she'd make him pay dearly for it.

"Since there's no clever solution, I guess I'll have to win by sheer volume."

"Volume?"

"Yes. I'm hoping something will catch her eye."

What Lena pulled out was literally the textbook approach.

"But just piling on cheap stuff in quantity is absolutely the worst. You have to give a variety of high-quality things, evenly distributed."

Lena deliberately issued a stern warning to Roan, who nodded stoically as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"For the record, I don't cut family any slack. You'll pay the full price."

"Of course."

A bold attitude, ready to accept whatever price was demanded, made Lena's eyes sparkle with lively energy.

From this moment on, she was no longer Roan Barthez's only sister. She was simply the head of the Golden Wheel Guild's Brunois branch.

The mind of a merchant poised to seize a lucrative opportunity spun rapidly. Mentally calculating the prestige and influence of the Navy Captain while her abacus clicked, she finally spoke.

"Then, first, I recommend………………”

Thus, the two spent some time passionately collaborating—one as an enthusiastic merchant, the other as an eager customer—putting their heads together to fervently compile a gift list.

"Is that all?"

Surprisingly, Lena was the first to falter. Whether from exhaustion or simply running out of recommendations, her speech had abruptly slowed. Roan asked her.

"Uh, more or less, but..."

Leaving Lena, who trailed off in a slightly dazed tone, Roan brushed himself off and stood up.

He had skipped lunch to make this brief visit. He needed to return to headquarters before it got any later.

It was the moment he was putting on his outer garment without delay.

"But you know…”