The Girl Wants to Be Murdered

TL/Editor: Butter Cat

Status: 4/week mon-thurs

Illustrations: none

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〈 Chapter 13 〉 Chapter 13. Departure.

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**

Remi was in a very bad mood.

"Aris went to sister Anna again," Remi muttered.

It was always she who played with Aris and took care of her, so the fact that Aris seemed to favor Anna over her was simply frustrating.

Of course, it was all part of Aris's calculated actions, but unaware of the reason, Remi was always dissatisfied with the situation.

To the point where even Remi, whose head was practically a field of flowers, harbored a small grudge.

Aris was so kind that she could be mistaken for a reincarnated angel. But that so-called older sister didn't even try to cherish such an angel, instead pushing her away and walking past without a single apology.

For the siscon older sister who always mumbled about wanting to keep her younger sister in her pocket, the current situation, where she was hunting alone, must have been unbearable.

"—But Aris said just for today..."

Thwang, she shot an arrow at the innocent ground. Aimlessly, at the bare earth.

Naturally, she caught no game, and the arrow simply flew and stuck itself in the snow-covered ground.

Sighing, the princess resumed her walk.

The innocent arrows would be retrieved by the servants later. Poor things.

This princess... She has no intention of hunting at all...!!

The only reason she was enduring and holding back from running to Aris, hugging her, and nuzzling her face against hers was because her little sister had said "just for today." Because she had asked her to wait.

So.

Remi Akaia believed.

That just like Aris had said, everything would return to normal after today.

That her older sister, who had finally lost her mind from studying and started acting recklessly, would return to being a model student devoted to her studies.

That Aris, who was clearly hurting both physically and mentally, but kept watching over her older sister's unstable state without a care for her own well-being, would be snuggled tightly in her arms again.

That everyone would return to those happy days.

She firmly believed that.

If Aris saw Remi now, this is what she would think.

‘That's why you're arrogant, big sis.’

Death is uncertain, waiting for you anytime, anywhere.

So, be prepared for it, wherever you are.

Just because today is happy, doesn't mean tomorrow will be too.

Remi had forgotten that.

Commotion started brewing from afar. An intruder disrupting the festivities on such a grand day.

Curious about what was going on, Remi, with nothing else to do, slowly walked towards the center of the commotion.

"...ㅡㅡ!!"

"...Grandpa Fayne...?"

Remi recognized Aris' swordsmanship teacher at a glance. She also saw that he was breathlessly explaining something to her father, something that was unusual for the kind and even-tempered man.

Beside him was a woman, mounted on a horse that was snorting and breathing heavily, emitting white steam. The woman was handing something to a servant, her body trembling.

There must have been an urgent report for father, Remi thought.

Well, it's obvious. Causing a scene at an event hosted by the king just to deliver a report to a mere noble? There's no way such a bold person existed. Even a high-ranking person had decorum and boundaries to respect.

In the end, the recipient of the report could only be the King and Queen.

Although Remi considered it none of her business, she saw the King and Queen's expressions growing serious and grim from afar, so she quickened her pace towards them.

What's going on?

Approaching within earshot, she finally heard the word she was most confident in having uttered more than anyone else.

'Aris'.

A name. A word used to distinguish someone from others. Something that belonged to oneself, but was more often used by others.

Mumble, mumble, the incomprehensible words gradually became clear, conveying their meaning. And within those words, Remi noticed that the frequency with which Aris's name was being mentioned was alarming.

The moment she realized that, Remi started running faster than she had ever run before.

Finally close enough to hear them clearly, Remi caught one clear statement from Fayne's explanation.

A sentence that was both incomprehensible and unacceptable to her, with the context completely missing.

"—Princess Anna might kill Princess Aris!"

".....!!"

But Remi didn't need any more words.

That one sentence was enough.

She immediately turned around, found an unattended horse, and mounted it.

The knights, as if sensing something from her actions, tried to stop Remi, but it was no use. There was no one here who could stop this princess, whose eyes were now ablaze.

That person was far away, in danger.

Giddy-up.

Faster, faster.

A little more…

Faster....!!

Cutting through the wind, Remi Akaia rode her horse for her precious little sister.

**

'What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?'

This is the riddle posed by the Sphinx in the Greek and Roman myth of Oedipus.

Why a Sphinx, an Egyptian architectural structure, appears in a Greek myth and asks a riddle is honestly a bigger mystery, but they are actually different.

There's a monster named Sphinx in Greek and Roman mythology too.

Some claim they are the same, but I don't need to care about that.

It's none of my business.

Shall I tell you the answer? The answer to the question above is 'a human'. It's been told so many times that even a five-year-old child passing by knows the answer.

A child crawls on all fours, an adult walks on two legs, and an old person walks with three legs, with a cane.

Well, what I'm trying to say is...

—Crunch!

"KyAAAAAAAAH—!!! It hurts, it hurts, it hUUUUURts!!!!"

"haHAHaHAhAHahaHA!!!"

Wah wah, I'm baby Aris.

I'm a baby. I'm crawling on all fours.

Having abandoned human dignity, I was rolling around on the ground, serving as Anna's tool for pleasure.

Anna's feet, clad in hunting boots, mercilessly trampled on the back of my hand.

The rough, iron-studded soles were more than enough to inflict pain.

The back of my hand, which had been chosen for her attention, was where the arrow had pierced. I didn't know if she was aiming for it or not, but it was clear that Anna stomped on that spot with all her might, where the arrow was still embedded.

Crack, crunch, snap. I heard sounds that shouldn't be coming from my hand.

It felt like an electric current started from my hand, traveled up my bones, and fried my brain.

You've been holding back a lot... Big sis...

You wanted to catch the rabbit first...

I didn't know... I'm sorry... Actually, I knew... I'm really sorry...

"B-Big sis... Please... Please, come back— AaAaaaAAACk!?"

"I told you to shut up—!!!"

The kicks continued. I crawled on the ground, desperately trying to escape the torrent of violence.

Hmph.

My clothes were already soaked in blood and mud. Ptooey, I spat out a blood clot that had hardened and stuck to my throat.

Just like she wanted, I screamed and ran away pathetically, filled with fear, looking desperate and wretched.

Anna chased after me, laughing gleefully.

The trees that had covered the sky started to disappear.

The sound of rushing water could be heard from afar.

Instead of dirt, I started to feel the hard texture of rocks in my hand.

I already knew she was leading me somewhere. The direction of the arrows, the trajectory of the violence, it was all pushing me in a specific direction.

Yes, Anna was doing her best to drive me to despair even in this extreme situation.

As I thought, Anna is amazing.

But my moment of contemplation was short-lived, and the chase, which I had wished would last forever, finally came to an end.

Thud, I saw a small pebble knocked out from beneath my hand as I moved. The pebble was then swept away by the current, vanishing without a trace.

A steep cliff, seemingly tens of meters high. Below it, a raging torrent, evident from the roaring sound of water even from this distance.

The vastness of the natural landscape seemed to tell me that there was no path forward.

Running and running, all that awaited at the end of this long escape was despair.

Ah, so this is what you wanted to show me.

Big sis, you wanted me to understand your pain.

The end I, we, had reached — was a cliff with no way forward.

**

I let out a moan filled with admiration.

"Ah.... AaAaaAh...!!"

"AHAhaHAhaHAHaHa!! Did you think YOU could escape!? HuH!?"

I turned around. In the shadows, Anna was slowly walking out, drawing two swords.

Thump, thump, her approaching footsteps were terrifying.

I must have a despairing expression on my face right now.

Because I'm probably going to die soon.

—Whoosh.

Stopping about ten meters away, Anna threw the sword she was holding in one hand at me. I closed my eyes.

But the sword didn't fly towards me.

Thunk, the thrown sword landed precisely between my legs.

As if it wasn't an attack intended to kill me, she slowly grasped the other sword with both hands and took her stance.

...Why?

You can just kill me now...

Everything is coming to an end, what are you trying to do?

I muttered to myself.

One leg forward, the other leg back.

The sharp tip of the sword pointed at me.

It looked like she was about to start a swordsmanship spar—

"My head hurts. Even now, it's throbbing like it's about to explode."

"...Big…sis...?"

The same pitch-black eyes as always, staring at me as if she wanted to tear me apart.

Within those eyes, big sis Anna was there.

From beginning to end, even in moments when she wanted to look away, she didn't avoid or run away, she faced everything within herself.

This wasn't just the influence of the emotions or curses I had planted. It couldn't be compared to something so trivial.

It was undeniably Anna Akaia's true feelings.

"Will this pain disappear if I kill you?"

"I don't... want to... I don't want this... Big sis..."

I covered my eyes with the arm that was still somewhat intact.

Drip, drip. Tears streamed down like rain.

Even though my arm covered my eyes and my clothes tried to absorb my tears— the endless tears soaked through my sleeves, soaked through my pants, and finally soaked the ground.

I'm not crying because I'm sad.

I'm crying because I'm happy.

"Pick up your sword, Aris Akaia."

"I don't want to... fight with you big sis…—WAAaaAAaaAAaaah!!!"

To Anna, I was a curse that always followed her.

She was saying with her eyes.

Even though she had tried to run away once, in the end, she had no choice but to fight back.

Both you and I, it's our destiny.

That's why she, the noble one, is trying to lift the curse that has been placed upon her here and now.

"—Or else, I'll kill Remi."

"Ah..... Aaaah...!!"

The final trial has begun.

I picked up the sword.

**

I secretly wanted to defeat Aris.

I felt disgusted with myself because she was my younger sister.

But even knowing that I would lose, knowing that it was a futile struggle, I wanted to do it...

If I just surrendered myself to my impulses, my heart would be at ease.

Curse me. Ridicule me. You should, you deserve it.

Even I know it's too late to turn back...!

But... this last step...

I will take it myself.

**

Tomorrow.

The next day, maybe even the day after that.

This chapter will conclude.

**

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