Love Letter From The Future-Chapter 393: Bread and Dagger (91)

The Marquis’ silence spoke for itself.

Delphine felt as if her lips had gone dry. Several words of blame for the Marquis arose in her heart, but she ultimately refrained from throwing those words out..

The reason was simple.

It was a despair that she never experienced before.

Who could understand the Marquis’s desperation?

He was the only one who could truly comprehend those feelings.

It was something she never considered before, but first love changes a woman.

It had made her more merciful and compassionate.

Moreover, she unconsciously engraved her beloved’s every word in her heart.

This too, was part of that change.

And it would become the turning point that would determine the fate of many.

“That’s how I ended up making a deal with the devil. With their help, my skills began to improve day by day and, after several years, I finally achieved what I wanted—ascending to the seat of Yurdina.”

“Were you happy? After making a deal with the devil?”

“No.”

To her spat out question, the Marquis shook his head with a dejected expression.

“I was a useful collaborator for the Dark Order. One day, I realized how many vassals had died taking the blame for my mistakes while I rose to become the family head. Pitting humans against elves under the command of the Dark Order, sacrificing the Northerners—how was I any better from my brother or sister?”

“Is that why you drove Seria’s mother away?”

“Heh, you’re quite sharp... No, in fact, it’s a miracle it hasn’t been discovered until now.”

With a bitter smile, he lowered his gaze.

It was a look of resignation.

“Yes, you’re right. Seria’s mother... the mother of that poor child is of vampire lineage. She carries the blood of the monster sealed in the Great Forest.”

Though she expected it, Delphine couldn’t control her trembling shoulders when she heard the confession.

Seria Yurdina.

She was her half-sister. Though she had once seen her as a rival and even tormented her, Seria was still her sister.

But to think that child carried the blood of the continent’s most infamous monster.

She couldn’t even imagine the storm that would break if this became known. Seeing her horrified expression, the Marquis muttered in an even more deflated tone.

“Don’t tell that child.”

“Do you think keeping it from Seria alone will make a difference? One of the Empire’s Five Noble Houses collaborated with the Dark Order! The whole world will know!”

“I will bear the burden, all of it.”

With that, the Marquis grabbed the sword Delphine aimed at him.

Gasping, Delphine tried to pull back, but his grip was surprisingly tight. Even as the blade cut into his flesh and blood trickled down, his grip didn’t loosen.

“I’ve lived a life where I couldn’t take responsibility for anything. Hoping my child wouldn’t face the same fate I did, I only wanted you as my heir. But, as if by a twist of fate, Seria was born... It’s not that child’s fault, is it?”

The woman furrowed her brows.

He was right.

If it became known that the Yurdina Family collaborated with the Dark Order, it was impossible to even guess how far the aftermath would reach. It wouldn’t be strange if the Imperial Family tried to exterminate the Yurdina.

But there was still a way out.

“Strike me down.”

Beheading Marquis Yurdina, right here.

It is excising the traitor of mankind with Yurdina’s own hand—cleansing Yurdina’s past to secure its future

Of course, it wasn’t that simple.

The bond between father and daughter was a bond ordained by heaven. Even Delphine wouldn’t want to violate this.

A child cutting down their parent.

Could there be a more cruel fate?

Delphine’s hand, which was holding the sword, trembled. Along with the trembling of her closed eyelids, her eyelashes twitched.

Marquis Yurdina’s persuasion continued even in the midst of this.

“So please, keep the story about Seria a secret. Delphine... my daughter. This is my final request as your father.”

What Delphine had to do was simple.

Just raise the sword, and cut off his head. An indelible scar would then remain in her heart, but the Yurdina Household could survive.

There was no need to weigh the options.

Delphine herself knew, better than anyone, which should take priority between an individual and the family’s prosperity.

So she bit her lip.

The deliberation didn’t last long.

Because she was Delphine Yurdina.

The sword, shining under the moonlight, raised high, and, from the old man’s mouth a scream burst out.

“Ugh!”

His body rolled ungracefully on the ground the sword Delphine had raised was now stuck in the empty ground.

Rather, what had struck his plexus was her kick.

Gritting her teeth, Delphine spat.

“......Coward.”

No further explanation was needed for that brief condemnation.

In front of her father who was shaking, struggling to breathe, the daughter snarled.

“Don’t try to choose the easiest path while saying you’ll take responsibility. Do you know how many lives have been sacrificed by your choices?”

“Many lives will also be saved by my sacrifice.”

The words the old man spat out while panting were not mixed with even a hint of lies.

Although weakened, his eyes were as vivid as could be. It was hard to believe his aged body retained such vigor.

Silently, Delphine faced those blazing blood red eyes.

That, perhaps, would have been the right choice.

Delphine might have to someday stain her hands with her father’s blood.

But not now.

Delphine quietly sheathed her sword. Then the old man, who had lost all his strength, shouted in a rumbling voice.

“Delphine, it will be hard, but you must make a decision. As the Master of Yurdina, you should—!”

“Shut up.”

At that cold gaze directed at him, the Marquis had no choice but to shut his mouth.

No, could this be called cold?

They were pupils that were shaking violently, eyes that couldn’t hide their moisture.

There was no father who wouldn’t become a sinner in front of his daughter’s tears.

The Marquis’s head dropped.

“Then was Father’s choice befitting of Yurdina? And also.....”

Delphine hesitated for a moment, then subtly smiled.

She lived a life of being taken advantage of.

It wouldn’t be rude to play a prank, perhaps for the last time.

“You should see your son-in-law’s face before you go.”

At this, Marquis Yurdina wore a blank expression.

It didn’t take long for a hollow laugh to escape his lips.

“Haha... Are you serious? The next Head of Yurdina?”

“Who said he was my husband?”

With a smirk, the woman spoke with a captivating curve on her lips.

“He might end up being a husband to both sisters, you know.”

With those words, Delphine turned and walked away.

With a much lighter step.

There were, in fact, several reasons why she didn’t behead the Marquis.

Information about the Dark Order’s forces was still significantly lacking. Moreover, she didn’t know how many of their spies were planted within the family, and the means to prove that the Marquis was the Dark Order’s sole collaborator were also lacking.

Above all, Ian would want to talk to the Marquis more.

The world Delphine had seen and experienced was still insufficient. The man who had shown her this was right beside her. There was no reason to refuse when the man who could fill that lacking knowledge was right there.

However, the last words Delphine left seemed to have been quite shocking.

Besides her, there was a thudding sound of a man collapsing.

It was the final cry of the Marquis, who had collapsed from the strain of his blood pressure.

**

While I was unconscious, all sorts of memory fragments pierced through my mind.

Emotions overflowed from the wounds that passed like bleeding.

Regret, despair, resentment.

Then, a faint image passed before my eyes.

“I... I don’t regret it... Senior.”

A tender smile, a hand that falls to the ground after caressing a cheek.

On the face, only blood stains remain.

“I was so happy. The past few months have been like a dream—”

“Stop.”

Sobbing, the man pleaded.

“STOP IT.”

And I woke up, panting.

My panting breath was rough. I shuddered uncontrollably and then felt a presence right next to me.

Probably one of the women who had been nursing me.

But because I was so dazed, I couldn’t exactly guess the person’s identity. So, I hesitantly looked around before apologizing.

“Sorry, I had a nightmare.....”

“Hoho, a nightmare, you say.”

Yeah, so I was a bit startled......”

My lips, which had been naturally continuing the conversation, snapped shut.

It was because the voice reaching my ears was so alien.

My questioning gaze turned to the side, and there I met...

The old man’s eyes, so deep that their end was unknowable.

“Continue. It’s very interesting, it’s been a long time since I’ve been spoken to informally... Hahaha.”

It was the Empire’s Sword Duke.

A cold shiver crawled down my spine