Chapter 42: Dead

Time passed.

Cecilia had grown accustomed to a life with Lu Mo.

She and Lu Mo had climbed over that wall many times.

At Kalis Manor, she learned how to catch butterflies for the first time.

She took off her shoes and socks for the first time, dipping her bare feet into the lake water.

She held Lu Mo’s sword for the first time, clumsily practicing combat techniques under the girl’s guidance.

These were all experiences she had never had before.

One day, the two of them sat under a tree, looking at the calm surface of the lake. For some reason, they suddenly began to talk about the future.

“Cecilia, have you thought about what you want to do when you grow up?”

“When Cecilia grows up, she will become a very powerful Saintess!” Cecilia lifted her head proudly.

Her answer was still the same as it had been long ago.

Back then, she was still very young and did not know the weight of the title “Saintess.”

“Then do you know what you will face after becoming a Saintess?” Lu Mo asked.

“Cecilia knows,” Cecilia said, nodding with a smile. “A Saintess will encounter difficulties, step on thorns, and face countless demons, or even the Demon King. But Cecilia will definitely be able to overcome all of that! Because Cecilia is going to be the most powerful Saintess of all!”

“Then have you ever thought that one day, just like in the stories of heroes and Saintesses, you might have to sacrifice everything to defeat the Demon King?” Lu Mo asked again.

“Sacrifice?” Cecilia blinked, dazed.

Lu Mo thought Cecilia would seriously consider the meaning of sacrifice.

But after only a few seconds, Cecilia answered with a giggle, “Sacrifice… that’s a great and holy thing, isn’t it? If the time really comes, Cecilia will do it.”

Her expression was so innocent, and her tone was so childish. “Then, Cecilia will be resurrected in God’s Kingdom. Cecilia will come back often to visit Lady Lu Mo, and I’ll say good things about Lady Lu Mo to God. That way… even if Lady Lu Mo says bad words, God won’t hate her.”

The more lightheartedly Cecilia spoke, the colder Lu Mo’s expression became.

Sacrifice.

That was indeed a great thing.

That was provided that the person sacrificing themselves knew the truth and chose to do it without turning back.

But the Holy Sanctuary and the family were deceiving Cecilia.

This kind of act, tricking someone into giving up their life, was not a sacrifice.

“Lady Lu Mo?” Realizing that Lu Mo’s expression had changed, Cecilia asked with concern.

“I’m fine.” Lu Mo shook her head, her previous smile returning.

“Don’t worry, Lady Lu Mo. Cecilia will definitely speak well of you in front of God. After all, Cecilia wants Lady Lu Mo to always be well and live a long, long life!” Cecilia said.

“Who wants you to go to God… you dummy, Cecilia,” Lu Mo pouted.

“Waaah, you can’t be like that, Lady Lu Mo! You must use respectful language when mentioning God, and you definitely can’t say bad words!” Cecilia let out a sharp, frantic cry.

“I’ll say it, I’ll say it! God, God, God! Cecilia is a dummy, dummy, dummy!”

As Lu Mo spoke, she suddenly stood up and ran toward the distance.

“You can’t do that!” Cecilia also stood up in a panic and chased after Lu Mo.

The two figures ran under the setting sun.

Eventually, Cecilia was panting and drenched in sweat, yet she still hadn’t caught up to Lu Mo.

‘I’ll have to stay up late tonight to repent to God on Lady Lu Mo’s behalf,’ Cecilia thought to herself.

As the sun sank below the horizon, she looked up in the dusk and saw Lu Mo waving at her from not far away.

Lu Mo was smiling, her expression carrying a hint of bossiness and arrogance.

Cecilia panted, but at that moment, she couldn’t help but laugh as well.

Though it was a bit exhausting, as long as she was with Lady Lu Mo, she was still very happy.

Back then, they were both still very young.

It was an era before tragedy had descended.

It seemed as though sadness would never find them.

Cecilia loved the time she spent with Lu Mo and loved this unrestrained happiness.

But in the depths of her heart, she was always conflicted about one thing—

Every time, she only managed to climb over that low wall with Lu Mo’s help.

She wanted to try climbing it once using only her own strength, but she had never been able to do it.

Sometimes, after returning to her family and saying goodbye to Lu Mo, Cecilia would think about this problem constantly.

On her way back, she encountered the elderly man leaning on his cane.

“What is it, little Cecilia?” the old man asked kindly.

“Good evening, Grandpa,” Cecilia replied.

In the past few months, the number of times the old man came out for an evening stroll seemed to have increased.

Consequently, the number of times Cecilia met the old man had also increased.

The old man would accompany Cecilia, walking with her all the way to her residence.

After greeting Cecilia’s father, he would slowly leave while leaning on his cane.

Invisibly, this had helped Cecilia get out of trouble several times.

‘Is Grandpa’s health getting better? Is that why he’s out walking so often?’

Cecilia couldn’t stop thinking about it.

It was a good thing.

“You don’t seem very happy today. Have you run into some trouble?” The old man saw the conflict on Cecilia’s face and spoke up.

“Not really…” Cecilia said. “It’s just that I’ve been struggling with something lately.”

“Is it something between you and your good friend?”

“Yes.”

“If it’s something between you and a good friend, then go for it bravely.” The old man spoke. “Little Cecilia, do what you want to do. Just be yourself, and don’t let yourself have any regrets.”

Be myself?

‘But I’ve always been me.’

Cecilia found it a bit strange that the old man would suddenly say such a thing today.

However, she could tell that he was encouraging her.

She nodded earnestly. “Thank you, Grandpa! I’ll do my best!”

She pumped her fist, and the old man immediately smiled.

The two of them walked to the entrance of Cecilia’s home.

“Senior,” Cecilia’s father said, greeting the old man.

“Little Cecilia has really helped me a lot lately. Thank you both.”

“Please, Senior, there is no need for such words.”

After a few pleasantries, the old man waved goodbye.

‘Grandpa helped me out of trouble again today,’ Cecilia thought.

Come to think of it, she realized she didn’t even know the old man’s real name yet.

She also hadn’t properly introduced him to Lady Lu Mo.

She told herself ‘next time for sure’ as she returned to the residence with her father.

***

After saying goodbye to Cecilia, the old man was once again alone.

He leaned on his cane, walking through the night with a slightly weary gait. Suddenly, he covered his mouth and coughed.

When he pulled his hand away, he saw that his palm was stained with blood.

“It looks like my time is almost up.”

The old man gave a bitter smile. “I’m about to go see you… Cynthia. But when that time comes, will you be willing to see me? Will you be willing to… forgive me?”

In that moment, he actually exuded an intense sense of loneliness and regret.

He had once let his own daughter die with nothing.

He was supposed to spend his old age with nothing as well.

Until he met Cecilia.

‘Cynthia, you know, I met a girl who looks a lot like you when you were little.’

‘But she seems to have made a very good friend.’

‘I want to help her.’

‘And this… will be my final atonement, won’t it?’

‘Cynthia… I’m sorry…’

***

For the next few days, the old man did not appear before Cecilia.

Cecilia didn’t pay much attention to this change.

Her attention was entirely focused on that low wall.

“Don’t let yourself have any regrets.”

Cecilia still remembered the words the old man had said to her.

She stood before the wall, gathering her courage bit by bit.

“Do you need help?” Lu Mo asked from where she sat atop the wall.

“No, Cecilia can do it,” Cecilia replied seriously.

On the first day, she stared at the wall for a long time, ultimately ending in failure.

On the second day, she jogged to the wall but never dared to jump up.

On the third day, she jumped. Both hands touched the top of the wall, but she still couldn’t climb up. Her arms swung a few times before she finally jumped back down to the ground.

On the fourth day.

“Cecilia, the Senior is gone—”

“Oh.”

Someone spoke to Cecilia, but she only gave a casual reply and immediately jogged toward the wall.

She didn’t notice the expressions on the people’s faces.

She didn’t know what “gone” meant in their context.

She only felt that she had to do something today.

She had to get over that wall.

Otherwise, she would definitely regret it for the rest of her life.

“Cecilia, you can do it!”

She spoke to herself, jumped with all her might, and then grabbed the top of the wall, pulling herself up with every ounce of strength she had.

That day, Cecilia actually did it.

“Lady Lu Mo! Look! Cecilia did it—”

Her dress and body were covered in dust and moss.

But she stood on the wall using her own strength, waving her hands and shouting at Lu Mo, who was practicing with her sword.

She was very proud.

So proud that she forgot herself for a moment, accidentally slipped, and fell toward the Kalis Family side.

“Waaaaah—” Cecilia let out a startled cry.

Quickly, she felt a gust of wind sweep past.

Lu Mo caught her, carrying her as they slowly descended.

“Lady Lu Mo, I…”

‘Am I going to be scolded by Lady Lu Mo again?’

Cecilia braced herself for Lu Mo’s lecture.

“I saw it, Cecilia. You did very well.”

But on this day, Lu Mo did not scold her.

Instead, she spoke gently, her tone filled with praise.

“Hehe.”

Cecilia smiled.

On this day, she didn’t stay at Kalis Manor for very long.

“Are you going back so early today?” Lu Mo asked.

“Yes.” Cecilia smiled, keeping it a secret. “Because… no, I’ll tell Lady Lu Mo tomorrow.”

She had climbed that wall all by herself.

She couldn’t wait to tell the old man the news.

The old man told her to act bravely and not to have regrets.

She had acted bravely, and she had succeeded.

This time, she would definitely ask for the old man’s name.

She would definitely introduce her best friend, Lady Lu Mo, to him.

She would definitely make sure the two of them met.

She would definitely…

But in the end, she didn’t manage to do any of it.

She would never see the old man again.

The old man’s kind smile was forever frozen on that monochrome portrait.