The Villain’s Ending

Chapter 17

Afterimage (4)

The funeral service was brief.

Estelle recited the prayer without faltering before the altar. Her voice was quiet and solemn. Clad in a white priestly robe, she appeared sacred. Though, in truth, she herself was a person who wished every day that God would disappear.

A few people sat inside the church. Levina and Seraphina, along with Kyle and his companions. The ailing Duke Edelgard, and his wife, who, though attempting to hide her joy, could not quite conceal it. And the family elders, and several nameless individuals.

For the death of the Duke's son, it was an exceptionally small-scale funeral. But Estelle paid no mind.

Sunlight passing through the stained-glass window poured onto the floor in a riot of colors. Within that light, dust motes danced slowly.

After the service ended, they began to move the coffin. Estelle silently followed the coffin.

Stepping out of the church, dazzling sunlight streamed down. The sky was unbelievably blue, without a single cloud. It seemed to bless Lavin's death. It was as if it mocked, saying that now that one bastard was finally gone, the world would brighten.

The wind was warm and gentle. Birdsong could be heard from somewhere. It was the perfect weather for a picnic.

Estelle suddenly had such a thought. She thought it would be lovely to pack a few fruits and sit on the grassy hill over there. With Lavin. He probably liked apples. She didn't know why, but it just felt that way. After all, he never ate peaches even when she offered them.For Seraphina, however, it was a gloomy day. The sky was entirely ash-gray, and the world appeared in black and white. She didn't know why, but after looking at Lavin hanging, she literally couldn't see colors. Everything seemed white or black. And when she looked in a mirror, she could only see her own silhouette. No expression, no facial movement whatsoever was visible. So Seraphina decided to just go around smiling.

And Estelle didn't like Seraphina, who went around with a smile on her face. So much so that she wanted to smash her head with the Bible she was holding.

The coffin, engraved with Lavin Edelgard's name, glistened black in the sunlight. As a priestess, Estelle recited the prayer during the committal service with a solemn and serious expression.

"We now wish to return Lavin Edelgard to His embrace."

Her voice was exceptionally clear. That voice gently permeated the silence of the cemetery. People bowed their heads and closed their eyes in response to her voice.

"Though he lived a short and sinful life, he possessed a soul purer than anyone's. May you please receive his soul and grant him eternal rest."

Estelle's prayer continued at length. She spoke of Lavin's life, as given to her by Levina as a script, and wished for his soul to find peace by God's side. Her tone was extremely businesslike, but the emotions contained within it seemed deeper than anyone's.

People were moved by her appearance. They whispered that a Saintess was indeed different, and that she was the only one who could truly mourn Edelgard's good-for-nothing so sincerely.

Estelle was, at this moment, desperately suppressing her emotions. Her tightly shut lips and faintly trembling fingertips proved it. She likely hadn't known that Lavin's death would be such a great shock to her.

The committal service began. Into the pre-dug pit, the coffin slowly descended. People threw soil onto the coffin. Dry soil hitting the coffin lid made a dull thud.

Not a single person wept. Not even his former fiancée, Seraphina.

It wasn't particularly surprising. Seraphina hadn't cried, shrieked, or denied reality upon seeing Lavin hanging.

Estelle merely stared blankly at the scene. In her hand, too, was a small shovel. But she didn't scoop any soil.

Throughout the funeral, Estelle never once showed any sign of sadness. She seemed to be treating the funeral procedures as a mere task. She simply didn't know how to express her emotions. No, she struggled not to show them. Because she felt that if she crumbled once, she wouldn't be able to control it. Just like at her dead younger brother's funeral.

Just a trouble-making friend who resembled her younger brother and had been with her for a few weeks. Having spent time together, he turned out to be less of a trashy person as rumored, and more of a pitiful child who just seemed utterly exhausted.

Estelle had simply thought of Lavin as a friend with whom she got along well, or just a person whose company was comfortable enough. She must have had at least a slight attraction to him, though she didn't know since when. As a man.

Indeed, Estelle's life had always been like this. Even being called a Saintess brought her no joy at all. Being praised for her mercy, generosity, kindness, and faithfulness brought her no joy at all. In fact, she didn't even love God. Nor did she believe in or follow Him. Because God was always like this. Because He was something that took away everything she might love and like. Naturally, hearing that she was the representative of such a thing didn't make her happy.

People who approached didn't approach Estelle herself. Everyone approached, looking at the Saintess.

It was the exact opposite with Lavin. He saw me as Estelle. I was seeing Lavin as an overlay of my younger brother. And yet...

After the committal service, people began to leave the cemetery. Some gathered to speak with the Head of House Edelgard, some for their return home now that the committal service was over, and some to participate in a small gathering hosted by Levina for those who had come to the funeral.

Estelle, paying no mind, remained until the very last, guarding Lavin's grave. Just a flat patch of earth covered with soil, without even a mound yet. After digging out some soil with a shovel, she simply took an apple from her pocket, buried it inside, and then covered it again with soil.

Then, she took out two cigarettes from her pocket and lit them. One she stuck into the grave, and the other she held in her mouth. Wisps of smoke scattered into the blue sky. The smoke, without any form, simply vanished. Like her time with Lavin.

Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned seeing him as an overlay of my younger brother. Though he wouldn't have died because he heard that.

As she deeply inhaled, the pungent smoke stung her lungs. She coughed maniacally, choking.

The world was utterly peaceful. The wind gently stroked her hair as it passed. The warm sunlight tickled her cheek. As if nothing had ever happened.

The cigarette burned down about halfway. The ash stretched long, hanging precariously. With a 'thud', the ash fell and scattered onto the soil. She rubbed the ash with the tip of her foot. It vanished without a trace. As if nothing had ever been there.

After smoking the cigarette to the end, she rubbed the butt into the soil to extinguish it. And she also stared blankly at the cigarette she had stuck into the grave, which had been Lavin's share, then put it out as well. A cigarette is a luxury for a dead person. Even I, who am alive, barely smoke them.

She rose from her spot and dusted the soil off her clothes. And she moved her steps.

The gathering was held modestly in the banquet hall of the Edelgard mansion. Outside the window, a bright afternoon scene unfolded. Simple food and wine were prepared on the tables. But no one readily touched them. Silence flowed. An awkward, heavy silence.

Levina stood by the window, holding a wine glass. She didn't drink the wine, merely watched the red liquid sway within the glass.

Seraphina sat in a chair in the corner, her head bowed low. Her shoulders were faintly trembling.

Kyle and his companions merely wandered, not knowing what to do. Although Levina had called them, they were not people who had good memories with Lavin in the first place.

Estelle entered the banquet hall. Everyone's gaze turned towards her.

"The atmosphere is awfully stiff, it's not like someone died." Estelle said in her characteristic playful voice. At least for you, that good-for-nothing bastard wouldn't have been considered a person.

She approached the table and naturally poured herself a glass of wine. "Isn't everyone eating? You all haven't had lunch yet. There must be plenty of delicious food. This sandwich looks good." She picked up a sandwich and took a bite.

"The ham and cheese are so good, you can feel the sorrows of the common people. Aren't you going to eat? Then I'll eat it all by myself?"

No one replied. Estelle shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of wine. And her gaze turned towards Levina and Seraphina.

It seems those two killed my only friend. And yet they're wearing those expressions. They're wearing expressions that seem sad despite smiling after killing someone, and also as if nothing happened.

"Why are your expressions like that, you two? Weren't you supposed to be the protagonists who should be happiest today? One of you finally got rid of a dog-like, good-for-nothing bastard you didn't even want to call your brother, and the other had a trashy fiancé who was holding her back neatly taken care of. Shouldn't you be holding a banquet, not just a small gathering like this?"

Estelle's voice was light. The already cold air in the banquet hall froze over.

Levina slowly turned her head and said in a low voice. "This is my mansion. I know you live thoughtlessly, but I'd appreciate it if you'd watch your words, Saintess."

"How scary." Estelle swayed her wine glass and smiled faintly.

"We've even held hands with Kyle and hunted demons together, so why are you acting so stiff? Over the death of one animal cub that used to roll around in your house."

"Estelle!" Kyle stepped forward. His face was stiff.

"Stop it. At least today isn't the place for such words."

"Is that so? I think it's the perfect place. Don't you agree? He can't hear curses anyway. Because he's dead."

Estelle glanced at Kyle, then turned her gaze back to Levina. "So, how do you feel? Do you feel completely refreshed now that the eyesore is gone? Or perhaps, did you shed even a single tear, reasoning that at least some blood was shared?"

She approached Levina and gently swayed the wine glass in front of her eyes. The red wine, hitting the glass, rippled like blood. Placing a finger on her shoulder, she slowly traced the bruised neck, then stroked her face, all while Estelle smiled.