MPBAGS Chapter 112

Going back in time, to when the Emperor decided to frame Tenebrae as the culprit following Bishop Marik's choice. Contrary to this, rumors spread among the people that Jeremia had killed her father. The source of the rumors was unknown, but there was only speculation that it began when Gabriel became suspicious of Jeremia.

The story that began to spread by word of mouth eventually reached the ears of the person concerned. Jeremia was greatly shocked by the strange rumor that she had murdered her own father and fell ill. Her twin sister Tenebrae nursed Jeremia.

"Tenebrae. Have you heard the rumors? That I killed Father... How, how can they say such cruel things?"

Jeremia gripped her twin sister's hand tightly, her face contorted with tears. Then she turned her eyes toward Tenebrae. Her vision was blurred by tears, making it difficult to see Tenebrae's face clearly.

"It's because Sir Gabriel finds you suspicious."

She said that the rumors of Jeremia killing the Crown Prince began because of Gabriel. Jeremia now felt intense hatred for the knight she had once admired.

"That knight just wants Lady Rohanson to be innocent and is trying to pin the crime on you. No one else believes it, so don't worry too much, Jeremia."

"Really? But the rumors have grown so big."

Tenebrae looked with disgust at the usually innocent Jeremia, who normally told others not to worry about rumors, now being excessively swayed by rumors about herself. Because of her tears, Jeremia couldn't see Tenebrae's sinister expression and continued talking.

"Tenebrae, you were right next to Father. Didn't you notice Lady Rohanson doing something suspicious? If you testify, everyone will know that Lady Rohanson is the culprit."

"But the fact that we switched necklaces that day is a secret, Jeremia."

"That's right..."

Jeremia nodded in agreement.

Just before the Crown Prince's birthday banquet, Tenebrae had come to Jeremia asking to switch necklaces for just a moment.

That day, Tenebrae pleaded with Jeremia with a face much more lively and sparkling than usual. She said she also wanted to dance the first dance with Father, but since the Crown Prince only asked Jeremia to dance, she wanted to dance even if it meant pretending to be Jeremia.

The fact that the Crown Prince discriminated between his two daughters was an open secret that could hardly be considered confidential. The only one unaware of this fact was the oblivious Jeremia. Jeremia naively trusted the Crown Prince's excuse that he couldn't dance with Tenebrae because her dancing skills weren't good enough.

"He probably thinks your dancing skills are still lacking. Let's have me pretend to be you and dance first, then secretly tell Father afterward that it was you. Then he'll know your skills have improved and will ask you to dance next time too."

Ignoring the Emperor's words that she must never remove the necklace, Jeremia readily switched necklaces, saying it would be fine if they kept it secret.

"My beloved daughter, may I ask you for a dance to commemorate your father's birthday?"

Just by switching necklaces, how terribly different the treatment became. Saying he loves her? What love from someone who can't even distinguish between Jeremia and Tenebrae without the necklace!

Tenebrae patiently endured her desire to immediately strangle the innocent Jeremia. There was no need for jealousy. That golden moment she had briefly experienced would now belong only to Tenebrae.

"After a night's sleep, everyone will realize it's just a false rumor and things will quiet down. Jeremia, you're the princess everyone loves, aren't you?"

Jeremia nodded and closed her eyes, listening to Tenebrae's comfort. Exhausted from crying, Jeremia quickly fell asleep. Tenebrae confirmed that Jeremia was deeply asleep and secretly removed the necklace. Then she put the black necklace that Tenebrae always wore around Jeremia's neck.

Is being foolish and naive, unable to suspect others, a natural trait? Or is it just arrogance from growing up always loved, believing that everyone would never harm her?

Tenebrae left the room, leaving the sleeping Jeremia behind. A maid with her face covered followed Tenebrae. After walking toward increasingly secluded areas, Tenebrae arrived at a room too shabby to be used by an imperial grandchild. Having just come from Jeremia's room surrounded by all kinds of luxuries, the contrast felt even greater.

Jeremia had looked at Tenebrae's room and dismissed it, saying, "You really like simple things." Simple? This room was given by the Crown Prince. The furniture couldn't be properly furnished because sufficient funds weren't provided.

Tenebrae recalled that innocent voice and, unable to contain her anger, began throwing and breaking the furniture in the room. The maid with her face covered watched without trying to stop her.

Only after the room became a mess and she was exhausted did Tenebrae stop her rampage and receive help getting dressed. As the maid was removing Tenebrae's dress, she noticed the green necklace that had changed owners and asked:

"Princess Tenebrae, your necklace has changed?"

Instead of scolding the maid and silencing her, Tenebrae gently nodded.

"Yes, I was told all my remaining wounds would be healed today, Saraka."

"How admirable. You did well."

Saraka examined Tenebrae's remaining wounds. The only wounds left on Tenebrae's body were whip marks on her back. They had been put off until last because the area was large.

Saraka picked up the holy water and knife she had prepared in advance in Tenebrae's room. Then she carved into the scars on Tenebrae's back with the knife.

"Ugh...!"

Holy water was immediately poured on the carved wounds. Many members of the royal family, being blessed ones, had constitutions that responded particularly well to holy water, and Tenebrae was no exception. As soon as the holy water touched her, new flesh grew.

Though Tenebrae looked not much different from Jeremia on the surface, the parts covered by clothes had been full of wounds accumulated over years. Knife cuts, scrapes from falls, bones that had been broken and healed incorrectly, as well as whip marks and bruises from beatings. It showed what harsh treatment she had received from the Crown Prince, with scars remaining because she missed the proper time for treatment.

However, the scars couldn't be removed with holy water alone. The only way was to create new, larger wounds and then pour holy water to heal them. Each time she probed and tore at the wounds, Tenebrae was filled with murderous intent. Even though she had killed her father, she wanted to kill him again. Perhaps stabbing just one knife into his heart was too merciful?

Noticing Tenebrae's anger, Saraka stroked her back soothingly.

"Don't suffer, please enjoy it.  Isn't the process of becoming someone else truly enjoyable?"

Just as Saraka had created burn marks on her face and hands to serve as Bishop Marik's substitute, Tenebrae had to heal all her old wounds to create a clean body in order to live as Jeremia from now on. Only then could she replace her twin sister who had grown up receiving only love.

"I think I can understand."

Saraka's words were truly comforting. Thanks to Saraka, she had been able to get complete revenge on the father who had abused her for so long. Tomorrow, Jeremia would become Tenebrae and die, while she would take her place.

Thinking this way, even the pain of her back being carved with a knife felt sweet. She had confirmed at the banquet that no one could distinguish them if they just switched necklaces, so there would be no problem.

"Meeting Bishop Marik was truly the greatest blessing of my life."

If not for Bishop Marik, Tenebrae would still be receiving the Crown Prince's summons today, serving as his outlet for anger and receiving corporal punishment. When she returned from punishment, the foolish Jeremia would probably say something about how nice it was that she and Father spent time alone together and how envious she was.

That was the extent of Tenebrae's position in the imperial palace. So God Rahel must have taken pity on Tenebrae and sent her representative, Bishop Marik, to extend a helping hand. Bishop Marik learned of Tenebrae's circumstances and gladly became her ally.

Understanding Tenebrae's heart that wished to kill her own blood, she not only gave her absolution to kill her father and sister but even created a stage for her to put it into practice.

Saraka poured holy water on Tenebrae's back that had been carved with the knife, empathizing.

"I feel the same way. Bishop Marik changed my life."

Saraka was originally a heretic's child who deserved to die, who should have burned to death with her father, but Bishop Marik had spirited her away and saved her.

Bishop Marik saved Saraka because she needed a child without status. At that time, Bishop Marik, whose body was becoming increasingly frail, realized she would die soon.

But Bishop Marik was at the height of her power from the heretic massacres, and she didn't know what kind of uproar would arise if it became known that Bishop Marik had died of illness.

So even if she died, she thought that 'Bishop Marik' should remain as a strong symbol of the temple, so she chose a young child and began raising her as 'Bishop Marik' - that was Saraka. She deliberately created the same burn marks on Saraka as herself, made her memorize her memories, and taught her speech patterns and habits.

Bishop Marik collapsed before the education was completely finished, and was now no different from a vegetable. There were no more teachings, but Saraka lived as Bishop Marik according to the arrangements made in advance. Stealing someone else's life to live - looking at it this way, Saraka and Tenebrae had many things in common.

There were many other relatively safe methods to serve as a starting point for another heretic massacre, but the reason she took the risk of killing the Crown Prince might have been because Saraka saw herself overlapping with Tenebrae. Of course, there was definitely also the fact that the Crown Prince had been hostile to the temple.

Seeing that the flesh had completely grown back and the back was smooth, Saraka announced that the preparations were complete.

"Princess Tenebrae, it's all done."

At Saraka's words, Tenebrae sat up. The bedding she had been lying on was damp with blood that had spread. When Tenebrae touched her own back, instead of the bumpy texture, she felt smooth skin.

"My back is really smooth... Now all the preparations are complete!"

Tenebrae cried out in ecstasy.

She put on the nightgown secretly stolen from Jeremia, wore the emerald necklace, and stood before her mirror. She pulled away the cloth that had always covered the mirror—she had kept it draped there because she couldn't bear to see her scarred body. Now, gazing at her reflection with all her wounds healed, it was as if she were looking at Jeremia herself. The resemblance was perfect. Tenebrae placed her hand against the mirror's surface.

"From now on, I will live as Jeremia."

And Jeremia will become Tenebrae, bear false accusations, take on all the humiliation that Tenebrae had experienced, and die.

Delighted, Tenebrae reached out her hand as if taking an invisible partner, struck a dancing pose, and began waltzing to the same music that had played during the Crown Prince's funeral march. This time, she danced in celebration of her beloved Jeremia.

Who would be next? Oratorio, who received the Emperor's favor and looked down on Tenebrae, not even treating her as a sibling? Or perhaps Grandfather, who ignored the traditional sayings and arbitrarily kept Tenebrae alive to establish his own authority, then watched and condoned as his granddaughter lived a life worse than death, being abused by his son?

Actually, the order didn't matter. Whoever came first, she would kill all these lovely family members.

"Father died as he always wished, with everyone looking up to him, and Jeremia will die having her lovely name stolen away. I'll make Oratorio drop that head he carries around so proudly and kill him. Grandfather will be stripped of the Emperor's position he valued more than family and die surrounded by all kinds of evil rumors just as I did..."

Tenebrae danced while singing her wishes and plans to Saraka in a melodic voice.

"Do you want to become Emperor, Princess Tenebrae?"

Listening to Tenebrae's wishes, Saraka suddenly asked upon hearing about killing all the royals.

"I don't particularly have that goal. But after I kill everything I want to kill, I'll be the only one left to become Emperor."

Then Tenebrae hesitated, suddenly thinking of someone.

"No, wait. I heard I have a missing uncle."

"A missing uncle?"

Saraka feigned ignorance and asked back. It was publicly known that the youngest prince had died in a difficult birth immediately after being born, and it seemed unlikely that the Emperor, who didn't confide in his family, would have told Tenebrae the truth. So she was very curious about how Tenebrae knew the truth.

Tenebrae spoke fluently about what she knew while executing graceful steps.

"Yes. I heard it from Father."

The source of Tenebrae's information was an unexpected person.

The Crown Prince had used Tenebrae like an abandoned well. Since he beat Tenebrae and released all kinds of stress on her, there was no way Tenebrae wouldn't know about it.

"Apparently, Father happened to be nearby when His Majesty was giving birth to the youngest prince."

This was a story Saraka had never heard even from Bishop Marik, so she listened intently while pretending not to be interested.

"He had gone to see his soon-to-be-born sibling out of curiosity, but instead overheard His Majesty ordering the child to be killed. Feeling like he had heard something he shouldn't have, he ran away from that spot. But lo and behold, there was no sibling's corpse in the coffin at the funeral. And later, seeing His Majesty searching for a young child, he realized that someone had spirited away his sibling."

"Did His Highness the Crown Prince know who had taken him away?"

Tenebrae turned only her head from her waltz pose to look at Saraka, then lost her excitement and lowered her hands.

"Yes. He didn't tell me, but he knew. That's why he was always pathologically afraid that his sibling would appear and take his position."

Unlike just before when she had been excitedly dancing the waltz, Tenebrae's face had rapidly darkened. Even though she wanted to become Jeremia and had stolen her nightgown and necklace to wear, when recalling the past, it seemed like she had returned to being Tenebrae tied up in the basement.

Tenebrae stroked her now-smooth back. Even though all the wounds had been healed, her spine that had been whipped still ached.

"Most of the wounds on my back were caused by Father's fear of the youngest prince."

The Crown Prince knew more truths than expected. If he had been close enough to hear the Emperor's words, he would have known that Bishop Marik was there with him, and would have naturally realized that Bishop Marik had spirited away the child.

Being someone with great ambition for power and greed for the Emperor's position compared to his abilities, he would have feared that the temple that spirited away the youngest prince would rebel and elevate his sibling as Emperor. Saraka understood why the Crown Prince had shown hostility toward the temple and Bishop Marik until now.

Moreover, the ominous saying that twins bring death was added. Tenebrae's existence spurred the Crown Prince's anxious delusions, and the Crown Prince abused Tenebrae to release his impatience and anger.

"Do you think the missing youngest prince is still alive, Princess Tenebrae?"

Tenebrae shook her head.

"No. Seeing that he hasn't appeared until now, perhaps His Majesty eventually found and killed him? What a pity. Since we're both similarly abandoned, perhaps Uncle and I could have gotten along quite well."

"Well..."

Saraka trailed off, thinking of Gabriel at those words.