The Price of Secrets

“A week?”

Reyn’s brow furrowed slightly. This was hardly good news for him.

The Witch’s Assembly could strike at any moment, and he possessed no means of resistance whatsoever.

Yet, he found himself without a choice. He could only let out a soft sigh.

“I understand.”

Louise watched Reyn’s retreating figure. Only after confirming he had left by carriage did she collapse weakly into a chair.

It was then that she noticed a dessert gift box on the dining table. Her pupils constricted violently at the sight of the brown teddy bear on its packaging.

She stared intently at the strawberry shortcakes nestled within the box, her gaze unable to shift for even a moment.

Uncle Tom’s Cake Shop. She knew this place; it had been her sister’s favorite dessert shop when she was alive.

The gift box had clearly been bought in advance, meaning Reyn had known about her dealings with the heretic from the very beginning.

Louise bit down hard on her lip, recalling Reyn’s feigned subservience earlier. It sent a shiver of disgust down her spine.

‘Demon! He’s nothing but a demon who delights in toying with people’s hearts!’

Ding-a-ling!

The landline at the stairwell suddenly rang, startling Louise. She turned her head sharply towards the phone, her breathing quickening, her heart pounding.

Her lips trembled uncontrollably as she tottered towards the landline. She slowly lowered her head, gazing at the persistently ringing phone.

With a pained expression, she picked up the receiver and gently placed it to her ear.

“Are you home?”

The voice on the other end of the line inquired.

Louise covered her forehead with one hand, raking her fingers through her bangs. Her azure eyes grew steadily moist as she whispered in response, “I’m here, Sister.”

Thump, thump, thump!

Suddenly, a knocking sound came from outside the door, and the voice on the other end of the line fell silent. Louise released the receiver from her hand.

With arduous steps, she moved to the side of the door and turned the doorknob.

“Ah, Louise. Really, you crybaby.”

The voice from outside the door was exceptionally gentle. It seemed to want to wipe away Louise’s tears, but just as it raised its arm, Louise recoiled sharply several steps, screaming almost uncontrollably, “Don’t touch me!”

The creature seemed distressed, even somewhat hurt, its voice tinged with a sob that sounded particularly aggrieved. “Louise, I’m your sister.”

“Shut up! You are not!”

Louise shrieked in grief and indignation, glaring fixedly at the anthropomorphic sludge before her. Its body resembled a grotesque amalgamation of the world’s foulest substances, vaguely humanoid, yet maintaining a semblance of humanity that did not belong to it.

This was an entity that absolutely should not exist in this world. The Holy Church collectively referred to them as heretics.

It seemed to bow its head in sorrow, its voice low. “Louise, you’re really hurting me. You weren’t like this when you were little.”

Louise stared intently at the creature feigning sadness. Even though she knew it was not her sister, it truly possessed all of her sister’s memories from when she was alive. This plunged her into deep struggle and agony.

****

On a rooftop overlooking the street, a pair of azure eyes silently watched the tightly shut door. A faint, derisive sneer played on the lips hidden beneath the mask.

“The Holy Church, as expected, is merely a den of iniquity.”

This was a B-rank heretic, the Voice of the Deceased. It had no physical form, its attention drawn to those who harbored an excessive yearning for the dead.

The Holy Church had yet to pinpoint its true location, classifying it as B-rank only because the harm it caused was relatively minor. It merely led victims to mental breakdown from their inability to refuse its prolonged visits.

The reason for this was that its anthropomorphic appearance constantly reminded the victims that it was not the person they remembered. Yet, the fact that it possessed all the deceased’s memories made victims truly believe that the one they missed had returned to them.

Anna’s small hand rested gently on her chest, her gaze gradually becoming distant as she murmured softly, “As expected of the Young Master. He already knew Louise Christian would be ensnared by the Voice of the Deceased.”

Her soul was suddenly tugged. Realizing what was about to happen, she passed through flames that ignited out of thin air, arriving in a hotel guest room.

Vivian, still in her clothes, lay deeply asleep on the bed. Anna also lay down on the other side of the bed, slowly closing her eyes, allowing her soul to be pulled into another world.

When her soul settled, she slowly opened her eyes. The space she now occupied was a vast garden under a blue sky dotted with white clouds.

On the lush green grass, a girl with hair as bright as emeralds sat quietly beneath a parasol, enjoying a hot coffee. At her feet, another girl with golden hair lay sprawled on the grass, soundly asleep.

Anna glanced around, seeing no one else besides Vivian. She let out a cold huff. “Are the other three not coming again?”

The green-haired girl set down her cup and smiled faintly, speaking softly. “The three of them have always been solitary. Pride and Lust listen to the Young Master, but Envy sometimes doesn’t even heed his words.”

Anna wrinkled her nose, stating coldly, “That Envy will cause the Young Master great trouble sooner or later!”

Although there were seven members in the Witch’s Assembly, their daily interactions were far from harmonious. They gathered only because of Reyn Rheinhebo.

The green-haired girl looked at Anna, smiling gently. “Let’s get to the main topic. Wrath, does the Young Master intend to revise the territory’s taxes?”

Anna displayed a look of surprise, which already provided the green-haired girl with her answer.

The green-haired girl chuckled softly. “So it is.”

Anna suddenly frowned, her voice turning somewhat cold. “Greed, presuming to guess the Young Master’s thoughts is a grave taboo!”

The green-haired girl suddenly gave Anna a playful look, her words laced with sarcasm. “Or should I, like you, foolishly wait for the Young Master to give direct instructions?”

Anna’s frown deepened as she retorted coldly, “Overly clever women are not likable!”

The green-haired girl’s gaze grew even more playful. “Do those who caused the Young Master to be targeted by the Holy Church have the right to say that?”

Anna’s eyes widened instantly, and her cheeks puffed out in exasperation. Beside her, Vivian also hung her head in deep remorse.

The green-haired girl let out a soft huff, savoring her moment of victory, then slowly began to speak. “If it were me, I would only kill two people. The remaining one would be pushed to the forefront as a puppet. The Young Master’s original plan was probably to operate from behind the scenes, but unfortunately, it was ruined by you two self-proclaimed clever ones.”

Anna frowned. “Those are all your conjectures. Moreover, the Holy Church’s might is not enough to concern the Young Master!”

The green-haired girl looked at Anna, her voice suddenly deepening. “But have you considered, what if there’s something within the Holy Church that truly concerns the Young Master?”

Anna’s expression shifted instantly, then she declared with resolute certainty, “Even if the Pope intervenes, I alone can handle it!”

The green-haired girl immediately retorted with a sneer, “Foolish! Do you truly believe the Young Master is worried about the Pope?”

Anna’s brows gradually knitted together. “You know?”

The green-haired girl proudly lifted her head, stating calmly, “The Holy Church’s followers are spread across the world; that is their true power. Kill one Pope, and there will be thousands more. The people of the Holy Church cannot be eradicated, which is why the Young Master has always been reluctant to clash with them directly.”